Fan Balloting: U2's Top 100 Songs

[dward1]

Just before the firestorm of media comes as singles, videos, tracklists, etc., get released for No Line on the Horizon I compiled 253 ballots from this site, @U2, U2start, and other fan-sites and fan lists around the internet into one massive top 100 U2 song list. I took the top 10 songs from each list and gave 10 points for #1, 9 for #2, etc. Tiebreaker was which song was placed on more ballots.

Here are #100-91.
#100-I Fall Down
11 points

#99-Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad
13 points

#98-MLK
13 points

#97-North and South of the River
14 points (1 first place vote)

#96-Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
15 points

#95-Ground Beneath Her Feet
15 points

#94-Mothers of the Disappeared
15 points

#93-I Threw a Brick Through a Window
16 points

#92-Love and Peace or Else
16 points

#91-The Wanderer
17 points

 

[dward1]

Up next is #90-81

#90-Twilight
17 points

#89-Wire
17 points

#88-If You Wear That Velvet Dress
18 points

#87-Lady With the Spinning Head
18 points (1 first place vote)

#86-Fast Cars
19 points

#85-Dirty Day
20 points

#84-Another Time, Another Place
21 points

#83-She's A Mystery To Me
22 points

#82-Rejoice
22 points

#81-Numb
23 points

 

[dward1]

#80-When I Look at the World
23 points

#79-October
23 points

#78-The Sweetest Thing
25 points (1 first place vote)

#77-Seconds
25 points

#76-Windows in the Skies
25 points (1 first place vote)

#75-Two Hearts Beat As One
28 points

#74-Spanish Eyes
28 points (1 first place vote)

#73-Luminous Times
28 points

#72-A Day Without Me
28 points

#71-Do You Feel Loved
31 points

 

[dward1]

#70-Stuck in a Moment
37 points

#69-If God Will Send His Angels
37 points

#68-God Part 2
38 points

#67-Hawkmoon 269
38 points

#66-Angel of Harlem
40 points

#65-An Cat Dubh
42 points (1 first place votes)

#64-Walk to the Water
43 points (2 first place votes)

#63-40
46 points

#62-Like A Song
48 points (1 first place votes)

#61-Wake Up Dead Man
48 points

 

[dward1]

#60-Drowning Man
50 points

#59-Staring at the Sun
51 points (2 first place votes)

#58-Your Blue Room
52 points

#57-Tomorrow
52 points (1 first place vote)

#56-In A Little While
54 points

#55-Mercy
57 points (1 first place vote)

#54-Desire
60 points

#53-Original of the Species
62 points

#52-Miracle Drug
66 points (1 first place vote)

#51-So Cruel
69 points (1 first place vote)

 

[LemonMelon]

SPOILER: Drunk Chicken wins.

 

[dward1]

As we break into the top 50 we see several Joshua Tree tracks (50, 48, 46), several songs that rock live while are not as impressive in studio (50, 46, 45, 44, 43). Plus we have one of Bono's faves down at #41.

#50-Bullet the Blue Sky
71 points (2 first place votes)

#49-Promenade
73 points (2 first place votes)

#48-In God's Country
73 points

#47-Electrical Storm
74 points

#46-Exit
74 points (2 first place votes)

#45-11 O'Clock Tick Tock
75 points (2 first place votes)

#44-Elevation
75 points (1 first place vote)

#43-Gloria
76 points (1 first place vote)

#42-Discotheque
76 points

#41-Miss Sarajevo
82 points (3 first place votes)

 

[dward1]

At the bottom half of the 30s we have a severe clash in styles. Mofo and Heartland are about as far away in style from each other as you can get in a U2 song...unless you go with Even Better Than The Real Thing and Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own.

(those last two are similar for their ridiculously lengthly titles)

#40-Even Better Than The Real Thing
85 points (2 first place votes)

#39-Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
89 points (1 first place vote)

#38-Zoo Station
89 points (1 first place vote)

#37-Heartland
99 points (2 first place votes)

#36-Mofo
102 points (1 first place vote)

 

[dward1]

#35-Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
108 points (1 first place vote)

#34-Out of Control
108 points (2 first place votes)

#33-Red Hill Mining Town
109 points (2 first place votes)

#32-Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
115 points (2 first place votes)

#31-Zooropa
115 points (3 first place votes)

 

[dward1]

As we creep ever closer toward the top 10, we get the song that fans love to hate at #30, two classics from early U2 at 27 and 28 and the weirdest U2 song we've heard at 26. The masterpiece Love is Blindness seems out of place this low.

(weirdest song we have heard yet....Unknown Caller to rival???)

#30-Vertigo
131 points

#29-Love is Blindness
132 points (1 first place vote)

#28-Electric Co
141 points (2 first place votes)

#27-I Will Follow
141 points (2 first place votes)

#26 Lemon
153 points (1 first place vote)

 

[dward1]

We have crossed the BCS line into the top 25!! Shockingly low ranking for Sunday Bloody Sunday which is also the highest ranked song without a first place vote. Mind-blowing that it does not have a single person who considers it their favorite U2 song out of 253 people. Another of Bono's faves at #24. No duds now, these are all classic tracks.

#25-Mysterious Ways
171 points (1 first place vote)

#24-Please
177 points (1 first place vote)

#23 Sunday Bloody Sunday
177 points

#22 Walk On
213 points (3 first place votes)

#21 One Tree Hill
222 points (4 first place votes)

 

[dward1]

Any band who has made these 5 songs would go down as one of the greatest of all time. For U2, these are their 16-20th best according to their fans. Pride may be suffering from a bit of overplay and Acrobat is hurt by never being performed live (I keep harboring dreams that the first concert I go to will be when it is broken out).


#20-Pride (In the Name of Love)
227 points (5 first place votes)

#19-Ultraviolet
230 points (4 first place votes)

#18-Gone
232 points (3 first place votes)

#17-Acrobat
239 points (4 first place votes)

#16-City of Blinding Lights
249 points (5 first place votes)

 

[dward1]

Yet another of Bono's faves at #12. None of his three mentioned favorite songs can crack the top 10 of his own fans voting. Joshua Tree continues it's dominance at 14 and 13.

#15-A Sort of Homecoming
269 points (5 first place votes)

#14-Running to Stand Still
294 points (1 first place votes)

#13-I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
313 points (4 first place votes)

#12-Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
314 points (6 first place votes)

#11-All I Want is You
325 points (5 first place votes)

 

[dward1]

#10-The Unforgettable Fire
326 points (3 first place votes)

The title track from the CD where U2 turned the corner from good rock back to the all-time best band beat out All I Want is You by 1 vote in a fierce battle to crack the top 10.

 

[dward1]

#9-Kite
336 points (4 first place votes)

One of U2's most moving, heartfelt songs slips into the top 10. The soaring verse late in the song featuring the lines
"I'm a man, I'm not a child.
A man who sees
The shadow behind your eyes"

gives Kite it's climax and enough of a kick in the rankings to reach #9.

 

[dward1]

#8-Until the End of the World
355 points (5 first place votes)

One of U2's most daring, hard-rocking songs "Until the End of the World" gets in at #8. Not many bands write songs from the perspective of Judas and make it sound this freaking awesome. You'd expect lyrics like this with a backing satyr and an arrogant indie frontman stringing along a 9-minute track. Instead we have an epic open by the Edge and greatness all around.

 

[dward1]

#7-New Years Day
390 points (9 first place votes)

Despite possibly suffering from overplay as well, New Years Day slots in at #7. One of U2's songs that fits together the best musically, New Years Day is sure to be blaring all over Interference members homes and parties in 3 days time. Adam Clayton at his best here.

 

[dward1]

#6-Beautiful Day
431 points (7 first place votes)

Probably the song that most people (not just U2 fans) would recognize, Beautiful Day slots in at #6 in our countdown. When listened to right after previous album ender Wake Up Dead Man, Beautiful Day is a spiritual re-awakening and a burst of energy. When my iPod goes off in the morning and Beautiful Day is the song that is on the first thing I think is "This is going to be an awesome day." Songs that make you do that are sure to find a large audience.

 

[dward1]

#5-The Fly
472 points (6 first place votes)

Releasing this as the first Achtung Baby single coming off of Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum signaled U2 cannot be pigeonholed and was ready for another change in style. Similar to The Unforgettable Fire in how it is a historical landmark where U2's style changed significantly it also happens to feature the best guitar solo known to Edge. Lots of stuff going on here...The Fly rewards fans every time they listen with something new.

 

[dward1]

#4-One
592 points (15 first place votes)

The top 4 songs set themselves apart from the field with the sheer amount of ballots and first place votes they received. Widely renowned as having the best lyrics of any U2 song (or any song for that matter) One is part of the top tier of U2 songs. "We're one but were not the same" so simple and sang with such restraint yet effectively. The creation of this song quite possibly saved the band, led to the creation of this website and improved all of our lives tremendously.

 

[dward1]

#3-With or Without You
753 points (18 first place votes)

The prettiest U2 song and arguably the best in-studio song they ever created, With or Without You clocks in at #3. A masterpiece of song creation the slow, steady, beautiful build up until the famous Bono wail near the end. This song will never get old.

 

[dward1]

#2-Bad
881 points (31 first place votes)

Live Aid 1985 introduced this song to the wide world and they love it. Love it enough to be #2 on our countdown. Studio version is good but not great but live this song becomes more than a song. Right now listen to Wide Awake in America and soak it in. It's one of those songs that can transport you inside of the song. Great vocal work by Bono and timing work from the Edge.

 

[dward1]

#1-Where the Streets Have No Name
1196 points (50 first place votes)

Almost 20% of U2 fans name Streets as their favorite song and my only question is: Why not more? Just watch it live at Slane Castle and try not to get goosebumps. Humanly impossible. The greatest live song of all time, the greatest guitar intro of all time and a perfect mental picture lead the listener to an almost spiritual experience when involved with Where the Streets Have No Name. If someone does not like this song please get them help immediately because they are missing out on one of life's jewels.

 

[bathiu]

deja vu

 

[Zoots]

 

[Galeongirl]

Holy crap I'm getting a MAJOR Deja vu here. Anyone remember that thread?

 

[dward1]

Joshua Tree
11 songs total
Top 100 Songs: 10 (Trip Through Your Wires only miss)
Top 50 Songs: 9
Top 25: 5
Top 10: 2

Unforgettable Fire
10 songs total
Top 100: 7
Top 50: 5
Top 25: 4
Top 10: 2

Achtung Baby
12 songs total
Top 100: 12
Top 50: 10
Top 25: 6
Top 10: 3

All That You Can't Leave Behind
12 total songs
Top 100: 8
Top 50: 4
Top 25: 3
Top 10: 2

War
10 total songs
Top 100: 7
Top 50: 2
Top 25: 2
Top 10: 1

Rattle and Hum
10 total new songs
Top 100: 6
Top 50: 2
Top 25: 1
Top 10: 0

Zooropa
10 total songs
Top 100: 6
Top 50: 3
Top 25: 1
Top 10: 0

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
11 songs total
Top 100: 6
Top 50: 3
Top 25: 1
Top 10: 0

Pop
12 songs total
Top 100: 9
Top 50: 4
Top 25: 2
Top 10: 0

Boy
11 songs total
Top 100: 7
Top 50: 3
Top 25: 0
Top 10: 0

October
11 songs total
Top 100: 6
Top 50: 1
Top 25: 0
Top 10: 0

Albums ranked on strength of singles alone
1. Joshua Tree 3119 points
2. Achtung Baby 2397 points
3. Unforgettable Fire 1806 points
4. All That You Can't Leave Behind 1184 points
5. Pop 774 points
6. War 730 points
7. Zooropa 642 points
8. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 613 points
9. Rattle and Hum 600 points
10. Boy 498 points
11. October 200 points

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Please and Stay should be in the top 10, imo.

Somehow I just don't agree with this list, dunno why.

 

[cobl04]

The Scientist is going to be fucking furious.

 

[LemonMelon]

It's called I Still Haven't Found That Which I Was Looking For, you idiot.