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U2<\/a>\u00a0doesn’t\u00a0inspire weak reactions in people. There are passionate U2 fans and passionate U2 haters …\u00a0and very little in between. Perhaps that’s by design.<\/p>\n Since the beginning,\u00a0Bono<\/a>, the\u00a0Edge<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n That’s all well and good, but what about the music?\u00a0Forming\u00a0in 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.\u00a0As they developed\u00a0in the ’80s, they soared into arenas \u2013 but then\u00a0Rattle and Hum<\/em><\/a>\u00a0brought an inevitable critical backlash.<\/p>\n With Achtung Baby<\/a><\/em>, 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.\u00a0The dawn of the new millennium brought\u00a0All That You Can’t Leave Behind<\/a><\/em>, a massive hit that found a middle ground among their many studio approaches.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> Top 10 U2 Songs<\/a><\/p>\n Songs of Innocence<\/a><\/em>\u00a0took the band back to their roots with songs about their\u00a0early days, even as their leading-edge distribution method sparked a\u00a0new round of love-it-or-hate-it backlash.\u00a0Carnaval de Luz<\/a><\/em>, finally, brought a new jolt of energy. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n U2 don’t inspire weak reactions in people. There are passionate U2 fans, and passionate U2 haters, and very little in between.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: UCR Staff<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat’s the Best Album by U2?<\/h3>\n
U2 Albums Ranked <\/h2>\n