Which Songs Should Have Been Singles?

[mediaman44]

I guess I'm not the sort of U2 fan that most of y'all are but I have quite a few "hits in my book" that didn't end up as hits in other people's books. I really like Love Rescue Me, In God's Country, Mother's of the Disappeared, Yahweh, Red Light and even The First Time. I am kinda a catalog U2 listener so I have eclectic tastes.

 

[LUNEDEMINUIT]

Moment of surrender a single????...MOS on KROCK???..Give me a break.

U2 never were a single band.You can count on the fingers of 1 hand the number of singles in U2's catalogue that reached the top 10 on billboard.Even "Streets" didn't reached the top 10 on billboard

 

[The Panther]

U2 have had 6 singles in the US top ten, so you must have a freaky hand. (In my country, Canada, they've had 25 top ten hits.)

They are most definitely a singles band, despite the fact that their initial popularity was mainly from live performance and (somewhat) albums. The US has been their least successful market in terms of singles, but they've still placed countless hits on the US chart.

 

[Tommy WM]

Spanish Eyes would have been a hit if it was an A-Side. Every performance i've watched is just amazing. The song is just too good to be a B-Side.

 

[patternshirt170]

U2 have had 6 singles in the US top ten, so you must have a freaky hand. (In my country, Canada, they've had 25 top ten hits.)

They are most definitely a singles band, despite the fact that their initial popularity was mainly from live performance and (somewhat) albums. The US has been their least successful market in terms of singles, but they've still placed countless hits on the US chart.

....and around 34 in the UK. If you view it purely from a US pov, then sure they're not really a singles band but then not many rock n roll acts have consistantly troubled the Billboard Top 5 regularly over the last twenty years...

U2 discography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
trusty wik!

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

here's the thing... top 10 "hits" don't really say what a "hit" is in the US anymore. it's useles. it pretty much describes who has a hit with the 12 to 24 age range.

vertigo never hit the top 10 in the US. i don't believe beautiful day did either. both were certainly "hits"

 

[intedomine]

Mofo as a lead single would have been even more left-field than Discotheque, but with an appropriate video clip, I'm sure it would have been an absolute monster. I feel the video clip for Discotheque did U2 no favours. Everyone was already conditioned to expect U2 to play around with their image, so video comes across more as gimmicky than shocking. A more mature video to accompany the release of Mofo would have been more effective than Discotheque as a first single I think.

Magnificent as first single, or an edited MoS would have succeeded more than Boots.

Also, I wonder how In God's Country might have been received as an international first or second single, as opposed to the limited and late single release it had.

 

[the tourist]

Out Of Control
I Will Follow

Gloria

New Year's Day
Sunday Bloody Sunday

Pride

With Or Without You
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Where The Streets Have No Name

Desire
All I Want Is You

Until The End Of The World
Mysterious Ways
Ultraviolet

Stay
Zooropa

Last Night On Earth
Gone
Wake Up Dead Man

Beautiful Day
Kite

Vertigo
City Of Blinding Lights

No Line On The Horizon
Moment Of Surrender
Breathe

 

[Mac_Fly]

Eno wanted MOS as the first single, and I think he was right. After Beautiful Day and Vertigo, it would have been a refreshing change of gears, a bold statement that U2 still had a few surprises up their sleeve. Interest in the album would have also piqued. A real missed opportunity.

NLOTH should have been the first single released, followed by MOS. I think it would have worked better that way. Then followed up with Breathe.

If they got to a 4th single, then they could have picked from Boots, Crazy or Magnificent. Little difference in single material there.

Boots was a mistake, not because it was bad, but because it was too formulaic after having Vertigo as the lead off single on the previous release.

 

[U2freakboy]

California!!

 

[kabigon]

There is no end to bumps

 

[Sken]

IF SOI was released traditionally, 'The Troubles' prior to album release, EBW or Invisible for launch. Invisible and Crystal B should have been on the album.

For NLOTH, looking back, I can't really see any surefire single, Moment would have been aa bold choice, but Magnificent is safe. GOYB was just a bad decision.

Or they can grow some balls and release Bad as the first single for every new album from now on. Hey, U2's new album out next month, here's the new single Bad. At the rate they release albums, they'd be targeting the next generation of listeners.

 

[CosmoKramer]

ATYCLB- Walk On should have been the 2nd single vs 3rd/4th.

HTDAAB- Miracle Drug should have been a single and I would have said 2nd single after Vertigo.

NLOTH- Magnificent should have been the first single.

SOI- EBW lead single and California would have been a good single

 

[hasin73]

Gone, Kite, EBW ( album version ), Do You Feel Loved, Mercy.

 

[popacrobat]

ATYCLB- Walk On should have been the 2nd single vs 3rd/4th.

HTDAAB- Miracle Drug should have been a single and I would have said 2nd single after Vertigo.

not sure you can argue with any of ATYCLB or Atomic Bomb's single choices. All were wildly successful on the radio/scooped up 1,000 Grammy awards.

 

[Cardiologist]

Again if you missed it Mystery is over rated

 

[CosmoKramer]

not sure you can argue with any of ATYCLB or Atomic Bomb's single choices. All were wildly successful on the radio/scooped up 1,000 Grammy awards.

No, I'm not. Just saying which ones I would have liked sooner or in addition.

 

[CosmoKramer]

, Do You Feel Loved.

Yes!!!!!!

 

[U2girl]

There is no end to bumps

Well SOI came out since thread was made so...anything but Miracle. Once again, like NLOTH the worst song is the lead single.

Either rock single in which case Cedarwood road, or a more contemporary sound / more what radio might play , ergoThis is where you can reach me now.

 

[pacemaker]

Well SOI came out since thread was made so...anything but Miracle. Once again, like NLOTH the worst song is the lead single.



Either rock single in which case Cedarwood road, or a more contemporary sound / more what radio might play , ergoThis is where you can reach me now.

I agree that Boots was a bad choice as a lead single from NLOTH... but there is absolutely no reality that exists, has existed, or will exist, where GOYB is the worst song on an album that also contains Stand Up Comedy, which is the worst song of their career.

 

[James U2]

I've always felt that U2 generally got the singles right for the most part through Zooropa, and have been hit and miss since.

I always scratch my head when people question Discotheque as the first single off of Pop. The song was a huge hit in the US. The video was on heavy, heavy rotation on MTV (MTV even did a 24 hour U2-only videos day when it was released), you couldn't go an hour without hearing it on the radio, and THE SINGLE sold over 500,000 copies (!). And SATS as the follow-up was a no brainer, as it's the most radio friendly song on the album. Where they cratered was releasing LNOE as the third single. It's arguably one of the weakest tracks on the album. I've always thought that Gone would have been a great third single, as it would have said, "See, we're still a rock band and this isn't the trip-hop dance album you've been led to believe it is." Gone and LNOE were the most traditional rock songs on the album, but Gone was head and shoulders better than LNOE.

For ATYCLB the singles were spot on. Sure, you could debate the order, but BD, Stuck, Elevation, and Walk On were no brainers.

HTDAAB was okay, with Vertigo, SYCMIOYO, and COBL being great choices. ABOY was borderline (though a great video). OOTS, while a great song, fell flat as a single.

NLOTH was basically a misfire from every angle. Boots was a dud and IGCIIDGCT was not just U2-by-numbers, but forced U2-by-numbers (thanks, Jimmy Iovine!) Magnificent is what I would have led with, and MOS absolutely should have been no later than the third single (and I'm in the group who would have been on board with U2 saying, "Screw it" and releasing MOS as the lead single). While it's not an apples-to-apples comparison (because Oasis in 1996 was bigger than U2 was in 2009) there is some similarity with Champagne Supernova as a lengthy single that worked.

For SOI I'd have led with EBW (the album version) (even though Invisible should have been on the album and the first single, not the stand alone waste that it was) and followed those two up with SFS (very radio friendly even though many on here don't like it) and called it a day. Better to release three singles that are strong singles than four or five and be forcing something just to be able to say, "this album features FIVE singles!"

In general, for the last ten years, U2 should have gone with "best song on the album" as the lead single rather than the "see, we can still rawk" song as the lead single. At this point in their careers (and for 10+ years now) they could release WOWY and it still won't get played on the radio. Release your best songs, hold your head high, and move on.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Any single off of SOI didn't stand a chance because a) they released every song at once instead of giving the single room to breath, and 2) they fucked up the release so badly that all the attention went there instead of the music.

 

[intedomine]

Any single off of SOI didn't stand a chance because a) they released every song at once instead of giving the single room to breath, and 2) they fucked up the release so badly that all the attention went there instead of the music.

True this,100%

But even if they had released Miracle as a single ahead of the release of the album, I reckon it would have been a poor advertisement for the album. Just sounds like old guys making a too concerted effort to make a rocker. The song is a better fit for the HTDAAB days.

Miracle is a piece of shit. One of U2's lowest moments in my opinion. I wish it never existed. Taints what was otherwise a decent enough album. Fuck, I hate it. Rant over.

 

[Axver]

Wow, this thread is a blast from the past.

I definitely think Gone should've been Pop's lead single. It would've capitalised on the recent success of HMTMKMKM. Gone / Discotheque / SATS / LNOE / Mofo would've been the way to go, if you ask me.

I also find it breathtaking that Gloria was not the lead single for October - and that Rejoice didn't get a run.

For the recent albums, Magnificent should've been the lead for NLOTH. Boots was a muddled clunker; Magnificent wouldn't have set worlds on fire but it would've done decently enough among U2's main demographics. The title track second would have also helped. The idea of MOS as a lead single is a right fucking laugh, and I'm not sold on it as a single at all.

And for SOI, even the band now seem to be treating EBW as if it was the lead single rather than The Miracle.

My more obscure picks for great singles: I agree with a previous poster that Spanish Eyes would've done well; Lady With the Spinning Head would've done well in clubs; In God's Country was a single but deserved a better push; UF didn't need more traction, but Wire could have done the job as a third single. And, lastly, ATYCLB also didn't need more traction but on my taste alone fuck I wish they'd released Kite instead of Stuck.

 

[Mac_Fly]

Gone, Kite, EBW ( album version ), Do You Feel Loved, Mercy.

Do You Feel Loved is a song I kinda slept through when POP first came out. But recently I played the hell out of it.

It finally clicked.

Yeah, it would have made a nice single, I'd say a third single. Don't think it would have gone over big, but it would have worked as a single.

 

[U2girl]

I agree that Boots was a bad choice as a lead single from NLOTH... but there is absolutely no reality that exists, has existed, or will exist, where GOYB is the worst song on an album that also contains Stand Up Comedy, which is the worst song of their career.

Ah, you're one of those SUC haters. The riff alone is better than entirety of Boots, but to each his own.

 

[mikal]

Ah, you're one of those SUC haters. The riff alone is better than entirety of Boots, but to each his own.

Lol.

 

[kabigon]

Headache must be preparing a ton of poop emojis

 

[Jarvio]

My thoughts for each album:

Boy:
I Will Follow should have been the lead single instead of A Day Without Me, but they were just getting started then anyway, so it's forgivable. The Electric Co is single material IMO.

October:
Not much on this album is single material IMO, so I suppose they made the right choice with the 2 they chose. Though Gloria should have been first and Fire second.

War:
NYD and THBAO were the right choices, but they also needed SBS and 40.

TUF:
Pride and TUF were the right choices, but they also needed Bad and ASOH.

TJT:
The three they chose are the obvious choices. But I also think RHMT, IGC, and OTH would make great singles. (I know IGT and OTH were "kind of" singles though).

RAH:
The right choices were made, I suppose.

AB:
I think the right choices were made, I'm not big on The Fly, but it does make sense for it to be the first single, as it's a bold statement about their change in direction. MW, One, and Wild Horses are catchy as hell, and EBTTRT is single-worthy too. UTEOTW is a good song, but I don't think it has a catchy hook, and there are already 5 singles... UV would be a better choice than UTEOTW, if they wanted to push for 6 singles.

Zooropa:
The right choices were made. Regarding Numb, it is too weird to be a "proper" single. Lemon though, should have been released in all regions.

Pop:
Right then, Discotheque I hate, but I can certainly see why it's the first single - it goes with their new style at the time. SATS, Please, and IGWSHA are good choices. But the other single should have been Mofo instead of LNOE. People are saying Gone has no hook, which I kind of agree with, but what about LNOE? That has no hook whatsoever, rubbish song, terrible single, and it tanked too. The only good thing about it is the eerie intro. So yes, the missed opportunity here is not Gone, but Mofo IMO. Mofo as single #3 would have worked well.

ATYCLB:
The right choices were made. Kite is incredible, I love it, but I'm not sure it's single material.

HTDAAB:
Vertigo, Sometimes, and COBL were the right choices. OOTS should have been a full-on single. I'm just not sure about ABOY - It's too samey, and too much like Vertigo.

NLOTH:
GOYB should have been axed completely, U2 just chickened out and wanted to play it safe and be cool with the kids. Tbh though, I don't see many songs on NLOTH that I see as single-worthy. I would say, MOS, Magnificent, I'll Go Crazy, and Breathe should have been the singles.

SOI:
The Miracle is an abysmall choice, and even worse than GOYB. EBW I can see why they released it, though I find it boring. SFS, nice song but same old.... so I think they made the wrong choices here for singles with this album. The Troubles, Volcano, and RBW should have been the singles. With the lead single being Invisible, which they obviously should have put on the album.

*Awaits getting shouted at and called names for having an opinion*

 

[Mac_Fly]

AB:
I think the right choices were made, I'm not big on The Fly, but it does make sense for it to be the first single, as it's a bold statement about their change in direction.

Which is the reason why I think NLOTH should have been the lead off single from NLOTH.

It wouldn't have been a smash hit either, like The Fly, but it would have made a better impression.