Many decades ago it was shown that what had become American touring convention in the '60s and '70s, big rear panniers with perhaps a handlebar bag, was the least stable way to load a bicycle. In the early '80s, many, but not most, tourists had picked up on this and were primarily rolling front panniers, with rear load as necessary if they travelled heavy (which many did).

When Americans rediscovered touring a dozen-odd years ago, many seemed to have looked at photos from the '70s and copied those horrid loads. Unless your bike has ridiculously large front trail, a front load is much more stable than a rear load and should always be the starting point for loading a bike. It's not just more stable, it actually increases the stability of the bike while rear loads decrease it.

That said, ride what you like. If the appearance of big bags in the rear appeals to you, that's a good enough reason to roll that way. Goodness knows many of us have features on our bikes, or the entire bike itself, that isn't necessarily the best way to get the job done but just happens to be what we want. There is no "best" way, since we're mostly touring for the sheer joy of it.