What are your 3 favorite U2 albums so far and why ?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
1. The Joshua Tree - A complete masterpiece. Nothing more needs to be said.

2. All THat You Can't Leave Behind - I don't understand the backlash lately to this one. Beautiful Day= the best U2 single since the Rattle & Hum days. Stuck..., Elevation, When I Look..., all great, powerful songs and Walk On- one of the GREAT U2 songs that struck a powerful note post 9/11. Even the "lesser" songs like Wild Honey and In A Little While are full of heart and soul.

3. Achtung Baby- maybe a little more of a period piece than the other two (most of the types of music it was inspired by are virtually extinct now) but still full of great songs and sounds.

A note, I think HTDAAB is a close call for me. A few months from now I might think even more of it than I do now, but it seems hard to think of its place among the other albums after only a few weeks.
 
1. JOSHUA TREE - My first U2 album. Well, tape actually. I was 12 when I dubbed it and I really wore that sucker out. I had known of U2 but had resisted them a little for some reason. I picked a great time to give in.

2. ACHTUNG BABY - It was the first album out AFTER I had become a full-blown, hardcore fan. I faked sick to stay home from school the day it came out so that I could buy it the minute the mall opened and listen to it all day. It was almost a full year later that I saw Zoo TV live. In my entire life I've never felt the adrenaline more than that night.

3. HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB - Sometimes I complain about how much time U2 takes in between albums but I could never complain about the results. So many wonderful musical moments. City of Blinding Lights rocketed into my top 5 almost instantly. And I don't even think I fully appreciate this one yet.
 
1. Achtung, Baby - Its their true masterpiece and their most complete album. Its one dark trip, but the band is right there with you. And the songs it produced are incredible: One, UTEOTW, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, Ultraviolet, Acrobat...

2. The Unforgettable Fire - This album is such a sonic experience. I love the way you can loose yourself in it. And, dude, it's got Pride. Enough said.

3. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - Okay, this may be an early ranking. But this album really has everything I love about U2. Its got Edge's soaring guitars, its got rockers, its got ballads, its got stellar lyrics from Bono. I hope it becomes a U2 classic.
 
1. Zooropa - Their Masterpiece. Its just sound so relaxed.
2.Unforgettable Fire - because of the Unforgettable Fire song.
3. Achtung Baby - Their darkest album they will ever do.
 
1 - AB - I love EVERY song on this album. It was the 1st U2 album I bought, and I have never tired of it. Some great Riffs, and superb Vocals

2 - JT - The songs are epic-sounding, the lyrics are amazing and the album just rules. Kicks off with Streets (Ass-kicking) and finishes with Mothers (One of the most beautiful songs they've ever done)

3 - HTDAAB - Maybe im crazy for having this in my top 3 so early, but so what! Before this, it was Zooropa, which I love, but this album is just the best thing I have heard in a long long time, by any band. The ballads are amazing, the rockier numbers kick ass, and despite the word 'Kneel' being used in almost every track, it works, and I love it!:drool:
 
They change ofton but right now

HTDAAB-Why? because it is new and I love listening to new songs and not one bad song on it

ATYCLB-Because I think it is a great album,only one song on there I don't like much

JT - Because it is full of classics

POP is not really in my top 5 but it has a special place in my heart because I went to the popmart tour and it brings back awesome memorys and Gone is on there my favourite u2 song ;)
 
Unforgettable Fire - I love its magic otherworldly atmosphere and the way the songs flow into each other.

ATYCLB - will always remain special being my first U2 album, but other than that the run from Beautiful Day to Wild Honey is probably my favourite on any U2 album.

HTDAAB - ok, maybe it's too early to make a definite statement like that, but right now to me it feels like the most consistently great album they've ever done.
 
In no particular order:

ATYCLB - The songs just spoke volumes to me. After not liking any album since Achtung this was like a breath of fresh air. Like welcoming home an old friend!

Achtung Baby - Words cannot even begin to describe the impact this album had on me when it came out. Fantastic.

The Unforgettable Fire - My first album. I saw them live at The Longest Day concert in 1985 and that was the day I fell in love with the boys.
 
1. Zooropa.
I love the electronica and indie rock influences, the different effects, and the abstract lyrics. and heck, it would be the best album just for "Stay" and "The Wanderer" alone.

2. Achtung Baby
I forgive the band for the horrendous title because the songs are so beautiful, the exploration of love with such emotional depth is really moving, to me.

3. The Joshua Tree
The only album that I love more every time I listen to it.


....I can't rank HTDAAB yet because it hasn't had enough time to sit with me....I still think I would love it more if the order of the songs weren't completely wrong.
 
1. Achtung Baby--four men chopping down the Joshua Tree. Reinvention, turning their world upside down. Flipping it around and seeing the other side of things. Beaming across borders, that's what U2's about.

2. The Joshua Tree--because it IS 'The Joshua Tree'. Songs like One Tree Hill and In God's Country resonate with me because of my particular life events. These songs have the power to heal. God and His Angels are very strong on this one.

3. Zooropa--God's angels get lost on earth for a bit and tell us what they see. Uncertainty is the guiding light. Is there any other album like this? I freaked out when I bought this one and still freak out today when I listen to it. 'Dirty Day', 'Zooropa', 'Stay', 'The Wanderer', etc., etc. And anytime you get U2 + Johnny Cash you've got something special.

Honorable mentions: All That You Can't Leave Behind, Rattle and Hum and Pop. Soundtracks to my life.
 
#1 gotta be The Joshua Tree--it started it all for me. I was a fourteen year old, going through a lot of questioning, etc. and when I heard With or Without, I was hooked, completely, and I had to go backwards and get every U2 album prior.

#2 Though Unforgettable is close to my heart, it would have to be All That You... I thought almost every song on it rocked! I loved Beautiful Day and Wild Honey...

#3 It's now a tie between Actung and How to... gee, it's really hard to pick only 3.
#4 so I won't. Rattle and Hum has to be in the top five. Love All I Want Is You, Heartland, Desire (for reasons to do with what was going on in my life)
#5 POP because I actually really dig Lemon-- initially I thought it was a bit "different" for U2, but I quickly acquired the taste, mmm, dee-lish! Plus I saw them in concert for that tour, and it was great!
 
1. Joshua Tree- best first half of ANY album.
2. Rattle and Hum- If you forget the movie backlash and then skip the live tracks, this album is amazing.
3. ATYCLB- U2's resurrection for me.
 
1. War- My first album...ever. It hooked me for life.
2. Wide Awake In America- yea, it's an EP, does that count? The live "Bad" is outstanding. Bono's wailing still gives me chills. 3. Pop- Totally fantastic journey into uncharted musical terrain for the band and I loved it.
 
Last edited:
In no particular order:

BOY (this album ROCKS, like not too many like it in it's day)

Joshua Tree (a masterpiece)

Achtung Baby (because they dreamt it up all over again)
 
I can't rate HTDAAB because it's too early.

That said:

1) Achtung Baby - the ultimate listening experience (plus I'm a huge fan of concept albums)
2) Zooropa - this album was, to me, the pinnacle of U2's creativity
3) Joshua Tree - solid, start to finish
 
Back
Top Bottom