Only because they’ve had fifty years of exposure. Even then, I wouldn’t be so sure.
dime- more because it is a phrase than the lyric to that song.
I remembered them after I made the post, and realized I’d made a glaring omission. I was just about to add them when I saw your post. Both very worthy of being on the short list, but neither quite makes it to the top.
I respect your opinion, and cazzle’s as well, but not much support for it, other than your taste in music. I’m not wild about the Who or most of the Stones, but objectively, I can recognize their greatness.
I was actually pondering this very question the other day. I think they are making great case for themselves. They may never reach the “best band ever” status, but they have certainly moved into the pantheon of timeless bands. I’ve seen the usual suspects mentioned already. (The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Led Zep, The Dead) I pesonally believe that U2 belongs in this group. An exclusive group it is and we may be reluctant to add a new band to it, but they fit the bill.
They have had both commercial and critical success. They are IMHO one of the best live acts ever. (They certainly stole the show at LiveAide) They are not afraid to re-invent themselves. They have longevity. Their first song to hit American pop-charts was “I Will Follow” from the album War. That was 1980, I think. Follow that with a string of great singles throughout the next 20 years. Add three amazing albums, proclaimed masterpieces by various music rags over the years.(Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, All That You Can’t Leave Behind) Twenty-some years after they first stepped out of Dublin, they win 3 Grammy awards for “Beutiful Day”
Say what you will about U2, not everyone likes their music, not everyone can stand Bono, not everyone thinks a cheeky bunch of Irish christians are as good as the Beatles or the Stones, but they are timeless. They will be the grand old men of rock, someday. And they have so much more to offer.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. However, I wasn’t making the case for “best band ever”. I think they are a work in progress. I just think they belong in that Olympus of rock bands with some of the other groups mentioned. “Best band ever” is too subjective to personal taste. I, for instance, find nothing exciting about the Rolling Stones. I would not lable them “bbe”, some others obviously would. But you are right, my examples, on second glance, are a bit vague.
The Stones. Led Zep, The Who, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Jeff Beck, Jethro Tull, Blue Oyster Cult, Return to Forever, Grateful Dead, Traffic, The Beach Boys, The Overnight Sensation Band, Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Yes, Eric Clapton…
I’ve seen all of these bands, U2 included, and every one of them kicked U2’s @ss down the street and around the corner. The only other act I’ve ever seen as overrated as U2 was Bruce Springsteen.
If U2 would have broken up after 1988 or so, I’d give them a little more credit. But all the crap they have released in the 90’s and 00’s sucks.
I would have to say the best band ever is Phish. Together for 18 years, they had the good sense to take a break when they were getting a little bored with their band. Best live show ever. Amazing musicians, even if the lyrics are a little goofy sometimes. I’d have to say Trey Anastasio and Jon Fishman are the two best at their instruments still playing (guitar and drums) But thats just MHO.
peace,
JB
I thought about including Phish, but for whatever reason, didn’t. They mesh together so incredibly well, both with their instuments and voices. Are you sure they’ve been around since '83?
I’m still trying to forget about the time I had to sit through Pearl Jam opening for The Rolling Stones. Wanna talk about another overrated, overhyped and overblown band? PJ has gotta be one of them. What a bunch of whiners! They make U2 look like a superband.
Good time at the gig?
I’m pretty neutral about Bon Jovi but he puts on a way better show, so does AC/DC, in fact even the Stones do better zimmer frames and all.
Musically they are just the Status Quo of rock music, you know its gonna be U2 from the first note, you know how the song goes, from the first note, you know when the bridge will happen and what it will sound like, from the first note.
You can listen to an entire U2 album in thirty seconds, its all the same, no surprises, no breaking out of molds, no experiments, no chances taken, no passion, no fun, no politics, no message, just keep on dishing out product.
Seriously, they’ve put out a few great records, especially early in their career, but what have they done the last 10 or so years, except get more pretensious.
I would not even put U2 in the top 50 bands, but they would probable qualify in the top 100.
[Phish geek]Trey, Mike, and Fishman (along with Jeff Hollingsworth) played their first gig in 1983. Page joined in 1985; Jeff quit in 1986.[/Phish geek]
The OP: I have a hard time naming a “Best Band Ever”, or even a “Best Current Band”; my top choices shift on an almost daily basis. I can’t imagine the day when U2 wouldn’t be in the top 10, though. Bono is, without question, one of the best rock and roll frontmen ever, as anyone who has seen them live will attest. (I have, twice–the current tour and PopMart.) I wouldn’t say the best, but maybe the best working today.
Those who trash U2’s post-“Joshua Tree” output as a whole apparently never heard “Achtung Baby”, which was one of the best albums of the 90’s. The rest had its moments; “Pop” took a while to grow on me, but I finally came to like it. I’m glad they tried to reach out in new directions; the easy thing would have been to crank out something vaguely “Joshua Tree”-sounding every two or three years.
