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  1. As another decade with U2 in it draws to a close, I thought it would be appropriate to look back on their career, but specifically consider what has been their "best" decade.

    Their albums now span three entire decades and any band who can still generate great music and maintain their massive popularity should feel pretty satisfied with themselves.

    No doubt the 80's were their most prolific era when they churned out six studio albums and went on six tours. They were certainly at their busiest musically compared to the 90's when they only produced three albums (as U2 at least) and went on only two tours (both albeit pretty massive tours). The 00's is similar with three albums and three tours.

    I suppose most people will look back at the 80's with the most fondness with so much great music generated back then coupled with the nostalgia of it all. Their most famous album remains the Joshua Tree.

    But in the 90's, when a lot of people thought U2 would be banished in the "big rock" era never to re-surface, they produced perhaps their best music. Their big stadium tours certainly put them into the upper echelon of live acts.

    And then we have the 00's when U2 were perhaps at their most critically popular. They won a lot more grammys during this decade than at any other time. But it's during this time, when U2 have been accused of being too safe and too commercial.


    For me every era and every decade holds a special place. But I've gotta give it to those magic 90's. It's when U2 released my favourite album in Achtung Baby, didn't follow any rules musically, put on spectacular, bombastic shows and were larger than life. The last of the rock stars!

  2. Agreed. I love the Zoo TV tour (and the albums that went with it) and have really started to gain a new appreciation of the Pop era. Don't get me wrong, I love their '80s stuff - Streets will always be numero uno with me - but actually prefer how they performed these songs (namely Bullet the Blue Sky) in the 1990's.

    As for this past decade, the music was very solid but no song from the past three albums would crack my top 20 "all-time favourite U2 songs" list. No, not even Beautiful Day.
  3. 1993-2003, without a doubt
  5. 80s

    They would be NOTHING without the Magic Eighties.



    Long Live 80s...
  7. The 80's by the length of the Flemington straight.....

    U2 would not be the same without classics such as New Years Day, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Where The Streets Have No Name, Pride & I Will Follow.

    Thier early raw energy is what made them what they are today, these days the massive production with concerts is full on, but they didn't need that in the 80's, just a flag pole & scaffolding to climb..;-)

    I think the line at the end of the 80's "we just need to go away & dream it all up again" says it all really, they needed in a way to find a new direction for themselves, to make things relevant for themselves more than anything, for us punters, we were already on board, there was no going back, we were hooked whichever way they went.

  8. Most important would get the spot of 80's for me- as its been said, they'd be nothing without this foundation and amazing catalogue of war horses and downright real meaning songs.

    However, BEST decade for me is easily the 90's. ZooTV redefined a rock show, PopMart dropped jaws for the better and the worse, but still saw the band trying new things. And as it was also said, some of those said war horses had never been heard in such glory as they were on ZooTV and/or PopMart.

  9. just start listening some lovetown shows ...Great period .........
  10. it has to be the 00s for me. 90s had ZooTV which was awesome but now we have 360 and i think its even better. Too bad B-mans voice is not so good these days. Also I have to vote for this decade cuz of U2s work for Africa and stuff...
  11. the ZOOTV indoor shows where great !! there happend a lot of unexpected things ...
    the live contacts with sarajevo where very emotional sometimes ...during the outdoors shows .
    And sometimes there where some great surprises like Bjorn en bennie from AbbA on stage .
    mirrorball man and macphisto´s phonecalls where big fun
    I think this was the best Tour for me
    And bono´s voice wher great at that time ....
    360 is also great but totaly different ....i think when you realy atended the ZOOTV shows
    like i did 4 times you wil maibe think different about it ...

  12. 90's as best. Just. I think they could be heading back that way though if they keep on track.
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U2start is run by fans for fans. Help us reduce personal costs. Consider to make a donation to support us.
U2start is run by fans for fans. Help us reduce personal costs. Consider to make a donation to support us.
U2start is run by fans for fans. Help us reduce personal costs. Consider to make a donation to support us.