Favorite and least favorite U2 albums

OriginalCrash · #1 03-08-2009, 08:30 AM

After seeing a couple posts on here saying things like All You Can't Leave Behind was weak (one of my favorites) and praising War and October (don't get me wrong they're great albums... But far from my favorites) it got me wondering about how different U2 fans' tastes are... So just follow the example below or simply list a few of your favorites and a few of your least, whichever you prefer. I'd go first but I've been listening to them on my iPod on shuffle lately so I'll have to sit down and look at all their albums again to remember what songs are from where. Ready set go!

Brian

P.S. I should say this is intended for U2 fans. Please don't just jump in and say they're overrated or anything like that. Thanks.

Nedmundo · #2 03-08-2009, 10:31 AM

I've been a huge fan since 1982. So far I don't like the new disc that much, but a couple more tracks have started to grow on me. I'll arrange my preferences by tier, which gives you the top and bottom. Keep in mind I love most of the albums in the second tier.

First tier
Joshua Tree
Achtung Baby
October
Boy

Second Tier
War
Unforgettable Fire
Zooropa
Pop
Rattle and Hum
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

Third Tier
All You Can't Leave Behind
No Line on the Horizon

I think Pop is their most underrated disc. Some of it is weak, and shows signs of creative decline, but I think the second half is some of their best, most interesting material.

For a long time, Rattle and Hum would have been third tier, but I've grown to appreciate it over the years.

OriginalCrash · #3 03-08-2009, 11:37 AM

Well, just because I'm impatient and don't want to wait til tomorrow when I can look over my albums, I'll go ahead and have a go... I'm gonna do mine as follows... absolute favorites, first tier (very close honorable mentions), second tier (same as Nedmundo... I still like all of these), and third tier (not that their bad... just not as good IMO). Here goes...

Absolute favorites:

Joshua Tree
Unforgettable Fire
All You Can't Leave Behind

First tier:

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
No Line on the Horizon
Achtung Baby

Second tier:

Rattle and Hum
Pop
Zooropa

Third tier:

October
War
Boy

Again, that's just preliminary. Given a closer look, October may actually belong in the second tier. I've just never been a fan of (what to me sounds like) that very "raw" sound from their first albums. The songwriting and talent are still there, but the shine that makes U2 so enjoyable to me hadn't quite formed yet.

Brian

rythman6969 · #4 03-08-2009, 11:41 AM

Boy
October
War
unforgettable Fire

then it all statrs to sound the same to me

fenwickbacker · #5 03-08-2009, 11:43 AM

Wow - that's a tall order! I find myself listening to their songs in random orders - thanks to the playlists I set up on iTunes. I'm currently in a phase where I like the songs that were not hits on their early albums - songs like Out of Control, Stories for Boys, Stranger in a Strange Land, Surrender, Drowning Man, and the hits from the recent albums.

Overall best album start to finish where I don't feel the need to "skip" a song . . . Achtung Baby.

Of course I'd be lying if I said I hated any of their stuff, but I have yet to listen to Pop and Zooropa start to finish, but love Stay (Faraway, So Close) and Please - great songs.