Don't get angry or vomit on me, but here we go again...

[tackleberry]

I have jumped on the band wagon and decided to ask advice in making a U2 Compilation. Now, I want this to be less obscure and more along the lines of "suppose you were NOT a U2 fan, and you wanted to hear their best and most popular stuff." How would you do it?

I have come up with a track order (A cassette order since I have no burners and such) Any suggestions?

SIDE A
1. Streets
2. Pride
3. Beautiful Day
4. One
5. With or Without You
6. Angel of Harlem
7. Numb
8. October (or Gloria)
9. Sweetest Thing
10. Desire
11. Staring at the Sun
12. Walk On
13. I Will Follow

SIDE B
1. Bad
2. Stuck in a Moment
3. Mysterious Ways
4. Out of Control
5. Sunday Bloody Sunday
6. Even Better than The Real Thing
7. Stay
8. Still Haven't Found
9. Gone (or Discoteque)
10. Hold me Thrill me Kiss Me...
11. All I want is You


So please don't get or rather be an and do this

 

[DrTeeth]

I...suppose you were NOT a U2 fan, and you wanted to hear their best and most popular stuff." How would you do it?

I would just buy their two 'Best Of' albums.

 

[FallingStar]

I would just buy their two 'Best Of' albums.

The most popluar songs are on there though not also their best.

Dun what songs there are on the Best Of II but some of the bests are Velvet Dress, Love Is Blindness, Two Shots Of Happy, Always, Another Time Another Place, Exit, The Fly-----but like I said, these aren't very popular, but a good way to show other people what U2 is about.

 

[pinkfloyd]

it will be something like this :


cd 1 :

Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me
Beautiful Day
The Fly
Even Better Then real Thing
Mysterious Ways
One
Until The End Of The World
Numb
Lemon
Where The Streets Have No Name
With Or Without You
Sunday bloody Sunday
Stay

 

[U2Kitten]

Okay now if this person is NOT a U2 fan, they must have only been exposed to the songs that play regularly on the radio. So I'd make it of these songs which are very popular and get a lot of radio airplay, plus they are the songs U2 is most recognized for:

SBS
NYD
Pride
Streets
WOWY
ISHFWILF
All I Want is You
One
Mysterious Ways
WGRYWH
Beautiful Day
Walk On
Electrical Storm

Even if we like some of the obsure songs more than the hits, like it or not this is the U2 the average, casual or non-fan knows. Nothing from Boy, October, Zooropa or Pop are ever played on any radio station I have ever heard.

If I could add a second CD of my favorite lesser known songs it would be:

A Day Without Me
Gloria
Seconds
The Unforgettable Fire
A Sort of Homecoming
In God's Country
Red Hill Mining Town
One Tree Hill
Heartland
Ultraviolet
Acrobat
Stay
Kite
WILATW

 

[AcrobatMan]

I think New Years Day would appeal to a non-U2 fan

 

[HeartlandGirl]

I made a U2 CD for someone who didn't know any of their songs. After listening to it, she said that her favorite songs were New Year's Day, Beautiful Day, Streets, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and With or Without You.

So I'd consider those some essential hits that would get a non-fan interested.

 

[JOFO]

just give them "passengersriginal soundtracks 1".

that sums up u2 perfectly.

 

[U2Soar]

Following your proposal of a compilation of strictly ?popular? songs for a non-U2 fan:

With Or Without You
One
Electrical Storm (I believe it will be among their biggest hits)
All I Want Is You
Desire
Sweetest Thing
Mysterious Ways
Discotheque
Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me
Sunday Bloody Sunday
I Still Haven?t Found
New Year?s Day
Bad (Wide Awake In America)
Where The Streets Have No Name (full version)
Beautiful Day
Pride
Walk On (single version) (love the Hallelujahs)

Approx. time 79:07

OTHER CONTENDERS

Stay (I feel bad that Zooropa has no representation)
Even Better Than The Real Thing (I believe it was a big radio & video hit)
Staring At The Sun (I believe it did fairly well as a radio & video hit)
Please (live) (I see it as the live equivalent of Bad in the 90s)
The Fly (I don?t how it did in North America and Europe / it was a No. 1 in UK)

Drop Sweetest Thing ? Replace it with Stay or Please ?

If a 100 minute CD-R existed then I would add 3 songs and call it :

U2 TWENTY ? 20 HITS FROM 20 YEARS

With Or Without You
One
Stay
Electrical Storm (I believe it will be among their biggest hits)
All I Want Is You
Desire
Sweetest Thing
Mysterious Ways
Discotheque
The Fly
Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me
Sunday Bloody Sunday
I Still Haven?t Found
New Year?s Day
Please (live)
Bad (Wide Awake In America)
Where The Streets Have No Name (full version)
Beautiful Day
Pride
Walk On (single version) (love the Hallelujahs)

 

[Muad'zin]

I'm of the belief that the best U2 compilation is a U2 live show. I don't know about others, but the greatest hits songs that get me into a band are the ones that tend to lose their appeal the fastest once I become a fan. I started to listen to Black Sabbath because of Paranoid and Led Zeppelin because of Whole Lotta Love and now I can't stand these songs any more.
So I guess a mix between hits and cult songs is the best way to go. Trust your judgements!

 

[pax]

Disregard popularity completely and go for the ones that *move* you--the ones that make you really sing, dance, or cry.

If I did that, my CD would look something like this:

I Will Follow
God Part II
With or Without You
Bad
Out of Control
Elevation (Tomb Raider)
Mysterious Ways
Running to Stand Still
Promenade
Big Girls Are Best
Satellite of Love
Stay (Faraway So Close)
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
One
Ultra Violet
All I Want Is You