It’s probably still too early to try this – I’m still not sure where Songs of Experience should logically sit yet… But, as of early 2018 for Vox’s U2antheon.
TOP TIER:
1. Achtung Baby – My favorite album by anyone of all time. I plan to be buried with it. Every single song is so, so amazing.
2. The Joshua Tree – Well, it’s the Joshua Tree. I had several renewed listening sessions of it last year, as I’m sure a lot of others had.
TIER TWO:
3. The Unforgettable Fire – Still very magical to me. Includes “Bad,” which is my favorite U2 song. This album still takes me to a place each time I listen to it…
4. No Line on the Horizon – I know I’m in the minority here, but I have a very special place in my heart for this record. This album gives me a very powerful feeling that no other collection of music gives me.
5. Zooropa – So much love for this. So many visceral feelings associated with it. After 10:30 each night, this album automatically moves up to #3 on this list.
TIER THREE:
6. Boy – I still can go through stretches where I exclusively spin this one. “What default U2 is meant to sound like.”
7. Songs of Experience – So hard to figure out where this one will end up. I’m still wrapping my head around it. Today, I’ll place it here. However, unless there’s some crazy magic that further ignites it for me in the future, or some big personal life event, this will probably be as high as it goes. In fact, with time I could easily see it potentially falling into the lower tier. For now, though, I like having new U2 music, and I enjoy all of the songs on this album, in one form or another. I’m just enjoying it for what it is today – it’s been a lot to take in.
8. War – There are very few U2 songs I dislike. However, this record has two of them. Those two songs bring down an otherwise amazing album.
9. Pop – It always seems Pop should rate much higher for me, I love it so. But it suffers the same two-song issue I have with War. And I’m not sure it’s aged well. Still, creative and daring U2 is the best U2.
10. All That You Can’t Leave Behind – Let’s be honest, this is a pretty good album, even though it’s not one of my go-to U2 albums.
11. Rattle and Hum – You know, for the past few years I’ve come to appreciate the studio tracks more and more. I may have prematurely maligned this record. I like to have this type of U2 music in their back catalogue.
BOTTOM (BUT MOST BANDS WISH THEY COULD ALBUMS LIKE THIS) TIER:
12. Songs of Innocence – I’ve still never really connected with it. Maybe it’ll happen sometime. There are some decent songs on here, but I just haven’t been able to bring myself to listen to it much since 2014.
13. How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb – I liked a lot when it came out. It hasn’t aged well for me. I won’t bash it, though – there are some good tunes here.
14. October – Even my least favorite U2 album is an album I find enjoyment listening to. But something has to be last, right?
