U2 are absolutely very hit and miss for me, but I do genuinely like all the 25 tracks I voted for, only 1 of which has been revealed so far I believe.

Sorry Severin, it seems like the rate is picking on you today! These things even themselves out ofc :)

No worries. I fully expected to be the only one who is a big fan of the very early stuff, but that's when I first heard them.

'Gloria' is the first of mine to drop out so far (therefore my 1 pointer), until this rate I hadn't heard it in well over a decade since I borrowed the October album from which I could only remember the title track.

 

42nd. XXX (Kendrick Lemar ft. U2) - 17pts

 

Top scorer - Chez Wombat (9)

 

Peak position #50

 

41st. I’ll Go Crazy - 18pts

 

Top scorer - chartjack2 (9)

 

Peak position #32

 

40th Angel of Harlem - 18pts

 

Top scorers - Jim Watts (7)

 

Peak position #9

 

 

39th Window in the Skies - 24pts

 

Top scorers - chartjack2, Chez Wombat (12)

 

Peak position - #4

Edited July 20, 20241 yr by chartjack2

Some of my minor favourites showing up, enjoy the brass on Angel of Harlem, I'll Go Crazy... was hammered in to me by that Apple advert, but it's a nice song with a sweet video.

 

Window in the Skies is underrated for 21st Century U2, got a great anthemic soundscape and the video is seriously a real triumph with over 100 different musicians either in sync lyrically or musically with the song.

 

38th One (Mary J Blige feat. U2) - 25pts

 

Top scorer - Riser (25)

 

Peak position #2

 

37th - Desire - 27pts

 

Top scorer - Riser (13)

 

Peak position #1

Oh Desire is the first big loss

 

That Mary J Blige thing should has never happened, terrible

Agreed, I think Desire deserved a better finish than 37th. It got 12 from me so not far behind Riser in the points awarded list.

For me Desire is right where it belongs down this low. It was the first thing they released that I really thought was bad. It nicked all its best bits from The Stooges and Bo Diddley but somehow made them sound very ordinary. It and the subsequent album were their first big mis-step for me and I think it's fair to say it only went to #1 as it was the first new material by the current 'biggest band in the world'. I think they knew they had problems too, as they went away and thankfully re-invented themselves.

Oooh 'Desire' being that low is a shocker.

 

Also 'Last Night On Earth's didn't quite deserve such a harsh result.

 

36th - Fire - 29pts

 

Top scorer - King Rollo (20)

 

Peak position #35

 

=34th City of Blinding Lights - 34pts

 

Top scorer - Chez Wombat (15)

 

Peak position #2

 

=34th Numb - 34pts

 

Top scorer - Severin (15)

 

DNC

Decent showing for 'City Of Blinding Lights'! Also like both versions of 'One' too but not surprised the 06 one is out and low.

I actually think what U2 did with Desire/Rattle and Hum was smart

I mean they were never gonna make another Joshua Tree part 2

so best thing is to quick release a low-key follow up with many not even sure is it a live album? a studio album? does it even count? so pressure is off...

The recording and release of Rattle and Hum was anything but low key. It came with a theatrically released movie! It was touted by the band and label as this all encompassing tribute to the history of Rock N Roll and of celebrating U2's rise to superstar status. The band were literally everywhere, you couldn't turn on the TV without seeing them, their videos or adverts for the film. They threw themselves in everyone face in a way that was even more obvious than forcing iTunes custoemrs to download their album.

As the record didn't match the hype the quickly found themselves on the end of quite the backlash and it definitely stung them.

 

Had it actually have been a low key studio only EP release it would probably have fared much better, finding its place without the bombast and hype.