Axver said:
I'd be fine. I've so much other music to listen to nowadays that I'd barely notice.
Such a liar!
And when the next album is out, you'll be amongst the first to download and/or get it. Then you'll be one of the first to have analyzed it in great detail, pointing out errors or "little extras" at specific time points in each song; how you'd alter the track-listing or cover art; how Edge could have added an extra reverb here; or how Adam's used a similar baseline there. Then you'd be at enough concerts to be able to critique numerous shows and how all the set-lists are too similar.
As for me, if the music never existed, then clearly I wouldn't know about it. I might have a fascination with a new group or a bigger fascination with an existing group. In other words, there might be a substitute for U2, just as there was for the years I listened to music before I knew U2 existed (and even after for a while).
I'd also probably be wealthier. Less concerts, less collecting = more $$. But as I wrote, I might have spent that on another artist, so I guess it balances out.
In other words, if they never existed, I think my life would be fine.
Now, if they were to suddenly disappear and none of U2's music was somehow not available (meaning, due to some massive power outage I couldn't play tapes, CD's, vinyl or mp3's for an extended period), then I would feel it to be a great loss. Losing out on 20+ years of some of the finest rock music, with powerful lyrics, vocals and music, would mean a lot to me. I would miss it tremendously. But then, I'd also miss all music and other forms of entertainment (assuming, in my scenario, that in this "power loss", no radio, TV, movies, etc., would work either). At least, though, I'd have memories of the songs and hum them. And my dreams - just this morning I had a dream where I was Bono and at the same time, I was watching him (one of those odd dreams). And he was singing a JT-era song. Good stuff! I'd have that. One can't take away memories... even Alzheimer's allows for old memories to remain.