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

 In the last 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 

Ten Reasons to Live in Ireland

On June 23, 2010, my wife Juli, my 8-month-old daughter, Ashlyn, and I landed in Dublin, Ireland to begin what we did not know at the time would be one of the greatest 5 years of our lives.  As of June 30, 2025, we have now been back home in the United States for 10 years.  The 15 years that have passed since our move to Dublin and the 10 years that have flown since we've moved back remind me of the singer Roddy Woomble's line: "I got older, while I was waiting to get older.  I thought it would take much longer."

Dublin is my favorite city in the entire world, and I miss living there immensely, though I've enjoyed the 10 years I've spent in the US since our move back.  With it having been 10 years since I've called Ireland home, I would like to share what I believe to be the top 10 things that make Ireland (both north and south) one of the best countries in the world.

10. The Food 

Compared to many other nations of the world, the Irish are not known for their food, but the things that the Irish do well - they do really well.  Warm Irish soda or brown bread cannot be topped, except with butter and jam which is also very good in Ireland.  You would also be hard pressed to find better stew on a wet day than in the Emerald Isle.  And there's not much better than a full Irish breakfast with the requisite fried eggs, bacon rashers, black and white pudding, sausages, baked beans, fried tomato, and homemade soda bread.  Of course, you have to wash it all down with a few cups of tea!

9. The Friendliness 

The Irish are genuinely some of the friendliest people you will meet anywhere.  When they say "hello" or "how are you?" or "good morning", they really mean it.  I've have personally witnessed Irish friends taking the time to show tourists to their destination (whether walking or by car), rather than simply giving them directions. 

8. Sense of Humor (the craic)

What makes the Irish so funny is that they are more than happy to laugh at themselves before laughing at others.  In fact, one of the big no nos in Ireland is to take oneself too seriously.  No matter how bleak the world becomes, the Irish have a knack for finding humor in almost any situation.  

7. Spirituality 

Ireland used to be known as an island of saints and scholars, though some today might better describe it as the isle of cynics and the skeptical.  However, I have noticed that compared to much of the rest of secular Europe, Ireland has maintained a stronger connection with its religious past.  There's room and opportunity for continued growth in this arena.

6. Pub Culture 

Shifting from spirituality to spirits, I confess that I do enjoy a nice pint in a nice pub.  It was once said that it was near impossible for a person to walk through Dublin and avoid passing a pub, no matter which route you may take.  Though many of the pubs across the country have closed and are closing, pubs still function like they have for centuries, as public houses where people meet to not only drink a beer, but to chat and to share life and community.  Some of my favorite memories in Dublin involve sharing a pint of porter and conversations of both faith and football.

5. Ireland's Way with Words 

Some of the best writers of the English language come from Ireland.  For such a small country, Ireland punches well above its weight when it comes to literary masterpieces.  From Joyce to Yeats and from Wilde to Shaw (not to mention, many more), the Irish have a way with words that captivates readers far beyond their shores.  In addition to this, the Irish take great pride in education and seeking to be deep thinkers.  You don't have to look hard to find intelligent conversation in Ireland, whether in a coffee shop, a church, or a pub.

4. Music 

I love traditional Irish music.  But I also quite like modern Irish music, especially the rock bands that have been launched from Ireland.  The 1960s and 70s saw the emergence of Van Morrison and Thin Lizzy.  The 1980s and 90s produced U2, Sinead O'Connor, and The Cranberries.  Since then, the success of Glen Hansard (and The Frames), Snow Patrol, Hozier, Fontaines DC, and Inhaler demonstrates that Ireland will continue to produce world class musicians and music for decades to come. 

3. Landscape 

I am drawn to epic and surreal landscapes, and for such a small island (you can fit about 8 Irelands inside of Texas), Ireland has numerous epic and surreal landscapes, especially alongside the coasts.  Though it doesn't have large landscapes like the Swiss Alps or the Saharan Desert, it has what I would describe as quaintly dramatic terrain.  You might call it beauty on a small scale.

2. Pace of Life 

Americans live to work, whereas Europeans, work to live.  This might be a bit cliche, but it's true.  I used to make jokes that the Irish show up late to work and make up for it by leaving early.  That's only partially a joke.  Really, the Irish just know how to work smarter, rather than harder, and their lives are all the better for it.  Things move at a slower pace in Ireland, but it's a pace that allows a person to breathe. As Mel Gibson's character in Braveheart said, "Every man dies, not every man really lives."  We might say that every American works, not every American really lives.  The Irish know how to live.

1. The Kindness of the Irish 

My wife, Juli, has often remarked that the Irish are kind people.  And it's true!  Not only are the Irish funny and friendly, they genuinely care about other people too.  I'm not sure if it is still true, but at one point Ireland gave more money to charity per capita than any other nation in the world.  Why?  They experienced a famine in the mid-nineteenth century and they haven't forgotten the devastating effects of that food shortage.  And until very recently, Ireland remained a poor country.  After the Celtic Tiger of the 1990s, Ireland joined the rest of Western Europe in standard of living, but they did not forget what it felt like to be poor, and they are more than willing to give back to those less fortunate.  And it is not just their financial generosity that makes the Irish "nice", it's their authentic care for the underdog and for those without a voice.  I would challenge you to find a kinder 5 million people anywhere in the world!

I don't know if I'll ever have the opportunity to live in Ireland again, but even if I don't, I hope to visit that fair island as often as I can.  One of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me occurred when I traveled back to Dublin for a visit a few years ago and was greeted by my friend, Tony Murphy with, "Welcome home." - Shay

Will Texas be Back Again?

I have lived for 48 seasons of Texas Longhorns football.  I've seen some truly terrible teams (many of those between 2010 and 2020) and some amazingly remarkable seasons.  A few years back, after Sam Ehlinger declared that Texas was back, I compiled a subjective top 25 of Texas seasons (not necessarily teams).  Unfortunately, we were not quite back after that big Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.  But with the hire of Steve Sarkisian and two semi-final appearances, it's safe to say that we are moving in the right direction.  With that in mind, I've decided to update the list of the top 25 seasons in my lifetime.  Here's my admittedly subjective list.

25. 1982, 9-3, #17

24. 2020, 7-3, Alamo Bowl Champions, #19

23. 1979, 9-3, #12

22. 2000, 9-3, #12

21. 2003, 10-3, #11

20. 1994, 8-4, Southwest Conference Champions, Sun Bowl Champions, #23

19. 1996, 8-5, Big 12 Champions, #23

18. 2006, 10-3, Alamo Bowl Champions, #13

17. 1978, 9-3, Sun Bowl Champions, #9

16. 1998, 9-3, Cotton Bowl Champions, #15

15. 2007, 10-3, Holiday Bowl Champions, #10

14. 2018, 10-4, Sugar Bowl Champions, #9

13. 1995, 10-2-1, Southwest Conference Champions, #14

12. 1990, 10-2, Southwest Conference Champions, #11

11. 2002, 11-2, Cotton Bowl Champions, #6

10. 2001, 11-2, Holiday Bowl Champions, #5

9. 1981, 10-1-1, Cotton Bowl Champions, #2

8. 1983, 11-1, Southwest Conference Champions, #5

7. 1977, 11-1, Southwest Conference Champions, #4

6. 2004, 11-1, Rose Bowl Champions, #4

5. 2024, 13-3, Peach Bowl Champions, College Football Playoff Semi-finalists, #3 

4.  2023, 12-2, Big 12 Champions, College Football Playoff Semi-finalists, #3 

3. 2008, 12-1, Fiesta Bowl Champions, #3 

2. 2009, 13-1, Big 12 Champions, #2 

1. 2005, 13-0, Big 12 Champions, Rose Bowl Champions, National Champions, #1 

All in all, over these 25 seasons, the Longhorns compiled a 256-57-2 record, averaging just over 10 wins per season and a little over two losses.  Their win percentage over this quarter of a century of seasons was .813.  They finished with a final ranking of average of #9 during these years.  Hopefully, this list will have several more additions over the next decade - especially seasons that finish in the top 5 or 10.  Hook'em! - Shay