U2 doesn’t inspire weak reactions in people. There are passionate U2 fans and passionate U2 haters … and very little in between. Perhaps that’s by design.
Since the beginning, Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen, Jr. seemed to thrive on provoking reactions from their audience. Whether it’s the band’s outspoken political stance or their occasional stylistic transformation, U2 doesn’t want to earn a cursory spot on your shelf as a greatest-hits compilation or a 30-year-old record. They incite and inspire; they engage and enrage.
That’s all well and good, but what about the music? Forming in the waning days of the ’70s, as punk reformulated itself into new wave, U2 emerged as an earnest four-piece, centered on the Edge’s distinctive guitar sound. As they developed in the ’80s, they soared into arenas – but then Rattle and Hum brought an inevitable critical backlash.
What’s the Best Album by U2?
With Achtung Baby, they became almost a new band in the ’90s, with music built on their core sound yet incorporating additional layers of industrial, alternative, dance and pop elements. The dawn of the new millennium brought All That You Can’t Leave Behind, a massive hit that found a middle ground among their many studio approaches.
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Songs of Innocence took the band back to their roots with songs about their early days, even as their leading-edge distribution method sparked a new round of love-it-or-hate-it backlash. Carnaval de Luz, finally, brought a new jolt of energy.
Along the way, you probably either loved U2 or can’t stand them. Whatever your feelings, our list of U2’s albums ranked from worst to best will either reaffirm your distaste or remind you why you adore the band.
U2 Albums Ranked
U2 don’t inspire weak reactions in people. There are passionate U2 fans, and passionate U2 haters, and very little in between.
Gallery Credit: UCR Staff
