All That You Can’t Leave Behind is a near-prophetic record that offered comfort and solace in a time of anguish and fear. But it wasn’t just the masterful production team that made this album so special. Taking America as a theme and roots music for inspiration, U2 launched into their second decade with a transporting masterpiece of focused, soaring songs that ripple with dramatic angst and fiery empathy. BEST TRACK: "I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For" — The gospel rocker that summed up U2’s theology and restlessness. The aptly titled 360° concert tour featured a 165-foot tall center stage with an expanding 360° video screen. But there are many more worthwhile songs on No Line. The Refugee7. We run down the best U2 albums, ranked … And many have dubbed U2’s sophomore outing as such a slump. Dig deeper and you find the scathing political statement of Bullet the Blue Sky. U2's first partnership with ambient auteurs Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno was an erratic gem: The blend of dark art rock and voice-of-a-generation accessibility was by turns arresting and abstract. More than four decades ago four high school kids from Dublin started a band that would become one of the biggest rock groups in the world. Picasa. Until the End of the World5. This U2 discography is ranked from best to worst, so the top U2 albums can be found at the top of the list. That said, there’s no denying the infectious hook and driving rhythm of this mega-hit. And while Pride is where Edge nails down this new guitar sound, it’s not until Bad, a heart wrenching requiem for a loved one lost to heroin addiction, that the depth of this new sonic landscape is fully realized. But what of the rhythm section? 4th of July7. Four decades and 13 albums later, the quartet stands as one of the greatest rock bands in history. If nothing else, the album is significant for being the first collaboration with Brian Eno, fresh off producing some of the best Talking Heads albums. The sophomore slump hit Bono and the boys hard. This partnership, unlike the one led by current Apple CEO Tim Cook, was an unqualified success. It’s also on that track that Bono finds his arena-ready voice. The opening title track is striking in its aggressive tone, while being coupled with largely optimistic lyrical themes. Arrogant. The resulting songs sound clumsy, boring (where are the hair-raising hooks? U2’s latest album has all the hallmarks of an instant classic. This sonic approach continues on the nearly-danceable Mysterious Ways, a hugely successful hit single that features some memorable wah-wah guitar from the Edge. Bullet the Blue Sky5. Let’s dig into this iconic U2 album that helped define the sound of the 2000s. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. For whatever reason, many people tend to be apprehensive about attributing greatness to something so new. After noodling with electronica and pop irony in the late '90s, U2 rebooted in 2000 with a rousing throwback to Joshua Tree-style classicism. U2’s debut album, Boy, shows the promise of a young, energetic band searching for its sound. The truth is, there is not a weak track on the album, not a single song that seems out of place. The closest thing to the sound heard on The Joshua Tree is Ultra Violet (Light My Way), complete with the Edge’s trademark delay sound and Bono’s anthemic vocals. WORST TRACK: "Elvis Presley and America" — Unforgettably forgettable. It can be hard to remember now thanks to years of overblown tours and Apple partnerships, but U2 were once just another scrappy post-punk band from the early ’80s. The first three tracks draw you into a particular sonic landscape. I’m of two minds when it comes to Rattle and Hum. Read on for EW's definitive ranking of U2's titanic body of work. Indeed, Bad still stands today as the most skillful and creative guitar performance Edge has ever offered us. Further, the album hits some deeply personal notes, as well. Quite the opposite, U2 sought to rekindle some of the magic of their earlier work, and their success in that endeavor came at just the right time for a world in mourning. They ceased becoming either a) a post-punk guitar-driven rock… Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Admittedly, the Irish foursome did it exceedingly well, but they were far from breaking the new ground that later outings would accomplish. Apple released a limited edition U2 iPod and ran a classic TV advertisement featuring the lead single, Vertigo. And with those gorgeous verses, I’ve only scratched the surface of an album that achieves everything it sets out to. Boy established their trademarks: passionate songwriting, huge vocals, memorable riffs, and, most important, heart. This list includes studio albums only, so if you add an album make sure it's a proper studio release. Some have said Rattle and Hum showed U2 was resting on the laurels of The Joshua Tree. The song’s striking bridge features Bono reaching new heights with an almost breathless falsetto, and the track’s disturbing theme comes full circle with perhaps the most jagged solo the Edge has ever played. No one else has ever come close to doing what U2 did on Achtung Baby in terms of sonic reinvention–not even U2 themselves.