Some of their choices I disagree with position on the list and some I disagree with even being on the list. It wasn't clear at first whether this was a song or video list, but once they started showing the videos, it was clear this was about the songs as the videos definitely weren't U2's best by any account. I liked all of the songs they chose, just don't think they all should have been on a top 10 list. It did annoy me that they didn't chose anything post Achtung Baby though. Their's was definitely a classic top 10.
Here are VH1's choices...
10. Angel of Harlem
9. Mysterious Ways
8. Gloria
7. New Year's Day
6. Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
5. I Will Follow
4. With or Without You
3. One
2. Pride (In the Name of Love)
1. Where the Streets Have No Name
And here are my choices...
10. Discotheque - Yeah, I know what you're thinking. But the fact that this is campy and probably one of U2's most fun songs is what helps push it onto my top 10. They just kind of let go and have fun with this one and it always makes me smile. It also contains one of my fav U2 lyrics. "You want to be the song. Be the song that you hear in your head."
9. Vertigo - I had gone a while without hearing any U2 and they were kind of off my radar and then BAM iPod starts using Vertigo for it's commercials and suddenly they were everywhere again. I loved this from the first clicks of Larry's drumsticks. I would sing every time the commercial came on and even downloaded and installed iTunes before I even got an iPod just so I could download this song. Also, it was the only song I ever gave a star rating to on iTunes. I love the jarring, scratching sound of Edge's guitar along with Adam's driving bassline. I'm also a sucker for Bono's attempt at Spanish [even if he doesn't know how to count ;)].
8. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me - Another fun one from the four lads from Dublin. Love the way this song bounces, but also has a darker sound to it. Bono's voice being a bit distorted sounding adds to it.
7. Sunday Bloody Sunday - My favorite parts are Larry's military-esque drumming and Adam's thumping bass. This song really embodies early U2 to me, passion, activism, good music, and a bit of a nod to religion in there as well.
6. Even Better than the Real Thing - My favorite version of this song is the remix they used to open the 360 tour in the last leg. I believe it's the same as the Fish Out of Water Remix on the Achtung Baby Deluxe re-release. I love the way the song just makes me want to bounce.
5. New Years Day - Another song that I believe embodies early U2 at their best. A great bass line from Adam and Larry's sharp drumming keep the song moving while Edge absolutely amazes me at his ability to go back and forth seamlessly between keyboard and guitar. Everybody just shines on this one.
4. Bad - I love it when Edge's guitar rings out like a bell. This song is full of those moments. A beautiful song with a soft, dreamy quality.
3. Beautiful Day - I was hooked from the first few notes. There's so much heart in this one and a great message as well. Plus the music is just beautiful. This has been the ring tone on my phone many times. So much so that whenever my husband hears the song, he always thinks at first that it's my phone ringing.
2. Where the Streets Have No Name - Another classic U2 song. Personally, I think this is their best live song. It's a wonderful song to begin with, but just takes on a whole other life when played live.
1. One - U2 themselves credit this song as the song that saved U2. Things were going horribly in the studio and then this song began to form. Once this fell into place, things began to get a bit easier for them. Bono says it's a break-up song and I kind of agree. I mean it is that, but I think there's more to it. There's a sense of hope in there...hope for the future and the acknowledgement that we can't get through it by ourselves, we have to "carry each other".
Honorable mention goes to:
- Van Dieman's Land
- Yahweh
- Love and Peace or Else
- Moment of Surrender
- Get on Your Boots
- If God Would Send His Angels
- the live remix of I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight.
I had a lot of fun doing this! I'm going to have to post more often!
