Which U2 song got you hooked and changed your life forever?
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chrisandronna
The Fly
I Will Follow intruiged me as a 13 year old with a guitar, but the beauty of Gloria made me sit up and take notice. Then the entire Unforgettable Fire album sucked me in for life. And that's my official "boy is this thread making me feel old comment!"
U2DMfan
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Great thread, great responses, makes me feel good to read this for some reason.
Fans who are 15, now, fans who got into U2 on Boy, October, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, Pop, ATYCLB, and of course, HTDAAB. teens, 20, 30, 40 somethings.
There is nothing like going back to go after U2's catalog and hearing that song and saying "holy crap" this is awesome.
My story is I heard U2 as a kid, 7, 8 years old, used to watch MTV religously, saw Gloria and NYD that I vividly remember, but I am not going to pretend that I was 8 years old and fell in love with U2 then, I liked it, but I liked a lot of stuff back then, top 40 etc.
Then when I was 12, my brother got The Joshua Tree and later Rattle and Hum, he went on to other music, and I sort of inherited the tapes, wore them out and became a fan. I think Where The Streets Have No Name was the best song I just about ever heard.
Then I got into metal and hardcore music for awhile. I didn't have any money, I was 15/16 didnt work, so I would tape stuff off the radio (didnt have MTV at that time either). So I was at the mercy of the local rock radio station. They would spin albums on Sunday night, 7 of them in row, so if they played whatever I was into back then, I would record it, quick way to get an album for no more than the price of a cassette.
Sometime back then, when I used to record a lot, I recorded the end of a U2 song, had no idea what it was, but I knew it was awesome. Well anyways it was on one of my many mix tapes and sat there for a few years before I deciphered what song it was, I just heard the end "come on down...." and could never palce it, but knew it was live.
Fast forward, my junior year in high school, this radio station played Achtung Baby, being a U2 fan, maybe not hardcore, but a fan I recorded it and played it to death. Intrigued to say the least.
That was part of a catalyst that led me to much more interesting music than metal, and listeing to all kinds of stuff when I was 17, 18 years old. I bought U2's entire back catalogue in 92/93, I remember the last one I needed to complete the collection was Wide Awake in America. I had heard Bad on Rattle and Hum and UF, of course, but I never rememberedhat old song I had recorded probably 2 or 3 years before.
And there it was 'Bad' on WAIA, and I remember thinking "this is better than anything I ever expected."
I mean, there were a lot of moments on the way. Streets early on, I loved, and Achtung Baby made me a "super fan" and propelled me to buy the entire back catalogue, and all the videos, and t-shirts and books etc.
Probably Achtung Baby for me, the whole thing. But even moreso was going back to get War and The Unforgettable Fire, and then that live version of Bad, just did it. It was like I said to myself "it just simply cannot get better than this".
And then Zooropa came out (which I absolutely love) and it was pretty much solidifed that I was one big fat U2 nerd.
Those were some great discovery years, I look at the younger crowd getting into the band with ATYCLB or even HTDAAB, and I only hope their experience was or is as good as mine was.
Fans who are 15, now, fans who got into U2 on Boy, October, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, Pop, ATYCLB, and of course, HTDAAB. teens, 20, 30, 40 somethings.
There is nothing like going back to go after U2's catalog and hearing that song and saying "holy crap" this is awesome.
My story is I heard U2 as a kid, 7, 8 years old, used to watch MTV religously, saw Gloria and NYD that I vividly remember, but I am not going to pretend that I was 8 years old and fell in love with U2 then, I liked it, but I liked a lot of stuff back then, top 40 etc.
Then when I was 12, my brother got The Joshua Tree and later Rattle and Hum, he went on to other music, and I sort of inherited the tapes, wore them out and became a fan. I think Where The Streets Have No Name was the best song I just about ever heard.
Then I got into metal and hardcore music for awhile. I didn't have any money, I was 15/16 didnt work, so I would tape stuff off the radio (didnt have MTV at that time either). So I was at the mercy of the local rock radio station. They would spin albums on Sunday night, 7 of them in row, so if they played whatever I was into back then, I would record it, quick way to get an album for no more than the price of a cassette.
Sometime back then, when I used to record a lot, I recorded the end of a U2 song, had no idea what it was, but I knew it was awesome. Well anyways it was on one of my many mix tapes and sat there for a few years before I deciphered what song it was, I just heard the end "come on down...." and could never palce it, but knew it was live.
Fast forward, my junior year in high school, this radio station played Achtung Baby, being a U2 fan, maybe not hardcore, but a fan I recorded it and played it to death. Intrigued to say the least.
That was part of a catalyst that led me to much more interesting music than metal, and listeing to all kinds of stuff when I was 17, 18 years old. I bought U2's entire back catalogue in 92/93, I remember the last one I needed to complete the collection was Wide Awake in America. I had heard Bad on Rattle and Hum and UF, of course, but I never rememberedhat old song I had recorded probably 2 or 3 years before.
And there it was 'Bad' on WAIA, and I remember thinking "this is better than anything I ever expected."
I mean, there were a lot of moments on the way. Streets early on, I loved, and Achtung Baby made me a "super fan" and propelled me to buy the entire back catalogue, and all the videos, and t-shirts and books etc.
Probably Achtung Baby for me, the whole thing. But even moreso was going back to get War and The Unforgettable Fire, and then that live version of Bad, just did it. It was like I said to myself "it just simply cannot get better than this".
And then Zooropa came out (which I absolutely love) and it was pretty much solidifed that I was one big fat U2 nerd.
Those were some great discovery years, I look at the younger crowd getting into the band with ATYCLB or even HTDAAB, and I only hope their experience was or is as good as mine was.
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AdamsPoptart
The Fly
Where The Streets Have No Name and Bullet The Blue Sky.I want to thank my late stepdad for getting me hooked on them.
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'Gloria'...Way back in the Stone Age (Jr High) I had taken a class that was half Roman mythology/half basic Latin.
Forward to the early/mid '80's...I hear 'Gloria' either on MTV or an
album rock station called the "KATT"--or both, I don't remember.
Anyway my first thought is "Latin? In a rock song?"
I had just signed up with a record club and was trying to find
something worth buying, and found "Under a Blood Red Sky"
listed as one of the options...it had "Gloria"...and the titles of a couple of the other songs sounded vaguely familar...
Loved it!!!! Went on to order the first three albums and "Wide Awake in America" and "Unforgettable Fire"!
Hooked ever since!
Forward to the early/mid '80's...I hear 'Gloria' either on MTV or an
album rock station called the "KATT"--or both, I don't remember.
Anyway my first thought is "Latin? In a rock song?"
I had just signed up with a record club and was trying to find
something worth buying, and found "Under a Blood Red Sky"
listed as one of the options...it had "Gloria"...and the titles of a couple of the other songs sounded vaguely familar...
Loved it!!!! Went on to order the first three albums and "Wide Awake in America" and "Unforgettable Fire"!
Hooked ever since!
80sU2isBest
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2000
- Messages
- 4,970
Gloria
youtooellen
New Yorker
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2005
- Messages
- 2,580
with or without you,
but 'where the streets have no name' and 'bad'
changed my outlook on life.
then I got Achtung Baby and
i was incredibly changed
and obsessed. haha
but 'where the streets have no name' and 'bad'
changed my outlook on life.
then I got Achtung Baby and
i was incredibly changed
and obsessed. haha
Raccoon
Babyface
Although it was Beautiful Day that got me into U2, it was -- believe it or not -- LEMON that hooked me for good. Such a great, great, strange, strange song.
U2phan
The Fly
Beautiful Day/MLK/Streets at the Super Bowl
right after halftime went to my bro's room, pulled out his "Now That's What I Call Music Vol. 8", listened to "Walk On"
2 days later went to get ATYCLB, my very first album
U2 fan for life
right after halftime went to my bro's room, pulled out his "Now That's What I Call Music Vol. 8", listened to "Walk On"
2 days later went to get ATYCLB, my very first album
U2 fan for life
financeguy
ONE love, blood, life
Definitely Bad. Not even a live version, just the common or garden album version! Still one of my favourites.
BostonAnne
Refugee
I saw U2 perform Electric Co. live on TV at the US Festival in 1983 and was hooked.
why must I hide from myself,
when I need a crowd...
While Bono climbed up to the top of the staging waving a white flag. Who is this nut?!
if you don't know...electric co.
I'm not sure which song changed my life as I caught up with War, Boy, October & Under A Blood Red sky and waited for UF to come out.
I guess I would say Bad changed my life as it's been my favorite since I heard it.
why must I hide from myself,
when I need a crowd...
While Bono climbed up to the top of the staging waving a white flag. Who is this nut?!
if you don't know...electric co.
I'm not sure which song changed my life as I caught up with War, Boy, October & Under A Blood Red sky and waited for UF to come out.
I guess I would say Bad changed my life as it's been my favorite since I heard it.
For me the first U2 song I heard was New years day. I first heard it with 3 friends driving out of state to visit my sister in collage. After losing radio reception for the 50th time passing cow pasture after pasture NYD comes on next thing you know were parked on the side of the road rocking out to the music. I swear an elderly couple stopped thinking we were having seizures it was to funny. When the song was over the dj didn't say who the band was so I wrote myself a note to find out when I went to the record store. The following week I went to the store and got lucky. I just happen to ask a clerk that was a U2 freak and he gave me the life and history of U2 on the spot. So Jeff werever you are thank you.You and U2 have changed my life.
OP
OP
beatlesboy
War Child
There's some cool stories here...
Stryker395
The Fly
Streets
I had been listening to Dave Matthews Band straight for about a year and I was starting to want to get into other music. It was close to the end of 2002, kind of towards Christmas. I would also like to say thanks to file sharing programs for allowing me to get into U2. I downloaded Streets, ISHFWILF, and BTBS. I remember listening to those three songs over and over again. I couldn't get enough of the way the long intro to streets and it's melody made me feel like I was in a place of pure bliss.
I had been listening to Dave Matthews Band straight for about a year and I was starting to want to get into other music. It was close to the end of 2002, kind of towards Christmas. I would also like to say thanks to file sharing programs for allowing me to get into U2. I downloaded Streets, ISHFWILF, and BTBS. I remember listening to those three songs over and over again. I couldn't get enough of the way the long intro to streets and it's melody made me feel like I was in a place of pure bliss.
youtooellen
New Yorker
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2005
- Messages
- 2,580
Stryker395 said:
i agree. the intro to streets is long, but so serene for some reason. you took the words right outta my mouth buddy
Leetah
Refugee
Electrical Storm
BonoIsMyMuse
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Mysterious Ways got me to buy Achtung Baby when I was 13, but it was One five years later that helped me through an extremely difficult time in my life and cemented U2 a my favorite band of all time.
Numb1075 said:
Yep, exactly the same for me too. Riding with a carload of friends and someone was surfing through the radio stations. I'd never heard of U2 or any of their songs before. I heard a few seconds of "Pride" before someone changed the station. Only a few seconds of it, and I knew it was a special sound/song. I demanded that they turn the station back so I could hear it. When the song was over I remember saying something like, "Who the hell was that?! That song is incredible!"
That was enough. I'd bought Unforgettable Fire before the day was over, and I started down that long and expensive, but very satisfying road.
Lynz778
The Fly
I had heard a lot of U2 songs. I really liked stuck in a moment and I had the single, but it wasn't untill my auntie made me watch the Slane concert that i was really starting to love them. Slane was everything!
villamania
The Fly
Another time another place
loverippedaway
The Fly
I really can't decide what got me hooked, I think it may have been the episode of friends with a bit of "with or without you" on in the background, I was like 9 and that song just blew me away...that and when i mistakenly downloaded u2s song one instead of mettalicas one when I was like 11...the best mistake of my life lol
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
I was a casual fan for a while (had War, UF and JT on cassette), thanks to my cousins from the big city.
When Rattle and Hum came out, however, that was it for me. WHAMMO! Instant obsession.
Funny how now I can barely get through the R&H album.
When Rattle and Hum came out, however, that was it for me. WHAMMO! Instant obsession.
Funny how now I can barely get through the R&H album.
MandyMarie
Acrobat
I had liked the basic radio hits like 'With Or Without You' and 'Still Haven't Found'. I would listen to those songs on my mom's cassette. It wasn't till I decided to listen to the whole cassette that I heard 'Red Hill Mining Town' for the first time and it honestly hit me hard. I took the tape home and and played it on the stereo, I would crank the sound as loud as I dared and sit in front of the speakers, listening to 'Red Hill' over and over and over... I was sold then, never looked back!
madonna's child
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Beautiful Day
alxj
The Fly
Although I remember the New Year's Day video being played on Video Hits in the early 80's, and Pride along with Sunday Bloody Sunday were common songs at the club in early highschool, I remember going to see Rattle n'Hum in the movie theatre and really being quite bored.
Then Fall 1991 and I tuned in some European hit station on my shortwave radio from my part-time job in Switzerland. They were placing this "Fly" thing and if I only knew what that night was forshadowing...
First year university and U2 obsession began...but it wasn't until after 2 shows at ZooTV when I popped in Wide Awake and heard it. I think I had been blocking out 'Bad' thinking the song must be a Michael Jackson tune.
...I had to ask my friend, "How the hell I hadn't heard this song before?"
Spring 1993 and BAD turned me into an addicted fan.
Then Fall 1991 and I tuned in some European hit station on my shortwave radio from my part-time job in Switzerland. They were placing this "Fly" thing and if I only knew what that night was forshadowing...
First year university and U2 obsession began...but it wasn't until after 2 shows at ZooTV when I popped in Wide Awake and heard it. I think I had been blocking out 'Bad' thinking the song must be a Michael Jackson tune.
...I had to ask my friend, "How the hell I hadn't heard this song before?"
Spring 1993 and BAD turned me into an addicted fan.
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blueeyedgirl
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
loverippedaway said:
They had U2 on Friends? *shudder*
marik
Refugee
with or without you.
right in the middle of high school, my family moved to a small town and i lost all my friends. i did not handle it too well. i spent the remaining 2 years of HS as a loner with no friends, and i vividly recall sitting in my room alone EVERY friday night listening to wowy. i had no friends, no parties to go to like everyone else, my family would always go out for dinner friday nights-and i'd even pass that up to just be alone. U2 got me through this point in my life (and i even went on to quote wowy in my yearbook "through the storm we reach the shore")
right in the middle of high school, my family moved to a small town and i lost all my friends. i did not handle it too well. i spent the remaining 2 years of HS as a loner with no friends, and i vividly recall sitting in my room alone EVERY friday night listening to wowy. i had no friends, no parties to go to like everyone else, my family would always go out for dinner friday nights-and i'd even pass that up to just be alone. U2 got me through this point in my life (and i even went on to quote wowy in my yearbook "through the storm we reach the shore")
I Will Follow - I was lying in bed still half asleep listening to the usual crap on my cheap clock radio when the DJ decided to play a song from this 'new band from Ireland' (after he got done making fun of the lead singer's silly name, Bone-oh). When 'I Will Follow' started, I literally sat upright and thought "Oh my God, who is this band?". Of course, idiot DJ didn't mention the band again after the song so I had to listen to that station every possible minute until they played the song again a few days later and I found out the band was 'You Too' (hey, it was radio) and I've been a faithful follower ever since.
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