If you like U2....

[Phalanx]

I figured we should share songs from artists that have songs that really sound like U2 wrote them...here are my contributions:

Rush - "Bravado"

While the vocal melodies aren't very U2, the music and pace of the song sounds like it was literally lifted off of The Unforgettable Fire. A good song worth checking out.

Pink Floyd - "Take it Back"

From their last album The Division Bell; this song doesn't sound as much like U2 as Bravado, but the guitar work is like a mix of the infinite guitar of With or Without You and the delay guitar of I Still Haven't Found What I am Looking For.

The Alarm - "Rescue Me"

A more obscure pop song, but it sounds like it could come out of Rattle and Hum. Relentless drums and melodic guitar work aplenty. In fact, you could totally hear Bono singing this kind of tune.

I'll try to think of other songs, but I want others to contribute!

 

[U2Man]

coldplay - x & y, the album.

 

[bathiu]

Radiohead - Where I End And You Begin

 

[theu2fly]

Bloc Party - Hero (Single Version)

Edge like guitars, quite good.

 

[U2Man]

radiohead - high and dry.

it's stay, with different lyrics.

 

[AtomicBono]

Bloc Party - Hero (Single Version)

Edge like guitars, quite good.

hmm...interesting. wouldn't have been my first pick from Bloc Party. I'd say the most U2-ish Bloc song is Sunday. The drums sound like early U2, the chorus has chiming guitars, and the solo is so very Edge.

"Waiting for the 7.18" reminds me of U2 a lot too, with the soaring, uplifting chorus. It has the "big" feel of the epic U2 songs. "Kreuzberg" definitely has a U2 feel with the chiming guitar and sort of sublime beauty, and "Where is Home?" sounds like it came from UF-era U2 with the vocal effects and intriguing drums, as well as the amazing falsetto chorus

I could go through every Bloc song and list the stuff that reminds me of U2. the first time I heard "So Here We Are" I thought "this band kinda sounds like U2!!" except in a non-Coldplay way

others

Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Especially in Michigan"
pretty much everything besides the guitar solo screams U2 to me

Muse - "Starlight"
the melodies, the rhythm section (especially the bass), the catchy piano and guitar parts, the "big" chorus

Joseph Arthur - "Can't Exist"
Okay, this is a weird choice. But for some reason this song seems very Pop to me. The bass, the subtle little effects going on in the background, the guitar...and then the fuzzy chorus with falsetto vocals that for whatever reason reminds me of Mofo. great song.

Incubus - "Dig"
The guitar, mainly. Especially in the chorus. This sounds very much like an 00's U2 ballad. It's beautiful, if not a little cheesy.

Breaking Benjamin - "Forget It"
I would not have expected such a touching, U2-like song from this band. The bass and guitar of the chorus are very U2.

Dredg - "Matroshka"
Reminds me of Walk On for some reason. Pretty chiming guitar, Edge-like solo. The kind of uplifting pop song that U2 has been doing in the 00's.

Ryan Adams - "So Alive"
he even sings like Bono in this one. I guess everyone's gotta do a stereotypical U2 song at some point.

The Killers - "Midnight Show"
I Will Follow. come to think of it, "Read My Mind" sounds an awful lot like U2 as well. a lot of Killers reminds me of U2.

Keane - "Is It Any Wonder?"
Zoo Station.

...and I'm not even gonna go into Coldplay.

I could go on and on...a lot of things remind me of U2...probably because U2 is the first band I fell in love with, so I look for elements of U2 in other music I listen to. but I told my friend once that some band kinda sounded like U2 and he said "about half the bands around today sound 'kinda like U2'". I really do think U2 are more influencial than people realize, although I'm sure a lot of it is bands having the same influences as U2 (Joy Divison, Television, Echo and the Bunnymen, ect) and therefore ending up with a similar sound.

 

[ahittle]

Anyone head Angels and Airwaves? It's the singer from Blink 182's new project and it practically screams U2 arena-friendly uplift complete with soaring choruses and Edge-y guitars.

It's really terrible.

 

[coolian2]

Anything by Opshop

I think their lead singer is actually in a U2 tribute band on the side

 

[maro_chik]

Pink Floyd - "Take it Back"

When I first heard this song I was wondering why I was loving it so much more than most of the rest of The Division Bell. It was the guitar work that jumped out at me. I want to say it sounds like Edge, but I think Edge draws alot on Dave Gilmour for influences on his style.

Another song that I would say is U2-esque would be Stereophonics "Dakota". It is a bit more rock-y than most U2, but again, the guitar is very Edge-y, with it's simple, chiming, soaring tones.

 

[theu2fly]

The Bravery sounds like a younger U2, pre-Joshua Tree.

 

[xaviMF22]

muse - starlight

 

[Nisse]

R.E.M. - Finest Worksong & Orange Crush have some very Edge-y guitar parts imo
Pearl Jam - Wishlist
The Alarm - Coming Home
Siouxsie & Banshees - Spellbound
Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark (a mix between Out of control and Two Hearts beat as one)
Coldplay - God put a smile & Clocks
Dave Gahan - Stay (a slower and quiter Mercy)

 

[gman]

this is bizzare as i was planning a thread, after
my banana sandwich,asking what was everyones opinion on the most pre-u2 u2 sounding song and the song since which is most u2esque
Was struggling to come up wi a name for it tho.

 

[U2Man]

Radiohead - Where I End And You Begin

 

[annie_vox]

The guitar part from Fix You - Coldplay, it always reminds me of Miracle Drug.

 

[europop2005]

Coldplay- White Shadows

 

[toscano]

anyone remember a band called 'then jericho' (I think) who had a song out in the late 80's pre-AB that was SO
U2-like peoiple actually thought it was U2 so much to the point where DJ's (On Live 105 in the Bay Area anyway) would come on after the song and say "no, that was NOT the new U2 single" ?

Remy Zero - Save me

 

[cdisantis83]

Keane - "Is It Any Wonder?"
Zoo Station.

I had this same thought. The first time I heard it, I took the beginning to be a Zoo Station remix.

 

[tuwie]

most definitely Arcade Fire. their new album "neon bible" is incredibly amazing.
i knew U2 chose to walk on to the stage with "wake up" for a reason. they're an incredible band. possibly the world's largest indie band. their music has that rare quality of sounding intimate, yet at times, blasting into exuberant anthemic pieces, it's deep.