I can’t believe the first band on this list wasn’t U2.
I was a complete U2 devotee in my in my youth, and thought they were incredible both at Live Aid and the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope performance in New York.
But they desperately need to give it a rest now. They haven’t really done anything interesting since Zooropa.
EDIT: I only partially agree with Woppit. I think that there are musicians who just do what they do, and do it well. The problem is the whole affected image thing. I mean, Bono, et al. are still trying it on like they might of when they were in their 20s, and there is something artificial about that. Someone like the late Tom Petty by contrast, or Bruce Springsteen, or a host of others, just age well and come across as who and what they are: older guys who still have something to offer musically.
I don’t know exactly what the difference is, but I know it when I see it.