Poll: most influential U2 album

[financeguy]

Look into your crystal balls and tell me....in 20 years time, which will be remembered as the most influential U2 album?

 

[financeguy]

My vote: Zooropa

 

[financeguy]

My vote: Zooropa

How dare you. Why do you hate HTDAAB?

 

[thelaj]

Achtung Baby. But I think The Joshua Tree will always be their "classic"

 

[Utoo]

financeguy, i'll reply just so you don' t have to have the only replies to your own thread. EDIT----thelaj beat me to it!

It's hard to keep this from being "What's your favorite album?" I'm not sure which I think was the most influential..... I'm thinking of 'most influential on the music world,' but I guess you could also say 'most influential to my life' or a million others, I guess.

I'll have to think about this one & come back before I vote.......

 

[MumblingBono]

The Unforgettable Fire.

 

[2861U2]

All That You Can't Leave Behind

 

[rjhbonovox]

Damn I should have voted for HTDAAB but it kinda depends of what and who your trying to influence.

 

[JCOSTER]

joshua tree hands down.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

atyclb

 

[LMP]

well, it's hard

for most of the recent alternative Killers, Bravery-esque bands, I'd say Boy for sure

bands like Coldplay and Radiohead, The Unforgettable Fire and Zooropa

it's hard :???:

 

[catlhere]

Influencial as in how? It made a huge impact on the music world? Then most likely The Joshua Tree, it was the hugest thing at the time and still their best album to date, gotta go with TJT.

 

[Tarvark]

Zooropa was too quiet to be influential.

It is Atchung that echoed through out the industry. Was not just herlded as a way, but the way of the 1990s. Changed everything.

 

[-Macphisto-UK]

There's many reasons why each album is gonna be influentional in it's own way.

Boy, is what any band starting out should aim to achieve.

October, shows if you stick with it, you can overcome any setback, and produce something of the caliber of War.

I think Achtung Baby though in time will be the most influential.

For established bands, it will persuade them to be braver than they thought they dare be. That they can work through any problems and come out even better than they've ever been before.

 

[u2granny]

This is hard! My first instinct would be to say Joshua Tree but I think over time Achtung Baby would be the one most people remember.

 

[Axver]

Meh. I really don't see U2's albums influencing a whole lot right now.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Achtung.

Boy/UF/War etc would all individually influence many artists of similar genre turf, but Achtung crossed genre boundaries of influence by being more than just an inspiration in sound (although it was that as well), and also being an inspiration in balls or daring. To be of Joshua Tree size and to turn it all completely on its head in virtually every way has influenced dozens of bands and artists since then and will continue to do so. Never mind it's near perfect moulding of sound and theme.

 

[crystal4470]

the unforgettable fire, cos that is really when they started to experiment with different sounds. Eno and Lanios influence started here.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Some U2 albums are directly influential on other artists (Unforgettable Fire-Enoesque sound for one), others are just a tad ahead of a moving tide (Pop) while not being directly influential. Others are a tad behind the tide, but push onto the radio (Achtung) and therefore influence a whole massive world of ears in the suburbs who otherwise would never have heard such things. Gateway albums.

I can't believe people are voting for ATYCLB & HTDAAB? It's only been 5 years since ATYCLB was released? I wouldn't think any influence is showing yet. When Radiohead hit the charts with a pop song, I'll give you that.

 

[gareth brown]

I think Boy's been starting to show up in quite a few bands recently...but in twenty years I'd say anything between Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby or Zooropa.

 

[katiebu21]

Achtung Baby all the way!!

 

[If you shout...]

Meh. I really don't see U2's albums influencing a whole lot right now.

This is correct, in my estimation. They never really have been in the grandest, most authentic sense of the word "influential." I mean, they've all been influential to some degree to some people...this is pretty tough.

I won't vote because I don't really think my opinion gels with the focus of the thread, but I think that if I had to name an album which had an influence of sorts which had at least some longetivity, I would have to go with All That You Can't Leave Behind. It's been over four years, now, and a lot of bands are still apeing that basic sound.

Again, though...it's so ephemeral. They've never recorded a Nevermind or a The Beatles or whatever, you know? I think they've recorded better albums, yeah, but not more influential.

GREAT thread, financeguy. My mind is churning. Excellent job.

 

[MacPhistoPT]

The Tree I think...

 

[WalkOn21]

Joshua Tree.

Many non-U2 fans know that name. I don't know anyone who isn't a fan that knows AB. Sure, they know the (hugely overrated) One, but that's not the same as AB.

 

[jacobus]

the best AB, but the most influental ZOOROPA

 

[hcbiggs2002]

Achtung Baby! So far. Whose to say that in 10 years time HTDAAB won't be just as influential?

 

[youtwohearts]

JT the album that made U2, U2. The deal with the devil album.

Just a note, this is NOT my favorite album nor is it the album that made me love U2 however it is in my opinion the one album that has had the most influence.

 

[one4u2]

JT the album that made U2, U2. The deal with the devil album.

Just a note, this is NOT my favorite album nor is it the album that made me love U2 however it is in my opinion the one album that has had the most influence.

 

[jay canseco]

The chances are small, but it would be nice to consider the possibility of a future album having great influence in 20 years.

 

[The Disciple]

Achtung Baby