What Cell Phone Carrier Should I Use?

So it's time for me to change cell phone carriers and I have no idea of who to go with.  I've been with Verizon for years and I find that they are on the expensive side.  I don't usually have any problems with them though especially while I'm traveling throughout the US.  Now that's not saying I don't get any dropped calls, but they are few and in between.  I've heard that Sprint and ATT have some reasonable plans out there, but I've been with Verizon for so long that I don't know if I have the guts to switch over.  Would if I'm miserable with someone else and wish I had stayed with Verizon?  Does ATT have a lot of dropped calls?  Sprint is losing their popularity with Metro PCS picking up speed and ATT having the new iPhone.  I could just stay with Verizon and keep it reeeallll simple.  Plus I love the fact that I can listen to music on my phone without having to use a different piece of technology.  I can just download songs and videos and call it a day.  Do the other carriers have that capability?  And not to mention I have a few family members and maybe one friend who have Verizon.  That's another reason why I've stayed with them.  But, why should I let that encourage me to spend more money when I can possibly get a cheaper plan?  Picking a carrier for me is like buying a new appliance, you have to take your time and shop around.  So what is the most popular inexpensive plan out there?  Stay tuned and I'll let you know what I find.