While U2 was one of the few '80s acts to be as interested in making great statements through their album releases as in producing hit singles, the band made no bones about its desire to maximize commercial viability. The impressive combination of popular and critical appeal that eventually enveloped U2 rivals any artist in rock history, and the best evidence of this rousing, straightforward style can be found in the group’s best songs, from which there are many to choose.
1. “I Will Follow”
This song was where it all began for U2 on a number of levels, especially in the evolution of the unique guitar sound produced by the Edge. The forceful, compelling lead-off single from the band’s 1980 debut, Boy, also introduced the bigger-than-life vocal and performance style of frontman Bono. It was no wonder that U2 quickly became one of the decade’s most celebrated live draws, as the big, driving and inspirational sound of this early classic demonstrates.
2. “Sunday Bloody Sunday”
It didn’t take Bono long to indulge his righteous, messianic impulses, as this memorable tune from 1983’s War witnessed the singer’s move toward more blatantly political material. Bono’s passion as a songwriter and performer never seemed anything less than genuine even when it was often highly theatrical, and the band’s take on the Northern Ireland “Troubles” is a blistering attack on injustice committed by all sides in the conflict. The MTV video for the song quickly became an iconic fixture.
3. “Pride (In the Name of Love)”
This nearly perfect rocker from 1984’s The Unforgettable Fire represents the pinnacle of U2’s politically charged anthems. The band’s music thereafter would become increasingly personal and a bit less distantly observant, but as a tribute song of its type there may be no finer example in rock history. The song’s subject matter, the inspiring life and tragic death of Martin Luther King, undoubtedly holds massive appeal for Bono’s humanitarian worldview, and the resulting song is sublime.
4. “Bad”
If “Pride” showed U2’s ability to craft an exemplary, tight rock song, this majestic epic showed what the quartet could do with lots of room to stretch out, build tension and create delicate textures. Lyrically the song floats along on a vaguely opaque path, but the tune’s greatest strengths are undoubtedly Bono’s growing sense of melody and his expressive singing. How a band could take itself as seriously as this without alienating listeners (in fact, attracting them instead) still amazes me.
5. “Where the Streets Have No Name”
As the lead single to one of rock’s greatest albums of all time, 1987’s The Joshua Tree, this anthem represents what would be a dangerous risk for mere mortals. It’s so fantastic that it’s hard to believe the rest of the album, or any album, could feel like anything but a letdown in its wake. Somehow Bono & Co. avoid that problem on the 10 tracks that follow, but from its splendid opening to its deliberate verses and overwhelming chorus, this tune serves as a stunning how-to on rock anthems.
6. “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”
Well, I hope I don’t run out of hyperbolic language before completing this list, but I think I will probably have to reload. U2’s music had often been spiritual before, but never did Bono’s lyrics more poignantly capture the human capacity for yearning and the suffering that invariably requires. In many ways, the song functions as Blake or Browning with modern commercial appeal. Its simplicity is a perfect match for the efficient if poetic language of one of Bono’s finest lyrics.
7. “With or Without You”
This stands as one of the decade’s finest singles, a competitor to “Every Breath You Take” for the title of most perfect pop song of the '80s. Bono’s lyrics reached an impressively high level of strength and clarity on The Joshua Tree, and they’re especially haunting and truthful on this tune, a tale of deep romantic longing and woe. Musically, the song takes atmospherics to a new level, as Adam Clayton’s bass line sets a deliberate tone that allows plenty of room for the Edge’s sonic textures.
8. “Red Hill Mining Town”
When one gets to the The Joshua Tree on a journey through U2’s catalogue, it becomes a question of closing one’s eyes and pointing to identify the best songs. The album is such a treasure trove of music that worthy tracks must be left out. Still, I persevere. This tune features one of the band’s finest escalating melodies, rendered beautifully with the aid of the Edge’s typical but never worn-out chiming guitar style. Also, Bono’s vocal performance has rarely been this iconic and passionate.
9. “Trip Through Your Wires”
Here is one of the deeper album tracks from U2’s masterpiece that casts its own particular kind of spell, as Bono transmits his sense of yearning through an almost electrical current of emotion. The band, meanwhile, establishes a shuffling rhythm that provides an appropriate showcase for Bono’s growing interest in roots rock and American styles. In fact, this slight change of focus helped The Joshua Tree strike such an overwhelming chord with American audiences, who had always loved U2 anyway.
10. “One Tree Hill”
As the ninth track on the 11-song album, this underappreciated gem takes its place as the ninth consecutive great song on the The Joshua Tree, an accomplishment that is astounding given the filler tracks common to even the best albums released over the years. Beautifully evocative and transcendent, the track provides a brilliant bridge between U2 the slightly underground heroes and the huge pop stars that would soon enter the '90s. The Edge’s singular guitar sound remains the common thread.
