The Album Contest Final Results

[MacPhistoPT]

Here they are

Achtung Baby 943

The Joshua Tree 871

The Unforgettable Fire 658

Pop 652

HTDAAB 602

Zooropa 581

Boy 512

War 500

ATYCLB 444

Rattle&Hum 329

October 243

Passengers 155

 

[Chizip]

These are the results from when you did this in July:

Achtung Baby 742
Joshua Tree 665
Pop 489
Atomic Bomb 472
Unforgettable Fire 440
Zooropa 388
War 377
Boy 370
All that you can't leave behind 342
Rattle&Hum 277
October 175

 

[XHendrix24]

Hmm. Cool to see UF shooting up in the rankings a bit. Great album. That alone almost makes up for the public mixing up the #1 and #2 spots as to how they really should be.

All personal biases aside, I think this is a really good list. The only other thing I think I should add is that Passengers is criminally underrated here. Criminally. Honestly, I seriously doubt that half of the people who voted have even heard Passengers.

Good list on the whole, though.

 

[U2mixer]

Hmm. Cool to see UF shooting up in the rankings a bit. Great album...

...I think this is a really good list. The only other thing I think I should add is that Passengers is criminally underrated here. Criminally. Honestly, I seriously doubt that half of the people who voted have even heard Passengers.

It IS a good list - though POP should be higher

Regarding Passengers, I agree with you that the majority of voters wouldn't have even heard this album, but that's the album's fault.
It IS self-indulgent (to quote Larry) and only really appeals to fans of soundtracks as such.
Blue Room though, still ranks in my top U2(and Passengers) songs - and you can't help but love Miss Sarajevo can you!!!

It's also good to see ATYCLB near the bottom of both lists because this is a poor middle-aged album.
I admit that if this album was remade and remixed with a better, rawer sound then it would be 10 times better.

 

[XHendrix24]

Regarding Passengers, I agree with you that the majority of voters wouldn't have even heard this album, but that's the album's fault.
It IS self-indulgent (to quote Larry) and only really appeals to fans of soundtracks as such.
Blue Room though, still ranks in my top U2(and Passengers) songs - and you can't help but love Miss Sarajevo can you!!!

It's also good to see ATYCLB near the bottom of both lists because this is a poor middle-aged album.
I admit that if this album was remade and remixed with a better, rawer sound then it would be 10 times better.

Good points.

 

[GibsonGirl]

It IS self-indulgent (to quote Larry) and only really appeals to fans of soundtracks as such.

I hate reading Larry's quotes on Passengers. He really rips that album to shreds, sometimes. I think it's a wonderful piece of work, and it's a shame U2 didn't release it under their real name.

 

[the rockin edge]

interesting, nice to see pop ahead of the bomb

 

[bono_212]

poor ATYCLB

 

[gareth brown]

Thank god there's a proper Top Three this time...! I'd personally put 'Pop' and 'Atomic Bomb' at the bottom just under 'Rattle and Hum' to be honest I'll probably never get sucked in, sorry!

 

[tommycharles]

It's also good to see ATYCLB near the bottom of both lists because this is a poor middle-aged album.
I admit that if this album was remade and remixed with a better, rawer sound then it would be 10 times better.

I disagree. Songwriting was what killed ATYCLB, nothing more, nothing less. Production could not have saved an album with Wild Honey, Grace, and Peace On Earth on it. To be fair, the latter features some excellent lyrics, but the band just wasn't up to snuff on this record.

 

[catlhere]

Pop as their 3rd best album?

This forum sure does make me giggle.

That was directed towards the 2nd one btw, not the thread starter's lol. Although Pop-4th is still pretty.... interesting

And why is October 2nd to last? That's such a good album, I feel like the only person who likes it.

 

[God Part III]

Zooropa does very well! Hurrah!
Personally I love All That You Can't Leave Behind; I think it's much better than How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - but that's how it is when the majority gets to decide.

 

[U2mixer]

I disagree. Songwriting was what killed ATYCLB, nothing more, nothing less. Production could not have saved an album with Wild Honey, Grace, and Peace On Earth on it. To be fair, the latter features some excellent lyrics, but the band just wasn't up to snuff on this record.

Its good to disagree - its good for the soul

I agree with 2 out of the 3 songs you mention, but I feel Grace always had a 'ethereal' sense about it - like it should've been on Zooropa where it would've made a good closer.

Grace would've also made a good b-side whereas WH and POE are throwaway fillers IMO, of course!

 

[Utoo]

Thank god there's a proper Top Three this time...! I'd personally put 'Pop' and 'Atomic Bomb' at the bottom just under 'Rattle and Hum' to be honest I'll probably never get sucked in, sorry!

Finally---someone not afraid to say Pop isn't the greatest thing since flushable toilets!

Nice to see UF get the respect it deserves, though I am surprised to see War below both UF and the Bomb.

 

[AtomicBono]

It IS a good list - though POP should be higher

I agree, but it's actually pretty amazing to see Pop as 3rd or 4th place, seeing as it's bashed by the critics much like Rattle and Hum (though as far as I'm concerned Rattle and Hum is actually worthy of some criticism). Similarly, ATYCLB is prasied by critics (or at least it was, I think it still is) but is very low on the list. I think ATYCLB and HTDAAB are about equal. HTDAAB has better songs, but ATYCLB works better as an album.

Passengers is criminally underrated, though it's probably low on my list of favourite albums. I really don't listen to it enough. It's really perfect for the middle of the night. It captures that feeling very well. Also, Slug and Your Blue Room are extraordinary. Some of U2's top work.

 

[Azor]

poor ATYCLB

Yes I know!

 

[tuwie]

^ yeah, same here ;]

in the Rolling Stone article they did on Bono, he says "every song on HTDAAB is a great song, but the sum is not greater than its parts and it f*cking annoys me". it's interesting that Achtung Baby has the most votes, becuse Bono says that's his favorite album too ;]

in that article Bono also says that Stay is probably the greatest U2 song ever but it was wildly underdeveloped ...or something to that effect...meaning it would have been so much better had they had more time.

 

[annie_vox]

I agree almost completely with the list... though I preffer October to Rattle and Hum.

It's so difficult to make a list like this, because every album has something special and unique... And with me it works like this: Today I may not be very fond of an album but maybe tomorrow I will pick it up and listen to it

Maybe I'm not normal

 

[Zoots]

I disagree. Songwriting was what killed ATYCLB, nothing more, nothing less. Production could not have saved an album with Wild Honey, Grace, and Peace On Earth on it. To be fair, the latter features some excellent lyrics, but the band just wasn't up to snuff on this record.

I agree with every syllable of your post!

I've been screaming from Day 1 that lyrics were the biggest weak point of ATYCLB! And that Peace On Earth is one of the best songs on there! But not many seem to agree with me.

Great job, MacphistoPT! It's nice to see Pop ahead of the Bomb!

 

[namkcuR]

I agree with every syllable of your post!

I've been screaming from Day 1 that lyrics were the biggest weak point of ATYCLB! And that Peace On Earth is one of the best songs on there! But not many seem to agree with me.

Great job, MacphistoPT! It's nice to see Pop ahead of the Bomb!

Zoot, do you think Bomb is better than ATYCLB in terms of lyrics and songwriting? If so, it's one of the select few areas in which I really disagree with you. But I'll wait for you to answer before I say anymore

 

[Zoots]

Zoot, do you think Bomb is better than ATYCLB in terms of lyrics and songwriting? If so, it's one of the select few areas in which I really disagree with you. But I'll wait for you to answer before I say anymore

I think the lyrics are equally mediocre on both albums, to be honest. But ATYCLB was the first slip! I do prefer the Bomb songs overall to the ones on ATYCLB, cos the music is more interesting to me this time around! Even Vertigo with it's goofy lyrics is more interesting to me musically than it's ATYCLB equivalent, Elevation ever was. I do like ATYCLB's overall theme but I just can't get over how plain/'at times boring'/'U2 lite' it sounds compared to HTDAAB!

 

[Irishteen]

I think ATYCLB deserved to do much better

 

[JMScoopy]

JT Shudda won!

 

[Achtung_Bebe]

looks like The Bomb has dropped a spot. It's done pretty well, though... I'm a bit surprised it has beat "Zooropa" and "War", the latter especially.

 

[bathiu]

Here they are

Achtung Baby 943

The Joshua Tree 871

The Unforgettable Fire 658

Pop 652

HTDAAB 602

Zooropa 581

Boy 512

War 500

ATYCLB 444

Rattle&Hum 329

October 243

Passengers 155

wow, can't believe ATYCLB is so high

wow, can't believe WAR and BOY are so low

wow, POP and HTDAAB should switch places

 

[kosull]

Well, I think that that's probably as close as youre gonna get to my own opinion. Maybe people of similar minds all came out and voted this time. The next time will probably be different again. I have a couple of comments. Firstly I don't really care what people say about Passengers being self-indulgent. Whatever it is, it's still a good album, and it has an awful lot stronger material than the bottom three of October, Rattle & Hum and ATYCLB.

That's in my opinion of course, because looking at my own list that I posted below, I'd probably have to revise it slightly. After owning Zooropa for the past 8 years, I've finally gotten it in the last few weeks. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I'm re-reading Bill Flanagan's At The End Of The World at the same time, but I definitely would have to put it up there into the top 3. I'd say now that I'd probably say Acthung Baby, Zooropa, Pop, then Joshua Tree. Though Zooropa's now pushing for top spot given, as the late Bill Graham once wrote, that it's probably a more coherent piece of work as a whole than Acthung Baby. Also, I love the idea of it being made on the run, and that roughness shines through in the song structures and approaches. Really captures that Zoo TV moment.

Of course, music tastes being fickle, all of this is only my own humble opinion and is likely to change tomorrow!

MY (original) TOP 10:
1. Acthung Baby
2. Pop
3. Joshua Tree
4. Zooropa
5. Unforgettable Fire
6. HTDAAB
7. Passengers
8. Boy
9. War
10. ATYCLB
11. Rattle & Hum
12. October

THE POLL RESULTS:
1. Achtung Baby
2. The Joshua Tree
3. The Unforgettable Fire
4. Pop
5. HTDAAB
6. Zooropa
7. Boy
8. War
9. ATYCLB
10. Rattle&Hum
11. October
12. Passengers

 

[U2mixer]

...looking at my own list that I posted below, I'd probably have to revise it slightly. After owning Zooropa for the past 8 years, I've finally gotten it in the last few weeks. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I'm re-reading Bill Flanagan's At The End Of The World at the same time, but I definitely would have to put it up there into the top 3.

...Zooropa's now pushing for top spot given, as the late Bill Graham once wrote, that it's probably a more coherent piece of work as a whole than Acthung Baby. Also, I love the idea of it being made on the run, and that roughness shines through in the song structures and approaches. Really captures that Zoo TV moment.
...

You see, the problem with any music, as such, is that its all subjective. One man's AB can be another man's RAH.

You raise good points in the fact that fans should realise that when you read about the making of an album or the reasons behind songs then that album or that song take on a greater meaning and relevance and listening to it becomes a more interesting and enjoyable experience in where you begin to see it in a whole new light.

It raises a discussion as to whether a song should be judged by simply how it sounds or as a piece of art in itself.

We all understand how videos can either enhance a song or totally spoil our perception of it.

If we judged the albums on their artistic merits then the top of the list would look something like this (IMO)

Achtung Baby
Zooropa
Passengers
POP
Rattle and Hum (yes, I did say Rattle and Hum)

 

[kosull]

You see, the problem with any music, as such, is that its all subjective. One man's AB can be another man's RAH.

You raise good points in the fact that fans should realise that when you read about the making of an album or the reasons behind songs then that album or that song take on a greater meaning and relevance and listening to it becomes a more interesting and enjoyable experience in where you begin to see it in a whole new light.

It raises a discussion as to whether a song should be judged by simply how it sounds or as a piece of art in itself.

We all understand how videos can either enhance a song or totally spoil our perception of it.

If we judged the albums on their artistic merits then the top of the list would look something like this (IMO)

Achtung Baby
Zooropa
Passengers
POP
Rattle and Hum (yes, I did say Rattle and Hum)

This is an extremely interesting concept. Is it a piece of art? This question definitely goes beyond U2 into the realms of the digital music debate and the future of the album itself. To take one prominent example, my favourite album of all time is Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited. Now, there's an album that contains one hit single, but nothing else that would really make it on to a greatest hits for Bob. Yet as a body of work as a whole it's amazing. And, again, it makes a hell of an amount of sense if you've (a) read Jack Kerouac's On The Road, or (b) watched No Direction Home.

As far as U2 goes, perhaps the subjectiveness thing extends to what you're looking for in an album. Although I just don't like Rattle And Hum I think the others in your list, Achtung Baby, Zooropa, and Pop (as well as my love for Passengers) are my favourite albums, and probably for the reason that they are more complete pieces of art.

Anyway, the sounds are good, the tunes are good, and the gigs are good. But great ideas U2mixer.

 

[cjboog]

I am surprised how high Atomic Bomb is considering how many Bomb haters there are in this forum. Personally I would move UF, Popa and Zooropa down more, but not bad overall.

 

[jonnytakeawalk]

in that article Bono also says that Stay is probably the greatest U2 song ever but it was wildly underdeveloped ...or something to that effect...meaning it would have been so much better had they had more time.

Then thank God they didn't have more time!

Honestly Stay is perfect as it is. I'd take U2's early underdeveloped stuff (streets, Stay) over their latest overdeveloped stuff (miracle drug, city of blinding lights) anyday!