U2 - Community rankings - FIN - #4 Sunday Bloody Sunday, #3 - One, #2 - Bad, #1 - Where the Streets Have No Name -Spotify links, thanks to Krista4 (3 Viewers)

[Alex P Keaton]

(55) - > 53- God Part II

Vulture.com ranking and comment - “God Part II” is meant as a direct a response to the 1988 Albert Goldman bio of John Lennon, following his then-shocking Elvis biography in the early ’80s. Not all windmills need to be tilted at, and a line like: “I don’t believe that rock’n’roll / Can really change the world” seemed pretty misplaced.

Original Comment - This is the first, but by no means the last song on this list which doesn’t have a ranking over 100. This song gets a lot of critics. I actually enjoy it. Its probably their best sign of whats gonna come on Achtung Baby

Total Points - 626.70

Rankers - 17

Average Points per rank - 36.84 (Approximately a 51st rank). 

Ranks  - 38th on average points per ranker

Highest Rank - 9

Lowest Rank - 176

Previous Rank - 55 > 53

Special Version Requested - None

Ranking Comments - Two top 10 rankings, 4 others in the top 25, but only 2 others on the top 50. There are 8 rankings between 55 and 87. The ranking points for thee songs will start ramping up quickly as more rankers start piling on. 

I was at 64 on this.  Solid track.  Taking risks.   Some of the lyrics feel forced.  “Don’t believe in the uzi, it just went off in my hands….”  Others, which I won’t quote, don’t hold up well.

Mrs APK didn’t rank it.   She actually commented:  “never really cared much for it.  Meh.”

 

[Brony]

Zooropa - 15.  My two favorite tracks from Zooropa hit at once.  I'll admit that the slow build here and its payoff is a far cry from Where the Streets.  But once this actual song gets going from the 2 minute mark, I love it.  The middle section has that Acthung Baby sound but just enough funk to suggest that this album is going to be different (for better or for worse; usually worse it will turn out).  I think the last section (from 4 minutes) is just the right balance of having a little angst energy without going overboard like they do so many times and usually sounding phony.     I enjoy the progression of this song - it's not trying to go from a piano ballad right into heavy metal to make a point.  Probably should have put this song around 20 or 25 in hindsight.  

Lemon - 25.  Like Playboy Mansion, this is another song that took a long time to click.  There are aspects of this song that don't do much for me, but I absolutely love that mix of piano, falsetto and Edge's "Midnight" on the chorus.   There's way too much falsetto throughout the song, but what it does right, I really enjoy.  After enough listens, the distracting parts I tend to ignore and look forward to the chorus.   

God Part II - 86.   This is one of two songs from R&H that I kinda like.  I'm not into many of the angry angsty U2 songs - it's not what I listen to U2 for to borrow someone else's words. If I want punk, I have a whole lot of bands that do it better to my ears.  Compared to their other edgy songs, this one is not bad and one of the R&H songs that sounded fresh and original. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Welcome to the start of the top 50.

Let’s just called today “S” day

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

(49) - > 50- Sweetest Thing

Vulture.com ranking and comment -54/218 - It’s a compact little love ditty, written because Bono missed his wife’s birthday while working on The Joshua Tree. “Sweetest Thing” didn’t fit the record (it ended up as the B-side to “Where the Streets Have No Name”), and then was dusted off and rerecorded in 1998 for the leadoff single on the greatest-hits compilation The Best, 1980–1990. It’s innocuous enough, but what bumps it up a bracket is the video made to promote it, featuring Bono and what seems like half of Dublin coming out to support him in currying favor with a lady, played by Ali Hewson herself (in exchange for the single’s royalties being donated to her favorite charity, the Chernobyl Children’s Project). The video features: Irish boy band Boyzone, male strippers dressed as firefighters, a boys’ marching band, a string quartet, an elephant, a chef (played by Bono’s brother Norman), skywriting, street banners, and the remaining members of U2. Watch for the moment when Bono removes his glasses for extra emphasis at the “A blue-eyed boy / Meets a brown-eyed girl” line.

Original Comment - This evolved from b side to a single to a beloved song. It was the lead off single for a greatest hits compilation in 1998. Simple, but effective. The video is adorable too. Second highest ranking was 79, so my ranking of 17 drags it right into the top 50.

Total Points - 663.75

Rankers - 19

Average Points per rank - 34.93 (Approximately a 52nd rank). 

Ranks  - 40th on average points per ranker

Highest Rank - 16

Lowest Rank - 160

Previous Rank - 49 > 50

Special Version Requested - None

Ranking Comments - Bit of an oddity with the top ranking of 16 occurring with 3 different rankers. Theres even a 17 right behind it. 8 others in the top 50. It holds its place where it could have easily slipped down. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

(43) - > 49- Staring at the Sun

Vulture.com ranking and comment -108/218 - On the record, the song isn’t that impactful, but on tour, they stripped it down to Bono and the Edge on acoustic out on the catwalk, and it was breathtaking.

Original Comment - There is an elite song here, but they could never find it. Much to their and our frustration. Lyrically and musically...it just doesnt come together. It does attract 2 top 50 rankings from us. Not me, I am second lowest as I find it annoying that they couldn’t find the best of this song.

Total Points - 676.10

Rankers - 21

Average Points per rank - 32.19 (Approximately a 59th rank). 

Ranks  - 43rd on average points per ranker

Highest Rank - 13

Lowest Rank - 171

Previous Rank - 43 > 49

Special Version Requested - None

Ranking Comments - This song has a lot more fans than I would have thought. There are 4 top 20 rankings, as well as 9 other top 50 rankings. It still roughly holds its place from last time. I just get frustrated knowing theres a better song here than what was released. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

(76) - > 48 - Silver and Gold live from Denver (Rattle and Hum)

(76) - > 48 - Silver and Gold (The Joshua Tree - 20th anniversary edition)

Vulture.com ranking and comment -50/218 - When Keith Richards somehow refrains from planting his boot up your ### for confessing that you not only don’t know the blues, you “object to it,” you go home and write this in penance. And then, somehow, Bono managed to charm Ricahrds and Ron Wood into recording the track with him, which appeared on the Sun City album in all its overwrought vocal glory.

U2 recorded it during The Joshua Tree sessions, where it ended up in the outtake pile, even though in many ways it is better than the version that appeared on Sun City. The Sun City version absolutely has its moments (with Keith Richards hitting some very Keith Richards chords), but it is mostly a mess in a “Dylan shows up to Live Aid with Ron Wood and Keith and the three of them make damn fools of themselves” kind of way. The studio version, on the other hand, is compact, taut, focused, and takes no prisoners. The moment when both Larry and Edge explode after the second chorus is priceless, and Bono’s vocals are far more believable now that he’s not trying to imitate a 70-year-old black sharecropper.

Finally, there’s the explosive live version that showed up on Rattle and Hum — except Bono had to offer that sarcastic, “Okay, Edge, play the blues,” which was just fuel to the fire for the critics who didn’t pick up on the sarcasm and thought the band were too full of themselves.

Original Comment - We enter the top third of our countdown. An interesting story, but its got B side written all over it. Promoted for the Rattle and Hum LP

Total Points - 683.00

Rankers - 21

Average Points per rank - 32.52 (Approximately a 58th rank). 

Ranks  - 42nd on average points per ranker

Highest Rank - 17

Lowest Rank - 179

Previous Rank - 76 > 48

Special Version Requested - (76) - > 48 - Silver and Gold (The Joshua Tree - 20th anniversary edition

Ranking Comments - This one has a lot of fans and makes a big jump. A whopping 7 top 25 entries, despite a high as low as 17. 8 more rankings between 30 and 54. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Next up we see our highest ranking song per average so far. The  problem was it only had 16 rankers. Only 3 songs left have less than 20 rankers. The next one is our biggest jumper left. I have made my hatred of this song is well known, but the masses have spoken. The last one is an early track that jumps into the top 50.

After the next batch, we will only have 3 songs left that ranked in the 60s last time and two from the 70s. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Staring at the Sun = 36. Benefits from being on an album where the arrangements strangle most of the songs but didn't in this case. Might have been lower (Binky: higher) if it had appeared elsewhere. I think this one has a great melody and its music is as Beatlesque as the band ever got. 

Silver And Gold = 43. Mostly based on the live RAH version, which I have heard far more often than the other versions. It's thrilling and explosive.  

Sweetest Thing = 56. Lovely tune, I just think Bono's voice stretches where it shouldn't in a few places.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

(76) - > 48 - Silver and Gold live from Denver (Rattle and Hum)

(76) - > 48 - Silver and Gold (The Joshua Tree - 20th anniversary edition)

Vulture.com ranking and comment -50/218 - When Keith Richards somehow refrains from planting his boot up your ### for confessing that you not only don’t know the blues, you “object to it,” you go home and write this in penance. And then, somehow, Bono managed to charm Ricahrds and Ron Wood into recording the track with him, which appeared on the Sun City album in all its overwrought vocal glory.

U2 recorded it during The Joshua Tree sessions, where it ended up in the outtake pile, even though in many ways it is better than the version that appeared on Sun City. The Sun City version absolutely has its moments (with Keith Richards hitting some very Keith Richards chords), but it is mostly a mess in a “Dylan shows up to Live Aid with Ron Wood and Keith and the three of them make damn fools of themselves” kind of way. The studio version, on the other hand, is compact, taut, focused, and takes no prisoners. The moment when both Larry and Edge explode after the second chorus is priceless, and Bono’s vocals are far more believable now that he’s not trying to imitate a 70-year-old black sharecropper.

Finally, there’s the explosive live version that showed up on Rattle and Hum — except Bono had to offer that sarcastic, “Okay, Edge, play the blues,” which was just fuel to the fire for the critics who didn’t pick up on the sarcasm and thought the band were too full of themselves.

Original Comment - We enter the top third of our countdown. An interesting story, but its got B side written all over it. Promoted for the Rattle and Hum LP

Total Points - 683.00

Rankers - 21

Average Points per rank - 32.52 (Approximately a 58th rank). 

Ranks  - 42nd on average points per ranker

Highest Rank - 17

Lowest Rank - 179

Previous Rank - 76 > 48

Special Version Requested - (76) - > 48 - Silver and Gold (The Joshua Tree - 20th anniversary edition

Ranking Comments - This one has a lot of fans and makes a big jump. A whopping 7 top 25 entries, despite a high as low as 17. 8 more rankings between 30 and 54. 

#20 for Mrs APK:  “I like that it’s different than the other songs they did then.  I like that it’s a bit of a rougher sound, like the loud vs quiet mixture by Bono, like the blues vs harder edgier rock sound.”

It was #69 for me.  Self indulgent Bono.  “This song was written, in a hotel room outside NY City…..”

The moaning.  The panting.  Ugh.

 

[foxco]

(40) - > 55- Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get out Of

Vulture.com ranking and comment -73/218 - Brian Eno can throw everything into a blender that he wants, but this is still a gospel song at its heart — a tribute to Michael Hutchence, the late INXS singer who was a friend of the band and whose suicide weighed heavily on Bono and Edge particularly. Bono told Rolling Stone, “t’s a row I didn’t have while he was alive.” The last three stanzas of the song are heart-wrenching.

This was #23 for me and I really like the studio version, but the reason I ranked it so high is the stripped down acoustic version that I think is absolutely terrific. Really drives home the lyrics and the emotion. 

 

[foxco]

 Self indulgent Bono. 

Pretty sure "self indulgent" is redundant when talking about Bono

 

[Grace Under Pressure]

• Staring at the Sun -> 59
  
• Sweetest Thing -> 69
  
• Silver and Gold -> 116
  

Pleasantly surprised to see the high rankings on Staring at the Sun. At 59, I thought I might be on the one of the higher rankers. I'd put it high on the dimension of "sing-ability", an attribute U2 songs do well on IMO. I'm also a Pop advocate in general. Glad to see it.

Sweetest Thing, to me, is all about the video. Bono's sorry, you see. Really sorry. It's a great watch if you haven't seen it (you probably all have). I'm at 69, it's a nice song otherwise but nothing special if we're being real (we are). 

Silver and Gold is solid. It earned a ranking.

 

[simey]

(43) - > 49- Staring at the Sun

I ranked this song #44.  I've never cared much for the album Pop,  but this song is a highlight on it for me. I've liked it since the first time I heard it. I'd forgotten about it over the years, because I rarely hear it. It's been nice revisiting it.

 

[Nemesis]

SONGS 48-54   (click on the link for more background info)

54 Zooropa  concept originated from Zoo TV Tour soundchecks.....Larry played the BASS guitar intro on the recording of this one.   Commentary on consumerism & Contains corporate slogans (Audi / US Army / United Airlines, etc)

53 God Part II   Answer to Lennon's song "God," where he named things he didn't believe in. Bono followed the pattern by creating his own list.  The lyrics, "Don't believe in Goldman" refer to Albert Goldman, who wrote an unflattering biography of Lennon after his death.
"You glorify the past & the Future Dries up!...I don't believe in Goldman/His type like a curse/Instant Karma's gonna get him/If I don't get him first...I Believe in Love!"

52 When Love Comes   U2 attended a BB King concert in Dublin...they agree to collaborate on a song.  Later, BB King is the opener for U2's 1989 Lovetown tour  

51 Lemon   Bono receives a Super 8 home video of his mother in a Yellow dress from a relative.....it inpires him to write the lyrics.   Started out as a disco tune until Brian Eno got a hold of it.    Only been played 10 times on tour.

50 Sweetest Thing  for the video, they actually flew an elephant from Belgium to Dublin on 1-day's notice.   Check out the link on how the video was made.

49 Staring at the Sun   On April 25, 1997, U2 performed this live for the 1st time during the PopMart tour opener in Las Vegas. It didn't go so well - the band stopped & re-started the song because not everyone was on the same tempo. (Bono singing at the wrong tempo was to blame for the mistake.) Link   
The music press made much of the fact that U2 had launched a massive world tour before they had even learned to perform the new songs in a live setting. Eventually, U2 would abandon the full band performance in concert, favoring a stripped-down version featuring only Bono on vocals & Edge on acoustic guitar.
2 videos were made.......1 of them directed by Morleigh Steinberg (Edge's 2nd wife)

48 Silver & Gold   Originally composed by Bono in '85......and then re-worked in '87 by U2.......the link has even more info.
Sadly, the song was only played live 20 times during that tour (and then only once since then in 2001) 

 

[Nemesis]

Staring at the Sun = 36. Benefits from being on an album where the arrangements strangle most of the songs but didn't in this case. Might have been lower if it had appeared elsewhere. I think this 1 has a great melody & its music is as Beatlesque as the band ever got. 

I ranked this song #44.  I've never cared much for the album Pop,  but this song is a highlight on it for me. I've liked it since the 1st time I heard it. I'd forgotten about it over the yrs, because I rarely hear it. It's been nice revisiting it.

For me, i submitted my Top 50 songs to JML.   I had 0 Zooropa songs and only 1 song from Pop  (Staring at the Sun #42).

 @Pip's Invitation + @simey both bring up good points:
A lot of U2's fanbase were turned off by this stage......Did the song get lifted when they compared it with the rest of these songs?

 

[simey]

For me, i submitted my Top 50 songs to JML.   I had 0 Zooropa songs and only 1 song from Pop  (Staring at the Sun #42).

 @Pip's Invitation + @simey both bring up good points:
Does the song get lifted because U2's fans were starving & HAD TO find at least 1 song they liked?

I like the song in general. It just happens to be on an album that I'm not crazy about. If it were on TJT, I would still have it ranked at #44.  In fairness to the Pop album, I never really gave it much of a chance after initially hearing it. I did listen to it again for these rankings, and there are some songs that could possibly grow on me if I listened to the album over and over. Maybe. For now, Staring at the Sun is the chosen one.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

A lot of U2's fanbase were turned off by this stage......Did the song get lifted when they compared it with the rest of these songs?

It was certainly no rehash of their previous work, but it fit into the range of what people expected U2 to sound like, and most of the rest of the album did not. That can be overcome if the songs are strong enough (see AB), but most of them weren't in this case. I would not at all be surprised if this was by far the favorite song from Pop of casual U2 fans. (I myself became much more of a casual U2 fan after Pop and my bad experience at a show on the PopMart tour, which I chronicled earlier in this thread). 

 

[krista4]

I'd meant to do an accounting before we got to the top 50, so I'll do it now before reading today's posts.

Of the consensus top 50, I still have 46 left.   

My lowest ranked song still to be posted is #83, and after that everything is at 65 or higher.

I still have all of my top 10, 23 of my top 25, and 39 of my top 50.

I'd be interested to hear how other people's lists are shaping up!

 

[Pip's Invitation]

34 of my top 50 are in the overall top 50. The 16 of my top 50 that have already appeared, I ranked 22, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31, 32, 36, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 46, 49 and 50. So my top 20 is probably pretty chalk (except for Exit, which I have in the top 10 but don't expect anyone else to) but my list is pretty divergent after that. 

 

[krista4]

34 of my top 50 are in the overall top 50. The 16 of my top 50 that have already appeared, I ranked 22, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31, 32, 36, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 46, 49 and 50. So my top 20 is probably pretty chalk (except for Exit, which I have in the top 10 but don't expect anyone else to) but my list is pretty divergent after that. 

How many of your 80 are still left?

 

[Pip's Invitation]

How many of your 80 are still left?

42. Everything after #60 is gone except for #79. 

 

[krista4]

#20 for Mrs APK:  “I like that it’s different than the other songs they did then.  I like that it’s a bit of a rougher sound, like the loud vs quiet mixture by Bono, like the blues vs harder edgier rock sound.”

It was #69 for me.  Self indulgent Bono.  “This song was written, in a hotel room outside NY City…..”

The moaning.  The panting.  Ugh.

  There's my #83!  Silver and Gold was still good enough to make my list, but relatively low for just this reason.  I'm surprised to see it ranking this highly.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

  There's my #83!  Silver and Gold was still good enough to make my list, but relatively low for just this reason.  I'm surprised to see it ranking this highly.

I've just kinda blocked that part out. The performance of the song itself is so strong that it overwhelms the excess Bono-ness. 

 

[krista4]

Staring at the Sun - #38.  I like Pip's comment on it being Beatlesque.  It's a reserved but beautiful song to me, expansive at just the right times.  

Sweetest Thing - #29.  This was a surprise to me.  I never had it this high until the end, but it just kept creeping up there.  It's a trifle, but a little bit of pop perfection with a glorious hook.  I didn't usually watch videos but did for this song, and it adds to the appeal.  Totes adorbs.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

I'd meant to do an accounting before we got to the top 50, so I'll do it now before reading today's posts.

Of the consensus top 50, I still have 46 left.   

My lowest ranked song still to be posted is #83, and after that everything is at 65 or higher.

I still have all of my top 10, 23 of my top 25, and 39 of my top 50.

I'd be interested to hear how other people's lists are shaping up!

I think you would win every prize lol. Missing out on only 4 of the top 50 is an impressive effort.

I have 32 of the top 50 still remaining. I lost my 15 (Lemon), 18 (Miss Sarajevo) and most of the others in my top 50 were “newer” songs. 

In the consensus top 50 I still have my 81, 86, 118, 120, 131, 178 and 282 ranked songs still to come. My 171 and 179 songs fell with Staring at the Sun and Silver and Gold. By the time we get to #38 i will have lost 5 of my 7 bottom ranked songs remaining. The #33 and the #19 consensus are the last I have ranked over 80. 

 

[krista4]

In the consensus top 50 I still have my 81, 86, 118, 120, 131, 178 and 282 ranked songs still to come. 

I know we’ll see it in the next batch, but I can’t remember which song you dislike so much (#282).  

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I know we’ll see it in the next batch, but I can’t remember which song you dislike so much (#282).  

I think it's Wire. He made it clear in the first countdown how much he dislikes it. 

 

[simey]

I'd be interested to hear how other people's lists are shaping up!

I ranked 50 songs, and I have 38 of them left.

 

[Grace Under Pressure]

I ranked 122 songs. Of those 122 songs, many have already been revealed. Importantly, of the 50 or so still remaining, a certain number, or percentage if you will, are still intact, waiting to be revealed.

In other words, I have no idea.  Looking forward to the top 50 though!

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Math is hard!

 

[Anarchy99]

To wind down my trip stories, when I had the chance, I asked people if they ever came across any of the band members in the course of their daily existence. 

One server at a restaurant overheard me asking a couple of people about local U2 run ins. She said she worked a catering gig for a fundraiser in town and remembered meeting / serving Bono. I asked how that went and how he was. She didn't have much to say about the experience other than "he wasn't bad and was less of a %^&*@! than some of the other snooty people there that night."

I ran into a guy in his 20's at a pub who was a big U2 fan. He told me a story involving his parents that annoyed him something fierce. They aren't big fans, but they went out to dinner one night, and just after they were seated, the father looked out the window and saw Bono and his wife Alison just outside. The father tapped on the window to get their attention and then ran outside to say hello. The father said his son is the biggest fan of the band. Bono and his wife were out looking for someplace to eat dinner and opted to go into the restaurant and eat with the couple. The dad got Bono to leave a video message for his son, who was totally jealous of his parents (who totally didn't appreciate the epicness of the moment!).

One of our tour guides had a similar story involving his brother. The two were intending to meet up one night but the tour guide couldn't make it. The brother ended up bumping into Bono (who was alone) one night by literally walking into him on the sidewalk. The two went into the nearest pub, had a couple of pints, Bono paid, and the brother said he was the coolest guy. The tour guide told me that Bono pops up at places all the time when he is around. Apparently, three members of the band still live there (although I didn't get who's the one that lives elsewhere). He showed me a pic on his phone of his brother with the world's biggest smile with Bono. Pretty cool.

That's the trip in a nutshell (unless anyone has questions for me).

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

That's the trip in a nutshell (unless anyone has questions for me).

Thanks for the reports. They were fantastic to read. Did the trip alter your perception of the band, their music or any member?

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

(31) - > 47- Kite

Vulture.com ranking and comment -85/218 - Another heartbreaker, this one is subconsciously about Bono’s father (who would pass away in 2001), but is also just another missive of remembrance and loss. Bono’s voice soars, climbing from the end of the first verse until he goes full throttle into the chorus, with the Edge behind him echoing the melody.

Comment - This is a beautiful song. Vocals and music are in harmony. Perfect album track. At a different time could have been a single. Another odd one for the rankings. We have the #2 ranking and two closer to 100. I am at #30 as I am quite fond of it. Some of the live versions are sensational. 

Total Points - 723.40

Rankers - 16

Average Points per rank - 45.21 (Approximately a 32nd rank). 

Ranks  - 30th on average points per ranker

Highest Rank - 2

Lowest Rank - 187

Previous Rank - 31 > 47

Special Version Requested - None

Ranking Comments - We have a 2 ranking for this, just like last time, but not enough rankers to stop it dropping from 31. There are 10 rankings between 12 and 27, which gives it a very high average points per rank. The highest we have seen to date. Then we have 24 people who didnt rank it at all. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

(92) - > 46- Wire

(92) - > 46- Wire Remastered

Vulture.com ranking and comment -150/218 - One of several songs Bono would end up writing about heroin, and specifically, the heroin problem in Dublin, as well as his own guilt — or rather, what’s always seemed like a cautious acknowledgment that if he had not been the person he was, he might have gone down that path, out of curiosity or boredom or comradeship. The music doesn’t quite match the lyrics, which are abstract and vague with a type of casualness that might be unforgivable, except this is the record that “Bad” appears on, so “Wire” gets a pass. Extra credit to Larry Mullen Jr., who is practically playing in the pocket here, and the rest of the band for a churning, frenetic background which could have been great with different lyrics.

Original Comment - Bono's wailing is so over the top. It’s too distracting for the song. This is the last track I actively hate left. Guess my ranking. I have 3 more lower ranked songs in the next 10, including the next one. After that #125 is as low as I go. All the other rankers still have a song ranked in the 200s to come, and they are well known songs. We still have almost 50 singles to go and some big ones are coming up soon. 10 of the next 30 are singles. 

Total Points - 725.80

Rankers - 21

Average Points per rank - 34.55 (Approximately a 55th rank). 

Ranks  - 40th on average points per ranker

Highest Rank - 12

Lowest Rank - 282

Previous Rank - 92 > 46

Special Version Requested - (92) - > 46- Wire Remastered

Ranking Comments - 7 top 25 rankings, 5 more in the top 50. Then we  have 6 more in the top 100. Im not gonna say any more. Ive said my bit. Lets here from everyone else about why they like this song

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

(51) - > 45- 11 O’Clock Tick Tock

(51) - > 45- 11 O’Clock Tick Tock (Under a Blood Red Sky)

Vulture.com ranking and comment -36/218 - U2’s second single, “11 O’Clock Tick Tock” demonstrates a band who were now trying to rein themselves in instead of running ahead at full speed for every second of every minute. The band is still a little stiff, but there is nothing predictable about the music, lyrics, or performance. There’s lovely shade from Adam Clayton before the last refrain, Edge’s power chords would slice through butter, and, end to end, it is a vivid emotional moment.

But where most people first came to know “11 O’Clock Tick Tock” is from Under a Blood Red Sky, where the band turns in just about as perfect a performance of this particular track as they’d ever get. All of the extraordinary elements of the track are even more so: Bono has learned how to emote without overstretching and Larry and Adam work in lockstep, and giving Edge the ability to deftly thread guitar notes from start to finish — even when the lead singer needs to go into the crowd and pull a girl out to dance with.

Original Comment - Kicks along nicely, but its the poorer cousin on this album. Still better than Party Girl. Its better than a lot of album tracks that preeced it, so this seems a fair landing spot for it. This will be the second last standalone single we see. 

Total Points - 747

Rankers - 20

Average Points per rank - 37.35 (Approximately a 50th rank). 

Ranks  - 38th on average points per ranker

Highest Rank - 15

Lowest Rank - 69

Previous Rank - 51 > 45

Special Version Requested - ((51) - > 45- 11 O’Clock Tick Tock (Under a Blood Red Sky

Ranking Comments - We have the top 15 ranking, then 12 rankings between 20 and 41. The last 7 rankings are between 47 and 69, so the lowest rank here is quite high comparatively. The red rocks version is infinitely superior imho, but it would be interesting if anyone prefers the original release.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Next Up we will do 4 to get us down to 40 remaining. We will have 2 from the 80s, one from 90s and one from 00s. Once again we will see our highest average points per rank broken. We will see our second track from either Achtung Baby or Joshua Tree. Another Rattle and Hummer and we will break through the 800 total points mark for a song. Three of our songs make a decent jump, while one make a pretty decent fall. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I had Wire at 23. The energy is off the charts and I love the interplay between Adam and Edge. Bono does go off the rails a bit but the rest of the performance is so strong that it doesn't matter to me.

I didn't rank Kite or 11 O'Clock Tick Tock. As I said, I became much more casual about U2 after 1996 and I don't remember much about their material after that. 11 is nice enough (especially the UTBRS version) but there are other things from that era I like better. It might have made my top 100 if I'd kept going. 

 

[simey]

(31) - > 47- Kite

I hit a bullseye with this song.   I ranked it #47. I wasn't familiar with it prior to creating my list for my rankings. This is nice slow song. I like it lyrically, musically, and vocally.

 

[simey]

(92) - > 46- Wire

I ranked this song #19. I think Bono's vocals go with the frenzied playing. This song is a chaotic ball of fire, and I dig it.  

 

[simey]

(51) - > 45- 11 O’Clock Tick Tock (Under a Blood Red Sky)

I drafted this version of the song at #23. I think the live version really captures the energy of the song. I love the guitar riff and Edge's playing in general. Under a Blood Red Sky reminds me of high school. 

 

[Alex P Keaton]

(31) - > 47- Kite

Vulture.com ranking and comment -85/218 - Another heartbreaker, this one is subconsciously about Bono’s father (who would pass away in 2001), but is also just another missive of remembrance and loss. Bono’s voice soars, climbing from the end of the first verse until he goes full throttle into the chorus, with the Edge behind him echoing the melody.

Comment - This is a beautiful song. Vocals and music are in harmony. Perfect album track. At a different time could have been a single. Another odd one for the rankings. We have the #2 ranking and two closer to 100. I am at #30 as I am quite fond of it. Some of the live versions are sensational. 

Total Points - 723.40

Rankers - 16

Average Points per rank - 45.21 (Approximately a 32nd rank). 

Ranks  - 30th on average points per ranker

Highest Rank - 2

Lowest Rank - 187

Previous Rank - 31 > 47

Special Version Requested - None

Ranking Comments - We have a 2 ranking for this, just like last time, but not enough rankers to stop it dropping from 31. There are 10 rankings between 12 and 27, which gives it a very high average points per rank. The highest we have seen to date. Then we have 24 people who didnt rank it at all. 

Oof!  I was worried this was one I forgot to rank!  But nope — was at #49 on this.   Strong song.   I enjoy the vibe of the verses, but also as JML wrote “vocals and music are in harmony.”  That doesn’t always happen with the more recent U2.  I left this off my original rankings but then added it during a krista-esq. reranking exercise.  (One of about 15 attempts that were made to modify rankings)

edit to add:  unranked by Mrs APK because, well, it was post Achtung.  

 

[Alex P Keaton]

(92) - > 46- Wire

(92) - > 46- Wire Remastered

Vulture.com ranking and comment -150/218 - One of several songs Bono would end up writing about heroin, and specifically, the heroin problem in Dublin, as well as his own guilt — or rather, what’s always seemed like a cautious acknowledgment that if he had not been the person he was, he might have gone down that path, out of curiosity or boredom or comradeship. The music doesn’t quite match the lyrics, which are abstract and vague with a type of casualness that might be unforgivable, except this is the record that “Bad” appears on, so “Wire” gets a pass. Extra credit to Larry Mullen Jr., who is practically playing in the pocket here, and the rest of the band for a churning, frenetic background which could have been great with different lyrics.

Original Comment - Bono's wailing is so over the top. It’s too distracting for the song. This is the last track I actively hate left. Guess my ranking. I have 3 more lower ranked songs in the next 10, including the next one. After that #125 is as low as I go. All the other rankers still have a song ranked in the 200s to come, and they are well known songs. We still have almost 50 singles to go and some big ones are coming up soon. 10 of the next 30 are singles. 

Total Points - 725.80

Rankers - 21

Average Points per rank - 34.55 (Approximately a 55th rank). 

Ranks  - 40th on average points per ranker

Highest Rank - 12

Lowest Rank - 282

Previous Rank - 92 > 46

Special Version Requested - (92) - > 46- Wire Remastered

Ranking Comments - 7 top 25 rankings, 5 more in the top 50. Then we  have 6 more in the top 100. Im not gonna say any more. Ive said my bit. Lets here from everyone else about why they like this song

I was 40 on this one (unranked by Mrs APK, who also finds the wailing — only in this song mind you — to be “annoying, distracting, unnecessary”).   If I reranked now it would be closer to the 50-70 range for me.  The wailing doesn’t bother me at all — that was Bono’s go-to approach for expressing emotion back in the day.  The Vulture writeup, IMO, really nails this song with its comments.  I don’t agree with their ranking obviously, but concur that the lyrics in particular are lazy.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

(51) - > 45- 11 O’Clock Tick Tock

(51) - > 45- 11 O’Clock Tick Tock (Under a Blood Red Sky)

Vulture.com ranking and comment -36/218 - U2’s second single, “11 O’Clock Tick Tock” demonstrates a band who were now trying to rein themselves in instead of running ahead at full speed for every second of every minute. The band is still a little stiff, but there is nothing predictable about the music, lyrics, or performance. There’s lovely shade from Adam Clayton before the last refrain, Edge’s power chords would slice through butter, and, end to end, it is a vivid emotional moment.

But where most people first came to know “11 O’Clock Tick Tock” is from Under a Blood Red Sky, where the band turns in just about as perfect a performance of this particular track as they’d ever get. All of the extraordinary elements of the track are even more so: Bono has learned how to emote without overstretching and Larry and Adam work in lockstep, and giving Edge the ability to deftly thread guitar notes from start to finish — even when the lead singer needs to go into the crowd and pull a girl out to dance with.

Original Comment - Kicks along nicely, but its the poorer cousin on this album. Still better than Party Girl. Its better than a lot of album tracks that preeced it, so this seems a fair landing spot for it. This will be the second last standalone single we see. 

Total Points - 747

Rankers - 20

Average Points per rank - 37.35 (Approximately a 50th rank). 

Ranks  - 38th on average points per ranker

Highest Rank - 15

Lowest Rank - 69

Previous Rank - 51 > 45

Special Version Requested - ((51) - > 45- 11 O’Clock Tick Tock (Under a Blood Red Sky

Ranking Comments - We have the top 15 ranking, then 12 rankings between 20 and 41. The last 7 rankings are between 47 and 69, so the lowest rank here is quite high comparatively. The red rocks version is infinitely superior imho, but it would be interesting if anyone prefers the original release.

30 for Mrs APK (the final song she ranked) and 32 for me!  

This song to me is awesome early U2.  The way it starts just catches me off the bat.  (“It’s cold outside…..it gets so hot in here.  The boys and girls collide…..to the music in my ear…..”)

Early days of U2 fandom I didn’t fully appreciate Boy, but over time it became my favorite album and some days it still is.  Edit to add:  I always think of this song as being on Boy, as it was grouped there on the first live album I ever bought, at a place called B-Sides on State Street in Madison WI.

 

[scorchy]

(51) - > 45- 11 O’Clock Tick Tock

(51) - > 45- 11 O’Clock Tick Tock (Under a Blood Red Sky)

Highest ranker checking in.  Just gonna quote myself from another thread:

"...you can't listen to the guitars and rhythms from their early stuff and reasonably deny that they were post-punk before they became the biggest rock band in the world."

 

[foxco]

I like Wire a lot, but TUF has such importance to me that pretty much every song on there is skewed upward for nostalgic reasons. Still, I ranked it 59 so a bit behind. 

Didn't rank Kite but that was a mistake, would have been in the mid-late 60's probably if I had to redo. 

 

[Anarchy99]

Thanks for the reports. They were fantastic to read. Did the trip alter your perception of the band, their music or any member?

As I mentioned earlier, the trip got me to better appreciate the timeframe from their early days (pre album release) up to TUF. Downtown Dublin hasn't been renovated or modernized, so it was easy to form a mental picture of the band going to the same places back in the day.

The other thing that clicked with me was remembering the music scene from the late 70's / early 80's. I had started to get more into British / European music at the time. As @scorchy just mentioned, early U2 was post-punk. As you mentioned before, it took the band awhile to find their sound (ie, post-Steve Lillywhite). Overall, I better appreciated their early work and how what was going on around them (within Ireland and musically) helped forge the early U2 sound.

The trip didn't showcase much past the 80's, so there wasn't much that changed for me on the stuff they wrote and recorded the past 30 years. Most things on the trip were U2 as a band (with a couple of Bono nuggets), so my perception of any individual band member wasn't altered.

Overall, I can't think of another band where it would be possible to go to the epicenter of where a band started and evolved. I guess maybe you could for The Beatles, but the list of groups would probably be short for me in terms of who I would care enough about to want to explore "their formative years."

 

[Grace Under Pressure]

(31) - > 47- Kite

I'll do the other two in a minute, but I wanted to start with Kite.

I ranked Kite at 27, and thought I may be among the top couple of rankers on it. It's a tremendous song. I really enjoy Edge's work on this one, particularly the part right before "I'm a man, I'm not a child". Speaking of which, Bono does a great job with those vocals. It's a little loose at the end, but I think they did a great job tightening that up in live performances, with Bono ending it off like this:

In summer I can taste the salt in the sea
There's a kite blowing out of control on a breeze
I wonder what's gonna happen to you
You wonder what has happened to me

Which is terrific IMO!

All the songs I have ranked in front of Kite are their top, top songs. For me, it's that good.

For those so inclined, take a view of this video of the Elevation tour in Boston to see the updated ending, which I think really helps.

 

[krista4]

I hit a bullseye with this song.   I ranked it #47. I wasn't familiar with it prior to creating my list for my rankings. This is nice slow song. I like it lyrically, musically, and vocally.

  I not only got my first Bingo(!) on this song, but I also got a Bingo with simey!   

I can never remember this song by title, so when I saw it was posted, I couldn't remember if I had it ranked, and then when I saw it at #47, I had no idea why.  Listening to it now and remembering the song, I stand by that lofty ranking.  Of course, I'm a sucker for strings, but I think this is an exceptional Bono performance, emotional and just verging on, but never crossing into, being overwrought.  This is the song that always makes me think it's going to be "All Things Must Pass" when I start it, though.

 

[krista4]

I ranked this song #19. I think Bono's vocals go with the frenzied playing. This song is a chaotic ball of fire, and I dig it.  

Great way to put it!  I had this at #49 and am 100% in agreement with your description.

 

[krista4]

(51) - > 45- 11 O’Clock Tick Tock

(51) - > 45- 11 O’Clock Tick Tock (Under a Blood Red Sky)

#52 on my list.  Edge's work was rightfully called out, but I actually love the interplay of the rhythm section on this the best, and when you combine the bass and drums with the guitar work, it's :chefskiss:   I barely notice Bono on the song, because I'm so focused on the instrumentation.  Every bit of it works.  Great choice from simey and anyone else who requested the Red Rocks version.