Most Overrated U2 Song vs Most Underrated U2 Song

[snutes1]

So......the rules,

1) Agree or Disagree with previous post (most overrated vs most underrated)

2) Then, select your most overrated u2 song and most underrated song.


Most Overrated: MIRACLE DRUG. Nothing against the poor kid that the song is about, but this song is boring and the associated in concert speeches about this song dragged the show along.

Most Underrated: LOVE COMES TUMBLING. Holy s***, I can't believe this song has been mired under the radar for so long. Drive to this song in the middle of the night down a lone strectch of road. Perfectly sexy, amazing bass by adam, simple but effective ambience and lyrics. If this was in UF, it might have made it better. This song has stood the test of time. It goes without saying that this is in my top 5 u2 songs.

 

[U2387]

1.)Agree 100%

MD is an ok song, but from what I recall, many reviewing BOMB thought it was an absolute stunner, a stand out, even on an album they rated extremely highly. It's certainly not that. It's just good, and that's not saying a lot when U2 has spectacular songs that are so underrated, like Love Comes Tumbling!

2.)Most Overrated: Stuck In A Moment. I like it, sometimes even a lot, but it's nowhere near as good as the band, critics, radio and general public seem to believe. Especially between 2001 and 2003.

Most Underrated: Stay(Faraway, So Close). This question has always been really hard for me. I think Trip Through Your Wires, Ultraviolet, Two Hearts Beat As One, Please and Gone are equally underrated. However, Trip, UV and 2 Hearts were all on well known albums with very strong sales released in an era when you actually listened to and digested the entire album. So they are actually pretty well known. I talk to people about U2 and bring up these songs and a good amount of them will remember and like them. Please and Gone are certainly rated correctly here on this board and both have some exposure for their widely known subject matter- The Troubles/Peace process and Michael Hutchence(the meaning Gone took on after 1997). I think Please was written up very favorably by Pop reviewers as well. Plus, both songs got played live for a full tour.

By contrast, Stay was on a pretty under the radar screen U2 album that was regarded in many critics' circles as merely a not-as-good companion piece to Achtung Baby. To the extent Zooropa was noticed by the public at large, Stay took a backseat to Zooropa, Numb and The First Time. It was only played live in full form for maybe half of a tour leg and then only saw rare acoustic performances on 360. The closest it ever came to live regular was occupying a rotational slot for a whole leg of Elevation, which it had to share with 2 or 3 other songs. Some may say "but Gone wasn't even a single, Stay was and it even "stayed" on the charts in the UK and Australia for a bit!" However, Gone made the best of 1990-2000, more a casual fan/general public album while Stay was left off!

In addition, Bono has cited it as one of his personal favorites and possibly the band's most underrated song!

And finally, it's just absolutely gorgeous. Mind blowing, intimate yet universal. The lyrics, the melody, the way the Edge soars, the perfectly placed cymbal crashes, Adam's bass line, everything is just perfect. Bono turns in one of his most powerful and emotional vocal performances. He makes you feel like you are truly in 7-11, truly talking to and being highly attracted to and interested in someone who doesn't return your interest and doesn't want your help. It's just incredible. In fact, in and of itself, it could single handedly make the case for Bono writing a movie or a screen play. It's just that evocative.

So there you have it, I got a little (or a lot) long winded there, but with so many underrated songs, I felt I had to justify my pick!!

For the record, Trip Through Your Wires was my knee jerk reaction and emotional favorite before I really thought it through. And that is due only to how CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED IT IS BY THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE HERE AT INTERFERENCE!

 

[cobl04]

it was played at nearly every single ZooTV show that contained Zooropa material...

 

[U2387]

it was played at nearly every single ZooTV show that contained Zooropa material...

Not even close.

Axver is your friend, whether you realize it or not!

U2 ZOO TV Tour - U2 on tour

54 shows with Zooropa material, it was played 23 times.

43% of the shows.

For the entire Zoo TV tour, the following covers were played more than Stay:

Stand by Me
Dancing Queen
Dirty Old Town
Can't Help Falling In Love With You
Satellite of Love

It didn't even beat the covers.

 

[cobl04]

i've met axver several times, i used u2gigs as well... if you look a bit closer you will see that they didn't start playing Zooropa material until the first Rome show, halfway through the "Zooropa" leg. 23 shows, plus the 10 on the Oz leg, is 33 shows and Stay was played at 23 of them.

lawyered

 

[U2girl]

Disagree on both counts.

1) Beatiful day. Yes, a hit and a great single, and they made their comeback with it etc but not a U2 classic everyone and their mother claims it is. I think they have made several better songs this decade.

2) U2 has many, many non-hit/non-single quality songs. Between RTSS from the 80's, UTEOTW from the 90's and Kite from the 00's, I'd pick Kite. A heartfelt lyric, nice musical arrangement (minimalistic Edge at his best) and a powerful vocal from Bono. I still think this, and In a little while, should have been singles for ATYCLB instead of Walk on and Elevation. Plus, it was a fantastic closer at the Australian/NZ Vertigo shows.

 

[U2387]

i've met axver several times, i used u2gigs as well... if you look a bit closer you will see that they didn't start playing Zooropa material until the first Rome show, halfway through the "Zooropa" leg. 23 shows, plus the 10 on the Oz leg, is 33 shows and Stay was played at 23 of them.

lawyered

Ok, so now that we're both lawyers

23 of 33 is still only around 70%, far from every single time.

And back to my original point, 23 of 54 over the 2 legs Zooropa material was played, no matter what sub set of shows you take(1/2 of Europe, 10/10 on the Pacific Leg) is pretty horrible representation compared to Please, Gone, Ultraviolet, 2 Hearts Beat As One and Trip Through Your Wires.

Please, Gone and Trip all got a full tour; UV and 2 Hearts achieved regular status on multiple tours.

33 or 54(depending on how many shows we include, as you pointed out the mid leg start for Zooropa material) out of 158 on the entire tour is pretty bad compared to the others mentioned.

Ax has quite the site, I visit often and would like to meet him as well some day!

And I truly am not trying to be a jerk here, COBL04. I am sorry for using that "Axver is your friend" tone!

I just think that Stay, especially the full band versions, has really been shafted in terms of live performances when compared to other songs. And that is a big factor in why I give it "most underrated" status

 

[cobl04]

oh i completely agree with you. i just wanted a chance to use that picture.

 

[U2387]

oh i completely agree with you. i just wanted a chance to use that picture.

 

[ozeeko]

Most overrated: COBL - not only is it overrated, it's also one of their worst songs, period. Not as abominable as Yahweh, but damn near close.

Most underrated: Hawkmoon - I would LOVE to hear this one resurrected. Epic tune.

 

[Vlaco]

Most overrated: COBL - not only is it overrated, it's also one of their worst songs, period. Not as abominable as Yahweh, but damn near close.

Most underrated: Hawkmoon - I would LOVE to hear this one resurrected. Epic tune.

Great choices. I wouldn't call COBL one of their worst songs, but I agree that it's very very overrated.

The Lovetown versions of Hawkmoon are really great. Some other underrated songs are Another Time Another Place, Promenade, If God Will Send His Angels and The Ground Beneath Her Feet.

If I have to pick one I go for the last one.

 

[nirniva]

(This was in response to ozeeko, not Vlaco.)
I don't know, I've got a soft spot for COBL. I'll agree that Hawkmoon is underrated, though.
My picks:
Most overrated: The original version of Mercy. It's not that different than what they're playing now, guys.
Most underrated: FEZ - Being Born.

 

[TheEdge25]

1) I disagree with you on your overrated. The chorus of the original Mercy is awesome and I really like the original one. It's a bit more rock n roll. Agree on underrated, though.

2) Most Overrated: Elevation. I don't care for the song when it comes on the radio or when it is played in the car or anything like that. It's fine live, but only because of the crowd reaction.

Most Underrated: Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around the World. Love the song so much. The lyrics are amazing. Odd, but that's what makes them awesome. It's a great live performance too. Wish they'd bring it back.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i'm not sure if it counts because it's only an unpolished demo that was never supposed to be released, but the "original" version of Mercy just may be the most overrated thing in the history of things... not just songs, not just u2 stuffs, but things in general.

the adoration it receives around here, coupled with the disgust that many felt after they "changed" it, pretty much sums that up for all time.


as far as songs that were actually released... to me magnificent is vastly overrated. people around here seem to think it's so great and are stunned that it wasn't a massive hit and come up with excuse after excuse on why it wasn't... i think it's merely okay. good music, meh lyrics.


underrated is much harder to figure out... i think pride and bullet get fairly underrated around here, simply because people were looking for new songs in the rotation. but they're by no means underrated in the general public... a lot of pop gets under appreciated... not sure if under appreciated is the same as underrated.

i'll go with one step closer. gets shit on by a lot of people... i think it's a great lyric, haunting vocal by bono, and is much better than most give it credit.

 

[rivergoat]

1) disagree on both counts

2) Hmm, most overrated? I'd have to say Pride (In the Name of Love) - I didn't like this song when it came out, and it almost squashed my U2 fandom. Bought the album anyways and was glad I did! I even would record the LP to cassette WITHOUT Pride. Sure, lots of passion, admirable subject matter, etc, but the damn guitars in it are just like nails on chalkboard for me. Thank God they change the key for playing live. Damn glad it's FINALLY off the setlist.

Most underrated? I'd call it a straight tie - Two Hearts Beat As One is a great rocker with a kickin' bass line and a stomp-yer-feet rhythm. The other is definately Stand Up Comedy - I love this cute little tune and think it's utter blasphemy that it's never gotten a chance on the 360 stage.

goat

 

[JoRu]

Most overrated: Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of - the whole song screams "generic", yet I know quite a few people (not from here, but from the real world) who love it. I've never understood why.

Most underrated: A lot of songs fit in here. Although appreciated around here, Running To Stand Still hasn't been given the attention it deserves. One Step Closer is a gem from HTDAAB that is still my favorite from that album. I just love this atmospheric, almost underwater-like feel it gives with its sound.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

shockingly enough, people disagree that classic coke mercy is overrated... which only goes to prove that it is.

 

[U2girl]

Mercy was more than only an unpolished demo that was never supposed to be released. Perhaps overrated, but there are worse cases.

 

[Screwtape2]

1) I agree that Stuck sounds pretty generic. The thing that bothers me the most about that song is presenting that subject matter in a cheesy pop song. It makes me a bit uncomfortable especially when watching the football music video. As for Running To Stand Still I find it really hard to view that as underrated. It is probably in the same popularity level as Bad. I have to completely disagree about One Step Closer. It sounds like filler to me.

2) The overrated one is a bit tough. My first instinct would be to say One is the most overrated but I think it might be more of the band trying to make it something it was not. U2 tried to make it an anthem when it probably should have been a hidden gem. It is a good song but I think it has been overexposed opposed to being overrated. Beautiful Day comes to mind as well but while the song is too sugary for my personal tastes it suffers more from being overplayed than anything else.

So I would have to say that Vertigo is the most overrated song. It is not a bad song but not that interesting either. It is in the vein this decade of songs with lyrics that don't really say much at all. There is nothing wrong with that but those types of songs do not deserve to be remembered as much as New Year's Day, Without Or With You, The Fly, Stay and so on.

The most underrated U2 song is Heartland. Now there a lot of great U2 songs that are not widely beloved but I understand why they are not. Songs like Elvis Presley & America, Walk To The Water, Luminous Times, Love Comes Tumbling and others are understandably underappreciated by the masses. Heartland is different because it should be beloved. It should been played in full by the band and I simply cannot understand why the band never did. Criminally underrated.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Mercy was more than only an unpolished demo that was never supposed to be released.

umm... no?

 

[U2girl]

Reportedly dropped at the last minute from HTDAAB's tracklist, magazine Blender even mentioned the song in the album review.

Given on a CD to a fan, by Bono himself.

It was never a demo.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Reportedly dropped at the last minute from HTDAAB's tracklist, magazine Blender even mentioned the song in the album review.

Given on a CD to a fan, by Bono himself.

It was never a demo.

Ok I don't want to detail this thread..
but was the cd ever pressed with mercy on it? No? Then it was a fucking demo. Unreleased. Whatever semantics you wish to use. Its a track that was never released, and was on a pre pressing burnt version of the album.

Continue thread... arguing with you over anything will only cause my brain to bleed.

 

[cobl04]

as far as songs that were actually released... to me magnificent is vastly overrated. people around here seem to think it's so great and are stunned that it wasn't a massive hit and come up with excuse after excuse on why it wasn't... i think it's merely okay. good music, meh lyrics.

i'll go with one step closer. gets shit on by a lot of people... i think it's a great lyric, haunting vocal by bono, and is much better than most give it credit.

Two great calls. Magnificent is definitely the most overrated on this forum. And One Step Closer is gorgeous, though it took me a long time to properly appreciate it.

 

[corianderstem]

I'm finally coming around to One Step Closer.

 

[TheEdge25]

After posting mine, I decided to switch it. Dang, I always do this. But here's my updated choices:

Most Overrated: Bullet The Blue Sky. I think this is way overrated. It was fine on the album, in fact it was one of the better songs, but it always gets too much radio play (at least in my area) and it's made appearances on every tour since it's debut, save for 360. I really only enjoyed the song live on ZooTV, when it was followed by RTSS > Streets > Pride. Other than that, I think it's a crappy song that people get way to excited over when U2 has such better songs in their catalog.

Most Underrated: Crumbs From Your Table. Doubt anyone's gonna agree with me on this song, but I personally think it's the best song off HTDAAB. The lyrics are great, the guitar is fantastic, the drums are upbeat and awesome to "air-drum" to. I think that it deserved to be performed more on Vertigo Tour and, if the band's going to bring any Atomic Bomb songs back onto 360 tour, I pray that it will be this one.

 

[ultraviolet92]

ehh bullet the blue sky did get tired but i love that song so much
crumbs is a good song

Most Overrated: this wont go down too well but ive never loved gone and it gets so much praise i dont find it that amazing. his vocals are good in that one bit but i find the song a bit boring

Underrated: Miami fucking love this song

 

[ultraviolet92]

and i just realised those songs are one after the other

 

[nirniva]

Most Underrated: Crumbs From Your Table. Doubt anyone's gonna agree with me on this song, but I personally think it's the best song off HTDAAB. The lyrics are great, the guitar is fantastic, the drums are upbeat and awesome to "air-drum" to. I think that it deserved to be performed more on Vertigo Tour and, if the band's going to bring any Atomic Bomb songs back onto 360 tour, I pray that it will be this one.

I agree with you! What a great song...
(I also agree that it would be epic live.)

 

[U2girl]

Ok I don't want to detail this thread..
but was the cd ever pressed with mercy on it? No? Then it was a fucking demo. Unreleased. Whatever semantics you wish to use. Its a track that was never released, and was on a pre pressing burnt version of the album.

Continue thread... arguing with you over anything will only cause my brain to bleed.

Unreleased, yes. Demo ? No, not at all.

It's a common mistake in this forum.

 

[cobl04]

1) I agree that Stuck sounds pretty generic. The thing that bothers me the most about that song is presenting that subject matter in a cheesy pop song. It makes me a bit uncomfortable especially when watching the football music video. As for Running To Stand Still I find it really hard to view that as underrated. It is probably in the same popularity level as Bad. I have to completely disagree about One Step Closer. It sounds like filler to me.

2) The overrated one is a bit tough. My first instinct would be to say One is the most overrated but I think it might be more of the band trying to make it something it was not. U2 tried to make it an anthem when it probably should have been a hidden gem. It is a good song but I think it has been overexposed opposed to being overrated. Beautiful Day comes to mind as well but while the song is too sugary for my personal tastes it suffers more from being overplayed than anything else.

So I would have to say that Vertigo is the most overrated song. It is not a bad song but not that interesting either. It is in the vein this decade of songs with lyrics that don't really say much at all. There is nothing wrong with that but those types of songs do not deserve to be remembered as much as New Year's Day, Without Or With You, The Fly, Stay and so on.

The most underrated U2 song is Heartland. Now there a lot of great U2 songs that are not widely beloved but I understand why they are not. Songs like Elvis Presley & America, Walk To The Water, Luminous Times, Love Comes Tumbling and others are understandably underappreciated by the masses. Heartland is different because it should be beloved. It should been played in full by the band and I simply cannot understand why the band never did. Criminally underrated.

Heartland is lovely, but there's nothing about it that sounds like it would be great live. i think it's been perfectly left as an album-track gem few know about. don't think it would have worked live.