U2isthebest said:
Nearly every band coming up today, no matter how shite they are, lists U2 as a musical influence
here is one of the most important points in the entire thread...U2's universal influence. We all know Chris Martin has a hard-on for U2, but who would have predicted that Linkin Park would change their sound to reflect U2's? How about Radiohead, who everyone just
loves to compare to U2 negatively (y cant u2 b mor liek radohed lozlolozlolzoz56)? I'm pretty sure multiple members of the band have said positive things about U2 and they are an obvious influence (as far as I'm concerned Radiohead have always been a few steps behind U2... U2 did Achtung Baby, Zooropa, Passengers, and Pop, and then Radiohead did OK Computer, Kid A, and Amnesiac). What about all those hipster not-quite-indie bands (Interpol, The Killers, Bloc Party, etc)? What about these shitty boring pop songs I hear on the radio that have blatantly generic Edge guitar? Yes, people will say BUT U2 DIDNT MAYK THAT SOND EKO AND THE BUNIMEN DID AND JOY DIVISON LOLZOZLZ U2 DIDNT INVENT N E TING thats fine, but first off, I fully believe that U2 did create their own sound, regardless of other similar sounding bands at the time, the U2 sounds stands out from the rest - it's not just the Edge guitar tone. secondly though, U2 brought this sound to the masses. and U2 evolved. U2 is the band people will remember 50 years from now, because their influence will still be heard in music, just like the influence of The Beatles and Led Zeppelin and The Velvet Underground (not as famous, but incredibly influencial) can be heard today.
oh yeah and U2 made some decent albums too, some shit about trees and babies and leaves, that might have something to do with the whole legendary status thing. and the whole, you know, amazing live shows with groundbreaking technology and connecting with the audience and Bono going farther than any previous rock star in actually making a difference politically. Those could be factors too.
plus, they had their own iPod. that was neat.