Which SOE tracks should be singles?

[CMIS]

This band pisses me off. I love the album, really do... but these guys really are masters in shooting themselves in the foot. Don't get me wrong, I don't care if U2 lands a hit, but they do and there are knock-on effects when they don't get any currency with their new songs. With the deck stacked against them, they then choose to go out on the promotion trail and play songs like American Soul and Get Out and it's embarrassing how bad Bono sounds singing the latter, but that's beside the point. The two songs aren't really that good and it is baffling when they have literally 9 alternatives (leaving out LIAWHL and 13).

Forget 9 because that would be too much of a to-do for the fuckin snowflakes; three are readymade for the promotion trail. I am yet to hear someone say that they did not like Summer of Love upon first listen (I have played the song to people with varying familiarity with the band). Landlady is another fairly obvious choice. Fucking Little Things, they'e got it down pat and it can raise the roof at the end. Or Red Flag Day.

Idiots. How can a 41-year band be so completely clueless?

Rant over.

 

[kiwilad]

CMIS I don't know the answer. We always hear that this band have the best people working for them. The best liggting guys, stage designers, management, producers etc.
And they got the singles right for All That You Can't Leave Behind and Bomb. But since then...

They know way more than I about this stuff. Their employees know way more than I.
But Love Is Bigger is such a big U2 moment. And comes on the back of a tour celebrating the most famous U2 moment of all.
Little Things might be too slow a starter but then, so is Hotel California. So was All I Want is You.
As for Summer of Love I'm sure that one is being held back for the northern summer.... I hope

 

[Sken]

Love is Bigger is the big U2 song they are known for. The next singles should be Love is Bigger (anthem) and Lights of Home (rocker).

It truly is amazing that they continue to release songs that don't represent the album they are selling.

If they had gone Blackout > Love is Bigger > Lights of Home > Little Things, that would be been a solid strategy me thinks.

 

[U2girl]

1) Blackout
2) The best thing
3) Summer of love

 

[U2FloridaFan]

Maybe there are certain reasons the band don't release certain songs as singles (like, if they become popular, they might actually have to figure out how to play them live). For instance, why did we never (or almost never - not sure) hear Acrobat - arguably one of the band's best songs - on the Zoo TV Tour - and of course it was never released as a single - because it is maybe too difficult for Edge to play live?? I don't get it.

Red Flag Day is a must to be released as a single...it's the "youngest," most upbeat song on the album (even it has depressing undertones, but it is the most single-worthy IMHO). If they are trying to get on mainstream pop radio, this song is a must-do.

 

[The Disciple]

You take that back.

Not for me... thinking radio. And it's not much that would be trimmed.

 

[BVS]

Does the general public even know what a "red flag day" is? I certainly had no idea (I know now, however), and I've seen a number of varying interpretations on here.

Did they know what it was like to be a walrus, what teen spirit really smelled like, what bohemian rhapsody was, what a devil’s haircut looks like, what a wonderwall was, or who Inna Gadda Davida is?

 

[Alphorn]

I thought singles were a thing and then I didn't. Nowadays, don't "singles" just bubble up based on what people are streaming? For example, this morning I heard The Showman during commute time on Sirius XM Spectrum and tonight they played Summer of Love (yeah!). So, how'd they make these decisions? Neither are "singles," but they're obviously featuring both which are both good choices, though The Showman surprised me a little. This is the station that had YTBTAM at #1 for something like six weeks. I'm really hoping their airplay of these songs transfers over to airplay on other stations.

I mean, obviously the band released certain songs, but does that even matter anymore?

 

[Scorpionac]

I mean, obviously the band released certain songs, but does that even matter anymore?

Releasing something as a single can give it that extra push with a music video on YouTube, TV performances, it might be featured as a new release on stuff like Spotify, etc.