Do you ever wish U2 wasn't so popular?

[DPrinceNY]

Okie everyone knows that U2 is the greatest band in the world, they are surely the most popular. Do any of you feel like your taste in music might be crappy? I mean your fav. band is the most popular band in the world! I just really envy those kids who are into these really cool garage bands that only they know about.

 

[Zoots]

Right now... no, I don't care! Cos I can't get enough of watching all their tours on dvd over and over again!


...and see the whole stadium... the whole world singing along to all the anthems

 

[DignityPassesBy]

Yea i they wouldn't be popular if they wern't good

 

[impy13]

Think about it this way. This is how I see it.

Sure, they're the most popular, but the vast majority of that is folks who are casual fans.

Being a die-hard puts you in rather exclusive company. Knowing the catalogue front to back and having favorite songs other than Beautiful Day or Streets? The majority of U2 fans couldn't do that.

I think so at least.

 

[Axver]

Okie everyone knows that U2 is the greatest band in the world, they are surely the most popular. Do any of you feel like your taste in music might be crappy? I mean your fav. band is the most popular band in the world!

Well, the Beatles are the most popular band in history but I don't see anyone here feeling like their taste is crappy for liking them. When someone like me says the Beatles are over-rated, we're shouted down and even flamed.

My point is popularity has nothing to do with quality and just because a band is popular doesn't mean you have crappy taste if you like them.

Though, I must say I personally do wish U2 were less popular. Theatre gigs! Though my main reason for wishing that they were less popular is simply to avoid all the stress associated with getting concert tickets. Take away a significant slice of demand and I'm sure things would be much easier for all of us here!

 

[Dulce de Leche]

Pretty much every time I try to get tickets, yeah.

 

[CrashedCarDriver]

it'd be nicer if they were a dirty little secret shared between a select group of fans

ie a band like:

joe90
josh ritter
x
joe henry

 

[digsy]

Think about it this way. This is how I see it.

Sure, they're the most popular, but the vast majority of that is folks who are casual fans.

Being a die-hard puts you in rather exclusive company. Knowing the catalogue front to back and having favorite songs other than Beautiful Day or Streets? The majority of U2 fans couldn't do that.

I think so at least.

my favourite song is streets

bad fan, BAD!

 

[one4u2]

I always say why do I have to love such a huge band especially when I'm trying for tickets

 

[financeguy]

Okie everyone knows that U2 is the greatest band in the world, they are surely the most popular. Do any of you feel like your taste in music might be crappy? I mean your fav. band is the most popular band in the world! I just really envy those kids who are into these really cool garage bands that only they know about.

Most of my CD collection is by fairly well known artists. The closest to alternative I get is maybe some Sonic Youth or Pixies (neither of which can be described as garage bands, although they might have started out as garage bands) But I would still argue I have good taste (naturally I'm biased).

 

[youtooellen]

with talent/greatness comes popularity..

unfortunately for U2, they had to be too talented.

 

[financeguy]

Think about it this way. This is how I see it.

Sure, they're the most popular, but the vast majority of that is folks who are casual fans.

Being a die-hard puts you in rather exclusive company. Knowing the catalogue front to back and having favorite songs other than Beautiful Day or Streets? The majority of U2 fans couldn't do that.

I think so at least.

Yes a lot my favourite songs would be lesser known songs and B-Sides and that the casual fans wouldn't even know existed.

 

[U2Man]

Right now... no, I don't care! Cos I can't get enough of watching all their tours on dvd over and over again!


...and see the whole stadium... the whole world singing along to all the anthems

I thought you didn't like current U2

 

[Dudette]

I understand what you mean. You rarely meet someone who doesn't like U2 even if all they say is "yeah I like that one that came out a few years ago...beautiful something or other and that One song". The people who don't is because they find Bono 'annoying' when he's doing his speeches for Blair.

Being British it often feels like U2 are American as they always seem to be over there on tour and doing alot more dates with cool walkways with sparkly lights.

I'm happy being a fan of the greatest band in the world. I have other interests which are less well known.

 

[Chizip]

just imagine if there were no casual fans so they could play smaller venues with varying sets and no need to play Pride at every show

 

[zoopop]

U2 is special in a way that they are very popular but at the same time they are true to who they really are. They don't put on an act like other bands late in their career. Though Popmart and ZooTV was a spectacle, they were making fun of themselves at the same time. U2 is the most popular band in the world, but they still make interesting and solid songs. Making them a revelant popular band.

 

[amerrydeath]

Only when I'm trying to get tickets, though. And when people are like "U2 sucks" just because they're popular and are convinced they're "overrated".

 

[DreamOutLoud13]

Sometimes. I mean, it would be great if U2 were a sort of unknown band that I just happened to come across, because then maybe I could actually convince some of my friends to give them a chance.

Common reactions to U2 among my friends:

1. Bono is such a conceited asshole, I hate U2.
2. U2's music is so lame.
3. Oh, I like a couple of their songs, like Beautiful Day, Vertigo, and One.

The people in the first group are judging U2 entirely on Bono's politics and/or his ironic attitude about himself.
The people in the second group are judging U2 entirely on some of the "lamer" singles they've released.
The people in the third group need to be educated with songs like:

Zoo Station
The Fly
Acrobat
Zooropa
Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
Do You Feel Loved
Mofo
Gone

It's just occured to me, that what I should've done all along was force these songs onto people, without letting them know they're U2 ("Hey guys, listen to this band, they're called The Hype!"), especially for people with such uninformed preconceived notions that U2 suck.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

some U2 fans make me wish they weren't so popular

many things were better when they weren't so popular and early fans almost had them as a "secret" band

 

[unoscatorce]

Okie everyone knows that U2 is the greatest band in the world, they are surely the most popular. Do any of you feel like your taste in music might be crappy? I mean your fav. band is the most popular band in the world! I just really envy those kids who are into these really cool garage bands that only they know about.

Hmm I never really ever thought about it to be honest!

But now that I do think about it, I am starting to like U2 less and less by the minute.

Thanks a lot!

 

[Sting]

I am an 18 year old fan who is diving into obsession with U2... there is no turning back now guys... I have already started buying any single I can get...

But i can say hoenstly, I know NO ONE who is as obsessed with U2 as me... and none of my friends listen to them on a regular scale and as much as I do. None of them dig deep into album tracks.

I have no seen ANY U2 shirt iN Winnipeg besides my Mom's Popmart T-shirt... yet they sold out the Stadium when they played Popmart here.

I think there are very few hardcore fans my age, so I feel pretty elite being obsessed with them. Lets say you were to count every U2 fan with all of their studio albums(just the full lengthes) and add them up it would be signifigantly less than the people who have The Best Of's or one or two CD's and only listen to the singles.

U2 deserve to be popular and play in massive venues.

 

[JCOSTER]

How about I remember and was there when U2 was a dirty little secret. I've been a fan for yeah, 30 years, when they were just begining and on college radio, I even stood outside in December rain when they were at a local club that I was too young to get into. To me they have always been the worlds greatest, nothing for me to compare to. I feel like I grew up with them.

 

[Dulce de Leche]

But i can say hoenstly, I know NO ONE who is as obsessed with U2 as me... and none of my friends listen to them on a regular scale and as much as I do. None of them dig deep into album tracks.

Yeah, that`s why we all have to flock here, online, to find others who are as crazy as we are!

 

[cjboog]

I love that they are the biggest, I wouldn't want a theatre type concert either because many of their songs are built to be "stadium songs" or anthemic rockers. I say if U2 are the biggest, hats of to them they deserve it, they earned it and its better if they are liked by a large group of people. Think of playing City of Blinding Lights in a packed stadium vs. a small theatre....hmmmm....I think I would prefer the packed stadium myself

 

[Bono's shades]

It would be nice if it were easier to get tickets, but that's a given.

The only time U2 being so much in the mainstream really bothers me is sometimes I think the music gets used for something just because of U2's popularity, without any thought about the appropriateness - such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday" being used as "theme" music for a football game on TV.

 

[Zoots]

I thought you didn't like current U2

I move in mysterious ways.















No. See, I said nothing about current U2 in my original post! U2 were always fucking huge and mainstream as hell... at least since 1985 and Live Aid! So yes... I do enjoy watching the whole stadium and world singing along to songs like Pride, I Still Haven't Found and With Or Without You.

 

[U2Man]

^ Yeah, but you said you didn't bother to buy the Slane or Boston DVDs because of your disappointment with current U2

 

[Lancemc]

Elevation Boston.... streeeetss..

 

[Zoots]

^ Yeah, but you said you didn't bother to buy the Slane or Boston DVDs because of your disappointment with current U2

ah ah...... because of my disappointment with ATYCLB!!! But yesterday when I made that post, I'd just finished watching Popmart Santiago and they were fucking huge back then too!

 

[U2Man]

ah ah...... because of my disappointment with ATYCLB!!! But yesterday when I made that post, I'd just finished watching Popmart Santiago and they were fucking huge back then too!

But the Slane DVD contains the perhaps best live version of Streets and AIWIY ever