The 'Hit' by Each Album

[LuckyNumber7]

Okay well more like, which song do you think most accurately represents each album (although I didn't want to jam that into a title). In any way, whether you think it's representative by sound, in your head alone, or the song that everyone would associate with that album. Go for it:

Boy:
October:
War:
The Unforgettable Fire:
The Joshua Tree:
Rattle & Hum:
Achtung Baby:
Zooropa:
Pop:
All That You Can't Leave Behind:
How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb:
No Line on the Horizon:

 

[Catman]

Poor October

 

[Inner El Guapo]

Boy: I Will Follow 100%
October: Gloria
War: NYD or SBS
The Unforgettable Fire: Pride 100%
The Joshua Tree: Streets or WOWY
Rattle & Hum: Desire
Achtung Baby: One
Zooropa: Stay or Lemon
Pop: Discotheque or Staring at the Sun
All That You Can't Leave Behind: Beautiful Day 100%
How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: Vertigo 100%
No Line on the Horizon: Magnificent or MOS

Passengers- Miss Sarajevo

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I'll go with most recognizable from each:

Boy - I Will Follow
October - Gloria
War - Sunday Bloody Sunday
Unforgettable Fire - Pride
Joshua Tree - With or Without You
Rattle And Hum - Desire
Achtung Baby - Mysterious Ways
Zooropa - This one's tough. I don't know, I don't think anything from this or Pop would be all that recognizable to the general public. Maybe Numb, because of the video?
Pop - Staring At The Sun, I guess.
ATYCLB - Beautiful Day
HTDAAB - Vertigo
NLOTH - Oh, god. Maybe Crazy Tonight, because of the Blackberry commercial. God, what a disaster of an album in terms of "hits." I mean, just nothing made so much as a dent. Not that that's necessarily a terrible thing. But, still.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Poor October

Oops! The funny part is I'm such an October advocate... but I wrote the list backwards and tried to run backwards I forgot about 1981!

October please forgive me

 

[LuckyNumber7]

I'll go with my own shot at it. This is pretty straight forward for albums 1, 2, and 3, gets increasingly more difficult until ATYCLB and then very easy until NLOTH.

Boy: I Will Follow
October: Gloria
War: Sunday Bloody Sunday
The Unforgettable Fire: Pride [In the Name of Love]
The Joshua Tree: Where the Streets Have No Name
Rattle & Hum: Angel of Harlem
Achtung Baby: Mysterious Ways
Zooropa: Lemon
Pop: Discotheque
All That You Can't Leave Behind: Beautiful Day
How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: Vertigo
No Line on the Horizon: Get On Your Boots

 

[LuckyNumber7]

I'll go with most recognizable from each:

NLOTH - Oh, god. Maybe Crazy Tonight, because of the Blackberry commercial. God, what a disaster of an album in terms of "hits." I mean, just nothing made so much as a dent. Not that that's necessarily a terrible thing. But, still.

It's sad though, because it should be Moment of Surrender hands down. That song would've broke free.

I mean forget it, U2 isnt going to chart like they used to. But now, because it wasn't even released, a lot of people don't even know of its existence.

 

[bono_212]

Okay well more like, which song do you think most accurately represents each album

"Pride" is the most wrong you can ever be about anything based on this criteria.

 

[bono_212]

Boy: Out of Control

October: Tomorrow

War: New Years Day

The Unforgettable Fire: The Unforgettable Fire, and that has NOTHING to do with favoritism, you could easily have A Sort of Homecoming here as well. As far as the sound of the albums' concerned it doesn't get more obvious than that.

The Joshua Tree: This is harder, because if I'm looking for the sum of the SOUND of the album, that's hard, because the album's a bit all over the place, but Streets is probably the way to go, because, yeah that's what I most associate with the album.

Rattle & Hum: Weird, but I associate All I Want Is You the most with this album, but to actually sum up the SOUND of the album, I'd actually go with Helter Skelter

Achtung Baby: The Fly, and I don't even LOVE that song or anything.

Zooropa: This is hard in the same way that TJT is, there isn't a clear sound on here. I associate this album most with the title track, I suppose, just because.

Pop: Gone for whatever reason, that's more a gut feeling.

All That You Can't Leave Behind: Beautiful Day. Every time.

How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: I associate this one the most with Vertigo, but I get the most out of City of Blinding Lights, for whatever that's worth

No Line on the Horizon: Breathe or Moment of Surrender, both fit the different moods of the album best in their own ways.

This post started out pretty well, but then I got really confused with my own feelings about halfway through and almost ditched the list, but then, I just figured, wtf, in the end it's just a list on the interwebz, make of it what you will.

 

[LemonMelon]

Boy: Out of Control
October: Rejoice
War: Like A Song
The Unforgettable Fire: A Sort of Homecoming
The Joshua Tree: In God's Country
Rattle & Hum: Desire
Achtung Baby: Zoo Station
Zooropa: Zooropa
Pop: Mofo
ATYCLB: Beautiful Day
HTDAAB: City of Blinding Lights
NLOTH: Moment of Surrender

 

[PookaMacP]

Because I think the initial response probably brings the most clarity, these are the ones I think people in general - U2 fans and otherwise - would most associate with each record:


Boy: 'I Will Follow'
October: 'Gloria'
War: 'New Year's Day'
The Unforgettable Fire: 'Pride'
The Joshua Tree: 'Where the Streets Have No Name'
Rattle & Hum: 'Desire'
Achtung Baby: 'One'
Zooropa: 'Stay'
Pop: 'Discotheque'
All That You Can't Leave Behind: 'Beautiful Day'
How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: 'Vertigo'
No Line on the Horizon: 'Get On Your Boots' (this was actually the toughest one, since there was no real big single)

 

[bono_212]

Look, I don't mean to press the subject or anything, but can anyone tell me what at all "Pride" actually has to do with the album it comes from? I know it's the "Hit from the album", but I mean, come on, that song would've been better off a one-off song ala "A Celebration" for all it sounds like anything else on The Unforgettable Fire

 

[LemonMelon]

I'm fairly positive that anyone who thinks Pride accurately represents The Unforgettable Fire has never heard The Unforgettable Fire. Perhaps the version U2 remembers.

 

[PookaMacP]

Look, I don't mean to press the subject or anything, but can anyone tell me what at all "Pride" actually has to do with the album it comes from? I know it's the "Hit from the album", but I mean, come on, that song would've been better off a one-off song ala "A Celebration" for all it sounds like anything else on The Unforgettable Fire

I'm fairly positive that anyone who thinks Pride accurately represents The Unforgettable Fire has never heard The Unforgettable Fire. Perhaps the version U2 remembers.

Point taken. In my case, I think my answers were conditioned by a response to the era rather than the album. So, since 'Pride' is the one song that represents that 1984-85 period best in the minds of the general listener (albeit with Bad a close second, losing out in terms of radio play), then it gets the nod. But yes, Pride is difficult to reconcile as an overall indication of the sound of the album. If aliens landed and asked, 'What does The Unforgettable Fire sound like anyway?', I think you'd be quicker to reach for the title track or 'A Sort of Homecoming'.

On a side, but related, note: what a great record.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Look, I don't mean to press the subject or anything, but can anyone tell me what at all "Pride" actually has to do with the album it comes from? I know it's the "Hit from the album", but I mean, come on, that song would've been better off a one-off song ala "A Celebration" for all it sounds like anything else on The Unforgettable Fire

Well it depends how you decided to approach your list.

It's probably the #1 song people think of with TUF.

Personally, I think of Bad, and A Sort of Homecoming, although Pride was indeed the band's first top-40 hit... it's far that the album gets labeled with that song as much as Achtung Baby gets labeled with One.

 

[ultraviolet92]

well for the songs i associate with the album
Boy - i will follow
October - Gloria
War - Sunday Bloody Sunday
Unforgettable Fire - Bad
The Joshua Tree - Streets
Achtung Baby - Mysterious Ways
Zooropa - hmmmm probs zooropa or DGPFYCC for me
Pop - Do you feel loved
All That you cant leave behind - Beautiful Day
Bomb - Vertigo
No line on the horizon - no line on the horizon

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

I'll go with songs of each album that are the most famous to "normal non-fans":

Boy ---- I will follow
October ---- Gloria
War ---- Sunday bloody Sunday
The UF ---- Pride
The JT ---- With or without you
R&H ---- Desire
AB ---- One
Zooropa ---- Numb
Pop ---- Discotheque
ATYCLB ---- Beautiful day
HTDAAB ---- Vertigo
NLOTH ---- Magnificent

 

[bono_212]

Well it depends how you decided to approach your list.

It's probably the #1 song people think of with TUF.

Personally, I think of Bad, and A Sort of Homecoming, although Pride was indeed the band's first top-40 hit... it's far that the album gets labeled with that song as much as Achtung Baby gets labeled with One.

All I'm getting at really is that if you asked the average joe with a bit of music knowledge what album "Pride" was from, I'd be willing to bet they didn't have a clue.

But, I was also tired as hell when I made those posts and was being silly defensive for whatever reason.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

All I'm getting at really is that if you asked the average joe with a bit of music knowledge what album "Pride" was from, I'd be willing to bet they didn't have a clue.

But, I was also tired as hell when I made those posts and was being silly defensive for whatever reason.

Well fair enough, the average Joe probably couldn't name TUF or October at all, let alone maybe even Pop or Zooropa. Or NLOTH for that matter.

That being said, I'd say that TUF is probably a special case considering it has a song that many many people know, but wouldn't associate it with, in my opinion, what is the most underrated U2 album.

The face of the album, IMO, would have to be Bad in that case.

 

[Canadiens1131]

Most posters missing the point of the thread

which song do you think most accurately represents each album

What song sums up the sound or vibe of the album? Not ,"what song is most recognizable or sold the most records from each album?"

Comprende?

 

[ramblin rose]

Boy: I Will Follow
October: Gloria
War: New Year's Day
The Unforgettable Fire: (This is a tough one) A Sort of Homecoming/Bad
The Joshua Tree: Where the Streets Have No Name
Rattle & Hum: Desire
Achtung Baby: Acrobat
Zooropa: Lemon
Pop: Discotheque
All That You Can't Leave Behind: Beautiful Day
How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: Vertigo
No Line on the Horizon: Moment of Surrender

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Yeah, that's the main goal to get at. My bad on any misunderstandings, I just didn't want to make a ridiculously long title.

That being said, I did leave it open to your own interpretation. If this was simply the hit from each album, there would be no discussion on anything... everyones would probably look like this:

Boy: I Will Follow
October: Gloria
War: SBS
TUF: Pride
TJT: WOWY
Desire
One
blah

I got lazy. But yeah, read the OP for an accurate description.

 

[U2387]

^^

Exactly! Pride was an enormous hit and as others have said, easily the song most associated with the 1984-85 time period.

People jumping all over this assertion as stupid need to think a bit. Does TUF have one sound? Anyone remember Bono always introducing Wire by saying "there are 2 sides to the Unforgettable Fire."(?)

There's Wire and Pride and Indian Summer Sky mixed in with Promenade, 4 July, TUF, Elvis, etc, etc. A Sort of Homecoming is kind of a middle of the road to the 2 sides of TUF, so if I had to represent the sound, I'd go with that.

So while of course TUF, ASOH and Bad represent a clear shift in sound, while Pride more resembles earlier U2, that does not mean it can't fit on or represent TUF.

In fact, it has plenty of qualities that make it easily identifiable to TUF.Pride has a decidedly more atmospheric sound and production than say NYD or Rejoice or 2 Hearts Beat As One. In addition, the lyrics are far more abstract than the harder hitting, direct War songs.

 

[bono_212]

There are two sides to the Unforgettable Fire, and the two songs that represent them are ASOH/TUF and Wire.

 

[Danny Boy]

Boy: Out of Control
October: Tomorrow
War: Sunday Bloody Sunday
The Unforgettable Fire: Bad
The Joshua Tree: With Or Without You
Rattle & Hum: When Love Comes to Town
Achtung Baby: Until the End of the World
Zooropa: Daddy's Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car
Pop: Last Night On Earth
All That You Can't Leave Behind: Beautiful Day
How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: City of Blinding Lights
No Line on the Horizon: Moment of Surrender

 

[TheEdge25]

Boy: Shadows And Tall Trees
October: Scarlet
War: Red Light
The Unforgettable Fire: 4th of July
The Joshua Tree: Trip Through Your Wires
Rattle & Hum: Pride (In The Name of Love) [LIVE]
Achtung Baby: So Cruel
Zooropa: The Wanderer
Pop: The Playboy Mansion
All That You Can't Leave Behind: Grace
How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: Yahweh
No Line on the Horizon: Cedars of Lebanon

 

[bono_212]

Lulz

 

[ImOuttaControl]

I'd say that there isn't really much debate over what hit most casual fans associate with most respective album...I'd say that War, TJT, and Achtung Baby are the most debatable because each contains multiple songs that "define" U2 to a casual music fan.

Boy: I Will Follow

October: In reality, probably none in this day and age. The average casual U2 fan probably has no idea of any song on this album. In the 80's, most would point to Gloria.

War: SBS and NYD

TUF: Pride

TJT: WOWY, ISHFWILF, Streets in that order. WOWY and ISHFWILF were massive, massive songs. Streets was also a radio hit, but to a lesser extent...it's reputation/legend is built on those that have witnessed it live

Rattle and Hum: Desire

Achtung Baby: One, Mysterious Ways, and EBTTRT to a lesser extent. Yes, "The Fly" was a #1 hit and is one of my favorite songs, but the casual music fan probably has no idea of its existence while One and Mysterious Ways are still played pretty regularily on the radio.

Zooropa: Probably none. This album has fallen off of the minds of most casual fans. If I would have to choose one, I'd say Numb or Stay, only because of the Greatest Hits album

Pop: Again, none. This album(In my top 3) doesn't have hits that a casual musical listener would associate with the album. In fact, the last time I heard a Pop song coming out of the stereo of a casual listener was in about 2000, and that was because they were listening to the City of Angels soundtrack. Maybe in other parts of the world, it'd be Discotheque or Staring at the Sun, but not around my neck of the woods.

ATYCLB: Beautiful Day

HTDAAB: Vertigo, no question. The song was massive, especially with the ipod video. No other song on the album had that sort of exposure.

NLOTH: While I wish I could say MOS, NLOTH(which I think could have been big as the 1st single), or Magnificent....the only song on the album with a lot of exposure seemed to be Crazy Tonight because of the commercial.

 

[Vlaco]

I'm fairly positive that anyone who thinks Pride accurately represents The Unforgettable Fire has never heard The Unforgettable Fire. Perhaps the version U2 remembers.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

TJT: WOWY, ISHFWILF, Streets in that order. WOWY and ISHFWILF were massive, massive songs. Streets was also a radio hit, but to a lesser extent...it's reputation/legend is built on those that have witnessed it live

I'm going to disagree a little here... on that order particularly.

Move Streets from last to first. I understand that the first two were #1 hits meanwhile Streets charted somewhere like #13... but over the past 20some years there's been a readjustment. History was kinder to Streets.

And I mean, not really fair to discredit Streets' radio hit-ness, if you will. #13 is a big deal, it's just that #1 is so much bigger of a deal. All 3 of them were mega radio hits.