Which Songs Should Have Been Singles?

[DevilsShoes]

Are there any album tracks you think would have been sure-fire hits had the band chosen to release them as singles?

Generally speaking, throughout the first 10-12 years, I think they got it pretty much right.

When the Pop campaign was missing the bulls-eye, I remember wishing the band would release Gone, which I felt was far better than LNOE or SATS and a million times more immediate than the version of Please they produced.

Listening to it again, it's still a first-class tune. Maybe the hook isn't quite strong enough, but it more than makes up for it in all kinds of different ways. Electrifying work from Edge, great vocal from Bono, some fantastic lyrics and a real barnstorming finale.

I wonder if Kite would have been a big hit? It's certainly got all the goods.

I know many fans believe that MOS should have been a single, but I question whether its dark subject matter, lack of real hook and running length would have chimed with the times.

Any other contenders for songs that should have been singles?

 

[Globo14]

Kite could've done pretty well, I think. I also think Until The End of the World could've been a pretty good hit.

 

[Niceman]

MOS should have been the first single, released a month or so before the album.
NLOTH should have been the second, released the week before the album.

 

[digitize]

MOS should have been the first single, released a month or so before the album.
NLOTH should have been the second, released the week before the album.

I'd have NLOTH be released a little more soon after MOS, but yep, I agree.

 

[PennyLanePHINS]

Breathe would've been good single material. Kite, Crumbs from your table also.

 

[TheEdge25]

Kite should have. That would have gotten the job done. And Crumbs From Your Table too.

Moment of Surrender would have been good and if people were going to complain about the length issue, they could have trimmed it a little bit like they did with Streets and COBL.

 

[Globo14]

Moment of Surrender would have been good and if people were going to complain about the length issue, they could have trimmed it a little bit like they did with Streets and COBL.

Sure, you can trim down any song, but it might sacrifice the artistic integrity of the song. It ruins the whole purpose if you cut down 2+ minutes of a song.

 

[The Panther]

I don't think "Gone" would have hit -- the hook just isn't catchy enough. The two best tunes on Pop were "Discotheque" and "Staring at the Sun". Maybe the former was too progressive for American radio and the latter was kind of too mid-tempo, lyrically obtuse, and folk-rock-retro in its Oasis-like chords.

The obvious one that comes to mind is "Sunday Bloody Sunday", which wasn't issued in Britain and Ireland as they didn't want a radio ban. But even in North America it was issued as a single after the album (I think), whereas I think it would have scored much bigger than "New Year's Day" had it been the first single.

Their cover of "Everlasting Love" was so good that I think they could have held that back as an A-side for a rainy day (kind of like "Sweetest Thing" in 1998).

 

[lemonfly]

Eno wanted MOS as the first single, and I think he was right. After Beautiful Day and Vertigo, it would have been a refreshing change of gears, a bold statement that U2 still had a few surprises up their sleeve. Interest in the album would have also piqued. A real missed opportunity.

 

[gareth brown]

Never even thought about it, but I have to agree MoS would have been a very interesting choice of first single. whack it up online free (mcguinness has an aneurysm) send out 1-track promos to radio to play and fade out where they see fit. let word of mouth spread and just release the album.........and drop boots from the whole damn thing.

what a wasted oppurtunity

 

[An Cat Gav]

Are there any album tracks you think would have been sure-fire hits had the band chosen to release them as singles?

Generally speaking, throughout the first 10-12 years, I think they got it pretty much right.

When the Pop campaign was missing the bulls-eye, I remember wishing the band would release Gone, which I felt was far better than LNOE or SATS and a million times more immediate than the version of Please they produced.

Listening to it again, it's still a first-class tune. Maybe the hook isn't quite strong enough, but it more than makes up for it in all kinds of different ways. Electrifying work from Edge, great vocal from Bono, some fantastic lyrics and a real barnstorming finale.

I wonder if Kite would have been a big hit? It's certainly got all the goods.

I know many fans believe that MOS should have been a single, but I question whether its dark subject matter, lack of real hook and running length would have chimed with the times.

Any other contenders for songs that should have been singles?

I think they should have gone fully "balls out" with Pop and released Mofo as the first single.

 

[Swan269]

i know there are split opinions about this song but I thought 'miracle drug' would have done well on the radio.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

that song they played in kmart

(garage mix, not the guilty one)

 

[theedgeu2]

that song they played in kmart

(garage mix, not the guilty one)

That's one of my favorite U2 songs (the Garage Mix). Shame that it was left off the album, except for some Japanese versions of it.

 

[Globo14]

New York could've been a good choice, too, after 9/11. They could've used the altered lyrics that Bono started singing after the attacks.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Moment of surrender would have bombed as a first single. A meandering 7 minute song? Yea... that would of been a smash!

No line on the horizon didn't have a single. The song no line could have been done well in the rock charts if they had gone with a mix similar to how they performed it live.

 

[theedgeu2]

Moment of surrender would have bombed as a first single. A meandering 7 minute song? Yea... that would of been a smash!

They could do a single edit and cut it down so it runs 4 minutes or so. But I think that would take away from the awesomeness the 7 minute album version contains.

 

[U2girl]

Eno wanted MOS as the first single, and I think he was right. After Beautiful Day and Vertigo, it would have been a refreshing change of gears, a bold statement that U2 still had a few surprises up their sleeve. Interest in the album would have also piqued. A real missed opportunity.

No. MOS would have tanked as well.

Magnificent or NLOTH could do reasonably well (not BD or Vertigo huge but enough to make people pay attention).

Earlier albums...IALW and Kite instead of Walk on and Elevation.

 

[The Panther]

I'm of two minds about the 'MOS-as-first-single' idea. Obviously, the single would have bombed on the pop charts, but then again a U2-flop still gets more media attention than, say, a Franz Ferdinand top 20 hit. It might have earned them some critical respect to push that song out there (not that anyone but dedicated fans would have heard it).

At the end of the day, though, the only point of issuing a single to corporate radio is to advertise your album (since nobody buys singles now). So, there's really no point in producing a single that isn't top-40 friendly -- especially if you're the world's biggest group.

I still have no idea what they were thinking with 'Get on your Boots', however.

 

[Niceman]

I think that ANY U2 lead single would have gotten a measure of attention. Would it have been played? No one can say, but I think it had a shot to break the rules. To this day, whenever I play the song it shocks people.

Obviously, Magnificent bombed as a second single and would have bombed as a first. But I feel like we've had this debate 10,000 times before?

 

[chocky]

40
Smile
Big Girls Are Best
Everlasting Love
Popmuzik
Babyface

 

[Super Yo]

I'm surprised nobody says "Ultraviolet".

 

[midnightlemon]

I'm surprised nobody says "Ultraviolet".

Definitely Ultraviolet. Without a doubt. I think it's odd Eno wanted MOS as a single. It's a great song but just not radio friendly. Editing it down would have just ruined it.

BTBS would have been good, especially seeing at how often it was played live. Zooropa (edited promo version) would have also been good. I mean it charted in the US without a single release.

 

[TheEdge25]

I'm surprised nobody says "Ultraviolet".

Ultraviolet should have been a single instead of Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses?

I never understood that one. I've never seen Wild Horses as single material.

 

[Scorpionac]

Everlasting Love

Such a joyful recording.

Breathe would've been good single material.

Still don't know why they didn't release that... It's just about everything Bomb's big faux-inspirational songs tried to be.

And Crumbs From Your Table too.

Boo hiss! Crumbs is U2 via Matchbox 20, or Nickelback.

Eno wanted MOS as the first single, and I think he was right. After Beautiful Day and Vertigo, it would have been a refreshing change of gears, a bold statement that U2 still had a few surprises up their sleeve. Interest in the album would have also piqued. A real missed opportunity.

MOS would've been awesome, I agree. A real change in gears. And if Lady Gaga can release a 10-minute video for 'Telephone', surely U2 of all bands could get away with releasing a 7-minute track... Maybe it wouldn't have been played much, but YouTube hits are pretty important for exposure. For casual fans, the curiousity factor would've definitely been there. For the actual single, they could've given radio both the album version and a trimmed version together. Let them choose which one to play.

Moment of surrender would have bombed as a first single. A meandering 7 minute song? Yea... that would of been a smash!

No doubt it wouldn't have been a smash, but at least it would've created buzz. Unlike GOYB, which just embarrassed people into forgetting about it as soon as possible. What's the better hype - 'the new U2 song is so unusual' or 'the new U2 song is so lame'?

Barring the release of MOS as first single, I think Magnificent would've stood a good chance. Recognizable U2 sound with some modern flourishes. Of course, they never should have trimmed the intro (best part of the song). For the single release, I would've dropped the 2nd verse and gone from the first full chorus straight into the bridge, mostly because the verses feel like dead weight to me. Oh and it needed a better video. That's half the battle, really. I can't even remember the video they did shoot.

 

[mad1]

Do You Feel Loved! Could've replaced Mofo!

although, I have to say Mofo single sorta tied up to the tour, and was great and all, DYFL coulda been out there with concert footage, etc, instead?

DAMN YOU BONO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

No doubt it wouldn't have been a smash, but at least it would've created buzz. Unlike GOYB, which just embarrassed people into forgetting about it as soon as possible. What's the better hype - 'the new U2 song is so unusual' or 'the new U2 song is so lame'?

Barring the release of MOS as first single, I think Magnificent would've stood a good chance. Recognizable U2 sound with some modern flourishes. Of course, they never should have trimmed the intro (best part of the song). For the single release, I would've dropped the 2nd verse and gone from the first full chorus straight into the bridge, mostly because the verses feel like dead weight to me. Oh and it needed a better video. That's half the battle, really. I can't even remember the video they did shoot.

if the argument is "well it couldn't have done any worse than get on your boots, then yes... i'd have to agree.

i'd also argue that debating over the first single for no line on the horizon is a useless debate, because the album didn't have a single. that was it's problem.

 

[last unicorn]

I hate the thought of having Moment Of Surrender cut down to a four minute radio edit

 

[mad1]

Moment of Surrender would have been a lovely single, bit like If God Would - but it would prob never have gotten into the top 20.

 

[zoopop]

What gets me about NLOTH is that U2 were being stealth about everything prior to GOYB. The Adam videos, U2.com giving little hints, band here. It was refreshing in a way of U2 doing things.

Then all of a sudden U2 bombarded the world w/ GOYB & playing live (Grammy's, Letterman, BBC). It was too much.

December of 2008, U2 should have released MOS through the web (U2.com, Rolling Stone, etc). Just let the song do the talking. Nothing about a new album, just let MOS give fans a taste of this new/fresh U2.

Then in January 2009 make an announcement of NLOTH by releasing 'Breathe' the same day. Album release date & new single the same day.

To me U2 needed to take a more stealth conservative approach. Different from the Apple/Vertigo promotion and a more toned down from what we received.