The best distribution is probably the one you like! All distros are much the same at command-line level — a few configuration files may be differently named or in different directories, but that's all — and the command line is what's used on servers.
Businesses that pay for support use Red Hat (particularly in the USA), SUSE (particularly in Europe), or Ubuntu (cheap). Organisations which have in-house expertise (e.g. internet and computer companies, universities) go for the free CentOS, Debian Stable, or Ubuntu. Distros like Slackware and Arch are very good, but not common outside the homes of computer buffs.
So, consider
OpenSUSE (the basis for SUSE Enterprise Linux)
CentOS (the free version of Red Hat) or Fedora (the basis for Red Hat)
anything Debian based: Debian, Mint (Ubuntu tidied up), etc
Whatever you choose, get to know the command line if you have a professional interest in Linux. For day-to-day use of the GUI, look at the ones available
http://www.renewablepcs.com/about-li...-gnome-or-xfce
and consider a distro which specialises in one that you like the look of: SUSE or Kubuntu for KDE; CentOS, Fedora, Debian or Ubuntu Gnome for Gnome; Mint for Mate; Xubuntu for Xfce.