Ranking U2's Albums from Worst to First - #8 How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

 In 2000, U2 stormed back into mainstream consciousness with the release of All That You Can't Leave Behind, an album that will feature later in this unofficial countdown of their 14 studio albums from "worst to first".  With the critical and commercial success of their 2000 release and subsequent world tour, the band carried much momentum with them into the studio for the follow up record.  Four years later, the band produced How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb which didn't quite live up to the critical or commercial success of its predecessor (it's hard to follow up an all-time classic) but is a solid record and has offered a number of tunes which still frequent current U2 touring playlists.

For this album U2 harnessed a gritty and almost "dirty" rock n roll sound on songs like Vertigo, All Because of You, and Love and Peace or Else (not that I particularly like this latter track - see below).  They also harkened back to some of their early 1980's material on songs like Miracle Drug and City of Blinding Lights.  It is a testament to U2's greatness that this is only the #8 album on my ranking and it is a record that spawned big hits and big sales - 10 million to date!  

U2 How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - Released Nov 22, 2004

Album Charts - #1 Ireland, #1 UK, #1 US.

Worldwide Sales to Date - 10 Million

Singles - Vertigo, #1 Ireland, #1 UK, #31 US.  All Because of You, #4 Ireland, #4 UK.  Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own, #3 Ireland, #1 UK, #97 US.  City of Blinding Lights, #8 Ireland, #2 UK.

Standout Songs - Vertigo, Miracle Drug, One Step Closer, Original of the Species, Yahweh.

Weakest Track - Love and Peace or Else.

Hidden Gem - Miracle Drug

We are only half-way, and the best is yet to come.  In fact, it might be even better than the real thing! - Shay   

Ranking U2's Albums from Worst to First: #9 Songs of Innocence

 

On this date, September 9, eleven years ago, U2 released a digital version of their 13th studio album, Songs of Innocence without previously marketing it or letting either the press or the public know about it.  In fact, if you owned an apple phone, it was downloaded to your music library without your knowledge, or your consent.  Hey, free music - pretty cool.  At least that's what I would have thought.  I did not (nor still don't) own an apple phone and so had to manually download the album (still for free!), but many people who received the automatic download were appalled and offended by the seeming generosity of the band.  Others in the music industry felt it set a bad precedent to give away music for free.  At the end of the day, it was all a bit of a storm in a teacup.  

At any rate, 26 million people actively downloaded the album by the end of October 2014.  The physical release of the album "only" generated sales of about 1.1 million, but much of the focus on Songs of Innocence has centered around the band's "forcing" it down the public's throat, rather than on the artistic merits of the music.  

Songs of Innocence is a quality record with raw guitar riffs, catchy melodies, and tight bass and drum rhythms holding the songs together.  As mentioned in the previous post, it is the first of a two-part album, with Songs of Experience coming three years later.  And as the title implies, the album echoes some of the band's earliest recordings, but with an extra 35 years of writing, recording, and touring experience.  It also deliberately references some of the band's earliest musical influences, both lyrically and musically (The Ramones, The Clash, and even The Beach Boys). 

U2, Songs of Innocence - Released, September 9, 2014

Album Charts - #2 Ireland, #6 UK, #9 US.

Worldwide Sales to Date - 1.1 Million (26 Million Downloads)

Singles - The Miracle (of Joey Ramone) #1 US Adult Alternative Chart, Every Breaking Wave #23 US Adult Alternative Chart, Song for Someone #13 US Adult Alternative Chart. 

Standout Songs - The Miracle (of Joey Ramone), Every Breaking Wave, Song for Someone, Sleep Like a Baby Tonight, The Troubles.

Weakest Track - Raised by Wolves

Hidden Gem - The Troubles 

Songs of Innocence is a batch of tunes that could fit nicely alongside late 1970s and early 1980s hits, as well as next to tracks from the 21st Century. - Shay

Ranking U2's Albums from Worst to First, #10 Songs of Experience

 In the last part of 18th Century, English poet and artist William Blake published his joint book of poems and illustrations titled "Songs of Innocence and Experience".  In 2014, U2 released their 13th studio album, "Songs of Innocence".  And then in 2017, they released the follow up album, titled "Songs of Experience."  It is this album, U2's last of original material (the album "Songs of Surrender" in 2023 contained reworked, reimagined, and re-recorded tracks from their previous albums) that comes in at #10 on this unofficial countdown of the band's catalogue.

The 2014, "Songs of Innocence" had echoed some of the stripped down, early 1980s songs, both sonically and thematically.  "Songs of Experience" echoed some of the material from 2014, but took it in new directions, much like U2 pushed their sound into new territory in the 1990s.  On repeated listens to this album, what stands out are the melodies.  Bono has always been a fantastic singer and an excellent creator of melodic atmospheres, and where "Songs of Experience" might suffer a bit from over-production, it is full of rich and catchy melodies.  

U2, Songs of Experience - Released, December 1, 2017

Album Charts - #1 Ireland, #5 UK, #1 US.

Worldwide Sales to Date - 1.3 Million 

Singles - You're the Best Thing About Me, #66 Ireland, #92 UK, #1 US Adult Alternative Chart; Get Out of Your Own Way, #3 US Adult Alternative Chart; Love is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way, #25 US Hit Rock and Alternative Chart, Summer of Love (did not chart), Landlady (did not chart).

Standout Songs - Lights of Home, You're the Best Thing About Me, Get Out of Your Own Way, American Soul, 13 (There is a Light).

Weakest Track - The Blackout

Hidden Gem - 13 (There is a Light)

By the late 2010s, U2 had honed their craft so much that they could write and record very "professional sounding" tracks in their sleep.  That is a positive but can also be a negative.  Here's to hoping that U2 might rediscover some of their innocent naivete to combine with their experienced song-craft on their next album. - Shay    

Ranking U2's Albums from Worst to First, #11 Zooropa

In the middle of the European leg of the Zoo TV tour, in between concert dates, U2 traveled back and forth between Dublin and the tour locations to record their follow up to their smash hit album, Achtung Baby.  Initially these hastily recorded tracks were to form an EP rather than a full-length record, but as the creative juices continued to flow, the EP grew to an LP titled Zooropa and was released in early July 1993.  

If Achtung Baby had been experimental, Zooropa shot the experiment through with a big fat dose of steroids!  But if you were to strip away the tracks of their added electronic embellishments, you would be left with a batch of solid songs.  Adam's thundering bass mixed with a little less martial sounding drum beats from Larry create a powerful wall of rhythm and the dance beats and synthesizers just make the guitar tones a little more playful and edgy (pun intended).  Bono's melodious singing soars, especially on songs like Lemon and Stay (Faraway, So Close!).  Though the album loses a little momentum on the second half, it ends brilliantly with Johnny Cash bellowing over a space age riff on The Wanderer.  

U2 Zooropa - Released, July 5, 1993.

Album Charts - Ireland 1, UK 1, US 1.

Worldwide Sales to Date - 7 Million

Singles - Numb, #2 US Modern Rock Chart, Lemon, #3 US Modern Rock Chart, Zooropa, #13 US Modern Rock Chart, Stay (Faraway, So Close!), #15 US Modern Rock Chart.

Standout Songs - Zooropa, Babyface, Numb, Lemon, Stay (Faraway, So Close!), The Wanderer.

Weakest Track - Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car

Hidden Gem - The Wanderer 

We are not yet even in the top 10 on this list, but Zooropa is not so faraway, and oh so close to a classic record. - Shay 

Ranking U2's Albums from Worst to First: #12, Pop

 My freshman year in college, U2 released Pop, their 9th studio album and #12 on this less than scientific countdown of their best records.  When this very un-pop album came out, I could not wait to pick it up as it had been nearly four years since their last output.  In the early 1990s, U2 had begun to experiment with electronic synthesizers and dance beats.  With the Pop record, they had taken this experimentation to a new level, although in hindsight, it was a much more rocking record than it initially was given credit for.  In fact, compared to what is considered alternative rock in 2025, Pop was not only ahead of its time, it could have just as easily been given the name "Rock" instead of "Pop".

Although the record has sold over 5 million copies in its 28 years of existence, it was not well received critically after its release.  Yet, if one goes back and gives it a listen today, one is reminded that U2 has always been a step or two ahead of the pack.  I would venture to say that if Pop would have been released between 2010-2020 it would have gone down as a classic.  It was just a little too ahead of its time, at the time.  

U2, Pop - Released, March 3, 1997

Album Charts - #1, Irish.  #1, UK.  #1, US.

Worldwide Sales to Date - 5 Million

Singles - Discotheque #1, Ireland.  #1, UK.  #10, US.  Staring at the Sun #4, Ireland.  #3, UK.  #26, US.  Last Night on Earth #11, Ireland.  #10, UK.  #57, US.  Please #6, Ireland.  #7, UK.  If God Will Send His Angels #11, Ireland.  Mofo (did not chart).

Stand Out Songs - Discotheque, If God Will Send His Angels, Staring at the Sun, The Playboy Mansion, Wake Up Dead Man.

Weakest Track - Last Night on Earth

Hidden Gem - The Playboy Mansion

As good as these U2 albums are, they will only get better! - Shay 

Ranking U2's Albums from Worst to First: #13, No Line on the Horizon

On February 27, 2009, after playing in a co-ed softball game, Juli and I picked up a pregnancy test and soon learned that she was pregnant. 8 1/2 months later, we welcomed Ashlyn Nicole Smith into our lives.  Earlier on that February day when we discovered that Juli was with child, I made a lunch run to Best Buy to purchase U2's 12th studio album, No Line on the Horizon.  It is a fine record and it's cool that it shares a significant date with my family, but even that isn't enough to get it into U2's top ten albums.  But lucky #13 is not so bad.

For a band like U2, none of their records are poor by the standards of most musical artists.  But the reality is that bands like U2 don't compete against the rest of the pack - ultimately, they compete against themselves and No Line on the Horizon just doesn't measure up to most of the rest of U2's catalogue.  

There are a few decent songs when heard in isolation, but what hurts this album as a whole is its desire to be both radio friendly and experimental.  The result is that it is not terribly experimental, and the hits were short-lived flash in the pan kind of songs.

U2, No Line on the Horizon - Released February 27, 2009 

Album Charts - #1 Ireland, #1 UK, #1 US

Worldwide Sales to Date - 5 million

Singles - Get On Your Boots, #1 Ireland, #37 UK, #37 US Modern Rock Chart.  Magnificent, #4 Ireland, #45 UK, #11 US Alternative Chart.  I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, #11 Ireland, #69 UK, #66 US Hot 100 Chart.

Standout Songs - Moment of Surrender, Unknown Caller, Get On Your Boots, Breathe

Weakest Track - Standup Comedy

Hidden Gem - Unknown Caller 

For this to be the band's second worst record and to still achieve such commercial success, demonstrates that not only does U2 have a lofty ceiling, they also maintain a very high floor. - Shay 

Ranking U2's Albums from Worst to First: #14, October

Today marks the start of a new series of blogs here on Near St. Anne's and the Sea.  For close to 35 years, I've been a massive U2 fan, and I have a sneaky suspicion that sooner, rather than later they will be releasing their 15th album.  In anticipation of that momentous occasion, whenever it may be, I would like to spend a few posts counting down their previous 14 records from worst to first.  When I say worst to first, it's a little like ranking your children (though in my case, I only have 1, so she's definitely #1).   But you have to start somewhere, so today we start with #14 - October.

In the past, when bands were just getting started, they often spent months, if not years grinding it out on the live circuit, perfecting their sound.  If they were afforded a record contract, they had years of their best material to put on that first album.  Usually, the record companies would have expected a second album soon after the group toured their first record, and so it was more common than not for bands to struggle to match the artistry and sales of their first effort.  This is certainly true of U2 and their second album, October.  It is their weakest effort, by far, and yet it still has quite a few standout songs.  But its weakness stems from the rushed nature of the writing, recording, and production of the record.  

The recording of the album coincided with guitarist The Edge considering quitting the band as he struggled to reconcile his committed Christian faith with the rock 'n roll lifestyle.  Thankfully, he and Bono decided to use their music as a vehicle for the expression of their faith, rather than a hinderance to it.  Spiritual yearning is certainly evident in these songs, but gracefully the band managed to express their wrestling with God in a non-preachy or Bible-thumping way.   

More than anything, October provided Island Records with its required second album, allowed the band to continue to tour and hone their craft, and laid the foundation for U2 to write and record some of rock music's best albums of all time in the mid to late 1980s.  

U2, October - Released October 12, 1981

Album Charts - #17 Ireland, #11 UK, #104 US

Worldwide Sales to Date - 1.5 million 

Singles - Fire, #4 Irish Chart, #35 UK Chart.  Gloria, #10 Irish Chart, #55 UK Chart.

Standout Songs - Gloria, Tomorrow, October, Scarlet

Weakest Track - Is That All? 

Hidden Gem - Scarlet 

The record is certainly worth a listen, if only once a year at the start of the month of October. - Shay