Best U2 Albums for Teens

[Windmilllane]

Today's teenagers are into the punk rock/rap, boy band, hip hop, gangsta, Jo Jo, Usher, Britney music.....

So I'm thinking, what U2 albums would today's teens really think is good; something they would say, 'yeah, that's totally hip.'??

The only ones I could think of are War and AB.

War is just pure rock album with a few pop-like hits.

AB is just pure pop, with most songs that can be radio-friendly.

UF, JT, ATYCLB and HTDAAB are just way too deep, depressing and mature for today's teenagers.

 

[kakvox]

I think Boy would be great for teens.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

I don't think too many teenagers are going to call anything "hip"

umm... I'm only 1 year removed from being a teenager... and the Best of was my first, followed by Pop, then Rattle and Hum... I liked (and still do) Pop much more

Now it's all about Achtung, though

 

[Windmilllane]

I think Boy and October are too underground and raw; not "pop" enough.

Ironically, I don't think Pop would appeal to teens, because it's too experimental. Same for Zooropa. Rattle and Hum is too folksy, bluesy.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

I know. But I was an unusual teen

 

[Windmilllane]

The teens I'm talking about are the ones who hang out in the mall.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

I was a mallrat. I liked the popular music, too. I'd go from Busta Rhymes, to Korn, to Orgy, to U2, to Third Eye Blind, to the Beatles.. it was just all over the place. And I guess it still is. I never saw the need to shun things because they're popular. They may not be as satisfying, or objectively good, but I still enjoy that stuff. It's just that now I'd rather listen to U2, Springsteen, and Radiohead most of the time.

 

[Windmilllane]

I try to get into popular music. Heck, I even tried watching TRL on occassion. But I just can't get into today's music. The only music that is truly genuine to me is U2. The melodies and lyrics are just so powerful, rocking and compassionate.

 

[ImOuttaControl]

Well, I'm only 23 and am a teacher in high school and let me say...there isn't much hope there for musical taste! It's all about pop and these shit punkpop bands where I teach. I mention U2 and most of the people roll their eyes, except for a few girls who have a crush on me. They were asking me to make a mixed U2 cd for them lol.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Again, I realize that there's little depth to it. And to be honest, I haven't watched MTV or even listened to the radio in over a year. But there are a few things that seep through, and I know they lack depth, but I don't think everything in life has to have depth. I also realize how few people are going to agree with me on that, and that's cool.

 

[ImOuttaControl]

Oh, and to answer the question...I think most of U2's music is too deep/mature for most teens. The obvious choice for the albums they'd like are the Greatest hits because they have all the poppier songs. After that, I'd say either ATYCLB or HTDAAB; both these albums are made with safe, poppier songs that are easy to get into. The rest of U2's catalog takes too much time IMO.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Actually, when turning my friends on to U2 in high school, the best albums were Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, Boy, and All That You Can't Leave Behind when I think about it.

 

[Windmilllane]

WTF, these shit bands like Simple Plan, Linkin Park, Good Charlotte, Maroon 5,,,, they think they are cool and pop, but they are just fucking posers who won't be around in 10 years, I fucking guarantee that.

These teens need to check out a U2 concert. They need to see the raw emotion from our boys. I mean, U2 just blew me away when they did SNL. They know what rock is all about.

 

[beau2ifulday]

It depends...
I mean, this is going on the people I know, but i've found it's more like this:

The teens who hang at the mall shopping would like ATYCLB
The teens who are more pro-active and more diverse would like Achtung Baby and War
The teens who are go out of their way to adopt a certain 'label' would like Zooropa and AB
The teens who are pretty impartial to any one musical type would like JT and HTDAAB

 

[U2democrat]

if i were to get my friends into U2 i'd play AB and HTDAAB for them.

 

[Windmilllane]

ATYCLB is just too contemporary for teens. JT and UF are just too mellow and dark.

I think AB would be somewhat palatable for the average 15 to 18 year old teenager who likes Jay-Z, Eminem, Britney, Usher, ect.

 

[Windmilllane]

if i were to get my friends into U2 i'd play AB and HTDAAB for them.

Definitely AB. But only Vertigo on HTDAAB.

 

[AtomicBono]

Well, I'm only 23 and am a teacher in high school and let me say...there isn't much hope there for musical taste! It's all about pop and these shit punkpop bands where I teach. I mention U2 and most of the people roll their eyes, except for a few girls who have a crush on me. They were asking me to make a mixed U2 cd for them lol.

Hah, if you were my teacher I'd probably have a crush on you too (I said U2. heh.) seriously I have the biggest crush on one of my teachers from last year, and then my Chemistry teacher this year... well he's cute sure (and young, like twenty-something...most of the guys I like are my dad's age ), but when I found out his favourite band I liked him a whole lot more it's fun, I let him borrow How to Dismantle and he let me borrow Under a Blood Red Sky... today I was debating with him about U2 now, he said it was The Josuha Tree and Rattle and Hum that got him into U2 and those were the great albums and they started losing it around Pop...me on the other hand I got INTO U2 because of Pop. Pop is actually a good album to get teens into U2 - or kids, really. The second half not so much, but the first half is very accessible for a general audience...I actually think it was the U2 fans who found it difficult to digest I fell in love with Discotheque and everyone I play it for really likes it too... and I have a friend with very interesting taste in music (probably the only other kid in the school that's actually heard of Television and The Velvet Underground, but she also likes some contemporary stuff like Outkast) but she never really liked U2 (granted she prolly hasn't heard much) but she really likes If God Will Send His Angels. As a teenager myself I'd recommend Pop first, then Best of 1990-2000, then Best of 1980-1990. Or try How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb... everyone knows the song Vertigo and a lot of my friends and peers really like the song that aren't even U2 fans. Forcing them to buy the album is a good way to get 'em into the world of U2.

UnforgettableLemon - I agree with you completely. I listen to all kinds of music - U2 (ya think?), The Beatles, Interpol, Linkin Park, The Velvet Underground, Tool, Nirvana, Blink-182, ect... I listen to whatever I want, regardless of people's opinions. If it sounds good to me, I'll listen to it. As you said, not everything has to have depth... but some things do, and that's why we've got U2.

 

[scarlet october]

I don't know ... I'm 18. I like "October" the best. I don't listen to rap ... it sucks. I thinks it's different with everybody , I'm one of those weird kids that listens to older music. The new stuff I listen to are Bands like ; Cool Hand Luke (Christian music).

 

[alexvilagosh]

Different teens would like different music. I'm a teenager, by the way.

Pop-culture whores: ATYCLB
People into raw sound: Boy, War
People into alternative/more intellectual about their music: JT, Zooropa

 

[beegee]

how to dismantle an atomic bomb.

i know a thirteen year old who thought U2 was SO lame until he heard the new album. now my copy is suspiciously missing. but he is a unique case. this kid listens to modest mouse and the killers, not the shit mentioned in the original post.

 

[ZeroDude]

Shit, i'm a teenager and I listen to all the good stuff.....
btw i find Achtung is the best to get other people into U2 at any age imo.

 

[Aardvark747]

Zooropa

 

[Axver]

The Best Of 1980-1990 was my first album when I was eleven, however, I would not use that on a normal teenager. Took me a couple of years to really get past I Will Follow and I only came to appreciate The Unforgettable Fire about a year ago.

I'd use Boy on most teenagers. I know of people with siblings who have no interest in music at all or only in pop who have been sucked in with Boy and HTDAAB.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

I'm 16 (17 early next year) and I thought I was superior to everyone.

Then I discovered teen-oriented TV programming.

edit: oh and to answer your question, the last two albums. most of my friends dislike anything that's too 'old', unless it's their parents music which inevitably is

a) Richard Marx
b) something worse, which is impossible, but hey

 

[ponkine]

All That You Can´t Leave Behind

and

How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

 

[doctorwho]

Oh, and to answer the question...I think most of U2's music is too deep/mature for most teens. The obvious choice for the albums they'd like are the Greatest hits because they have all the poppier songs. After that, I'd say either ATYCLB or HTDAAB; both these albums are made with safe, poppier songs that are easy to get into. The rest of U2's catalog takes too much time IMO.

I agree.

AB is full of poppier tunes, even though it's my favorite U2 album. U2 fans worship AB mostly because it was a directional change from JT - but really, AB is full of pop tunes and the popular European industrial sounds of the time.

Therefore, just get the 2 "Best Of" CD's. They contain the pop tunes from both decades. Surely the kids may have heard at least a few songs from them.

If they like it, get them the new HTDAAB or ATYCLB as those contain the ubiquitions "Vertigo" and "Beautiful Day". Kids *must* have at least heard those songs by now.

 

[U2girl]

I don't know...for me, the one U2 album I liked instantly, in full, was Achtung Baby. Also ATYCLB, at first.

(then again, I can't say I really listened to a lot of pop music in my teens - I mean boybands and the like, I did like the Beatles or ABBA)

I think that, in general, JT is very accesible, too. There's not a song there (except maybe Bullet or Exit) that any mainstream radio wouldn't play.

For starters, maybe Best of's are a best place to start. Then they can move on to whatever they like best.
Either that, or JT/AB combination.

But there's also the case for trying with their latest work, ATYCLB and HTDAAB.

 

[U2Kitten]

I think Boy and October are too underground and raw; not "pop" enough.

Ironically, I don't think Pop would appeal to teens, because it's too experimental. Same for Zooropa. Rattle and Hum is too folksy, bluesy.

The teens I know now like "Boy". Maybe they can relate to it because the band was young when they made it, or maybe it's because, technology aside, it's more like a lot of the current power pop/emo/semi punk stuff that's out there now.

 

[U2democrat]

Teens these days want loud and fast. That's why i say AB-and in terms of HTDAAB there's Vertigo, Love and Peace, City of Blinding Lights, and All Because of you. That's why I say AB and HTDAAB. What a typical teen would say:
Boy and October aren't "hard" enough.
War sounds too old and politics is stupid.
Unforgettable Fire is just plain weird.
Joshua Tree is too boring
Rattle and Hum-eh, getting better.
AB-now that's what I'm talking about!
Zooropa-wtf is up with numb and lemon?
Pop-actually now that i think about it i think teens would like it. loud and fast.
ATYCLB-overplayed
HTDAAB-vertigo rocks!

That's what my friends would say about the U2 albums. I however love each and every one of them!!