Newsweek ranks U2's albums

[Sickly Vulpine]

What is the Best U2 Album? Every Record Ranked From ‘Boy’ to ‘Songs of Experience’

Pretty standard rankings with a few mild surprises. Looks like they are definitely not huge fans of U2's albums from 2000 onwards - none of them rank higher than 8th place. I gotta say, I agree with quite a few of the writer's observations and views about the albums. Not in 100% agreement with the rankings, but I think they get it mostly right.

 

[The_acrobat]

No way are SOI and SOE their worst 2 albums. I've never done my own ranking, but I personally rank both somewhere in the middle.

 

[LemonMelon]

I'm really into all this love Zooropa has been getting lately. Seems like it's growing to be one of their unsung classics for a lot of people. It is, after all, the antithesis of albums like SOI in many ways. There's nothing labored or confused about it.

 

[ferball415]

Mostly agree with the list, though I'd certainly switch a few (the general trajectory is good though) and yes, the observations are even better. "As of press time", I agree that SOI and SOE are worst and second-worst, respectively.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

No clue how stuff like Bomb, SOE, and October are all ahead of SOI.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Then again, I just realized I'm reading a ranking from some dude who otherwise takes the title of Newsweek and I'm pretty sure I stopped caring about the internet's individual author rankings as they're nothing but mere opinion.

 

[Sickly Vulpine]

I should mention a few things. I did not agree with ranking SOI/SOE at the bottom. There's no way I would place them in the top half, but I definitely do not place them near the bottom, either. What I really agreed with was ranking POP in the top half and October, R&H, NLOTH, and HTDAAB near the bottom. Those are the four albums I feel most critical towards. Also, not having UF higher than 5th is something I also really agreed with. UF was a statement album that showed the band successfully changing course, and as a result it has some amazing passages - among their most spectacular - but it is also a flawed album in my opinion. I also totally agree with the high praise for Boy - a genuinely great debut album.

 

[Irvine511]

I think we need a “U2 article review” drinking game/bingo.

Drink every time you read ... “soaring vocals” or “massive ego” or “bombast.” Etc.

 

[Sickly Vulpine]

I think we need a “U2 article review” drinking game/bingo.

Drink every time you read ... “soaring vocals” or “massive ego” or “bombast.” Etc.

I just died of alcohol poisoning. Should not have played the game with 151.

 

[Axver]

This is actually pretty good, even if there are a few errors - RTSS is the third song on its topic, not the second (the author seems to have overlooked Wire, despite singling it out in their UF blurb). And I love how he calls Iris a "redeeming gem", only to quote a "facile platitude" from Lights of Home that is in fact originally from Iris.

But good to see such nice words written about Zooropa and Pop, and for Boy to be recognised as the great debut it is, even if its position is too low. Calling War the band's first masterpiece is going way too far.

 

[ferball415]

Yea I suppose the list betrays my own self-identification as very much a “20th century output” fan (aside from the too-low Rattle ranking). I think UF is/should’ve been #3.

 

[An Cat Gav]

I don't agree with all the rankings here, War would be a bit lower, UF would be higher and SOI and SOE would both be above HTDAAB but other than that a pretty good list with a lot of opinions expressed that I would go along with.

 

[lazarus]

I've seen far worse rankings before. And the person seems to know their stuff pretty well. You also have to appreciate such a passionate defense of Pop.

 

[djerdap]

Great list in my book. Lots of similar favorites (The Fly, Lemon, The Unforgettable Fire, New Year's Day...) and an album ranking that's not too far off from mine (biggest difference is that War would be below UF, Zooropa and Pop).

 

[Hewson]

Not a lot of argument with the list. Of course its subjective so everyone's list will differ, but this one seems pretty well thought out and reasoned.