All U2 Songs Ranked 140-41
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| 100 |  | U2
The Joshua Tree
140. Silver and Gold (4/5)
This is the only song where I'm not ranking it based off the album version, as the album version is a live track. I think this song benefits from the studio presentation anyway because the fade in adds a lot of mystery and suspense to it. As is, the song to me feels really close to the Joshua Tree album track "Exit", so I've always figured it's presence on Joshua Tree proper would just lead to redundancy, and watching the band play both of them in the Rattle and Hum documentary kinda only drilled that association home for me more. However, I like sequencing it within the framework of the Rattle and Hum studio tracks a lot, and think it can reasonably tall amongst that material. The bar was just sky high during these sessions. |
| 99 |  | U2
The Unforgettable Fire
139. Elvis Presley and America (4/5)
So what they did here was take the backtrack from "A Sort of Homecoming", slow it down, and have Bono improv over it for 6 minutes. While there's a lot of stuff in the vault from these sessions that I like more than this track, I am a fan of and it doesn't negate The Unforgettable Fire's status as one of my favorite albums ever. I think housing "4th of July" as well which is also an improvisatory piece makes the record a very interesting look into the band's process in a way you don't normally get off an LP from a band like that. |
| 98 |  | U2
Original Soundtracks 1 (As Passengers)
138. Always Forever Now (4/5)
In no way is OS1 one of their dancier releases on the whole but the beat on this song is fat as hell and almost recalls some Achtung Baby energy before all the synths and Edge take over. |
| 97 | | U2
The Joshua Tree
137. Wave of Sorrow (4/5)
Although I respect the band trying to finish off some old demos with new vocals to go along with the box sets for their big albums, it's kind of a weird experience and in each occasion makes me wish Bono tracked his parts back in the day. As such, these songs kinda thrive off the instrumental for me, but simple as it is that piano loop paired with the organ sets such a dreary backdrop that I wish they explored more. |
| 96 |  | U2
War
136. Angels Too Tied to the Ground (4/5)
Feel like I should knock this out of the way too, since this is the same deal where the vocals got tracked anew much later. I like the instrumental of this a little more than "Wave of Sorrow" but likewise think the vocals on "Wave of Sorrow" complement it a bit better so they sort of even out around the same spot I guess. This is sick though it's like lounge-y almost. Really interesting shade for them to try on in 83. |
| 95 |  | U2
Songs of Experience
135. Love is Bigger Than Anything in its Way (4/5)
I was really, really hoping this would show up on Songs of Surrender. I think the tune at the core of this is better than most anything else on Songs of Experience, but like everything on Experience it's about two or three layers overcooked and would have really benefitted from the stripped back and intimate presentation the SoS material shared. Still doesn't have any bearing on how good Edge's vocal outro is though, and the acoustic version from around that time is admittedly great and my preferred version of the song |
| 94 |  | U2
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
134. Crumbs from Your Table (4/5)
This had the opposite effect that most of Atomic Bomb had on me, where I loved the majority of the album growing up but generally don't touch it outside of "City of Blinding Lights", "Miracle Drug", "All Because of You", and this song! Except unlike those other three, I did not like this song when U2 first came into my life. I'm a little surprised too since it's not like it's all that left field a track for them, if anything it sounds more like typical U2 fare than most of the rest of that album. Glad I'm not tripping on whatever the fuck I was on back then though. One of the only songs I actually like lyrically at all on the album, and the chorus rules. |
| 93 | | U2
Original Soundtracks 1 (As Passengers)
133. One Minute Warning (4/5)
This takes a liiiiiittle time to get going but once I'm in I'm in, and by the time the vocal layering at the end emerges I have reached the stratosphere. |
| 92 |  | U2
Achtung Baby
132. Lady With the Spinning Head (4/5)
This'd probably be higher if it had a proper chorus. That bubbling synth goes so hard. |
| 91 | | U2
Songs of Experience
131. 13 (There is a Light) (4/5)
The closing duo of this album serve as a desperately needed life raft after "Landlady" and "The Blackout" back to back plummet the album's quality off the ship. This song reprises "Song for Someone" but weaves it into a much more compelling track. My biggest criticism about Songs of Experience is, even though I like this album (kinda barely but I do), it's been so overwritten and overproduced that the human touch (specifically their touch and their personality) largely feels absent from it, but it doesn't feel absent from this song. |
| 90 | | U2
The Unforgettable Fire
130. 4th of July (4/5)
My favorite of the two improvisational tracks on Unforgettable Fire, this was apparently a recording Eno did of Edge and Adam that they didn't even know about until after he tracked it. When I was younger I used to be a little vexed by this as the crazy person who thinks that "Bass Trap" needed a home on the album and is both one of my favorite instrumentals ever and one of my favorite U2 songs ever, but it's pretty cool to me now that this track exists as a standalone snapshot access to a moment of pure improvisation on a fucking U2 album. Also it's a very sick instrumental that highlights the incredible chemistry the two players share between one another. |
| 89 |  | U2
Pop
129. North and South of the River (4/5)
Sailed the high seas for a bunch of Achtung Baby demos the other day and found a very early version of this which stood out to me because this has always been a major stylistic outlier from the Pop sessions in my mind. It's great though. Another song where the bubbling synth backdrop goes a long way, except their a much lighter backdrop here. The weird synth string thing complements this nicely too, and the vocal outro at the end is a great payoff. |
| 88 | | U2
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
128. All Because of You (4/5)
Shoutout Bono managing to wrestle together a solid bridge here with no lyrics at all lmao. Gonna be honest that part goes hard as hell and is probably his best moment in the song, although overall that goes to the wicked guitar intro. |
| 87 | | U2
The Unforgettable Fire
127. Love Comes Tumbling (4/5)
I think this song is fantastic but it's not like a holy grail amongst the 84 vault for me or anything. "The Three Sunrises" kinda blows it out of the water. It's very very cool though, dope hearing Edge rocking a slightly more watery texture for his guitar than usual and the vocal layering that pops up now and again is smooth as butter. |
| 86 | | U2
Achtung Baby
126. Near the Island (4/5)
Play this for me out of context and the last thing I would have guessed is that it's a 90s U2 instrumental. Much more in line with what they were doing during the sessions for The Unforgettable Fire except done entirely on just piano and acoustic guitar. I think this track is gorgeous. |
| 85 | | U2
The Joshua Tree
125. Race Against Time (4/5)
Not a lot of non album Joshua Tree material has reached the cutting board yet, and even this is primarily an instrumental outside of repetitions of the title. The Joshua Tree is a very difficult album for me to assess in U2's canon myself because, while I think these sessions yielded an overflowing amount of incredible material that could have been sculpted pretty easily into a classic album, I think the focus to frontload the singles and drop pretty much all of the more experimental material makes the tracklist the band went with pretty underwhelming. I think Bono was right in wanting it to be a double album myself since a lot of the b-sides to the singles fill in some pretty important gaps creatively, and a double album is probably the only way this would have ever made the running. Adam and Larry are the stars of the show here as they almost swap the functionality of their traditional band roles. |
| 84 |  | U2
No Line on the Horizon
124. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (4/5)
I've seen people time and time again lump this in with "Get On Your Boots" and "Stand Up Comedy", dubbing this collective trio as "the disastrous mid-stretch that sinks this record", but this song rules and is miles better than those other two. Basically the good version of what ATYCLB tried and failed to do. |
| 83 |  | U2
Rattle and Hum
123. Desire (4/5)
A lean, three chord ripper with Bono howling overtop in his prime. Think the version in the documentary is a hair better since it's a live in studio take and really captures how fucking good they were in this time. On the flipside however, do not dig up the Songs of Surrender version of this because it is the worst thing I have ever heard this band do, and that includes their putrid cover of "Happiness is a Warm Gun". |
| 82 |  | U2
Zooropa
122. Daddy's Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car (4/5)
The fuzzed out drums annihilate lmao that erupting out of the horn sample at the start always kinda gives me a chuckle. The few moments Bono hops out of his crazy low register (also a wild pairing alongside everything else) are stupidly, stupidly catchy and pop out much more within all the noise. |
| 81 | | U2
The Unforgettable Fire
121. Disappearing Act (4/5)
The consequence of this being the song I enjoy the most that U2 polished up decades later in the late 2000s is that I really, really wish Bono polished this up back in the 80s because it might be begging the hardest for his prior timbre and writing style. He still does a solid job though. The instrumental is phenomenal though so I'm glad they deemed it worth digging up at all. Huge fan of the piano outro. |
| 80 |  | U2
October
120. I Fall Down (4/5)
October has 4 songs that are hard keepers for me. "Rejoice", "Window" and "Gloria" are solid enough, but they aren't songs I reach for unless I happen to throw on the album. I've jammed this out of context way more. The piano is the main ingredient here and it's a cool precursor to how much more they worked that in on War (do not really remember it popping up much on Boy). It's already pretty seamlessly integrated right off the bat, as the piano flourishes weave alongside Bono's melody very gracefully. Edge's little triplet guitar run in the bridge is a cool little texture change before they rip back into the chorus too. |
| 79 | | U2
The Joshua Tree
119. In God's Country (4/5)
I think this is the most U2 song that has ever U2'd and song'd. It's great, it checks off all the boxes I would want in a quick soaring arena anthem U2 song, and it picks the momentum back up nicely after "Red Hill Mining Town" stops the train dead in its tracks. |
| 78 |  | U2
Boy
118. Things to Make and Do (4/5)
Edge drops some simple, catchy ass riffs while Adam does exaggerated bass slides that make it feel like the planet is tilting for a quick second. Maybe that's just me, maybe it just feels like bass slides. Either way shit fucks. |
| 77 |  | U2
Songs of Innocence
117. The Crystal Ballroom (4/5)
Only recently got to this and "Lucifer's Hand" since they didn't come with the official download and this one really should have made the final tracklist. Drop this in where "Iris" is and the best consecutive run of U2 since Pop expands (actually probably since Zooropa since "MOFO" and "Playboy" block off that from being possible). The 7 minute mix is my favorite version though. |
| 76 | | U2
The Unforgettable Fire
116. Yoshino Blossom (4/5)
This was a demo that came along in the reissue box set that Edge described as "a color already well-represented, so we never got around to developing it beyond this point.” Honestly I think I prefer having this as an instrumental. I can't really hear anything Bono could do over this, since the piano line is basically a hook in and of itself. It's one of my favorite instrumentals from the band though, as Edge's guitar explodes throughout the track overtop the woody pianos while Adam/Larry tightly hold down the fort. Doesn't dive as deep into new waters as other material from this time but it blurs in the familiarity of the older material really stunningly, as it to me almost sounds like a continuation of the music on "New Year's Day" within the expanded Eno-ified palate. |
| 75 | | U2
No Line on the Horizon
115. White as Snow (4/5)
When I first got into U2 I didn't have a computer so I heard what at the time was half of their discography through local library visits. Through this I checked out their albums across two different hauls, and the second of which was October, Zooropa, and No Line on the Horizon. Given Pop was one of the only albums absent from their catalog, this was probably the least accessible combo I could have gone with, and all three of them confused the fuck out of me and posed steeper uphill battles than I was used to facing up to that point as a music fan (October of which I will probably never conquer but that's not my fuckin fault is it huh guys). I bring this up because little kid me really struggled with this song at the time, I guess it was too slow for me, but now I'm really fond of this gorgeous, haunting, icy little song. |
| 74 | | U2
Rattle and Hum
114. A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel (4/5)
Would have ranked this very high when I was younger but it's lost a little luster over the years. Still pretty bewildering that it didn't make the main tracklist anywhere though. Yeah, the audio of Jimi Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner" playing over your PA is way more essential guys. Smfh. Most effective moment of this track for me is the transition from the sprawling organ textures into Larry's thunderous drums and Edge's open strumming, which is a great backdrop for Bono to belt some shit. |
| 73 | | U2
Zooropa
113. The First Time (4/5)
This song has also sorta fallen off me over the years, as it used to be a contender for my favorite off Zooropa outright, but it's still an all timer U2 moment when that piano comes in towards the end |
| 72 |  | U2
All That You Can't Leave Behind
112. Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out of (4/5)
I didn't really get into this song when I was growing up but it's by far been the most enduring of ATYCLB's mega hits for me and is one of only two songs I genuinely love here. This song is mostly pushed into that tier by Bono's phenomenal vocal outro, but that shit is glorious. |
| 71 | | U2
The Joshua Tree
111. With or Without You (4/5)
Obviously a great song but those chickens really came home to roost around 2000 not only with U2's own material but a whole slew of other bands building off that template to very diminishing returns. This isn't the kind of U2 list that's gonna put this song in the top 5. Go read Rolling Stone magazine for that shit or something. |
| 70 | | U2
Pop
110. Miami (4.5/5)
I cackled to myself when I realized this was both back to back and ahead of "With or Without You". I was scared to jam this song when I first got into them because it's like the agreed upon lowpoint on Pop but ever since I did I have always thought this song whipped a colossal amount of ass. Feels like "Crashed Car" taken to it's breaking point, with a hair raising deployment of roaring guitar feedback in the middle before switching the drum groove up entirely, to then end the song by overlaying both central grooves of the song overtop each other. Super sick choice that I can't really think of another example of from this mainstream a band, but very little about this song all around fits in with that usual mold lmao. |
| 69 | | U2
The Joshua Tree
109. Trip Through Your Wires (4.5/5)
This almost feels like it came a record too early because it would fit perfectly among the more heartland adjacent vibes on Rattle and Hum, but it's one of their better examples at the whole "Americana approached by Irishmen" vibe they had going on at this time. Always loved the chorus on this. |
| 68 | | U2
The Unforgettable Fire
108. MLK (4.5/5)
Less is more. Sometimes all you need is some soothing Bono vocals overtop some ambient pads. I dig this as an album closer but always felt like it could work just as effectively as an album opener. |
| 67 | | U2
Songs of Innocence
107. Volcano (4.5/5)
My biggest problem with Songs of Innocence at 13 years old when it came out was that I "couldn't hear enough Edge", which really was just because I wanted all rock music to have Green Day sized guitars. Little did I realize at the time the stars of the show on a lot of this album are Adam and Larry, with this track boasting some of their tightest interplay in years. Adam particularly kills it here. |
| 66 | | U2
Original Soundtracks 1 (As Passengers)
106. Corpse (These Chains Are Way Too Long) (4.5/5)
This is the biggest rival "Beautiful Ghost" has re: the creepiest thing the band has ever made, but I think this takes the edge (heh). This shit is just unsettling and Edge's smoother timbre than Bono's honestly sells it perfectly. His falsetto greatly boosts the eeriness of the track. |
| 65 | | U2
Achtung Baby
105. Alex Descends into Hell for a Bottle of Milk / Korova 1 (4.5/5)
Fuckin absolutely whips ass. The choir vocals and reversed pads and percussion set up such an eerie, creepy slow build up until that massive drum beat erupts in and fucks shit up. Edge also works his trademark delay staccato playstyle really creatively in the first half as the intensity ramps up. |
| 64 | | U2
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
104. Fast Cars (4.5/5)
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is a very uniquely frustrating type of bad album because you can, purely out of songs released from these sessions alone, reconstruct an album that is not only very good but one of their stronger efforts. Pretty much all the most engaging and exciting material they were throwing together got shelved for a slew of mediocrity that populated the bottom half of the list. It's particularly head-scratching why this didn't make the cut since they namedrop the album title in it, and also because it's got some of their sharpest vocal and guitar hooks since the turn of the century. It's also refreshing hearing them write a banger that doesn't just immediately draw from the "Elevation" well. |
| 63 | | U2
Boy
103. Stories for Boys (4.5/5)
Given my favorite part of the studio full band version has always been Adam's bassline I was surprised how much I adore the new Edge fronted Songs of Surrender version. Cool instance of both takes on the song being great. |
| 62 | | U2
Rattle and Hum
102. Van Diemen's Land (4.5/5)
The highest placing of the tiny, tiny pool of songs Edge takes lead on makes a good case for why he should get more songs to himself. Dude's voice rules. |
| 61 | | U2
Achtung Baby
101. Mysterious Ways (4.5/5)
The first Achtung Baby proper song to go is largely out of severe overplay as it's pretty difficult for me to engage with this song freshly, outside of jamming the tranquil ass trippy Magic Hour remix intro with it (although I had to pitch that up a few semitones and manually spliced that together with the original to do that). Undeniable hit power though of course. |
| 60 | | U2
The Joshua Tree
100. Rise Up (4.5/5)
This never made it past the demo stage which is a shame because it's in the upper echelon of "U2 songs that just sound like typical U2 songs" from this period. I guess they deemed they had enough material that sounded like this but it's unfortunately rendered this lost to time. |
| 59 | | U2
Songs of Experience
99. The Little Things That Give You Away (4.5/5)
And as we welcome Achtung Baby to the ring we also have to say goodbye to Songs of Experience as this is its highest placing track, although the Spotify singles version would likely go a bit higher. Between that, the Songs of Surrender rendition, and every video of any iteration I've seen of this song, this is a pretty glaring example of how even for the genuinely really great material on this album, the album versions are scarcely the way to go, and it positions the ceiling lower than that of any other U2 album. |
| 58 | | U2
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
98. Smile (4.5/5)
Gorgeous track. Bridge sends me to heaven every time. One of Bono's best vocal performances from this era boosted further by Edge's liquid guitar playing. Apparently they've workshopped this further for Songs of Ascent as recently as 2022 but lmao fuck if I know if we'll ever see that. |
| 57 | | U2
Songs of Innocence
97. Sleep Like a Baby Tonight (4.5/5)
I slightly prefer the arrangement on the Tchad Blake reconstruction of this song (sans how the guitar sounds) but the main album version is also really strong. Maybe it's just the synth bass texture but this is the only song across either this or the following LP that have any trace of their 90s material to me, and I for one appreciate the light Zooropa flakes they have peppered into the mix. |
| 56 | | U2
No Line on the Horizon
96. No Line on the Horizon (4.5/5)
Although "FEZ" would have been a fascinating, challenging, and head spinning opener, this is definitely the better song and it blows the hinges off the door in a way that I can't help but grin at throughout the entirety of it's runtime. One of their most invigorated late career bangers. |
| 55 | | U2
Rattle and Hum
95. Love Rescue Me (4.5/5)
Good lord are Bono's vocals in that bridge insane. One of his all time best performances. Like I said, dude was unfuckwithable vocally during this stage of the band. |
| 54 | | U2
Zooropa
94. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me (4.5/5)
They did this song for a Batman movie and they understood the assignment. Perfect blend of fuzzed out vocals, crunchy guitars, cinematic strings, and nonstop filter sweeping. |
| 53 | | U2
Pop
93. Staring at the Sun (4.5/5)
Never realized until my research for this that my favorite 2 seconds of this song is Bono singing the word "stickier" lmao. Chorus is on the repetitive side but it's mostly made up for by the absolutely godly verses and outro on this. Pretty sure this is the first U2 song I ever learned how to play front to back on guitar. |
| 52 | | U2
Achtung Baby
92. Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World (4.5/5)
A gorgeously chilled out cool down moment in the sequencing after the pairing of "The Fly" and "Mysterious Ways", and a great display of how cool the production is on this album. Honestly think my favorite part of the track might be that heavily filtered drum fade into the gorgeous reverb'd out bending guitars and key loop. This is probably the dreamiest track on Achtung, and Bono plays around with this soundscape pretty freely by exploring pretty much every octave of his range throughout the verses. Shoutout my mans Larry as well for playing his main kit over the drum loop that plays through the whole song. My man. |
| 51 | | U2
Songs of Innocence
91. Raised by Wolves (4.5/5)
I take back what I said about "Lucifer's Hands" a bit earlier. This boasts a skyscraper hook that is absolutely the strongest chorus from these sessions. |
| 50 | | U2
Original Soundtracks 1 (As Passengers)
90. Your Blue Room (4.5/5)
It was a slow, long journey getting to the point in which I was able to get behind this record, but I've always been able to fuck with this song. It probably helped that I first got this and other Passengers highlight "Miss Sarajevo" within the context of a greatest hits album, as well that these two tracks featured Bono's vocals much more prominently than most of the rest of the project. My other in here was starting my U2 journey on The Unforgettable Fire, so ambience has always been part of the magic for me, and this is one of the most gorgeous soundscapes they've ever been able to put together. Adam pops up at the end here too but he just does a little spoken word bit which suits him much better than "Endless Deep" did. |
| 49 | | U2
Pop
89. I'm Not Your Baby (4.5/5)
Trip hoppy goodness feat. Sinead O'Connor, this is one of my favorite collaborations they've ever done. Sinead and Bono occupy pretty similar ranges on this track so they trade off super smoothly until the back half when they double octaves. The moments where this dissolves in and out of time almost is an absolutely wild moment that launches this song up another level. I actually kinda prefer this as an instrumental though, just because the Skysplitter dub mix absolutely fucks. |
| 48 | | U2
Songs of Innocence
88. Cedarwood Road (4.5/5)
Checked out the Song Exploder while writing this and I'm not hugely surprised to find out that this song entirely started with the riff because goddamn that's by far the best riff on Songs of Innocence. Super cool that the intro guitar line was first written by Bono and then on the spot Edge just threw the harmonies underneath it, and then thrown back around when Edge was tracking the solo Bono just kinda burst into singing the bridge and lo and behold the magic was made. Sick as fuck. |
| 47 | | U2
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
87. Are You Gonna Wait Forever? (4.5/5)
To a degree I can kind of understand Atom Bomb's other glaring omissions, but this is so directly cut from the cloth of the rippers that album tries to pump up while also being far better than any of them. They blur the line so nicely between an E and a B tonal center and Edge's guitar bending is so integral to this since it's a pattern that changes it's context a lot depending on which center it leans into. Not only that but his tone is just so fucking sick. |
| 46 | | U2
Pop
86. Last Night on Earth (4.5/5)
This song gets off to a weird ass start, as brief guitar strumming gets enveloped by synth pads until a fuzzy electronic bass reprises the prior riff and the two worlds collide again. Not really sure what the thought process to that was but it's always stood out as a really odd but intriguing intro. Apparently Bono thought of the hook at 4 in the morning the deadline the song was due, and it does sound pretty tossed off the dome but it's also exactly what this song called for, and pairs with the buzzing synths very effectively. One of Pop's better bridges too with a clean pivot over to the relative major key that balances the two opposite sides of Bono's vocal range. |
| 45 | | U2
October
85. Fire (4.5/5)
Most of what rubs me the wrong way about October is how underwritten a lot of the material feels and how little it offers in comparison to other U2 material on either side that echoes it's style, but "Fire" is pretty firmly it's own thing. Somewhat of a precursor to the Eno days, they're doing a lot of weird things on this song that they weren't trying anywhere else on the album. With the vocal layering, to the samples clanking around at the end, to the effects placed on the acoustic guitar, they make pretty efficient use of the studio space here. Really great solo too, one of Edge's best earlier ones. |
| 44 | | U2
Zooropa
84. The Wanderer (4.5/5)
Not unlike most of the rest of the album, I was deeply, profoundly confused by this track as a kid. A U2 song where U2 don't do the lead vocals at all? What the fuck? What is Johnny Cash doing here? And over synths of all things? It was a little drastically too out of the box of what I liked in U2 as an 11 year old to be able to handle. The passage of time has done wonders for this song. It's such a bold deviation for them to use as a closing track, and Cash fits the vocal writing like a glove. |
| 43 | | U2
No Line on the Horizon
83. Winter (4.5/5)
Prior thread kinda gave away that the only thing holding this back from being an all timer U2 in my eyes is the stilted, overly quantized MIDI strings, which sort of pushes me more in the arms of the piano version in a way (although Bono's vocals are not as good on that), but otherwise this track is ridiculously stunning. Definitely a stronger recent example of U2 bending their keys around and Bono's vocal writing excels here in smoothening these transitions. |
| 42 | | U2
The Unforgettable Fire
82. Indian Summer Sky (4.5/5)
Only thing that holds this back from stone cold 5/5 tier is the weird "huh-huh-huh-huh-huh-huh-huh" effect going on in the chorus. No idea what they were thinking there. Otherwise an incredible track that bends between E minor and C major with great confidence and control. The fade in is a super effective kick off to this track and makes the abrupt ending almost a little startling. It's great. Bono also kills it here as he glides through his runs seamlessly. |
| 41 | | U2
No Line on the Horizon
81. Breathe (4.5/5)
Most magical moment of this one for me comes in that final chorus in which Bono subverts the expectations of a more reserved hook with some soaring 5ths and 4ths, fully understanding the assignment of how to sell U2's grandiosity. All around I think the pacing of this chorus is really smart, and I'm not usually big on staying within the first few notes of the scale as a basis but they expand really nicely both down and up the scale the further it goes along. Breathes really nicely (lmao). |
| 40 | | U2
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
80. Miracle Drug (4.5/5)
There is one really bad line in this song that not only appears in this track but another one even higher on the list lmao shows you what I prioritize more as a listener I guess. Of all the songs they've put on their main tracklists since the turn of the century that just try and ape the style of their late 80s hits, this wears it far more comfortably, and it's grandiosity is sold strongly by a skyscraper hook. Edge's bridge is also phenomenal here and probably the highlight moment of the track. I think Larry does backing vocals during the slide guitar section too which is pretty neat since he rarely does that. |
| 39 | | U2
No Line on the Horizon
79. Cedars of Lebanon (5/5)
Easily the best U2 album closer of the 2000s, "Cedars" boasts a really stunning instrumental complete with gorgeous e-bow fades and field samples with some of Bono's better latter day lyrics. |
| 38 | | U2
The Unforgettable Fire
78. Sixty Seconds in Kingdom Come (5/5)
Always thought this lil instrumental sounded like a bridge between the early days and what they were doing on the album proper, probably because Adam's bass tone falls a little more in line timbrally with the early days. It's really cinematic and each layer that phases in and out adds so much color to the canvas, especially the vocal layering. |
| 37 | | U2
Original Soundtracks 1 (As Passengers)
77. Slug (5/5)
One of the trippiest tracks the band has thrown together, the cinematic build in with the bubbling synths, meditative drums, and sprawling synth textures beautifully help this song blur the line between U2's usual bag and the artier, more instrumental centric territory they're exploring. This has some of Bono's most prominent vocals on the project and this backdrop benefits his lower range better than most other instances he tries to implement it. |
| 36 | | U2
Zooropa
76. Dirty Day (5/5)
This was one of my favorite U2 songs growing up so I did not expect the Songs of Surrender version to blow it out of the water but it may be the strongest track across that entire project. The Zooropa version rules too, and is one of the most dynamic tracks on the album weaving between proto OS1 synths and roaring guitars. Bono's low and high register are both very strong here and help complement this well, opting to push his register a lot during the quieter parts. The outro is my favorite of the song, I fuckin love that shit, especially that "these days, days, days run away like horses over the hill" vocal line which is one of my top moments across the whole album. |
| 35 | | U2
Boy
75. Another Day (5/5)
Their chemistry right off the bat was always great. This song predates anything of theirs but it's pretty air tight out of the gate and already displays all their individual character as players while pointing to how perfectly they fit into each other's pocket. The little instrumental jam in the middle really displays this for me, where Adam provides the most variety alongside Edge just looping the riff, thus providing the chord changes himself while Larry punches in exactly the right fill the song needed. |
| 34 | | U2
The Unforgettable Fire
74. Pride (5/5)
Of the many, many versions of this song I've heard, this is one where I by far prefer the studio version. There's just something captured in the magic of how the production lifts this song up, with Edge's guitar chimes beaming like sunlight. Also have never heard Bono sing this track better than he did here. This wasn't the first U2 song I ever heard but it is the one that actively made me want to go out of my way to listen to them, and prompted my first U2 album to be The Unforgettable Fire. |
| 33 | | U2
Achtung Baby
73. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (5/5)
A bit of a template setter for some of late era U2's problems but it so gloriously owns what it is that I do not care at all. I've seen complaints about the production on this track but I love the combo of the strings alongside the ridiculously blown out guitar chords. It's such a gripping start to the song I love that shit so much. Bridge is an all timer Bono vocal moment too. |
| 32 | | U2
Zooropa
72. Slow Dancing (5/5)
I really, really love the version of this song that's just Bono on his acoustic guitar with light backing vocals and pads in the background. Such a gorgeously tender track that it doesn't need anything more. |
| 31 | | U2
Songs of Innocence
71. This is Where You Can Reach Me Now (5/5)
The intro of this song pairs pounding drums, seagulls and pianos gloriously before propelling into one of the strongest and most creative displays of chemistry from the band on this album. Like a lot of this album, the production leans much more into benefitting Adam and Larry's contributions than Edge's, but I think this track at least sees Edge leaning into the sonic framework of this album a little better in a way that makes him feel a lot more present. The bridge really nicely opens up emphasizes his guitars too. The theremin is a sick inclusion too and is exactly the kinda weird choice I wanna hear on this album after how overcooked a lot of the opening half is. |
| 30 | | U2
Achtung Baby
70. Ultraviolet (Light My Way) (5/5)
So funny how Achtung Baby is such a stacked album that even a relatively weaker cut off of it like this is still tremendously arranged and produced as well as vital to the sequencing. That said most U2 fans would burn me alive at the suggestion that it's comparatively not a shining moment on this LP, but they're all kinda shining moments on this LP. All timer album. |
| 29 | | U2
Zooropa
69. 70. Lemon (5/5)
Absolutely wild that they released a 6 minute disco song primarily in falsetto as a single following up one of their most colossal successes albums ever. This song is left field enough that I could truly understand it going anywhere, but part of that is I absolute wasn't ready for it myself when I first heard it. It was a pretty wild experience trying to piece together U2's history as a kid through little fragments of information, since I didn't have an easy channel of internet access yet so I really had to dig around for everything. I had seen mention of "Numb" and "Lemon" as singles which had my little kid brain excited for those tracks specifically, only to get hit with two of their most ambitious lead offs ever. Needless to say now that I do not typically care if my songs sound like usual U2 fare, I get much, much, much more out of this one, and the moments where Bono's lower vocals layer overtop the falsetto is where I most strongly feel the magic here. |
| 28 | | U2
Pop
68. If You Wear That Velvet Dress (5/5)
This song breaks my usual "no first three scale degrees only for the hook" rules by being a fuckin sparse tripped out dark mode frail ambient centric track that almost feels like it's going to collapse in my hands. It makes the stability work a lot more for me than usual because it's strongly earned within the context of the track. Plus Edge supplies some gorgeous gorgeous 7ths on his guitar when the song fades out anyway which makes it all worth it. |
| 27 | | U2
Original Soundtracks 1 (As Passengers)
67. Miss Sarajevo (5/5)
Ever wanted to hear a U2 song with a Pavarotti feature? Here ya go. It rules. The instrumental is one of the most gorgeous things they've ever done. Bono's lower register fits this space gorgeously and plays as a perfect complement to Pavarotti's goddamn spectacular feature when he comes in. |
| 26 | | U2
War
66. Seconds (5/5)
Although War is less adventurous than my other two favorite U2 albums, it's the most air tight consistent album they ever made, evident in it's lowest song ranking within 20 spots from the top 50. I wasn't sure what song from War was gonna end up ranking the lowest, and I didn't really expect it to be this one since it whips ass, but in all fairness they all whip ass. I had a hard time growing up telling Bono and Edge apart here but nowadays it's clearer to me, but it's cool hearing them sing a song so prominently together when their voices are more similar. The verses are so goddamn catchy that it makes up for the chorus not really existing (well there's kind of another one later but I mean the "fall rise and fall" part), but the chorus is almost more like them using their voices as a backing instrument so it's very cool and works, plus it makes Bono's vocals at the end all the more impactful. |
| 25 | | U2
The Joshua Tree
65. Exit (5/5)
God I love the timbre of Adam's bass on this song. His open E string bass notes almost take on this like low synth sound that flesh out the moody aesthetic of this song gloriously. All four of them make tremendous use of their economy here to build one of their most dynamic soundscapes, and the shifts between the louder and softer sections are pulled off with incredible control. Huge track. |
| 24 | | U2
War
64. Red Light (5/5)
One of Bono's best vocal performances ever for my money as he trades his intensity with a bombastically ripiping trumpet solo that pairs perfectly with his timbre and energy. A slightly more active hook coulda gotten this even higher but I also think the chorus is exactly what this song needed in its own context so it's more just me nitpicking to figure out how the fuck to rank all these songs I love so much. |
| 23 | | U2
Pop
63. Discotheque (5/5)
Album version only of course since all of then new best of mixes of these songs stripped all their character away. This is one of the goddamn catchiest things I have ever heard and it ALWAYS gets me moving. That riff lives in my head, particularly when they fuzz it the fuck out after the first chorus and have the drums drop out/enter back in. Ending is so much stupid fun as well. |
| 22 | | U2
Boy
62. Twilight (5/5)
Didn't really hit me until throwing this list together that Side A of this album is one of my favorite 5 song runs ever. This being the weakest in that run is by no means a besmirchment, as this is still an absolute high quality vintage U2 banger. This is a great track 2 for a debut album because it really brings out the chemistry and tightness between all the instrumentalists in the band. The transitions between the sections in this track are probably the most effective element of it for me, with Edge's little chiming parts that develop into a more chordal pattern between the first chorus and second verse standing as my favorite example, but Bono fully does justice to the track with a roaring and soaring hook. |
| 21 | | U2
The Unforgettable Fire
61. The Three Sunrises (5/5)
Somewhat akin to how I feel about "Sixty Seconds", this really feels like a bridge between the leaner style of their Lillywhite days and Eno's drenching in ambience, and it rides that balance perfectly. Such a weird arrangement for the song too since it basically has no verses, just Edge fucking around. I can see how that would have made it a little out of place on the main tracklist potentially but it's so goddamn good that I've always been a big advocate of this track's inclusion on the album regardless. |
| 20 | | U2
War
60. The Refugee (5/5)
A colossal, colossal banger. One of the catchiest tracks in their catalog, beyond just the vocals too since Larry's drum pattern is so hooky and propels everything forward with the right level of forcefulness. Really smartly paced for how few elements are really going on too. I fuck so heavily with the choice to not have Edge enter until the first chorus ends. Makes it sound like he's slicing through the track. |
| 19 | | U2
Songs of Innocence
59. The Troubles (5/5)
I spent very, very little time with Songs of Innocence before around the start of last year when revisiting their material for the Surrender comp, and this track for me has been the biggest surprise as it dethrones "Cedars of Lebanon" as my favorite U2 closer since "Wake Up Dead Man". That ominous synth at the beginning into the vocal feature that drop right into the acoustic guitar is so extremely my shit and what I love about this band. Such a haunting tone-setter and Bono works within this space with some of his strongest lyrics on the album, and ones that thematically tie the album's reflective ruminating of the past together beautifully. |
| 18 | | U2
All That You Can't Leave Behind
58. Stateless (5/5)
This is one of two songs from the Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack from around the time ATYCLB came out, and they are both far, far more interesting than the majority of the main tracklist material. This one leans far more into their spacious side and is heavy on the Eno-isms, with Edge also filing in the atmosphere tremendously with some of his best slide guitar playing. |
| 17 | | U2
No Line on the Horizon
57. Magnificent (5/5)
I've been listening to this band for so long that I can appreciate nearly any color of paint they decide to throw onto the canvas as long as it isn't the beigest of beige. As someone who got into them through The Unforgettable Fire though, my absolute favorite experience as a U2 fan comes from being able to lose myself within their more spacious, textural side, as I'm sure this list has reflected and will reflect even further down the road. Such is to say the intro to this song is an all timer U2 moment in my eyes. |
| 16 | | U2
Achtung Baby
56. Even Better Than the Real Thing (5/5)
Definitely a shining display of what makes "Achtung Baby" such a remarkable production accomplishment, with the line blurred between "is that a synth or is that Edge's guitar?" to the fullest extent throughout most of the song. That is until his slide guitar solo unfolds and just fuckin emanates coolness. |
| 15 | | U2
War
55. Two Hearts Beat as One (5/5)
Weirdly only got more into this one recently despite it being such an obvious display of War's best attributes, but it's a great tight blast of energy paired with a dope soaring hook. My favorite moment happens when they prep to exit it's final chorus and launch into the outro built off of the verse riff. Shit's so sick. |
| 14 | | U2
Boy
54. Out of Control (5/5)
"Out of Control" is perfectly dropped within the sequencing of Boy bringing the tempo back up after the gorgeous deviation that is "Into the Heart", and hits all the hallmarks of all the best wide eyed, earnest U2 bangers along the way. |
| 13 | | U2
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
53. City of Blinding Lights (5/5)
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb becomes the third album we say goodbye to, although most of it we parted ways with long ago since it mostly kinda sucks. This song is genuinely phenomenal though, and speaks to where I think U2 in this period succeeded the best. U2 spent so much time around this point trying to lean back into the style of their 80s output, but it's when they're able to bridge that influence with the lessons they learned in the 90s that yielded their most special material. This song is emblematic of that, as Edge's slide guitar graces the gorgeous soundscape of pianos and effects. Some of their smoothest modulations here too which sets up a much cooler structure than the rest of the album. Has always been a standout for me and if anything I only like it more now. |
| 12 | | U2
Pop
52. Gone (5/5)
Edge is an absolute timbre wizard. The main riff of this song is a pretty simple loop but the tone and register are so searing that it paints such a scorching coat on the canvas for everyone to build off of. His pitch bends up and down add so much too as they roar off in the chorus and Bono matches this fire with an explosive payoff of a final chorus after a slow build. |
| 11 | | U2
Achtung Baby
51. One (5/5)
This isn't really the kind of U2 list that's gonna throw a song like this into the highest, highest echelons but it's a classic regardless. No denying that bridge. |
| 10 | | U2
Rattle and Hum
50. Hawkmoon 269 (5/5)
Say what you want about Rattle and Hum but Bono has never sounded better and if I was purely ranking this off of his vocal prowess alone this would be in the top 5. Should have opened the album. |
| 9 | | U2
Achtung Baby
49. Love is Blindness (5/5)
U2 continue their streak of good closers starting with "40" with this haunting little number that maintains it's tense, lowkey vibe until a ripping solo splatters over the canvas at the end and builds alongside Bono's higher vocals. That contrast serves a perfectly fitting close to the album. |
| 8 | | U2
The Joshua Tree
48. Sweetest Thing (5/5)
If I'm gonna jam this song it is always the 87 version and never the 98 version, but the 98 version has some guitar flourishes that I do like so it's not like either version is bad or anything. I just think Bono's 87 voice matches the song a lot better, and the stripping back of the extra layers allows the tune at it's core to speak for itself a little better. But also, this was the first U2 song I ever heard and it was the 87 version so my bias was set in stone right from the beginning of their relevance in my life. |
| 7 | | U2
October
47. October (5/5)
Though there's one other higher than it nowadays, the title track is the only October song that I felt magnetized to in my childhood. It's such a cold, desolate sounding piano ballad that explored space in a way that was both familiar and unfamiliar from what I expected out of U2 when I first heard it, since I at that point had mostly associated them with exploring that relationship through waves of textures. The piano part is so evocative in and of itself that it needs very little else to paint it's picture. |
| 6 | | U2
The Joshua Tree
46. Deep in the Heart (5/5)
Very weird tripped out song that almost evokes in my mind the imagery of travelling through a cave, I absolutely see why this did not meet the labels' vision of the album but it, among others, make a strong case as to why Bono's initial double album vision of The Joshua Tree would have been a more artistically interesting release, albeit a less commercially aligned one. |
| 5 | | U2
Rattle and Hum
45. All I Want is You (5/5)
One of their most gorgeously tender ballads until they go into crescendo mode elevated by the strings, pushing Bono to start belting his head off over Edge's chiming guitars in an all time U2 payoff moment. The strings linger on for a while longer too in a borderline "Moonlight Mile"-esque fashion and they are welcome to stay as long as they'd like. |
| 4 | | U2
Achtung Baby
44. Until the End of the World (5/5)
Somehow only just found out this was about Jesus and Judas talking lmao. Arrangement of this one is super sick, boasting the most seamless modulations on all of Achtung Baby, delivered via filter shifting Edge guitars over a lot of extra percussion. Love how they basically use Edge's riff as the chorus in and of itself due to the contrast between key sections. Really smart writing on this one. |
| 3 | | U2
The Joshua Tree
43. Walk to the Water (5/5)
This fits in the "Deep in the Heart" category of "way too weird for the main Joshua Tree LP but more in line with what I actually want out of a U2 album", this has an all timer instrumental that explores ground I've never quite heard them walk on the same way. Bono doing spoken word over top was something it took me a while to appreciate. I really like it now though I can't really imagine him singing over something as simultaneously distinct, busy, and chilled out as this track is. He eventually gets there though, with a hook that provides a lot of stability to the track and serves as a great lead into one of my favorite U2 bridges. |
| 2 | | U2
The Unforgettable Fire
42. Promenade (5/5)
Two of the most gorgeous minutes in their whole discog. Bono's melody weaves so beautifully alongside Edge's chiming guitars and the swells of pads that paint the backdrop and they all fit so perfectly within each other's space. If there was more of it it would probably be even higher but maybe it's brevity is part of the magic. |
| 1 | | U2
All That You Can't Leave Behind
41. Kite (5/5)
Although there are two more bonus tracks from these sessions that have not showed up yet, we finally have to leave All That You Can't Leave Behind behind with it's highest track. Also the highest placing song about his father, "Kite" is a really powerful and earned blast of emotional weight on an album that otherwise feels really inconsequential pushed over the top by a gorgeous soundscape built by a weird filtered out synth string loop and Edge's distorted slide guitar. I may not give much of a shit about this album but this song will always be one of their best. |
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