Killing Bono – or how the fuck did U2 get so big? | Louder Than War
of course as a U2 fan I don't agree entirely, but there is a few good points like how u2 became so huge for a band not loved by that many people except for those of us on these boards.
I haven't read the blog yet - I'm still stuck on your comment.
You do realize that despite the fact that many were disappointed with GOYB (at least as a first single, if nothing else), NLOTH still sold 5M copies around the world, with 1.2M in the U.S. I can assure you, there aren't 1.2M people on "these boards". And those sales are in the era of massive illegal downloads and cherry-picking from iTunes. In other words, going Platinum these days is a BIG deal.
Also, let's not forget about this tiny, oh so tiny, 360 Tour that everyone in the world seemed to attend at least once.
So I'm not sure what you are saying. Message boards alone do not account for that type of success.
As for the blog...
How did U2 get so big? In the 80's, they created a great sound that was accessible but also poignant. They weren't the first artist to have political stances or post-punk, ethereal or even folksy sounds. It was U2's unique sound combined with those ideas that made it click. Plus, U2 came about at the right time - they were a refreshing change to the music scene, but they also wrote music one could really enjoy as well. Add in Bono's ability to be one of the best front men ever (when you see U2 in concert, it's tough to take your eyes off of him, even when you want to watch the others) and you can see why U2 caught on.
Then U2 continued that success by exploring new images and sounds. Just like Madonna, U2 kept evolving, exploring and growing. 20+ years of consistently good to even great music has kept fans interested. Not everything has worked - it's a risk. But people always remained interested.
U2 didn't let drugs ruin them. They didn't swap members as if they were replacing a battery. The worst part is perhaps Bono's crusading - and even that, deep down, we all accept as a good thing (although some don't want to hear it).
This is why U2 succeeded. And this is why U2 kept succeeding.
Therefore, blog is unnecessary.