"also one of the most despised..."

[indra]

Generally, I get the impression that those kinds of people are *looking* for something to hate.

I think so too. I hardly ever read those boards. They seem filled with people who either hate everything or claim to hate stuff just to piss other people off.

 

[Pero]

People i trust and care for and their opinions,they all like u2, so i don't care if some ignorant reporter didn't get the irony of zoo tv or popmart

 

[ntalwar]

They have been slagging them off recently, but that doesn't mean they hate every aspect of their career--Oasis and U2 were friends at one time.

Anyway, it's easy to find people who hate U2 if you're looking for them--and I think sometimes U2 fans DO go looking for them.

Noel and Liam also got along at one point. It seems that it was Clapton and Gallagher that went on the record publicly with the harsh negative comments. I don't think there's any love lost, but hate's a strong word.

 

[Bono's shades]

I'm confused. Was that quote in the first post the entire entry in the music encyclopaedia or was it just part of a bigger entry? If that's all there was to the entry I can see why some people would be upset, but if it was part of a bigger entry and was just there to point out that the band, depsite having tons and tons of fans, also has a very vocal group of detractors, that's just stating the truth.

 

[Bono's shades]

Ooops, double post.

 

[cobl04]

One thing about Oasis - I'm getting so sick of whenever I read or hear about Oasis it's always the same thing - "we are so great, evreyone kisses our asses, U2 suck, we are the biggest band in the world, it was a piece of piss..."

Anyway, thanks for the replies. The article just shook me up a bit because I never knew they were so despised. I know that the bigger you get, the more people will hate you, but still...

From now I'm just gonna start ignoring these comments.

And to whoever asked, the Guniess Rockopedia is an encyclopedia of every band and artist up to about 1999.

 

[AtomicBono]

There's a large group of people that buy their CDs and tickets but then hide behind an elitist attitude that bands have to have a certain indie cred to be cool. Just look at this board, it's full of them.

so fucking true.

Most people I know don't like U2, and people at my school love to make fun of them (mostly to annoy me). But most of my actual friends at least tolerate them. I've converted a few people to the U2 side. I think part of it is my age group, teenagers don't seem to be into U2 so much, I guess because they're "old" or whatever. The majority of my school is into rap and R&B anyway. I've had a couple teachers, however, that love U2

 

[cobl04]

What is Indie anyway? I keep thinking of Indie Are for some reason...I thought it was like really laid-back r&b...

Most people I know don't like U2, and people at my school love to make fun of them (mostly to annoy me). But most of my actual friends at least tolerate them. I've converted a few people to the U2 side. I think part of it is my age group, teenagers don't seem to be into U2 so much, I guess because they're "old" or whatever. The majority of my school is into rap and R&B anyway. I've had a couple teachers, however, that love U2

This is the exact same as me, except my friends don't know U2 exist pre-2000. I've got a lot of teachers who like U2. My SOSE teacher last year loved them and I did an assignment on U2 (which, needless to say, got me an A+ lol ) and we used to always talk about U2 coming to tour because at the stage when I was doing the assignement the chances of U2 coming look so incredibly bleak...

...and then they were coming...

...and then they postponed...

 

[BVS]

What is Indie anyway? I keep thinking of Indie Are for some reason...I thought it was like really laid-back r&b...

Are you serious?

This is the exact same as me, except my friends don't know U2 exist pre-2000.

You can't be serious.

 

[Sorchia]

Having been a U2 fan since approx 82 I can tell you that my experience has always been that it is NOT cool to be a U2 fan. Part of that seems to be the attitude that success means selling out. And they were either labeled too serious, or later with Popmart, not serious enough.

As for Bono haters, there will always be those. It is the vogue to doubt and tear down people who acutally seem to care about others. Always makes me think of a line from a The The song "If the real Jesus Christ were to stand up today, he'd be gunned down cold by the CIA." The cynicism and self involvement of most people is mindboggling.

 

[vaz02]

One thing about Oasis - I'm getting so sick of whenever I read or hear about Oasis it's always the same thing - "we are so great, evreyone kisses our asses, U2 suck, we are the biggest band in the world, it was a piece of piss..."

Anyway, thanks for the replies. The article just shook me up a bit because I never knew they were so despised. I know that the bigger you get, the more people will hate you, but still...

From now I'm just gonna start ignoring these comments.

And to whoever asked, the Guniess Rockopedia is an encyclopedia of every band and artist up to about 1999.

noel is a huge fan of u2 , joshua tree was his 1st album he bought and he is always interviewed on subjects like u2. He is a huge fan of u2, liam doesnt like them cos noel does lol FACT.

 

[maycocksean]

Are you serious?




You can't be serious.

You must not be a teacher, BonoVox.

It's his age. . .kids today have no idea of the history of U2. I hate to say it, but by and large U2 has become a band for adults.

Still it's great to see kids like COBL_4 and other teens on this forum discovering U2 and appreciating them. It means the band still has relevance and hasn't become just a nostalgia act.

And COBL_4, "indie" is to music what independent films are in movies. "Indie" bands are generally not signed to major record labels (thus the independent or "indie" label). These bands generally play music that falls well outside of mainstream musical tastes, and part of the way they maintain their credibility is by not "selling out" or becoming a part of the mainstream pop music world. Even bands that are signed with major record companies may choose to maintain an "indie" attitude. Especially in rock, especially since the advent of "alternative" rock in the early 90's fans tend to lose respect for bands who lose their "indie" status and go after the "big", mainstream success.

 

[Lemonfix]

It DOES seem a bit weird to me that teens don't know much about U2, I'd say that people my age, early/mid 20's, definatley know a good deal about the band (or that's been my experience, anyway.) What a difference a decade makes.

Also, I do take issue that everyone who dislikes Bono is some kind of cold hearted bastard who likes to kick puppies and loves to see Africa suffer--you can't appeal to everyone--I love him to death but he can annoy ME from time to time.

 

[mads]

It's cool to hate the mainstream. And it doesn't get much more mainstream than U2.

Plus, to be completely honest, if I was some kid who knew nothing about U2 and my first exposure to them was the Vertigo iPod commercial, I'd probably think Bono was a prick too.

I can understand where the hatred comes from. It's a lack of understanding. Seems to me that you either "get" U2 or you don't.
There are of course the people who just don't like the music, but they aren't the ones who vocalize their distaste for the band. Nobody's going to bitch about something they don't care anything about.

But anyway, it doesn't matter. I love them, and that's really all that matters to me.

 

[DreamOutLoud13]

It DOES seem a bit weird to me that teens don't know much about U2, I'd say that people my age, early/mid 20's, definatley know a good deal about the band (or that's been my experience, anyway.) What a difference a decade makes.

For the most part, anyone old enough to remember 1992-1993, and to have had exposure to MTV at that time will know who they are. I can remember hearing U2 for the first time at age 7, and I knew who they were at age 8. Maybe a little on the young side to be watching MTV, but I was heavily influenced by older siblings. While my schoolmates were into the Power Rangers, I was listening to Pearl Jam and Nirvana.
But anyone too young to really remember the ZooTV era wouldn't have had much exposure to U2 (if any at all) until ATYCLB. Pop seemed to have flown right past the radar, for me at least.

 

[cobl04]

But anyone too young to really remember the ZooTV era wouldn't have had much exposure to U2 (if any at all) until ATYCLB. Pop seemed to have flown right past the radar, for me at least.

Summed it up in a heartbeat. When I was a younger, I LIVED on Rage and Video Hits so I knew that JT existed but that was it. I didn't know they went back 30 years till I actually got into them. Remember I've been a diehard for about a year, and in that time I have purchased all but four albums.

And AtomicBono, I was serious on both counts. I didn't have a clue what 'Indie' was, and thanks to maycocksean for pointing it out instead of asking if I was serious or not. My friends also do not know about U2-post 2000, they would know only Pride and ISHFWILF on the radio but wouldn't have a clue who tha band is. But do you know what? I don't care about them because they aren't into U2 so it doesn't matter if they don't know U2 exists pre-2000. Maybe that's a good thing to, because then they won't abuse them of copying the '80s.

 

[DreamOutLoud13]

Summed it up in a heartbeat. When I was a younger, I LIVED on Rage and Video Hits so I knew that JT existed but that was it. I didn't know they went back 30 years till I actually got into them. Remember I've been a diehard for about a year, and in that time I have purchased all but four albums.

Though I knew who U2 were in the mid 90s, I didn't really know anything about them. I knew a few songs, I probably knew that they were Irish (I can't really remember), I knew the lead singer was called Bono, and I knew they had an album called Zooropa. That was it. I had no idea that they had such a pre-history.


As far as U2 is concerned, most of my friends fall into three catagories: Those that don't listen to U2 but don't hate them, those that HATE U2 for some reason, and those that like U2 but only know a few songs outside of ATYCLB and HTDAAB.
The first group don't bother me. The second group do, but I can't do anything about it. The third are somewhat the saddest. I have an insatiable desire to make them understand that there is a world of fantastic pre-2000 U2 out there.

By the way, you and I seem to have a bit in common as far as U2 is concerned. If you ever want to talk, you can email me:
purelysapphires13[at]yahoo.com

 

[BVS]

You must not be a teacher, BonoVox.

It's his age. . .kids today have no idea of the history of U2. I hate to say it, but by and large U2 has become a band for adults.

Well this is a sad state of affairs for children then. When I was this age I educated myself about bands such as the Beatles and Rolling Stones and I knew Aerosmith had existed pre Pump...

 

[hedgehog]

It's been my experience that a lot of the people that "hate" U2 have only heard a few of their songs, those being: Beautiful Day, Elevation, Vertigo, One, and With or Without You. And then they proceed to judge.

In my experience that does seem to be the case.

All the people I know who hate U2 seem to think those songs are the be-all and end-all of U2, which is a shame as there is much more to U2 than that (i.e. they don't know hardly any of U2's 90's work, know very little of the pre-JT songs and other than the hits they know nothing of the other gems on JT such as Running To Stand Still and One Tree Hill).

They are so quick to bash the band when they haven't listened to hardly any of their work other than the hits you mentioned.

Oh well...

 

[phillyfan26]

I'm a teenager and I can tell you the only other persons my age who know of U2's early stuff had parents that listened to U2. My parents didn't really, they had one CD (Best of 80-90) and I loved it so I got into it really on my own.

I think of a phenomenon.

 

[Irishteen]

A lot of people I know can't stand U2, and generally it's not the music, it's Bono. Like we all know he can be a little over the top at times but when you ask someone why they don't like U2, the answer shouldn't be "Because Bono is a prick", or of course the other answer "Because Bono and Edge are gay lovers". And then they continue the gay jokes, and call all U2 fans gay but then before they finish they tell you how much they love Beautiful Day.

 

[maycocksean]

Well this is a sad state of affairs for children then. When I was this age I educated myself about bands such as the Beatles and Rolling Stones and I knew Aerosmith had existed pre Pump...

A sad state of affairs indeed. Over the past 8 years of teaching middle and high school I've found that I'll have on average one student per class that has a knowledge of music deeper than what's on the radio and MTV. I also find that that same student is usually the only one who has eclectic musical tastes (i.e. listen to hip hop AND rock etc). Often this student is a musician or singers themselves.

Hip Hop and this kind alternative hard-rocky sound is what rules youth culture today. And U2 really doesn't fit into those genres.

There's a girl in my seventh grade class who knows all the words to "With or Without You" by heart, and actually knows where the song came from. Very gratifying to see that there is still hope for future generations.

 

[cobl04]

As far as U2 is concerned, most of my friends fall into three catagories: Those that don't listen to U2 but don't hate them, those that HATE U2 for some reason, and those that like U2 but only know a few songs outside of ATYCLB and HTDAAB.
The first group don't bother me. The second group do, but I can't do anything about it. The third are somewhat the saddest. I have an insatiable desire to make them understand that there is a world of fantastic pre-2000 U2 out there.

I can't stand that third group. All my friends say, "oh, I hate U2 cos they're pussies" and I'm like you don't even know three songs...

 

[U2girl]

A lot of the "I hate U2" people are really "I hate Bono" people. The famous (and not a cliche rock band) people in music are always the easy targets.

 

[cobl04]

^ Agreed. you never hear anyone dissin' Adam or Larry or even Edge, albeit to a lesser extent.

 

[doctorwho]

Although I must admit even my long-time friends who used to love U2 from way back in the day don't like them anymore. I have just two friends who like U2 as much as they ever did but the rest can't stand them. My brother who played in many bands that covered U2 songs - he actually despises them now and when ever we go any where puts a ban on listening to them.

Your brother sounds like an over-opinionated bully. I would never let anyone "ban" any music I liked. We can agree not to always listen to U2, but if there's a U2 song I want to hear, then it's getting played. In your case, either he should accept your love of U2 and the few times he has to hear them, or he should just not hang out with you, rather than dominate everyone on what gets played. Let me guess - he probably is also the type that vetoes movies or places to eat, until everyone ultimately agrees on something he selected. If I'm wrong here, I apologize, but that's been my experience with people like him.

 

[Lemonfix]

A sad state of affairs indeed. Over the past 8 years of teaching middle and high school I've found that I'll have on average one student per class that has a knowledge of music deeper than what's on the radio and MTV. I also find that that same student is usually the only one who has eclectic musical tastes (i.e. listen to hip hop AND rock etc). Often this student is a musician or singers themselves.

You know, I think MTV takes a lot of the blame for "today's teens" not knowing as much about music as their older brothers and sisters did. I watched MTV throughout the nineties, when I was a teenager, and I very much noticed a huge change in their programing around 1998 or so. Sure, the channel was not great before that, but they did play a lot more music, a greater variety of music, and every couple of months or so did countdowns like "best 25 videos of the 80's", "Top 500 videos of all time" or even played a chunk of videos by one artist, like they did when U2 released POP. Many of the shows MTV played tried to connect to music--as late as 97 new videos by Bjork, Radiohead, and more alternative bands could be seen on MTV Live or "12 Angry Vewiers".

Once TRL/Teen Pop came upon us and reality shows took over most all MTV programming and most of the good stuff was sent over to MTV 2 (which a lot of cable stations didn't serve and which a lot of teenagers didn't watch.) For these reasons I'm not surprised that a kid born in 1990 knows a hell of a lot less about music than a kid born in 1980. Plus, it doesn't help that so many radio stations have been sold to giant companies, thus giving DJ's (if they are even still local) small, top 40 setlists from which there can be no deviation.

 

[Harry Vest]

Radio has never been in a worse state.
MTV has never been in a worse state.
A sad state of affairs.
Doesn't anyone listen to college radio anymore?????????????

 

[ntalwar]

^ Or the internet, which has endless music and which I wish I had when I was a teen.

 

[Lemonfix]

^ Satelite Radio is also a really good alternative, let's hope it catches on much like cable TV did.