News music critic examines 2007

As 2007 winds down, it's time to think about the funky and funny things that happened in the music business this year.

From Britney Spears' ongoing substance abuse and custody battle, to the Eagles releasing an album some 25 years after the band's last studio album, to Led Zeppelin's reunion for the Ahmet Ertegun tribute, there was a lot of music talk.

Some was bad (Spears' dismal performance on the MTV Music Awards). Some was sad — the passing of Dan Fogelberg and Hawthorne Heights' Casey Calvert, and the cocaine overdose of Quiet Riot vocalist Kevin DuBrow.

Some was boring (the overkill on Britney Spears).

But some things were fun, such as the aforementioned Eagles album, "Long Road to Eden," outselling Britney Spears' album, "Blackout" by 500,000 the first week of release. As of two weeks ago, "Long Road Out of Eden" had sold more than 3 million copies, becoming the fifth best-selling album of 2007.

Here are some of the best, the worst and the unexplainable things that happened in the 2007 music scene.

Best concert in large venue: ZZ Top, The Pretenders and the Stray Cats at the USANA Amphitheatre — The Stray Cats show why Rockabilly can be loved by punk rockers, classic rockers and emo fans. The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde is still cool to the point of belligerence. And while ZZ Top is the same three guys with the same three notes, they still can rock.

Best metal concert in medium-sized venue: Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie and In This Moment at the E Center — The elder statesman of metal can still "Bark at the Moon" and Zombie's theatrics only enhanced the show. In This Moment's lead singer, Maria Brink, is gearing up to be the next Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy.

Best angst-ridden small concert in a medium-sized venue: Tori Amos at the E Center — Amos brought to life the personas Pip and Tori of her album "American Doll Posse," and enchanted, bewitched and serenaded the less than 900 people in attendance.

Best concert in a smaller-than-medium-sized venue: Loreena McKennitt at Kingsbury Hall. Her ethereal voice and exotic compositions led the sold-out audience from the cosy seats of the hall to the "Gates of Istanbul."

Coolest collaboration of instruments: Bela Fleck's banjo and Chick Corea's piano at Red Butte Garden — The music did the talking and, surprisingly, the audience was uncharacteristically quiet.

Loudest concert: Tool at the E Center — That pretty much sums it up.

Loudest concert audience: The sold-out crowd at the Hannah Montana concerts at the EnergySolutions Arena was enough to cause the ears of at least a few parents to feel as if they were bleeding.