Ranking U2's Albums: Best to worst - Slate.com

[trevgreg]

Discuss.

Best U2 albums: complete ranking of U2's records - Slate Magazine

 

[lazarus]

Typical 80's bias bullshit.

War and October have just as many misfires as Pop and No Line supposedly do.

From a guy whose favorite album is Zooropa that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

 

[corianderstem]

Wow at the name of the "worst" category:

No Prize: These Happened



And dang, dude did NOT like the 2000s for our boys. (And while I don't think they're that bad, I can't argue with this line: "The sound exists to sell the hook. And there’s no question of what you’re supposed to feel: Gone are the ambiguities, undone are the snarls of Achtung Baby and Zooropa.")

I don't like to see Pop and NLOTH in the second-to-worst category, although the comments about them are not as harsh as I'd have expected, seeing them ranked so low.

 

[cobl04]

The more I think about it, the more I think War could be my least favourite U2 album.

But I don't listen to any of them with any regularity anymore so it's hard to say.

 

[lazarus]

Wow at the name of the "worst" category:

No Prize: These Happened



And dang, dude did NOT like the 2000s for our boys. (And while I don't think they're that bad, I can't argue with this line: "The sound exists to sell the hook. And there’s no question of what you’re supposed to feel: Gone are the ambiguities, undone are the snarls of Achtung Baby and Zooropa.")

It's also hard to argue with the point that Boner's voice has been pushed pretty high up at the exact time his lyrics became a lot less interesting.

 

[Chill Mike D]

I might shuffle the details around a bit, but for the most part I agree with that guy.

 

[chocky]

Actually I think he's hit the mark In fact, I almost totally agree with his selections and especially his closing arguments.

 

[hillers]

Am I the only one who thinks that Zooropa is more un-U2ish than Pop musically? I dunno, it seems like at least critically Zooropa gets a lot more praise while Pop is a failure and a "flop" (Although the United States =/= the rest of the world).

I disagree with some of this but I'm glad to find a critic who doesn't needlessly worship ATYCLB. I don't HATE any albums, but I can see why people would think the band is overrated if all they heard were ATYCLB and/or HTDAAB. To be honest, I kind of thought that before discovering Achtung Baby (But that could have to do with the fact that my mom used to constantly play ATYCLB - but mostly just Elevation). Don't hurt me!

 

[cobl04]

I'd say Atty Club and Hut Dab have many more detractors here than supporters.

I don't think Atty Club is their "third masterpiece" like I have seen people say in numerous places on the internet, but I do love it to death. Easily their best album of the 00s for me.

 

[PennyLanePHINS]

ATYCLB and NLOTH got shafted. But it's a personal taste-type thing...he obviously favors the more experimental. Personally - October, TUF and Passengers are not better than ATYCLB and NLOTH.

I enjoy Passengers but it's probably below every studio album.

 

[RioRhodes]

Hm. I basically agree with him but I've never been a fan of Rattle and Hum and I don't see why All That You Can't Leave Behind got shafted considering I love that record. Also, I would rank No Line on the Horizon higher and rank War as one of U2's very best, but I know most wouldn't agree with me on that second point.

 

[LemonMelon]

Hey, a positive article about U2!

And Zooropa is gold, Jerry. Gold!

 

[nielsgov]

The more I think about it, the more I think War could be my least favourite U2 album.

It actualy is their worst.

Pop and NLOTH are way too low on that list, October and War are too high.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

well, I kind of agree with him except for POP and NLOTH, which are, to my eyes, top albums (gold at least)..... anyway, it's a matter of opinion.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I can't really disagree with too much in there. His accompanying article is pretty good too:

U2 essay: analyzing all of U2's songs - Slate Magazine

 

[WalkOn21]

A rather uninteresting read. His ranking of the albums is the stereotypical order you get in most of these lists. Oh, he put TJT, TUF and AB first, what a surprise.

I would've liked it better if he had come up with something radically different & presented his arguments for that.

 

[rennowba]

For me this would be my list

Masterpieces

Achtung baby
The joshua tree

Gold great

War
All that you cant leave behind
How to dismantle an atomic bomb
No line on the horizon
Pop

Silver pretty good

The unforgetable fire
Boy
Zooropa

Bronze not very good

Rattle and hum
October
passengers
Spiderman

 

[The Sad Punk]

U2’s spectacularly shallow Batman Forever single, “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me,”

This was the only thing that kinda bothered me.

Shallow? Don't you mean shalawesome?

 

[lemonfly]

"Gone are the ambiguities, undone are the snarls..." He really hit the nail on the head with that comment. U2 in the 00s were more straight-laced and generic. The multiple layers and means of interpretating the songs had largely dissolved with only a handful of exceptions (all on NLOTH). Atty and Hutub were as straightforward and bland as they've ever been.

 

[trevgreg]

Oh, he put TJT, TUF and AB first, what a surprise.

Yeah, I suppose everyone out there should know that TJT and AB are their worst albums, right?

 

[Aardvark747]

Did this guy not hear Beautiful Day?

 

[WalkOn21]

Yeah, I suppose everyone out there should know that TJT and AB are their worst albums, right?

That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that if your ranking of U2 albums corresponds to most people's, why bother publishing your list? If you happen to be someone who considers e.g. Pop and October as their best albums and you can give arguments for it, then that might provide for an interesting read.

 

[trevgreg]

That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that if your ranking of U2 albums corresponds to most people's, why bother publishing your list? If you happen to be someone who considers e.g. Pop and October as their best albums and you can give arguments for it, then that might provide for an interesting read.

I hear ya. But I suppose unless you're a huge fan who listen to these albums multiple times and develops god knows how many opinions, you might not make out an opinion that's too far out of the mainstream, you know? After those first few albums, his list could go either way depending on who you ask. Some would rank Zooropa lower, some would rank ATYCLB higher, etc. The fact that he didn't rank either that or HTDAAB at the bottom alone differs from a lot of 'typical' opinions out there too, you know?

 

[An Cat Gav]

I think it's an excellent list, though I'd have War a bit lower and POP and OS1 a bit higher, but otherwise spot on.

 

[TheEdge25]

I agree with him, for the most part.

Mine:

The Best
Achtung Baby
The Joshua Tree
The Unforgettable Fire
Great
Zooropa
POP
Boy
No Line On The Horizon
Good
War
All That You Can't Leave Behind
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
Rattle And Hum
Don't Really Care For, But It's U2 So I Still Like It
October
I'll Listen to Once A Year, Maybe
Original Soundtracks I
Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark

 

[youarenotimmune]

how on “Bad” Bono rides Mullen’s rise

i know it's incredibly sophomoric but i couldn't help it

 

[Niceman]

POP, NLOTH, and R&H deserve better than he gives them. War isn't as good as he (or many people) think. ATYCLB deserves to be where it is. How the heck does he call Spiderman a U2 album?

My rankings: (And I've been using this system for a while.)

1: Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby
2: NLOTH, UF, R&H, POP, Boy
3: Zooropa, HTDAAB
4: Passengers, October, War
5: ATYCLB

Spiderman was no more a U2 album than In the Name of the Father or Million Dollar Hotel were.

 

[gweeps]

The reviews started out good, then fell off a cliff.

 

[gweeps]

One Step Closer is a ballad?

It's more of a spoken-word soundscape.

 

[U2girl]

Predictable best albums.

Undeserving placement of October/Rattle and Hum/Pop/the Eno album over 00's albums.

Though good to see NLOTH > ATYCLB and Bomb.