U2 have topped a Rolling Stone 'Best in Show' readers poll to find the best live rock act in the world.

'Somewhere in the late eighties, the E Street Band took a break,' reports Rolling Stone, 'And U2 became the best live band in the world. They'll do whatever it takes to connect: jump into a stadium crowd and slow-dance with a fan, as Bono did at Live Aid in 1985; take a gospel choir on the road (Joshua Tree Tour, 1987); overwhelm audiences with multimedia (ZooTV Tour, 1992); or just play uplifting rock & roll with a lot of feeling (every tour).'

The editors cite the ZOO TV Outside Broadcast in 92/3 as 'Best Tour' ('mind-altering stage setup, plus exceptional songs from Achtung Baby') and 1984's Under A Blood Red Sky as 'Best Live Album' (' Bono's enthusiasm and emotion conquer America for the first time').

In May, Rolling Stone e-mailed thousands of readers and asked them to vote on their favourite live act; the only restriction was that the artist had to have toured in the last few years. Of more than 28,000 responses, U2 came in at No.1. Radiohead, Bon Jovi, Tori Amos and The Dave Matthews Band also made the Top Five.

For the rest of the Top Twenty click here
www.rollingstone.com

As Bono put it in Rolling Stone in 1997, "We've got the energy, we've got the electricity, we've got the buttons to push! Sometimes, size matters."