Rank Your Favorite Songs on the Album Part 3: Achtung Baby

[TheEdge25]

This is the hardest album for me to rank. I love every single song on this album. The first three are for sure correct. 4-12 are very interchangeable. But here it is:

1 - Ultraviolet (Light My Way) - love the guitar and the vocals on this song. I think it is one of the best U2 have ever written. It brings tears to my eyes when I hear it. I love this song.
2 - Mysterious Ways - Funky, fresh, awesome. U2 has a winner here. Love it live on the current tour too.
3 - Until The End of The World - the mesmerizing guitar riff, the deep, meaningful lyrics. This song is really touching. Love it.

4 - The Fly - the song that introduced U2's new sound. One of my favorites.
5 - One - A great live song, with a great message.
6 - Even Better Than The Real Thing - An awesome rocker. If U2 played this on the Claw, my jaw would drop from the awesomeness therein.
7 - Acrobat - A pleading rock song, the guitar is some of the Edge's best work, in my opinion.
8 - Zoo Station
9 - Love Is Blindness - one of Edge's best guitar solos, especially when they played it live back on ZooTV. Really wish they'd bring this one back.
10 - Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World - when the rumors came out that U2 was rehearsing this for the 360 tour, I was giddy with joy. They really should play this heavily underrated song live.
11 - So Cruel - these lyrics are so heart-string tugging. I love this song.
12 - Who's Going To Ride Your Wild Horses - a great song. Not my favorite on the album, but I still love it.

 

[corianderstem]

Ohhhhh, this is going to be freaking hard.

I remember before the album came out, my college radio station (seriously tiny, like, 10 watts) got a promo copy of The Fly.

The music director haaaaaaaaated U2. He later banned any post-1983 U2 from being played because we were an "alternative" station, and U2 were too mainstream. I kept playing whatever U2 I felt like during my shows, because I could not accept that decision. He let it slide because he liked me.

Anyway! I remember his reaction to hearing The Fly - he played it to a dorm-room full of his friends, and tried to make them guess who it was. No one could guess - even he couldn't believe it was U2.

It didn't change his feelings about them, but I always liked that as an anecdote to reflect what a left turn that change of sound was.

I'll be back later with my list.

 

[lauramullen]

This was very hard. Numbers 1-3 are what they are and the rest aren't in any particular order. I love this whole album.

1. Ultraviolet
2. Until The End Of The World
3. The Fly
4. So Cruel
5. Acrobat
6. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
7. Mysterious Ways
8. Zoo Station
9. Even Better Than The Real Thing
10. Whose Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
11. One
12. Love Is Blindness

 

[theedgeu2]

1. Until the End of the World- Love the Jesus and Judas conversation in the song.
2. Acrobat
3. The Fly
4. One
5. Zoo Station
6. Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
7. Mysterious Ways
8. Even Better Than The Real Thing
9. Love Is Blindness
10. So Cruel
11. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
12. Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World

My favorite U2 album of all time! It's very difficult to rank because I just love every single song. I also never got the hate towards TTTYAATW. It's a brilliant song, and even though I rank it last on this album it's a true gem for me.

 

[Salome]

1. The Fly

2. Until the end of the world
3. One

4. Zoo Station
5. Love is Blindness
6. Mysterious Ways

7. Who's gonna ride ...

8. Trying to throw ...
9. Acrobat
10. So Cruel

11. Ultra Violet
12. Even better ...


The Fly is ace
Until the end and One are great

the rest is either good/ok or meh
IMO

 

[TheEdge25]

I think this will be hard for most people to rank, seeing as how Achtung Baby is so many people's favorite U2 record.

Also, lauramullen - Internet High Five for the Ultraviolet love!!

 

[theedgeu2]

I probably should have put Ultraviolet higher. It's a top ten U2 song and done brilliantly on 360. The album version is just haunting, especially if you go out driving to it at night. I adore UV. And really my list is interchangeable depending on my mood. Every song is a standout.

 

[nielsgov]

Achtung is my favourite record too. I remember hearing Zoo Station for the first time (about a year ago) and thinking: woah, Bono's voice! Well here goes.
1. The Fly (absolutely perfect)
2. Ultraviolet (heartbreakingly perfect)
3. Until The End Of The World (Edge's best riff)
4. Even Better Than The Real Thing (still has my favourite Edge solo)
5. Love Is Blindness (just fucking great)

6. One (still great even if it's overplayed)
7. Zoo Station (yeah Bono's voice)
8. Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World (great softer tunr)
9. Acrobat (no comment)
10. Mysterious Ways (don't like it as much as most people here but still great, funky tune)

11. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (love the bridge)
12. So Cruel (my least favourite but still very good)

 

[djerdap]

The Fly
Acrobat
Love is Blindness
Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
One
Until the End of the World
Mysterious Ways
Zoo Station
Even Better Than the Real Thing
Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
So Cruel

 

[quiltybones]

1. Every song except
2. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses

My all time favorite album by anyone.

 

[SeattleVertigo]

Great:
Love Is Blindness
Ultraviolet
Until The End Of The World
Acrobat
The Fly
So Cruel
Mysterious Ways
Even Better Than The Real Thing
Zoo Station
Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
One

So-so:
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses

It's hard to pick the order of the first 11, but I think Love Is Blindness is my favorite.

 

[LemonMelon]

Oh, jeez.

1. Mysterious Ways - 9.5/10
2. Until The End of The World - 9/10
3. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - 9/10
4. So Cruel - 9/10
5. Ultraviolet - 8.5/10
6. Even Better Than The Real Thing - 8.5/10
7. One - 8/10
8. The Fly - 8/10
9. Zoo Station - 8/10
10. Acrobat - 7.5/10
11. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World - 7/10
12. Love Is Blindness - 6.5/10

It's in constant flux, however. I find a new song from Achtung to love every day.

Also, based on my ratings, I should rank Achtung higher than Pop. However, I'm so numb to most of these songs now that I don't quite have the same feeling I do listening to Pop. But it's starting to recontextualize itself...find new ways to make itself relevant to me as I experience more of life. That's what makes it a truly great piece of art.

 

[Saracene]

Ranking on the album versions only:

Great:
1. The Fly
2. Mysterious Ways
3. Even Better Than The Real Thing (might be the sexiest Edge solo ever)

Very good:
4. Love Is Blindness

Good
5. One (great song, never liked Bono's vocals on the album version)
6. Until The End Of The World (probably my favourite live U2 song, but it's somewhat flat on the album)
7. Zoo Station
8. Acrobat

Meh
9. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
10. Ultraviolet (The Fly's poor cousin IMO)
11. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
12. So Cruel

Some great songs, but I never really warmed up to the album.

 

[alanah]

1 - The Fly
2 - Ultraviolet
3 - Until The End of The World
4 - Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
5 - One
6 - Acrobat
7 - Mysterious Ways
8 - Even Better Than The Real Thing
9 - So Cruel
10 - Love Is Blindness
11 - Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
12 - Zoo Station

 

[digitize]

1) Ultraviolet
2) One
3) Until the End of the World
4) Mysterious Ways
5) Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
6) Even Better Than The Real Thing
7) The Fly
8) Acrobat
9) Love is Blindness
10) Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
11) Zoo Station
12) So Cruel

This is really really really hard for me. I really like every song from one to eleven.

 

[LemonMelon]

Come to think of it, I'm not positive that I'm happy with my ratings. One glance at my ZooTV version ratings shows how inferior I consider the studio versions to be:

1. Acrobat - 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 :foams at mouth:/10
2. Ultraviolet - 10/10
3. Zoo Station - 9.5/10
4. Until The End of The World - 9.5/10
5. Mysterious Ways - 9/10
6. Even Better Than The Real Thing - 9/10
7. The Fly - 9/10
8. Love Is Blindness - 8.5/10
9. One - 8/10
10. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - 8/10
11. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World - 7.5/10
12. So Cruel - N/A

So I think I might be rating based on a combination of the two. This is the only album in U2's catalogue that's -- for me -- influenced so significantly by the live versions.

10. Ultraviolet (The Fly's poor cousin IMO).

Guh?

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Ohhhhh, this is going to be freaking hard.

I remember before the album came out, my college radio station (seriously tiny, like, 10 watts) got a promo copy of The Fly.

The music director haaaaaaaaated U2. He later banned any post-1983 U2 from being played because we were an "alternative" station, and U2 were too mainstream. I kept playing whatever U2 I felt like during my shows, because I could not accept that decision. He let it slide because he liked me.

Anyway! I remember his reaction to hearing The Fly - he played it to a dorm-room full of his friends, and tried to make them guess who it was. No one could guess - even he couldn't believe it was U2.

It didn't change his feelings about them, but I always liked that as an anecdote to reflect what a left turn that change of sound was.

Yeah, that sounds like a typical music director for a radio station. Yay for you being able to sneak new U2 stuff in anyway, though . I can only imagine the reaction from the public when U2 came out with this new sound.

I remember hearing "Mysterious Ways" and "One" all the time on the radio when I was a kid, so this album holds a certain nostalgia for me because of that. Another album that's going to be extremely hard for me, but here goes...

1. (Tie) Mysterious Ways/Love Is Blindness (I love how utterly haunting and ghostly the latter song is. It's got such a dark beauty to it)
2. The Fly (Contains some of the best lyrics ever)
3. So Cruel (Just beautiful. Love how this is sung)
4. One
5. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses? (Excellent imagery in this song)
6. Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
7. Until The End Of The World (Really appreciating this song more and more each time I hear it. Genius topic to sing about)
8. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
9. Even Better Than The Real Thing
10. Acrobat (Also love the lyrics in this song as well)
11. Zoo Station

Um. Yeah. Like with the last two album ranking lists, some songs are subject to change positions here-anything from #5 to #10 can flip around depending on the day and what song I'm really enjoying at the time. Damn fine album. I alternately pity and envy those who've yet to hear it.

Angela

 

[65980]

Bastards made the best album of the latter 80s and the best album of the early 90s... this one is absolutely stunning. From a musical perspective, this is their crowning achievement -- Edge in particular has never been better.

Outstanding:
One
Until the End of the World
Mysterious Ways
The Fly
Ultraviolet (Light my way)

Excellent:
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
Acrobat
Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
Zoo Station
So Cruel

Very Good:
Love is Blindness
Even Better Than The Real Thing


Not only are there no weak songs on this album, but the two "weakest" I still describe as "very good".

 

[Axver]

Very Fine U2 Listening
1. Love Is Blindness
2. Acrobat
3. The Fly

Fine U2 Listening
4. Until The End Of The World
5. Zoo Station
6. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses

Decent U2 Listening
7. Even Better Than The Real Thing
8. Mysterious Ways

Utter Bollocks
9. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
10. So Cruel
11. Ultra Violet
12. One
(Or maybe So Cruel should be 12th. Whatever.)

 

[the tourist]

1. Ultraviolet
2. Acrobat
3. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses?
4. Until The End Of The World
5. The Fly
6. Mysterious Ways
7. Even Better Than The Real Thing
8. Love Is Blindness*
9. So Cruel
10. Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World
11. Zoo Station
12. One

*would be higher if it matched the live version (likely #3).

 

[MrPryck2U]

1- Ultraviolet
2- Fly
3- Even Better
4- Until The End
5- One
6- Mysterious
7- So Cruel
8- Zoo Station
9- Acrobat
10- Love Is Blindness
11- Tryin to Throw
12- Horses

 

[corianderstem]

Oh, lawdy. Let's try this.

1 Until the End of the World
2 Acrobat
3 The Fly
4 Ultraviolet
5 Zoo Station
6 One
7 Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
8 Mysterious Ways
9 Love Is Blindness
10 Even Better Than the Real Thing
11 So Cruel
12 Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around the World

The last two were easy. The rest, very difficult.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Aww, poor So Cruel can't get any love.

I think it's a pretty good song. I dig the lyrics.

 

[corianderstem]

I don't dislike anything on that album. Even my least favorite two on that list aren't anywhere NEAR my list of "U2 songs I don't like." I just don't like them nearly as much as the others.

 

[cobl04]

interesting to see these lists... not every list has had a bottom three of Wild Horses, Trying to Throw and So Cruel, but it's pretty damn close.

this album is incredible. it's my favourite U2 album, and sits just behind Dark Side of the Moon for my favourite album of all the albums i've ever heard. and there's been a few; my itunes consists of much more than U2 albums, bootlegs and Dark Side of the Moon.

i had been an interference member for a few weeks, maybe a month or so, and i owned Hut Dab and Atty Club (both of which i used to fiercely defend) and the 80s best of. i got known around this forum because i was only getting into U2 and i went out and bought the albums and then posted straight-up reviews. here's the thread, it's an interesting read: http://www.u2interference.com/forum...ght-achtung-baby-heres-the-review-132695.html

i didn't have much music at the time, and the only track i had heard from this album was Zoo Station, which was the intro music to a number of Australian Rules Football videos i owned. but after listening a few times i really didn't like this album much at all, which bothered me, because everyone else loved it. to say (at the time) that One was anything less than the best song ever made was like heresy.

luckily, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses and Ultraviolet both proved redeeming, so i can back to this album. and i listened to Achtung Baby, and nothing else for two straight weeks. and after those two weeks it grew on me significantly and today i find it the most amazing listen. there isn't one bad song. i can't rank them.

 

[prbiker15]

Very hard, Achtung Baby is just a really good album. Like everyone else I tend to have different tastes...

The Standouts
1 - Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
2 - Until The End Of The World
3 - The Fly
4 - One ^
5 - Mysterious Ways
6 - Even Better Than The Real Thing

The OKs (Easy Listening = Average)
7 - Zoo Station ^
8 - Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
9 - Acrobat
10 - So Cruel

Lows / Mixed Reaction
11 - Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World
12 - Love Is Blindness ^

^ - One is simply amazing. The live and album versions just standout.
^ - The album version of Zoo Station cannot compare to the live version. The live version would be at the top.
^ - Love Is Blindness is a good, mellow track, but it doesn't stand out.

 

[cobl04]

most of the tracks were even better live, that's the amazing thing. One in particular, with the Do you hear us coming, Lord? verse, is just phenomenal.

 

[corianderstem]

The OKs (Easy Listening Much?)

Zoo Station is Easy Listening?

Easy Listening in my world is sleepy orchestral old-fashioned instrumental elevator music.

Or Celine Dion.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Also, Acrobat? Hardly easy listening. That's actually one of the more aggressive tunes in U2's catalogue. It's a fucking sonic blitzkrieg.

 

[corianderstem]

If only I'd grown up with Easy Listening that had lyrics like swallowing versus spitting, choking on it versus drowning in it. And bastards grinding you down.