Best album since Pop
Here it's my humble ranking: (subjective, and subject to change)
1) Joshua Tree - the album everyone loves, including U2 haters. A masterpiece.
2) Achtung Baby - The big transition, a success. Comes close to JT in setting a sonic landscape.
3) War - the edge comes into his own. The album is a classic.
4) Zooropa - maybe due to timing, the height of their career. Still a great album.
5) Unforgettable fire - they become mainstream, precursor to The Joshua Tree. A very strong album in its own.
6) Boy - I'm maybe a bit biased to their older stuff
7) Pop - a few question marks, yes, but enough good U2 on there to warrant this spot.
8) October - see #6
9) Songs of Experience - yes it's early, but I know a good album when I hear it once, and I also know what good U2 sounds like. I'm very pleased with this one. Proud to be a U2 fan, which at times hasn't been easy. Lol
10) All you can't leave behind - a tough one to rank for me. It got played so much, and was overrated in my opinion. However, it really is a strong album, albeit very very commercial sounding. I feel like there are fans who are fans because of this album, and those who are fans in spite of this album. I fall in the latter, but can respect a quality work nonetheless. Just please stop playing elevation live, it's embarrassing.
11) How to dismantle an Atomic Bomb - some good tunes, some filler. I was disappointed when it came out, didn't care that much for vertigo. City has aged well and vertigo rocks live.
12) Rattle and Hum - why does this count as an album and not Under a Blood Red Sky? Which I would rank much higher.
13) No Line on the Horizon - ok album, worth the occasional listen. Probably will never have anything played live, and rightfully so. Go crazy is still a fun track.
14) Songs of Innocence - Probably the only time I've played a U2 album that didn't do much for me. Yes there's a theme and Bono opens up etc, but I wonder if he realizes that most of us don't care that much, especially if the arrangements are weak. U2's purpose, to me, is to commentate about the world around them, rather than themselves. Imho of course.
Please note, whatever sounds critical, is through the lens of a real long time fan, with love!
Thanks for reading.
I'm upset that the tour is so sparse for such a strong album.