U2start.com | U2: Mainstream or not?

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

Agree, and categorisation of the band into mainstream/ not mainstream would be a gross oversimplification.

I agree with blink.
They're mainstream rock music, question is wether rock music is mainstream or not? Lately (as in last couple of years) it wasn't.

djrlewis

15 years

They're mainstream in that they are generally known in the public consciousness.

They have been mainstream in terms of radio play, chart success

They are currently not a 'mainstream' act in those terms. Now they sit with Bruce Springsteen in as much as they still make worthwhile material that stands up to the old stuff when they were mainstream and are a huge live draw, but do not chart well or get much radio airplay.

yuri31

15 years

Originally posted by djrlewis:
They are currently not a 'mainstream' act in those terms. Now they sit with Bruce Springsteen in as much as they still make worthwhile material that stands up to the old stuff when they were mainstream.

Was Achtung Baby mainstream?
The closest U2 were to mainstream were ATYCLB and HTDAAB, which are crap albums in many people's opinion (including yours I guess), and that means that when U2 were 'mainstream', they were not good or maybe not as good as when they did some 'different' stuff.

djrlewis

15 years

Originally posted by yuri31:[..]

Was Achtung Baby mainstream?
The closest U2 were to mainstream were ATYCLB and HTDAAB, which are crap albums in many people's opinion (including yours I guess), and that means that when U2 were 'mainstream', they were not good or maybe not as good as when they did some 'different' stuff.

No it wasn't. But they were a mainstream act at that time (following on from the mega-success of JT). Singles went to Number 1 etc. They stopped being mainstream after Discotheque and then were uber-mainstream around Beautiful Day and Vertigo.
They now are not again, and doubt they will be.

I don't relate mainstream to crap. There is, for sure, a lotof mainstream crap, but there are also acts that are mainstream who do really good stuff.

loftarasa

15 years

Originally posted by yuri31:[..]

Was Achtung Baby mainstream?
The closest U2 were to mainstream were ATYCLB and HTDAAB, which are crap albums in many people's opinion (including yours I guess), and that means that when U2 were 'mainstream', they were not good or maybe not as good as when they did some 'different' stuff.

The funny thing then is that the mainstream and not-mainstream stuff marked their most successfull tours.

I don't know about you guys, but for my (!) understanding, the term "mainstream" today should be used for music that is purely made for radio and temporary popularity, eg all those casting shows whose winners make a #1 single and then slowly disappear, and if not, who only release music that isn't written by themselves and which sounds the same (at least for EVERYTHING that is happening in Germany in those matters).

Just look at the charts....80% of the top 50 is pure bullshit with lame lyrics and lame musical ambition / production, but it sells coz there's an artificial hype made up and the companies today rather want a fast but short success of a band than have faith and support them until they make it.

But then again, not everything mainstream is bad after all lol. It's difficult.

U2: Mainstream or not?

what they said

did you know

you

forums

U2start