Start with how you play. If you group up, the solo, duo and trio shelves only hold servers that publish those team limits. If you want a faster pace, reach for the gather rate shelves: 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x, plus 1.5x and 10x+.
Then choose your region so the busy hours line up with yours: EU, US, AU. For a feel of the game, try PvE, roleplay, primitive, zombie, battlefield, creative or tutorial.
If you want the classic rules, the vanilla shelf is for you; for changes, the modded shelf. Official servers have their own shelf, and community ones are here.
Every list is ordered by live player counts and nothing else. Refresh is every five minutes, so what you see is what is in stock. For the freshest stock, check just wiped or see what is wiping today. You can also browse every server online.