U2start.com | U2: Mainstream or not?

U2 are not mainstream imo. Yes they are more commercial then when they started. With HTDAAB and ATYCLB their music was their most mainstream'ish, but before these albums they were absoluteley not. NLOTH made U2 less predictable too, and their music has always been one of a kind.

Risto

15 years

Also see http://www.u2start.com/topic/5035/ for a related discussion.

Play nice

germcevoy

15 years

Run of the mill from 2000 onwards. 90's were pure gold

u2spear

15 years

I think they are not, many other music seems to use U2's example of music styles and U2 seem to change before the times as opposed to with the times. People like U2's music because it is new and different and original. I agree about the ATYCLB and HTDAAB but Zooropa, Pop and Achtung Baby, even the Joshua Tree are not mainstream.

LikeASong

15 years

Bono: (...) fuck the mainstream.

JuJuman

15 years

Originally posted by u2spear:I think they are not, many other music seems to use U2's example of music styles and U2 seem to change before the times as opposed to with the times. People like U2's music because it is new and different and original. I agree about the ATYCLB and HTDAAB but Zooropa, Pop and Achtung Baby, even the Joshua Tree are not mainstream.

I agree too - if by mainstream we intend, say, Michael Jackson's or Madonna's music (say for the 80's and early 90's). But there is also a sense in which albums like JT and Achtung Baby *are* mainstream - they went up there in the charts (not only in the Olympus of the great albums), and there is after all a sense of 'mainstream' according which x is mainstream if x is up there in the charts. But I agree that the music is not mainstream - it is just U2.

MWSAH

15 years

Mainstream or not..it's U2 and that sufficient for me.

And to be honest, I don't think they're mainstream but they could be in several years. Time for a change and actually NLOTH is that change.

blink

15 years

they're mainstream, but also not mainstream.
lets leave it at that

RememberEveryMoment

15 years

Originally posted by germcevoy:Run of the mill from 2000 onwards. 90's were pure gold

You don't think the NLOTH era is any good? I mean, the album is great (and not safe) and they are ready for a kick-ass tour, possibly the biggest they ever done. I know you're not so keen on the 2000s, but you have to give them some credit for this current era.

thefly07

15 years

Originally posted by blink:they're mainstream, but also not mainstream.
lets leave it at that

basically. more so now than the 90's like everyone else has already said

Stu

15 years

What exactly does mainstream mean? what does alternative mean?

The Joshua Tree came out in 87, it was nothing like anything else, and so much better than anything else, U2 are not a foruma type band,, otherwise they would be seen as pop, but that doesn't mean they can't be mainstream, in fact i believe U2 re-invented mainstream by making their different sound VERY mainstream, U2 are so recognisable by their trademark sound.

Confused?

If mainstream means being played on commercial stations, on MTV te ctec, then off course U2 are mainstream, does that cloud my passion of U2, absolutely not, they are just words, U2's music speaks for itself.

Risto

15 years

Originally posted by Stu:What exactly does mainstream mean? what does alternative mean?

The Joshua Tree came out in 87, it was nothing like anything else, and so much better than anything else, U2 are not a foruma type band,, otherwise they would be seen as pop, but that doesn't mean they can't be mainstream, in fact i believe U2 re-invented mainstream by making their different sound VERY mainstream, U2 are so recognisable by their trademark sound.

Confused?

If mainstream means being played on commercial stations, on MTV te ctec, then off course U2 are mainstream, does that cloud my passion of U2, absolutely not, they are just words, U2's music speaks for itself.

Completely agree with you

U2: Mainstream or not?

what they said

did you know

you

forums

U2start