But Numb is the worst U2 song ever to grace the planet, and I don't understand how anybody could listen to it, nevermind enjoy it!
How can you not like the combination of Edge's monotonous drone vs Bono's fat mama opera voice topped by Larry singing. Add some sampled Nazi drumming, the main melody played on a kiddie's toy, loads of unrecognizable guitars and you've got a great song. A lot of non-fans around the time enjoyed it as well.
I like electronica music, therefore, I like 'Numb'. Not the greatest song ever, but a fun, industrial, electronic, dance experiment.
Electronica? Maybe, Indrustrial? Sure, but seriously, dance it ain't.
Note that it charted #2 on the US Modern Rock tracks!
Which also proves it was a brilliant choice for a lead single. It was also remarkable in the fact that it was only released as a Video Single.
BTW The only real dance on Zooropa is Lemon: Enoish Talking Heads over Edge's drum machine+ sequenced guitars, with Bono doing Prince, all covered in Disco sauce.
Daddy's gonna pay... is funky, but not necessarily "dance".
Numb and BabyFace are just too slow to be dance.
Here's my opinion on lead single choices for each individual album:
I disagree with many of these assessments, for example:
Fire - best choice as a lead single from October, it charted, whereas its follow-up Gloria didn't. Those two are the only logical singles.
Desire - Simply brilliant. Great song, representative of the album, commercial success. Their best single ever? Nope that would be: The Fly.
Numb - see above.
Discothèque - Great single, charted well (#1), cool video.
GOYB - I´m glad Magnificent wasn´t the first. Irrespective of the fact that Magnificent is a good song, it would´ve immediately pegged U2 as rehashing old stuff. Whereas GOYB is actually risky and exciting. Misunderstood, yes, especially by oldkool fans, but they do not buy singles. GOYB as a single is representative of the album in that it condenses the album into a high energy package, much like Fly, Vertigo or Desire.
Singles are not about pleasing established fans, they are instrumental in gaining new fans. If you want to stand out on the radio you need a song with a heavy impact.
WOWY - interesting choice, never thought this would be the hit that it became, but then again their first choice was Red Hill Mining Town!
RHMT and God´s Country are probably the only logical singles from JT, but ISHFWILF and Streets were hits nonetheless.