I discovered U2 at the ripe old age of 33 in 1983 when I first heard “Gloria” from their October album and then “New Year’s Day” from the War album. I was transfixed by Edge’s guitar sound and the stunning spirituality of the lyrics being set to such powerful music by this band of young men not long out of high school. It was a musical revelation for me and one I haven’t forgotten to this day now in my advanced years. I will always say that U2 is what church ought to be. “Drowning Man” from the War album is one of the greatest hymns ever recorded and almost brings me to tears each time I listen to it. A wonderful review, Kyle, as always.
I wish I'd been a little older when U2 first came out. I think if I'd been in high school at the time, I'd have been a fan from the start. Glad to hear you've been along for the ride the whole time!
My top 5, (1 is fav). AB and JT are pretty much flawless. I think Pop and No Line are underrated, particularly as No Line has Moment of Surrender on it. Zooropa has a couple of filler tracks, but has a number of classics too - Lemon, Stay, The Wanderer. For fans the Passengers album is well worth a listen - an album dominated by Eno's ambient style, but still contains hooks and melodies too. Under A Blood Red Sky is also a great live EP that sums up the early U2 sound. 5.No Line on the Horizon 4. Pop 3. Zooropa 2. Joshua Tree 1. Achtung Baby
Really enjoyed your list and appreciate your thoughtful comments. I was born around the same time so I share a similar perspective. My list is the following 1) Achtung Baby 2) Joshua Tree 3) Zooropa 4) Pop 5) Rattle and Hum.
I have The Joshua Tree 🌳 # 1 Boy # 2 Unforgettable Fire 🔥 # 3 # Achtung Baby # 4 & October # 5 .. War would be # 6 .. Like U2 best when Steve Lillywhite is Producing.
Great list Kyle, I have been a U2 fan since the early 2000s My top 5 list are 1) War 2) The Joshua Tree 3) Achtung Baby 4) The Unforgettable Fire 5) Zooropa
Your choices are very similar to mine. Really the only difference is that I have The Unforgettable Fire at #5. And then Pop at #6, just barely beating Rattle and Hum.
My Top Five Is: 1. Achtung Baby 2. The Joshua Tree 3. The Unforgettable Fire 4. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 5. Zooropa Runner Up: War (It's close to Zooropa but I like Zooropa a tad more)
By the way, With Or Without You was the first song from U2 I ever heard. I still love it, such a classic My other favourite U2 Songs are: "Kite" & "Walk On" (2000), "New Year's Day" & "40" (1983), "Miracle Drug" & "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" & "Original Of The Species" (2004), "Every Breaking Wave" (2014), "Electrical Storm" (2002), "Window in the Skies" (2007), "Exit" & "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" & "Running to Stand Still" & "Mothers Of The Disappeared" (1987), and finally "Magnificent" & "Moment Of Surrender" & "White As Snow" (2009)
Got a preview copy of Songs of Surrender and boy could it have used more reinterpretations like Rattle And Hum's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For!" I loved the idea of reinterpretations from U2, but what we got, as I feared, are boring easy listening reinterpretations of their catalog! Uggghhhh! Great top 5 list though, spot on!
I would like U2 to release a compilation for the last 20 years like they did for 1980-90 and 1990-00. To much filler on the newer albums, but still great singles.
Rattle and Hum could've had more original songs. A Room at The Heartbreak Hotel; Hallelujah Here She Comes, Walk to the Water; Luminous Times could have been on the album as welll
@jonathanpowell668 there was a U2 cover story in Rolling Stone after the Zooropa album came out, and Brian Eno showed the reporter an entire ITunes catalogue of U2 album rejects that he kept, that the band didn't want on an album. So I think it would probably be a box set of U2 b-sides
I must be the odd one out: everybody ranks TJT at number one but I always felt that, despite some great songs, as an album it is not their strongest record. My number 1 is actually a tie between AB and Boy
Achtung Baby was my gateway U2 album and still remains my number 1. Great idea for a top 5, so please do more of these. Have you done this for Pink Floyd?
I will indeed do a Pink Floyd Top 5! They're my favorite band, so that's definitely one I plan to create. I just didn't want to start with an obvious one like that (since I do a lot of Pink Floyd videos already), so I started with Rolling Stones and now U2.
@Piotr Langtvedt - I will definitely do more Top 5 videos, but I'm not sure I'll do entire discographies. That is a TON of work, and the reason I started Top 5 was because I wanted to be able to do ranking videos for a lot of artists without it being too overwhelming. I'd like to try to do maybe one a month, so we'll see how it goes.
i heard war on a ski bus trip with my neighborhood friends.. tony c had the cassette. i went out and got it the first chance i got. couldnt wait to play it for my brother.. my brother said" they will never amount to any thing" would kid him about that for decades.... my ski club has a u2 cover band the joshua tree come play our end of the season party. video on yt
No arguing with The Joshua Tree. It will forever be their ultimate masterpiece. But I’ve always thought their debut “ Boy “ was very overlooked as an album. There’s more to that one than “ I Will Follow. “ And I think Unforgettable Fire would have to be in my top 5, along with War and Achtung Baby.
Pop is criminally underrated and unappreciated
I agree. Not one I'd put in my top 5, but still not respected as much as it should be.
its their best album
yeah - i said it
it is the best u2 album
My top 5 for what its worth!
5. Pop
4. Zooropa
3. Unforgettable Fire
2. Joshua Tree
1. Achtung Baby
Some bold picks there with Pop and Zooropa. I dig them both, just not in my top 5.
I discovered U2 at the ripe old age of 33 in 1983 when I first heard “Gloria” from their October album and then “New Year’s Day” from the War album. I was transfixed by Edge’s guitar sound and the stunning spirituality of the lyrics being set to such powerful music by this band of young men not long out of high school. It was a musical revelation for me and one I haven’t forgotten to this day now in my advanced years. I will always say that U2 is what church ought to be. “Drowning Man” from the War album is one of the greatest hymns ever recorded and almost brings me to tears each time I listen to it. A wonderful review, Kyle, as always.
I wish I'd been a little older when U2 first came out. I think if I'd been in high school at the time, I'd have been a fan from the start. Glad to hear you've been along for the ride the whole time!
My top 5, (1 is fav). AB and JT are pretty much flawless. I think Pop and No Line are underrated, particularly as No Line has Moment of Surrender on it. Zooropa has a couple of filler tracks, but has a number of classics too - Lemon, Stay, The Wanderer.
For fans the Passengers album is well worth a listen - an album dominated by Eno's ambient style, but still contains hooks and melodies too. Under A Blood Red Sky is also a great live EP that sums up the early U2 sound.
5.No Line on the Horizon
4. Pop
3. Zooropa
2. Joshua Tree
1. Achtung Baby
Solid picks!
My top 5: #1) Zooropa #2) Achtung Baby #3) The Unforgettable Fire #4) The Joshua Tree #5) War
Zooropa at #1 is a bold choice! Nice!
Nice choices, Rattle and Hum definitely underrated. Love most of the studio songs on it, and some of the live ones.
Nice video, thanks for sharing 👍❤
Thanks for watching!
Great list. I'm glad you mentioned how cinematic The Joshua Tree is.
Yes, it’s an album you can close your eyes and visualize from start to finish.
Night And Day off of Red, Hot, and Blue, was THE foreshadow to the chance in direction in sound fully realized in Achtung Baby
Never thought of it that way, but you’re right !
So glad that you included Rattle and Hum! This is my favorite U2 album and at times it seems like I'm the only person who likes it. :)
It is a very underrated album, for sure!
I go: Unforgettable Fire < Boy < War < Achtung Baby < Joshua Tree
Solid picks for sure
U2 is my fav band, seen them 43 times since Joshua Tree Tour…here’s my top 5:
1. Achtung Baby
2. Joshua Tree
3. Boy
4. ATYCLB
5. HTDAAB
Solid picks!
Really enjoyed your list and appreciate your thoughtful comments. I was born around the same time so I share a similar perspective. My list is the following 1) Achtung Baby 2) Joshua Tree 3) Zooropa 4) Pop 5) Rattle and Hum.
All great choices!
I saw U2 at the Ritz in NYC in 1983, plus many times after that.
Just bought U2's new album 'Songs Of Surrender' today, it's a pretty cool album, it's okay.
Yeah, it's an ok album.
Oh welcome to 2024 I can't skip ads anymore
I have The Joshua Tree 🌳 # 1 Boy # 2 Unforgettable Fire 🔥 # 3 # Achtung Baby # 4 & October # 5 .. War would be # 6 .. Like U2 best when Steve Lillywhite is Producing.
Very interesting picks! I think Boy and October would be in my low top ten, but I might put Unforgettable Fire at #6.
Great list Kyle, I have been a U2 fan since the early 2000s My top 5 list are
1) War
2) The Joshua Tree
3) Achtung Baby
4) The Unforgettable Fire
5) Zooropa
Your choices are very similar to mine. Really the only difference is that I have The Unforgettable Fire at #5. And then Pop at #6, just barely beating Rattle and Hum.
5. Unforgettable Fire
4. Zooropa
3. Joshua Tree
2. Pop
1. Achtung Baby
Solid list
My Top Five Is:
1. Achtung Baby
2. The Joshua Tree
3. The Unforgettable Fire
4. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
5. Zooropa
Runner Up: War (It's close to Zooropa but I like Zooropa a tad more)
Bold choices! Nice!
Great choices, Kyle. Your Top 5 matches mine in the exact order.
Glad I got it right! ;)
My top five:
1. The Joshua Tree
2, The Unforgettable Fire
3. Achtung Baby
4. October
5. Pop
Mostly different from mine but all solid picks
Swap War with TUF and we’re pretty much aligned
TUF would not be far outside my top 5.
By the way, With Or Without You was the first song from U2 I ever heard. I still love it, such a classic
My other favourite U2 Songs are: "Kite" & "Walk On" (2000), "New Year's Day" & "40" (1983), "Miracle Drug" & "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" & "Original Of The Species" (2004), "Every Breaking Wave" (2014), "Electrical Storm" (2002), "Window in the Skies" (2007), "Exit" & "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" & "Running to Stand Still" & "Mothers Of The Disappeared" (1987), and finally "Magnificent" & "Moment Of Surrender" & "White As Snow" (2009)
Great list!
1. The Joshua Tree
2. Achtung Baby
3. The Unforgettable Fire
4. Rattle & Hum
5a. All That You Can’t Leave Behind
5b. Zooropa
Got a preview copy of Songs of Surrender and boy could it have used more reinterpretations like Rattle And Hum's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For!" I loved the idea of reinterpretations from U2, but what we got, as I feared, are boring easy listening reinterpretations of their catalog! Uggghhhh! Great top 5 list though, spot on!
Yeah, SoS is fine. That's all. Just fine. I wish they'd spent the time finishing up their next "real" album instead, though.
I started at The Unforgettable Fire too haha. Thanks to an older friend in my town.
I didn't have older friends or an older sibling to expose me to the cool stuff, unfortunately. LOL!
I would like U2 to release a compilation for the last 20 years like they did for 1980-90 and 1990-00. To much filler on the newer albums, but still great singles.
I'd buy that!
Great video. My top 5 would be 1. War 2. Joshua Tree 3. Unforgettable Fire 4. Achtung Baby 5. Boy
Solid picks
Rattle and Hum could've had more original songs. A Room at The Heartbreak Hotel; Hallelujah Here She Comes, Walk to the Water; Luminous Times could have been on the album as welll
Funny to think that with all the b-sides on the CD singles they could have released an album of just original songs!
Defo would have been a much better album with those. The Helter Skelter cover is terrible. A B-sides album well overdue!
@jonathanpowell668 there was a U2 cover story in Rolling Stone after the Zooropa album came out, and Brian Eno showed the reporter an entire ITunes catalogue of U2 album rejects that he kept, that the band didn't want on an album. So I think it would probably be a box set of U2 b-sides
Mine would be Achtung, Zooropa, Joshua, War, Passengers
Passengers! Great one!
Any real fan knows that Passengers is a part of their brilliant 90's reinvention, experimentation...
True
I must be the odd one out: everybody ranks TJT at number one but I always felt that, despite some great songs, as an album it is not their strongest record. My number 1 is actually a tie between AB and Boy
I think both AB and Boy are worthy picks. AB grabs the top spot for many people!
Achtung Baby was my gateway U2 album and still remains my number 1. Great idea for a top 5, so please do more of these. Have you done this for Pink Floyd?
I will indeed do a Pink Floyd Top 5! They're my favorite band, so that's definitely one I plan to create. I just didn't want to start with an obvious one like that (since I do a lot of Pink Floyd videos already), so I started with Rolling Stones and now U2.
@@TrackXTrack Do more of the top 5 shows. But for me it would be even more interesting if you showed the whole discography, from worst to best.
@Piotr Langtvedt - I will definitely do more Top 5 videos, but I'm not sure I'll do entire discographies. That is a TON of work, and the reason I started Top 5 was because I wanted to be able to do ranking videos for a lot of artists without it being too overwhelming. I'd like to try to do maybe one a month, so we'll see how it goes.
i heard war on a ski bus trip with my neighborhood friends.. tony c had the cassette. i went out and got it the first chance i got. couldnt wait to play it for my brother.. my brother said" they will never amount to any thing" would kid him about that for decades.... my ski club has a u2 cover band the joshua tree come play our end of the season party. video on yt
ps im so mad they played malabu the big local club i didnt go
Achtung Baby
Songs of Innocence
Pop
War
The Joshua Tree
Solid picks!
I liked U2 from their irst album. For me, U2 only really made 5 great albus and their era ended in 1987 with 'The Joshua Tree'.
Good analysis. My personal list goes...
5. Achtung Baby
4. Zooropa
3. War
2. The Unforgettable Fire
1. The Joshua Tree
Nice picks!
any answer other then "War" is wrong
My fav is POP …
That's a good one!
No arguing with The Joshua Tree. It will forever be their ultimate masterpiece. But I’ve always thought their debut “ Boy “ was very overlooked as an album. There’s more to that one than “ I Will Follow. “
And I think Unforgettable Fire would have to be in my top 5, along with War and Achtung Baby.
All good picks, and some would be on the edge of my top 5 for sure
Nowadays U2 and Coldplay similar paths...
Sound evolvement...?🤔
Both have evolved for sure. I've enjoyed the entire journey with U2, but I'm not a fan of the direction Coldplay has gone.
@@TrackXTrack not my band, I do like Achtung Baby though, and Zooropa occasionally, but the moment I saw The Sweetest Thing... that was enough
Another great Top 5, my friend! Can't really argue your picks. Here's my list: ua-cam.com/video/ELW5n8zMrPA/v-deo.html
Anyone that doesn't have the same top two (but in either order) is simply wrong. LOL! (Kidding, of course.)
@@TrackXTrack agreed!
For me. no. 1. THE JOSHUA TREE. 2. THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE. 3. WAR. 4. ACHTUNG BABY. 5. RATTLE AND HUM.
We agree on several of these. Nice picks!