No-one took up the mantle

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I think KOL might have a shot. They've got a lot of American appeal as the Tennessee boys, and their recent Today Show appearance had people from my 18 year old friends to my 45 year old mom randomly asking about them.

"Use Somebody" is the kind of song all ages of Americans fall in love with. "Sex on Fire"... guess that's more of a Euro thing. Good song though.

I like Coldplay but really don't want them to ever "take the mantle" from U2, who I feel are vastly superior. So why is it we can sideline Coldplay despite VLV well outselling NLOTH?
 
anyone think eminem could play a stadium? in the us he also had dominated sales. he is proly one huge album away being iconic. thats the truth. i;m not a big fan, but i would say he proly the artist who gained the most this decade. he can rival coldplay in the us at just about anything. But he is not a rock artist. so i dunno.
 
Coldplay - The only one that has a shot. And that's not because of what they've done already, but because - like U2 - they're trying to innovate their music. I'm not saying they're going AB style, but at least something is being done about it. And like it or not, VLV could have gone wrong and fucked them up. Instead, it renewed their popularity, and be sure: they have a lot of new fans right now. And they have the worldwide appeal, even though they're not selling that well in North America. Of course, they're the ones that are closer, I'm not saying they're close.

I also would like to add, even though there has been bands that came close (sorry, but R.E.M. didn't - not in worldwide level.), only other three bands managed to get this big.
Led Zeppelin
The Rolling Stones
The Beatles
It is of interest to note that all of those were formed in the sixties and U2 in the seventies. Since then, no other band did it.
Nirvana had the bigger chances if you ask me. Radiohead, no - that's mixing up critical acclaim with popularity. Metallica, their audience is way to specific. Same for Guns, and there's the fact that Axl was a hard to deal figure for some. Oasis also came near and passed U2 in the U.K. indeed, but again, the worldwide appeal is lacking. Aerosmith on the other hand was managing to rule all over the place but Europe.
Also, most of you seem to forget one factor: Bono. There hasn't been another vocalist as charismatic as him. He has a lot to do with all of this. And like it or not, Chris Martin is what comes closer to him too.
 
Coldplay - The only one that has a shot. And that's not because of what they've done already, but because - like U2 - they're trying to innovate their music. I'm not saying they're going AB style, but at least something is being done about it. And like it or not, VLV could have gone wrong and fucked them up. Instead, it renewed their popularity, and be sure: they have a lot of new fans right now. And they have the worldwide appeal, even though they're not selling that well in North America. Of course, they're the ones that are closer, I'm not saying they're close.

I also would like to add, even though there has been bands that came close (sorry, but R.E.M. didn't - not in worldwide level.), only other three bands managed to get this big.
Led Zeppelin
The Rolling Stones
The Beatles
It is of interest to note that all of those were formed in the sixties and U2 in the seventies. Since then, no other band did it.
Nirvana had the bigger chances if you ask me. Radiohead, no - that's mixing up critical acclaim with popularity. Metallica, their audience is way to specific. Same for Guns, and there's the fact that Axl was a hard to deal figure for some. Oasis also came near and passed U2 in the U.K. indeed, but again, the worldwide appeal is lacking. Aerosmith on the other hand was managing to rule all over the place but Europe.
Also, most of you seem to forget one factor: Bono. There hasn't been another vocalist as charismatic as him. He has a lot to do with all of this. And like it or not, Chris Martin is what comes closer to him too.

my big problem with that though is that Coldplay isn't innovative. i haven't heard one thing from them that sounds original.
 
Coldplay - The only one that has a shot. Also, most of you seem to forget one factor: Bono. There hasn't been another vocalist as charismatic as him. He has a lot to do with all of this. And like it or not, Chris Martin is what comes closer to him too.

Ah, Interference. Love these "like it or not, but it's the fact" posts. Well, in my humble opinion, my toilet seat has more charisma than Chris Martin. And I tend to believe there are other vocalists as charismatic as Bono, if not more so. Looking at popularity, I don't know if U2 is the last of the greats, but what I do know is that all kinds of crap is selling like crazy tonight (pun intended). So I REALLY don't give a shit what sells and how many followers a band has.
 
anyone think eminem could play a stadium? in the us he also had dominated sales. he is proly one huge album away being iconic. thats the truth. i;m not a big fan, but i would say he proly the artist who gained the most this decade. he can rival coldplay in the us at just about anything. But he is not a rock artist. so i dunno.

His latest album may have sold well, but is he even touring it? It just seems like all hype surrounding him has disappeared.
 
my big problem with that though is that Coldplay isn't innovative. i haven't heard one thing from them that sounds original.

Sorry, I should've specified. I don't mean original-innovative. I mean that they're trying to change their sound a bit. Okay, it can be argued that even Killers changed more with their last album. But the thing is, they're not staying in the same area from where X&Y came from, and people are still approving it.

Ah, Interference. Love these "like it or not, but it's the fact" posts. Well, in my humble opinion, my toilet seat has more charisma than Chris Martin. And I tend to believe there are other vocalists as charismatic as Bono, if not more so. Looking at popularity, I don't know if U2 is the last of the greats, but what I do know is that all kinds of crap is selling like crazy tonight (pun intended). So I REALLY don't give a shit what sells and how many followers a band has.

Well, Coldplay is the nº2 rock band in worldwide popularity right after U2 now. You just don't get that without a charismatic performer. Even Cobain, he had an appeal for that whole generation.
I understand your point, but don't bitch about my 'like it or nots', it's the way I write. It's all about charisma, that's why MJ wasn't selling so well after Dangerous in the U.S. and HIStory worldwide. You can manage good one time sales even if you're Marilyn Manson, but to consistently sell albums and have good ticket sales, you need that charismatic figure. Although, like I said, Chris Martin is what comes closer, not that he's close. IMO, if you prefer.
 
Well, Coldplay is the nº2 rock band in worldwide popularity right after U2 now. You just don't get that without a charismatic performer.

Says who? The Billboard table? According to your perspective, this would mean that Justin Timberlake and Lady GaGa are charismatic performers. Not to me.
 
:lol::lol::lol:keep them coming. your making my day.:applaud::applaud:

ok, so you've had 2 posts (chances) now to debate my statement about Coldplay's lack of innovation, and you haven't provided 1 example about how they're innovative. and it's not that i hate Coldplay. i enjoyed their last record, but it's not like they've ever released anything truly groundbreaking, imo.
 
I'm not a Coldplay-basher (I like a number of their songs) but I don't think they are nearly as big as U2. One of their problems is a lot of their catalogue sounds like TUF-esque U2... nothing inherently wrong with that except that it's already been done before. On stage, Chris Martin seems to think he IS Bono, which annoys me for some reason.

I think the only band capable of "taking up the mantle" from U2 is Green Day. They have the talent to push themselves in new directions if they wish to pursue it. They also have great energy and a stage presence that seems to work better the more people they play in front of.

Ultimately, the band that becomes "the next U2" will probably not SOUND like U2 (ala Coldplay). Think of the three all-time biggest touring rock acts - U2, Pink Floyd and the Stones - they all brought something different to the table which helped take them to the highest level. I think Green Day fits the bill a lot better than Coldplay.

That said, thus far I've seen no one today that can compete on a level playing field with U2. Their shows right now are just way bigger and better than everyone else's.
 
I'm not a Coldplay-basher (I like a number of their songs) but I don't think they are nearly as big as U2. One of their problems is a lot of their catalogue sounds like TUF-esque U2... nothing inherently wrong with that except that it's already been done before. On stage, Chris Martin seems to think he IS Bono, which annoys me for some reason.

I think the only band capable of "taking up the mantle" from U2 is Green Day. They have the talent to push themselves in new directions if they wish to pursue it. They also have great energy and a stage presence that seems to work better the more people they play in front of.

Ultimately, the band that becomes "the next U2" will probably not SOUND like U2 (ala Coldplay). Think of the three all-time biggest touring rock acts - U2, Pink Floyd and the Stones - they all brought something different to the table which helped take them to the highest level. I think Green Day fits the bill a lot better than Coldplay.

That said, thus far I've seen no one today that can compete on a level playing field with U2. Their shows right now are just way bigger and better than everyone else's.

Green Day are the only band around right now that I can think of who has anything close to a U2-level of intensity and charisma when performing live. If a band as bland and boring as Coldplay can be the next U2, I weep for the future of rock music.
 
:lol::lol::lol:keep them coming. your making my day.:applaud::applaud:

Coldplay are just doing different versions of Unforgettable Fire. Now, at least they have good taste in picking that album to rip off, but they have never surpassed the original, and I have no expectation that they will. Maybe they should try something different, but Chris's ego wouldn't allow at, as they might sell less records. Coldplay to me are the modern equivalent of the Police - decent musicianship, a good live draw, the occasional undeniably great single and melodies, but I always get the impression the whole is less than the sum of the parts. All traces of originality filtered out, any semi-provocative or controversial sentiments, if indeed they lurk below the surface (which I doubt) expunged in the interest of commercialism. Now, put that against U2, who released an album criticising Reagan policies right in the middle of the Reagan era, and then proceeded to sell out stadiums all over the country on the basis of that album. (Actually now that I think of it, the Police had much catchier singles than Coldplay, and better lyrics.)

Radiohead started off being influenced by U2 albums such as Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby, but from the Bends onwards they had their own unique sound. From OK Computer onwards they were drifting off into cyberspace somewhere (and I mean that as a compliment).

Radiohead could have been another U2, but it was their choice to go in a different direction.
 
I'm not a Coldplay-basher (I like a number of their songs) but I don't think they are nearly as big as U2. One of their problems is a lot of their catalogue sounds like TUF-esque U2... nothing inherently wrong with that except that it's already been done before. On stage, Chris Martin seems to think he IS Bono, which annoys me for some reason.

I think the only band capable of "taking up the mantle" from U2 is Green Day. They have the talent to push themselves in new directions if they wish to pursue it. They also have great energy and a stage presence that seems to work better the more people they play in front of.

Ultimately, the band that becomes "the next U2" will probably not SOUND like U2 (ala Coldplay). Think of the three all-time biggest touring rock acts - U2, Pink Floyd and the Stones - they all brought something different to the table which helped take them to the highest level. I think Green Day fits the bill a lot better than Coldplay.

That said, thus far I've seen no one today that can compete on a level playing field with U2. Their shows right now are just way bigger and better than everyone else's.

I agree with most of your post, but Greenday? Hmmm.

I agree with you that the next U2 must necesssarily be something completely different from U2, or at least bring something new to the table. One band that I have high hopes for is Bat for Lashes, but they may not want it.
 
Radiohead - a group of men who increasingly only make music to suit themselves.

There is no other good reason to make music. All the other reasons are bullshit. I would hope that the only reason U2 are still making music is to suit themselves (as opposed to the manager, the record company, the sponsors, the fanbase), and I think they've even said as much in interviews.

Why do they seem to find being in a band so miserable? Their job is basically their hobby, so cheer up, for God's sake! After OK Computer, they could've risen even higher, but they deliberately chose a more personal, uncommercial approach.

Have you listened to much recent (i.e., last ten years) Radiohead stuff? I probably would have agreed with you five years ago, but that was before I actually listened to the stuff properly.
 
i actually like "a rush of blood to the head" so when X&Y came out i went and bought it....and turns out it was basically a piece of shit. I like the song "Yellow", from whatever album that was off of. but really, how many Coldplay songs sound exactly alike? I could care less about their current album.
 
Poor X&Y. It's the only Coldplay album I really like, and it's bashed so much here. :sad:

VLV tends to sound like TUF spun through the X&Y blender to create an album about as flavorful as carpet, with some excellent Eno sonic-landscaping in the background. I do like Strawberry Swing a lot, though.
 
I suppose, if we're bringing Green Day into the argument, what they've got going for them is that they are at a commercial peak, and they're a band who have been internationally recognised for 15 years or so, so they've had plenty of time (like U2), to be on people's mind and establish their status as one of the biggest bands in the world. Coldplay, Killers haven't had this time. Maybe in 10 years time, purely from a scale of "bigness" and due to the longevity of their popularity, Coldplay could be on par with U2-2009.
 
I think U2 are unique in the way that "being big" is almost as important as the "music." You don't hear many bands talking like that. Most artists are either indifferent to success, not innovative enough and content to just maintain the course, or just way too humble to even have the gall to make Bono-like statements like "biggest band in the world." Now I'm a little out of touch with the youngsters (and i'm only 26) cuz i don't even pay attention to new music. If something catches my ear that i like that's one thing, but to be honest i don't really go digging for new music. I'm all about going back to the old days and discovering stuff i shunned when i was younger. I think Radiohead is the greatest band that i've heard in the post-2000 era, which isn't saying much since they were around for long before that. R.E.M. already peaked, but hey who knows, all it takes is that one big hit, kinda like how Beautiful Day ressurected U2 after almost everyone (including me) had pretty much written them off as a band in decline (popularity-wise, not artistically). Depeche Mode are a huge cult act, still going strong to their core audience and like most bands just content to maintain the course and simply play, whether its groundbreaking shit or not.

The only person to my knowledge that thinks he's the shit and his band is the shit in a manner most like our beloved Bono, is that douchebag from The Killers. Only one problem, his music sucks ass.

Coldplay are too nice in a dorky sorta way and will never have the wit, intelligence, songwriting chops, and cleverness that U2 had. Plus, they don't even rock. They're adult contemporary music for Godssake. U2 came out of punk, they always had that edge (tee-hee) to them that gave their music balls. Coldplay's music lacks balls.

So...yea...i don't really have an answer to this question.

I think I'll be the next biggest band in the world. Just you wait and see.
 
Just throwing this out there...


What about the Kings of Leon?

Y/N?

Cause I saw them on the Today show last Friday, and the crowd was surprisingly diverse (Unlike Coldplay’s appearance last year, but I'm no Coldplay hater).
But Caleb has no stage presence and I kind of threw up in my mouth a little bit when Meredith Vieira said that they were the “new U2” and the whole band reacted awkwardly when some girl called out “they are better that U2!”.

Stupid bitch…

But they are talented, and you can't deny the success of Only By The Night.

I don't think the Arctic Monkeys will ever be that "big" in the U.S, and The Killers just...no...
 
I think Kings Of Leon are incredibly lame. I dunno, is it just me? Their music sounds predictable as all hell, no surprises there. And the Arctic Monkeys just remind critics of indie rock or punk from the golden days of yore. Whenever a band comes out that reminds critics of something old, they jump all over it.
 
It's difficult. Arctic Monkeys are the ones who have the closest chance to dominate the world critically and in terms of popularity, but even then they'll end up a niche sort of band like The Smiths. And you can't dominate the world, unless you dominate the US, for whatever reason. And you just can't dominate the US as a rock act while the general population are masturbating over shithouse r&b and ringtone hip-hop.
 
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