The song is great, I just think NLOTH is an "underground" album and U2 not doing the mainstream thing. I agree that they shouldn't make songs just to get them in the top 10 and sacrifice quality just to fit in and I'm starting to realize U2 might be on the outside looking in now in terms of catering to the masses. I don't mind them starting to slope the bell curve, but if things don't go well, I guess they could do ATYCLB II (a great album for sure, but I think 9/11 really pushed the band back into the mainstream). I just hope they keep on expirementing and pushing the envelope.
NLOTH is an "underground" album? Hold on a second, lets take a look at what the
masses have actually been buying in 2009 to date:
Biggest selling albums through WEEK 19 of 2009 in the United States:
Rank - Sales - TITLE - Artist
01 - 1,077,364 - FEARLESS - Taylor Swift
02 - 882,296 - NO LINE ON THE HORIZON - U2
03 - 826,012 - HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE - Soundtrack
04 - 816,726 - TWILIGHT - Soundtrack
05 - 745,044 - DARK HORSE - Nickelback
06 - 696,829 - I AM…SASHA FIERCE - Beyonce
07 - 665,736 - THE FAME - Lady GaGa
08 - 636,887 - UNSTOPPABLE - Rascal Flatts
09 - 550,236 - ALL I EVER WANTED - Kelly Clarkson
10 - 535,454 - INTUITION - Jamie Foxx
11 - 529,277 - WORKING ON A DREAM - Bruce Springsteen
12 - 525,001 - THE FRAY - The Fray
13 - 493,179 - 808S AND HEARTBREAK - Kanye West
14 - 475,937 - NOW 30 - Various
15 - 429,523 - CIRCUS - Britney Spears
16 - 414,990 - A DIFFERENT ME - Keyshia Cole
17 - 401,196 - PAPER TRAIL - T.I.
18 - 369,317 - FUNHOUSE - Pink
19 - 361,869 - ONLY BY THE NIGHT - Kings Of Leon
20 - 358,988 - LOVE VS MONEY - The-Dream
21 - 356,245 - WE SING WE DANCE WE STEAL THINGS - Jason Mraz
22 - 344,271 - NOW 29 - Various
23 - 334,653 - DEFYING GRAVITY - Keith Urban
24 - 316,144 - LOTUS FLOW3R - Prince
25 - 314,701 - FREEDOM - Akon
26 - 314,266 - DAVID COOK - David Cook
27 - 310,006 - VIVA LA VIDA OR DEATH AND ALL HIS FRIENDS - Coldplay
28 - 299,230 - 19 - Adele
29 - 298,446 - THE FOUNDATION - Zac Brown Band
30 - 294,211 - SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - Soundtrack
31 - 278,255 - LOVE ON THE INSIDE - Sugarland
32 - 278,004 - TAYLOR SWIFT - Taylor Swift
33 - 272,474 - LEARN TO LIVE - Darius Rucker
34 - 269,219 - THA CARTER III - Lil' Wayne
35 - 268,395 - YEAR OF THE GENTLEMAN - Ne-Yo
36 - 265,594 - MAMMA MIA - Soundtrack
37 - 262,546 - ROCK N ROLL JESUS - Kid Rock
38 - 258,728 - IN A PERFECT WORLD - Keri Hilson
39 - 255,312 - CARNIVAL RIDE - Carrie Underwood
40 - 249,900 - ONE OF THE BOYS - Katy Perry
41 - 246,127 - THE LAST KISS - Jadakiss
42 - 243,980 - DEEPER THAN RAP - Rick Ross
43 - 242,389 - QUIET NIGHTS - Diana Krall
44 - 236,900 - GOOD GIRL GONE BAD - Rihanna
45 - 233,056 - WHEN THE WORLD COMES DOWN - All-American Rejects
46 - 231,400 - RAISING SAND - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
47 - 226,479 - TESTIMONY:VOL 2-LOVE AND POLITICS - India.Arie
48 - 220,735 - WIDE OPEN - Jason Aldean
49 - 212,039 - SCARS AND SOUVENIRS - Theory Of A Deadman
50 - 208,034 - SWAN SONGS - Hollywood Undead
51 - 200,398 - THAT LONESOME SONG - Jamey Johnson
52 - 199,914 - SOUL - Seal
53 - 198,700 - 2009 GRAMMY NOMINEES - Various
54 - 192,108 - DEATH MAGNETIC - Metallica
55 - 189,437 - IT'S NOT ME IT'S YOU - Lily Allen
56 - 185,411 - THE POINT OF IT ALL - Anthony Hamilton
57 - 184,678 - FEEL THAT FIRE - Dierks Bentley
58 - 184,157 - HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR - Soundtrack
59 - 183,391 - FOREVER IN THE DAY - Day26
60 - 183,389 - DAY AND AGE - Killers
61 - 182,900 - THEATER OF THE MIND - Ludacris
62 - 180,645 - GREATEST HITS VOLUME 1 - Rascal Flatts
63 - 180,255 - LADY ANTEBELLUM - Lady Antebellum
64 - 179,498 - JENNIFER HUDSON - Jennifer Hudson
65 - 176,613 - TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE - Bob Dylan
66 - 173,700 - UNCLE CHARLIE - Charlie Wilson
67 - 172,499 - KIDZ BOP 15 - Kidz Bop Kids
68 - 170,100 - DA REALIST - Plies
69 - 167,550 - THE SOUND OF MADNESS - Shinedown
70 - 164,312 - INCREDIBAD - Lonely Island
71 - 163,900 - GOLD-GREATEST HITS - Abba
72 - 156,523 - BLACK ICE - AC/DC
73 - 156,068 - EVOLVER - John Legend
74 - 155,358 - SPIRIT - Leona Lewis
75 - 154,701 - ISOULJABOYTELLEM - Soulja Boy Tell'em
76 - 154,000 - FOLIE A DEUX - Fall Out Boy
77 - 149,345 - R.O.O.T.S. (ROUTE OF OVERCOMING THE STRUGGLE) - Flo Rida
78 - 146,400 - GREATEST HITS - Guns N'Roses
79 - 145,448 - WRATH - Lamb Of God
80 - 143,691 - UGK FOR LIFE - UGK
81 - 143,573 - ONMYRADIO - Musiq Soulchild
82 - 142,700 - GREATEST HITS - Journey
83 - 141,293 - FEARLESS - Jazmine Sullivan
84 - 141,000 - THE REBIRTH - Bobby V
85 - 140,133 - THE PROMISE - Il Divo
86 - 138,207 - GOOD TIME - Alan Jackson
87 - 137,800 - NOTORIOUS - Soundtrack
88 - 137,050 - LEGEND - Bob Marley & the Wailers
89 - 134,183 - ORACULAR SPECTACULAR - MGMT
90 - 133,750 - TEN - Pearl Jam
91 - 133,500 - 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE - Jonas Brothers
92 - 132,883 - DAVID ARCHULETA - David Archuleta
93 - 132,704 - THE RECESSION - Young Jeezy
94 - 128,152 - ALL HOPE IS GONE - Slipknot
95 - 127,625 - SAVING ABEL - Saving Abel
96 - 126,731 - TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT - Hinder
97 - 125,952 - LUCKY OLD SUN - Kenny Chesney
98 - 125,354 - ROCKFERRY - Duffy
99 - 123,900 - THR33 RINGZ - T-Pain
100 - 123,487 - INDESTRUCTIBLE - Disturbed
How can an "underground" album be the 2nd most popular album of the year?