Most Monumental Album Flops...

[elevated_u2_fan]

Pop and HTDAAB both sound like shit. Can we all stop arguing now?

Yah, cus that statement is really going to stop the arguing...

 

[LemonMelon]

Pop and HTDAAB both sound like shit. Can we all stop arguing now?

I disagree.

I guess we can't.

 

[Lancemc]

I disagree.

I guess we can't.

You're married now. You have to learn to just take a dive whenever you get in an argument. So we are done.

 

[Lancemc]

Yah, cus that statement is really going to stop the arguing...

But I am the bringer of truth. There is nothing left to argue. The facts have been exposed.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

You're married now. You have to learn to just take a dive whenever you get in an argument. So we are done.

Not unless you are his wife

But I am the bringer of truth. There is nothing left to argue. The facts have been exposed.

oh... well that changes everything then

 

[Lancemc]

Not unless you are his wife

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Mom? Is that you?

 

[LemonMelon]

 

[doctorwho]

you would have to ask sting2 about that. i don't know.

the above are worldwide sales, so while pop might have gone number 1 in a lot of countries, it didnt stay there for very long, and the competition must have been weak - which wouldnt be surprising considering it was released in march and not at christmas time, like u2 usually does nowadays.

i would guess that explains discotheque's succes at the charts compared to e.g. beautiful day too.

"Pop" did reach #1 in more countries than did ATYCLB, including the U.S.

And as others wrote, almost every band - including some big name bands, as well as some American Idol winners (!) - would love to have sales of 1.5M copies in the U.S. and 6-7M copies worldwide. However, we have to be relative. For U2, 1.5M copies sold is their lowest total since "October".

The tour was also a major success, but as it didn't have sold out stadiums everywhere, some viewed it as a flop. But U2 actually performed to more people on the PopMart tour than they did on Elevation (and they grossed more too).

"Discotheque" did become a big hit for U2, but that was due to pent-up demand for new U2. Billboard constantly changes how they rate a single's success. Had Billboard included downloads when "Vertigo" was released, this would have easily been another Top 10 hit for U2. But back then, as U2 didn't have a CD single for the song in the U.S., it was airplay only, and the song charted based on that (much like "Beautiful Day"). But "Discotheque's" charm quickly wore off and it actually hurt the sales of "Pop". U2 "got away" with some risky first singles before ("The Fly" and "Numb") but they pushed the boundaries again, and this time the boundaries pushed back. I argue that had U2 released "Staring at the Sun", which was still a newer sound for U2 but a more conservative song, I think "Pop" would have performed much better.

So "flop" is relative here, but indeed, it wasn't beloved by the public. As for my personal views, while I enjoyed it in 1997, I feel it just hasn't aged well. Some songs I still enjoy, most I can do without.

 

[Zoots]

This version of ATYCLB is as good as POP.

1. Beautiful Day
2. Elevation
3. Walk On (Single Version)
4. Kite
5. Stuck In A Moment (Acoustic Version)
6. Levitate
7. In A Little While
8. Wild Honey
9. Stateless
10. Peace On Earth
11. When I Look At The World
12. New York
13. The Ground Beneath Her Feet
14. Grace



POP is for saturday night's party. ATYCLB is for sunday morning's hangover. There, no need to compare! Geez!

 

[LemonMelon]

This version of ATYCLB is as good as POP.

1. Beautiful Day
2. Elevation (Influx Mix)
3. Walk On (Single Version)
4. Kite
5. Stuck In A Moment (Acoustic Version)
6. Flower Child
7. In A Little While
8. Wild Honey
9. Stateless
10. Peace On Earth
11. When I Look At The World
12. New York
13. The Ground Beneath Her Feet

^ That's better.

 

[U2girl]

Take out POE, WILATW and Grace, put in Ground beneath their feet, Stateless and let Levitate close.

 

[LemonMelon]

Levitate

 

[U2girl]

Levitate Can't believe that didn't make ATYCLB. Fits the whole "joy" theme and mood of the album, and would probably fly through the roof live.

 

[coolian2]

Levitate
Beautiful Day
Elevation
Walk On
Stuck In A Moment
Electrical Storm
Summer Rain
Kite
In A Little While
New York
When I Look At The World
The Ground Beneath Her Feet
Stateless



Fuck you yes.