Both U2 and Radiohead are among the top favorite bands.
In order to be non-bias in the discussion, only those who like both U2 and Radiohead should post their views and vote for the their favourite choice.
U2, undoubtly, is the biggest band by now.
Radiohead, on the other side, are the biggest alternative acts.
However, I do agree that U2 music is more mainstream and accessible than Radiohead.
They are always in compared to each other. But they are different kind of bands, how are we going to compare them?
They do bear similarity throughout their career.
Rock is the centre of their music.
Both are famous for adopting electronic music and alternative rock.
1. Debut Album
a. U2's Boy
b. Radiohead's Pablo Honey
2. Breakthrough Album (with electronics influence)
a. U2's Achtung Baby
b. Radiohead's OK Computer
3. Recent work that is more successful and relevant to the current music industry
a. U2's No Line On The Horizon
b. Radiohead's In Rainbows
4. Alternative Music Album
a. U2's Zooropa
b. Radiohead's Kid A
5. Rock album
a. U2's War
b. Radiohead's The Bends
6. Live Album
a. U2's Under the blood red sky
b. Radiohead's I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings
7. Return to the older influnce album
a. U2's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
b. Radiohead's Hail To The Thief
8. Most successful album that bends into the club music
a. U2's Zooropa
b. Radiohead's OK Computer
c. U2's Pop
d. Radiohead's Kid A
9. Live Act
a. U2
b. Radiohead
10. Their Best Album
a. U2's The Joshua Tree
b. Radiohead's OK Computer
11. Best Greatest Hits
a. U218 Singles
b. The Best of Radiohead (Single CD)
Let's vote now and express your views. Make it one of the top most interesting thread in u2start.
It's a tough one, and U2 are definitely more mainstream (not necessarily a bad thing). I do think that Radiohead are more innovative and take more risks with their music. That said, nothing they've produced has ever made my heart swell like the "Love, love" section of a live version of Streets. Balancing that, seeing Radiohead at Glastonbury in 1997 and hearing No Surprises remains one of the musical high points of my life, knee deep mud and shite or not. I saw Radiohead in London last year, and it was simply faultless. I'll wait until I've heard some more live versions of No Line's songs, but at the moment, it's got to be Radiohead. And I was talking to Jonny Greenwood this afternoon, so he's in my head, as it were.
1. Debut Album
a. U2's Boy
(Easy. Pablo Honey sucks)
2. Breakthrough Album (with electronics influence)
a. U2's Achtung Baby
(Again easy. I'm no big fan of OK Computer. AB ain't my fav either, but it's still the better.)
3. Recent work that is more successful and relevant to the current music industry
b. Radiohead's In Rainbows
(It's the first album that was all digital, over the internet, great cooperation with iTunes. And the first time people got the chance to decide themselves what they wanted to pay)
4. Alternative Music Album
a. U2's Zooropa
(I do not like Kid A that much.)
5. Rock album
b. Radiohead's The Bends
(Again, an easy one. War has 4/5 good songs, The Bends has at least 8 good songs)
6. Live Album
a. U2's Under the blood red sky
b. Radiohead's I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings
(Equal, is that a possibility? )
7. Return to the older influnce album
b. Radiohead's Hail To The Thief
(HTTT has A Wolf At The Door...)
8. Most successful album that bends into the club music
c. U2's Pop
(Radiohead is no club band...)
9. Live Act
b. Radiohead
(Don't shoot me...they just...are something extraordinary live )
10. Their Best Album
b. Radiohead's OK Computer
(I just don't like JT...)
Radiohead are overrated, like with OK Computer, while innovative, Thom Yorke sounds the same in all the tracks, and his particular brand of effete wailing starts to drag after a while.
I'm not a big fan of radiohead live-they are great, but don't take it to a new level like U2. I haven't heard as much Radiohead live though, so I might be wrong.
In the studio-radiohead have made 5 great albums
u2-7
1. Debut Album
a. U2's Boy
Easily
2. Breakthrough Album (with electronics influence)
b. Radiohead's OK Computer
Best album of the nineties
3. Recent work that is more successful and relevant to the current music industry
b. Radiohead's In Rainbows
Its tough to say this, but In Raibows is better.
4. Alternative Music Album
b. Radiohead's Kid A
Lack of singles makes it much ore of a whole, Zooropa having singles was weird.
5. Rock album
b. Radiohead's The Bends
Nver was a big an of War
6. Live Album
a. U2's Under the blood red sky
Easily
7. Return to the older influnce album
a. U2's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
I don't love either, but HTDAAB isn't mediocre. Myxomatosis is the best sng off of both albums though.
8. Most successful album that bends into the club music
b. Radiohead's OK Computer
9. Live Act
a. U2
Streets wins this
10. Their Best Album
a. U2's The Joshua Tree
Tough choice, but I listen to JT more.
U2 wins, overall. In twenty years, if Radiohead are still making great music-then we shall see.
Great topic idea
Agree with your post but have to say Thom Yorke and his crew like many other bands took inspiration from Edge's echo box and the famous U2 'ching ching!'
)