Pop or Rock?

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MrBrau1 said:


Why? Cause Mofo is all crazy and whacky?

Pop is no more rock than ATYCLB, JT, AB, or HTDAAB.

It rocks more than Zooropa, that's about it.

What would you all classify Zooropa as then? I'm curious. It is very distinct from AB & Pop...and even though I disagree with the opinion that U2 sounds poppy, I could see perhaps a wee bit of justification (my opinion, though). However, I don't really see how this one can be classified as poppy at al.
 
redhotswami said:


I disagree with the opinion that U2 sounds poppy

Why do you disagree? As we have already established, pop is not only equal to Britney Spears. There is another side to pop - a good side - and U2 falls into that category. Some U2 songs are pure rock and others are pure pop.
 
yeah, U2 have always had an accessible pop sound. Since day 1.

Sunday Bloody Sunday may be angry and all that, but it has a wicked choruse that begs you to sing with it and bores itself into your brain.
 
MrBrau1 said:


Why? Cause Mofo is all crazy and whacky?

Pop is no more rock than ATYCLB, JT, AB, or HTDAAB.

It rocks more than Zooropa, that's about it.

:bow: :applaud:

FINALLY!

I'm so sick of people suddenly declaring "Pop" to be this "rockin' album" when it's not. It has as many rock songs as all the other albums you listed, especially the latter two albums.

I tell ya, where was this love for "Pop" circa 1997? Didn't see as much then...
 
GibsonGirl said:


Why do you disagree? As we have already established, pop is not only equal to Britney Spears. There is another side to pop - a good side - and U2 falls into that category. Some U2 songs are pure rock and others are pure pop.

More :bow: :applaud:

Finally I'm seeing more logic in these threads (of course, it's coming from the usual suspects, i.e., intelligent people. :) ).

The Beatles were pop. Elvis was pop. The Rolling Stones were pop. Pop-rock covers a lot, from Bon Jovi, to REM, to Coldplay to U2. In fact, most rock is pop, it's just a more guitar-oriented sound than standard pop which is often more synthesizers or keyboards. This has been true for decades.

What U2 excels at is a great hook and a great refrain. This is why "Beautiful Day" and "Vertigo" were just as big of hits for U2 as "Pride" was so many years ago.
 
So is it safe to say that rock is a genre which doesn't include catchy verses and catchy refrains? Would "Great Balls Of Fire" be considered rock or pop, cuz it sure is catchy. Would "Twist and Shout" be considered rock or pop? That sure is catchy as well. "Johnny Be Good"? Is that catchy?
 
phillyfan26 said:
What song by U2 sounds like pop music? I don't undertand where those who say they are pop or pop-rock are coming from.

I think the first seven songs on All that..., OOTS, A man and a woman, WITS and the 98 S. Thing would be closest to pure pup when it comes to U2. I also consider Some days are better than others and Babyface U2's kind of pop.

That said they were always very accessible and very melodic for a rock band.
 
GibsonGirl said:


Why do you disagree? As we have already established, pop is not only equal to Britney Spears. There is another side to pop - a good side - and U2 falls into that category. Some U2 songs are pure rock and others are pure pop.

I honestly have no idea. :shrug: Upon retrospect, I don't know what point I was trying to make last night...because it sure doesn't make very much sense to me now. I blame the wine.

What do you all think was their first poppy sounding song? Perhaps Sweetest Thing? Or is there something earlier?
 
redhotswami said:


I honestly have no idea. :shrug: Upon retrospect, I don't know what point I was trying to make last night...because it sure doesn't make very much sense to me now. I blame the wine.

What do you all think was their first poppy sounding song? Perhaps Sweetest Thing? Or is there something earlier?
Pride is damn poppy if you've got the Pop = a Freakishly catchy, crispy sounding song opinon that I do.

It really depends on what you think Pop to be.
 
I consider U2 more rock because the instrumentation is just as important as the vocals and lyrics.

Pop makes me think of "bands" that are all vocalists (98 Degrees, BSB), or solo artists that have backup bands (Jojo, Hillary Duff). In either case, the vocalists are the main focus, not the music as a whole. But I'm not a musician so what the hell do I know :shrug:
 
All of this talk about pop or rock has got me thinking. It isn't the style of music that matters, it's the quality. U2 could make a purely bright pop album or a dark hard rock album. I really don't care either way. The only thing that matters is the quality of the songs. If the songs are amazing it does not matter what style they are.

The problem with their 00s output is not that it's more poppy. The problem is that it is BLAND pop. Don't get me wrong, there are moments of brilliance in the last 2 albums, but by and large, the magic and brilliance is missing.

Pop music can be amazing. Anyone ever heard of the Beatles, or more recently, The Shins?
 
Hoodlem said:
U2 could make a purely bright pop album or a dark hard rock album. I really don't care either way. The only thing that matters is the quality of the songs. If the songs are amazing it does not matter what style they are.

The problem with their 00s output is not that it's more poppy. The problem is that it is BLAND pop. Don't get me wrong, there are moments of brilliance in the last 2 albums, but by and large, the magic and brilliance is missing.

Exactly! Wow, we're like the same person dude! ;) Anyway, every now and then I'll rave about a few songs here and there like Walk On (esp. the single version), Beautiful Day, Peace On Earth (surprise surprise I know), COBL, Crumbs etc. But something is missing since 2000. It seems too calculated or something. The big anthemic hits are there but the artistry seems to have faded away a bit. The lyrics simply do not seem to compare that well with the pre-2000 output. There hasn't been anything on par with the quality songwriting of RTSS, Exit, UF, LIB, Please, Dirty Day, One, The Fly, Gone, Promenade, Miss Sarajevo, Velvet Dress, BTBS, One Tree Hill, YBR etc. etc. Maybe Bono is too involved with Africa and not able to spend as much time on the songs, I don't know. I mean I like the last 2 albums, sometimes quite a lot, but I can't help shake off the feeling that they could've been better. :shrug:
 
Zootlesque said:


Dirty Day , Promenade

Ok u make good points , based on ur opinion of songs . but Dirty Day and specially Promenade ??? Now that's a bit too much

Not against both , but DD is a okay song , good live , but to say that tunes like B Day , Walk On , COBL , OoTs aren't better than it .......

And sort of same with Promenade , C'mon , if only Sort of Homecoming or Wire , but Promenade ......:|
 
What's wrong with Promenade? It's very poetic. I love those lyrics and not to mention the atmosphere.
 
Pop band

Unfortunately, U2 is too interested in appealing to the masses. They should be leading but they're following. Sad actually.

*You'll meet them all again on their long journey to the middle.






Lester Bangs
 
U2 is borderline pop/rock. Depends on the song.

More of their stuff from the past two albums has been pop rather than rock, but they have also had some very straightforward rock songs like Vertigo and Elevation.
 
U2 is Universal music. They appeal to many people across many spectrums. Call it what you will, but don't put them in a category, because they will prove you wrong. Remember? EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG

They are artists and dam good ones at that. Mess with our minds..go ahead we love it!:wink:
 
I don't feel as though U2's style of music fit the classic definition of rock OR pop. I honestly believe they are in a catagory of their own. They do something in the studio and on stage that is outside, or maybe even beyond, the realm of either of these two genres.

A rather nebulous statement, I know. But I really feel U2 and the music they produce is THAT unique. At the end of the day, that to me is what makes them great.
 
Zootlesque said:
What's wrong with Promenade? It's very poetic. I love those lyrics and not to mention the atmosphere.

Nothing wrong , but say it has bigger quality than Bomb And Leave Behind ????

That's a too much :huh: for me
 
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