You're the Best Thing About Me - Song Discussion Thread #2

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Most of the remixes in today's music are more successful than the original version. Just let it do it's thing. I'll be pleased if either of them end up being a "hit", but I know which version I'll stick with.
 
I totally agree. It's funny, I had been listening to TBT for like a week and tried to warm to this mix but hadn't. Then randomly David Bowie' s "Let's Dance" came on my iPod. I finally realized in that moment what I don't like about TBT- it doesn't just pick an aesthetic and stay with it. It's not that memorable. They're similar songs too- both are borderline annoying, both are Nile Rodgers-inspired (one produced by him), and both are swings for the pop charts by artists who, at the time, hadnt seen them for a minute. Unlike "Dance", which was a hit and holds up well, TBT feels strained. Bono seems strained, the guitars seem forced, the solo seems odd and like a rhythm part, the production is all over the place. The Kygo mix is simpler, more direct, and feels like a more complete single. I really hoped they were going to avoid the over tinkering, but alas it appears it struck again.

Agreed.

I have to say that "Let's Dance" is at least three times the song TBT is.

That said, I find value in it and have high hopes for the album.
 
Most of the remixes in today's music are more successful than the original version. Just let it do it's thing. I'll be pleased if either of them end up being a "hit", but I know which version I'll stick with.

Which one?

Right now I'd rate them:
1. Sci-fi
2. Kygo
3. Single
 
BTW, I'll be shocked if that question isn't the next poll. Either that or "which new track do you like best?"

Not exactly earth shattering predictions but I would be interested to see the stats...
 
For those trying to judge this song's chart success, it's simply way too early to say. Unless you're Taylor Swift or Justin Beiber, you have to earn your way onto the radio. Even the songs that become hits, climb the charts slowly. It will take weeks, even months to get a realistic view of this song's success or failure.



Beautiful Day didn't crack the top 100 singles chart in the U2 for weeks and then it slowly burned its way up the chart, starting at like 88 and made it to 21.
 
Beautiful Day didn't crack the top 100 singles chart in the U2 for weeks and then it slowly burned its way up the chart, starting at like 88 and made it to 21.

Do you think that happened, in part, to the video? Didn't videos on TV have a much larger viewership at that time? What else might you attribute the delayed chart ascent to?
 
Do you think that happened, in part, to the video? Didn't videos on TV have a much larger viewership at that time? What else might you attribute the delayed chart ascent to?



A good video and the fact that U2 was out promoting it. They hit every show, every award ceremony

And the song got a HUGE boost for winning a Grammy
 
Original band version over kygo version for me but I do like the kygo version and its up there for best u2 remix
 
Do you think that happened, in part, to the video? Didn't videos on TV have a much larger viewership at that time? What else might you attribute the delayed chart ascent to?



If I recall, they didn't release the single for sale at the same time it hit radio and back then Sales still accounted for a good chunk of the chart position formula. However, I don't think it was a radio monster right off the bat either.
 
A good video and the fact that U2 was out promoting it. They hit every show, every award ceremony

And the song got a HUGE boost for winning a Grammy



Boost from winning but also being nominated. It peaked in late January after winning it went from 38 to 21.
 
Beautiful Day was an immediate hit. The song was all over radio from the moment it was released. Same with the video. The Best Thing is not and will not be a hit. It's already peaked.
 
A good video and the fact that U2 was out promoting it. They hit every show, every award ceremony

And the song got a HUGE boost for winning a Grammy

the grammy's were half a year after the song came out though.

I agree, beautiful day was massive, everywhere, etc. I was only 13 when it, but I still remember it permeating everywhere.

that said, it is wayyyyyyyy too soon to declare The Best Thing dead in terms of chart. it takes awhile for songs to get momentum and get going on the charts, unless you're Taylor Swift, Sheeran or Bieber.

do i think it's going to be a massive, chart-topping hit? nah. but it's too early to call it dead. i think it'll get some decent airplay across certain formats.
 
that said, it is wayyyyyyyy too soon to declare The Best Thing dead in terms of chart. it takes awhile for songs to get momentum and get going on the charts, unless you're Taylor Swift, Sheeran or Bieber.

This is something I will never understand. I don't love TBT (I like it but I'm not putting it in top 50 U2 songs) but it's miles ahead of TS's new song "Look At What You Made Me Do" - which I cannot understand why anyone would like. I remember the days when U2 songs would chart well right off the bat...boy do I feel old.
 
Beautiful Day was an immediate hit. The song was all over radio from the moment it was released. Same with the video. The Best Thing is not and will not be a hit. It's already peaked.



Beautiful Day was released to radio on or about 8/30/00. It peaked on the U2 hot 100 on 1/21/01 at #21(I'm not sure what it charted in its first week or even few weeks...I'll find out). It may have been all over the radio stations you listened to at the time but it was not an immediate hit.
 
So not crazy about any of the mixes we've heard so far of The Best Thing, but I don't loathe it with the same degree of ferociousness some here do. You can tell that underneath all that poor production there's a pretty decent pop song.

What confounds me the most about all of the different mixes we've heard so far is: Why the fuck is it so plodding??? This song would immediately benefit from simply notching up the tempo a bit. I mean even the Kygo remix just lumbers on now (compared to the more uptempo version he played at his concert last year).

It really is a shame they've fucked up a potentially good pure pop song. Makes me wonder what it sounded like before the last minute changes. Maybe time to take the hint that laboring over their songs for fucking ever isn't really making them any better, and probably making them worse.
 
This is something I will never understand. I don't love TBT (I like it but I'm not putting it in top 50 U2 songs) but it's miles ahead of TS's new song "Look At What You Made Me Do" - which I cannot understand why anyone would like. I remember the days when U2 songs would chart well right off the bat...boy do I feel old.

the Tay Tay brand is very strong, and her followers are much more apt to flock to YouTube, Spotify, etc. which has an effect on the charts and what radio stations will want to play. it's a demographics game.

U2's core demographic isn't that at this point. no biggie.
 
http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2000-10-07

U2 Beautiful Day was #75 on the Hot 100 singles chart after 5 weeks of release. It wasn't charting until it's 3rd week out.

I'm not saying TBT is going to be anything like beautiful day or even 1/100th as successful...I'm just saying calling it a chart failure after one week of release is absolutely ridiculous
 
Last edited:
IMG_2904.JPG

It's on the Loft, so it must be good! And the DJ loves it. For what it's worth...

Made me really happy to have it come on randomly at work!
 
U2'S 'BEST THING' DEBUTS AT #11 ON BILLBOARD ROCK SONGS CHART

https://www.atu2.com/

What does this mean nowadays? It sounds good, but is it really?

Well I would say it's pretty decent considering it only had 2 days of release- 1.5 really. So not sure what this chart uses for its charting (radio/strwaming/downloads etc..). But to chart with about 36 hours of exposure isn't too bad.
Next week charts will be the real test.
 
This is something I will never understand. I don't love TBT (I like it but I'm not putting it in top 50 U2 songs) but it's miles ahead of TS's new song "Look At What You Made Me Do" - which I cannot understand why anyone would like. I remember the days when U2 songs would chart well right off the bat...boy do I feel old.
Tell me about all of your parents favorite bands and artists that you just adored and related to as a teenager.

Go on. I'll wait.
 
the kygo remix sounds like it should play in the climactic scene of XOXO or some other film about Youths and Their Music and Loves. It's better than the single version but not as good as the sci-fi mix, and the sci fi mix is still one of their 20 worst songs.

I don't know what would be more troubling: U2 thinking that this guy makes good electronic music or if they just saw that he had a couple songs with a lot of youtube plays and thought "HE'LL GIVE US A HIT!" He's not even that popular! Maybe he was cheaper than the A list EDM guys.

This mix (and song, tbh) probably a combination of commercial desperation, bad taste, and being out of touch. The latter is defensible because their in their mid 50s, but the two prior reasons are hard to take given the integrity & good taste they used to have.

On the plus side, the Blackout sounds fucking awesome in comparison to the Best Thing.
 
Tell me about all of your parents favorite bands and artists that you just adored and related to as a teenager.

Go on. I'll wait.

My dad was a part-time jazz station DJ while he was building his law practice. He's the reason why I become a jazz piano player...he pretty much had me listening to jazz records from the 50s and 60s from the time I was 5 on through early adolescence. He also liked rock - and got me into U2 (reference: I was 8 in when TJT came out and it was the first CD my dad bought me). He also took me to my first concert - to see the Who (reunion tour) in the 80s. We were into anything from Chick Corea to Herbie Hancock to Yes.

I listened to a ton of music my parents were into: jazz, Hendrix, the Who, the Doors, etc...these groups/performers were super old (or dead) by the time I was 15...but I still liked them.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom