Whether you’re a musician just starting out on what you hope will be the road to superstardom, or you’re a multi-platinum selling artist playing to sell-out crowds around the world, there are some venues that stand as iconic monuments when it comes to music achievements.

Smaller up and coming bands in the United Kingdom might want to play a Friday night at Camden’s KoKo club or the Cavern Club in Liverpool, while globally New York City’s Madison Square Garden and places like Las Vegas are always targets for the most ambitious.

London’s own Wembley Stadium stands as another iconic venue, and as one of the world’s largest stadiums such a show can often represent the peak of an artist’s career.

“Take That Wembley” by http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamraoof/ – . Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Here is our take on the top 5 live acts to perform at the new Wembley.

Muse

Muse were the first band to sell out the new Wembley during their 2007, playing two nights across a weekend in June.  For years, Muse have been critically and commercially acclaimed for their live performances, and are generally accepted by the music community to be one of the best live bands of all time.

What makes Muse’s performances stand out above others is that they’re more than gigs; they’re like theatre shows with show much effort going into creating an amazing spectacle.  Muse frontman Matt Bellamy even admitted a few years ago that such is their passion for creating a memorable experience for those at their live shows that the band makes very little profit from their tours.

Take That

The first band from the 90’s to reunite before everyone else seemed to jump on the bandwagon, Take That played four nights at Wembley in 2009 before returning in 2011 for a record breaking eight show run, playing to over 620,000 people across these dates.

Admittedly, Take That weren’t, and still aren’t, everyone’s cup of tea, but their influence within the industry has never been in doubt and their live performances have spawned best-selling DVD’s and caused fervour to the degree that if they decided to take the rest of the decade off, they’d still sell out Wembley in 2020.

Oasis

Speculation was rampant earlier this year that two of Manchester’s favourite sons were going to let bygones be bygones and get back together, for either a world tour or a Glastonbury Festival headline slot.

Neither occurred, but those who saw Oasis play the new Wembley in 2009 will never forget it.  Oasis were one of the last bands to play at the old Wembley before it was demolished, and are in an elite group of those to have played both during their careers.

Coldplay

While Coldplay might lack some of the pomp and circumstance that Muse do on the live stage, they still know how to put on a show and play to sold-out arenas and stadiums all around the world as a result.  Widely regarded as one of the best bands in the world today, even those who don’t consider themselves Coldplay fans should go along and see them and enjoy an unforgettable experience.

Metallica

Metallica’s 2008 Wembley show still holds the record for the highest grossing concert at the stadium, bringing in an astonishing $12million for one night.

Their Glastonbury headline slot this year proved they’re still going strong, so don’t bet against them coming back to play the new Wembley in the next few years.