oceane
Refugee
Bruce, Dylan, Stones, and other you cited are not mainstream anymore. The problem with persons that don't like U2 is cause they are mainstream. I know, this sounds stupid, but based on what I saw last years, that's exactly it.
When I talk with casual music listeners they don't seem to have a problem at all with U2. A lot of my friends that listen to "what's on the radio" liked Vertigo and some even talked that they thought it was so cool "this bunch of old guys doing such a good song." I remember girls I know talking how beautiful Sometimes was.
But when I talk to music fans, who have consolidated tastes and musical opinions, the ones that don't like U2, HATE U2. In the last years (00's onwards) a consensus started: mainstream is shit. Some of those people can't deal with U2 cause it's mainsteam. They can't deal with a good mainstream band. Same happens with Coldplay. I'm not trying to say these people are narrow-minded, it's something that happens with us for some reason. Probably happened to you, when you're listening to ATYCLB and for some reason you skip BD. Or when that obscure band you love gets famous, that weird feel. It happens. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so. Of couse, most people don't have that and listen to U2 with no problem, but a bad opinion stands out in the middle of good ones and like I said, it seems that those that don't like U2 in this group, hate it. That's why it seems there's so much hate towards U2.
I hope I made myself clear.
This is totally true, I was thinking the same reading other music forums that are really trashing U2 and GOYB. People who go on these and post are usually very serious music fans and/or the types who prefer indie music. Not that there is anything wrong, I like a lot of indie-type music. But my impression is that U2 is still very popular and respected by the average music listener, but not so much by the types who post on music boards and take it very seriously...
That and the fact that the internet being what it is, there is a certain type of person who posts on board, blogs, etc., and they often like to steer some shit. Read any newsblog out there, there is an insane amount of crap said.
I'm not saying that GOYB will in fact turn out to be a huge hit and everyone will love it, just that more often than not the internet is not that representative of people's real opinions.