What Is The Best U2 Song Of All Time?

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I'm surprised how many people have said Bad, although the Live Aid version is very good.

It may not be their best song, but I do have a lot of time for Lemon. It always makes me smile!
 
This list can be two things: commercial, or personal. By commercial, I mean, what music sells a zillion copies & makes 100,000 fists wave in the air. By personal, I mean what music is most personally compelling, evocative, spellbinding to YOU yourself. I'll go by personal.

The purity that was captured in the recording studio during I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For aids the recording SO much. I can't see how U2 will ever get so uplifting again without resorting to some kind of sentimentality...

P.S. As this list is COMPLETELY personal, I'll throw out my Top 25 (knowing full well that most people here will think that I'm on crack, but oh well):

1. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
2. The Fly
3. Lemon (full 6:56 Zooropa LP version)
4. Red Hill Mining Town
5. All I Want Is You (full 6:54 Rattle & Hum LP version)
6. Zoo Station (live Zoo TV 1992 indoor arena tour with opening Bono intro)
7. The Playboy Mansion (remember, this was Larry’s favorite song from the Pop LP!!!)
8. Slug
9. Zooropa (1st half – “vorsprung durch technik”)
10. Mothers Of The Disappeared
11. Beach Sequence
12. Running To Stand Still
13. Can’t Help Falling In Love (Bono solo @ Sun Studios on Rattle & Hum workprint)
14. Trip Through Your Wires
15. If You Wear That Velvet Dress
16. In A Little While
17. Yahweh
18. Zooropa (1st half – “vorsprung durch technik”)
19. Dirty Day (live Zoo TV version)
20. A Man And A Woman
21. Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of
22. Even Better Than The Real Thing
23. New York
24. Original Of The Species
25. I'm Not Your Baby (Skysplitter Dub - instrumental)
 
This is a really tough call for me. I really, really love UTEOTW, but 'With Or Without You' sealed the deal for me. Indeed, that last minute or so is this magical thing that I have never heard anywhere else. The way the music spoke to me the first time I heard it...that experience has yet to be rivaled. Takes the cake, all the way.

-D Miggy
 
One, no need to think much about it. A legend on its own.

With or Without You is a close second. A masterpiece both live and in the album (which is a very significant achievement).
 
With Or Without You.

This song is perfection. When I heard it for the first time I thought that the human race had created music just to get there. This song is the most amazing build-up ever, better than Bad IMO (although this is also a umbelievable song). The way it starts so softly, and how every new level of intensity is announced by Larry's drum beat change. Edge's guitar playing on that one is perfect, just perfect. The guitar is so subtle for a long time, and he waits for the perfect moment to enter into full force. And the last part, those simple chords. It's really touching to hear how everyone feels about this part, because I think I can relate my entire passion for U2 to those simple chords at the end of WOWY. And Bono is also perfect, maybe his best vocal performance ever.

The first time I heard this song, it made such a strong effect on me that I refused to get JT for TWO YEARS. For some strange reason I wanted every time that I would hear the song (often by accident) to be a truly special moment, and it was. The world would stop turning every time, and up until this day I still get shivers every time I hear the first notes of WOWY.
 
maybe a strange choice, but my favourite all time U2 song is Your Blue Room, it does something to me that no other song does.. other songs i like very much are Bad, In A Little While, Out Of Control and Original Of The Species and so on and so on :)
 
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