Achtung Baby

Wikipedia tells me this is an album filled with innovation and creativity. It didn’t capture me much. Seemed like it was more derivative than transformative.

I really enjoyed this one musically - I thought it was an underrated headphone album and aside from some of th lyrics was a great listen

Les U2 haters sont tellement edgy. 4.5 étoiles

The ultimate “we went in a new direction” album. While several tracks on here bang, many simply don’t grab my achtung. Here we begin the slow downslope of U2 fatigue.

Love this one I think their best

I didn't like this.

I think I'm just not the biggest U2 guy because it was not very memorable until it shuffled onto other artists after ending

repetitivo comercial e chateia me os ouvidos francamente

Classic 90s U2. Bombastic, with lyrics that border on the cringeworthy

Fine.

Die ufbauti U2 verachtig sit em gratis Album im itunes vor öppe 20 jahr hani mit grandiose lieder über die jahr chöne abbaue und gmerkt das die cheibe no was uf em chaste hend! Paar lieder sehr gnosse! Aber für es U4 langets ned darum mümmer bimne abgrundete U3 bliibe

As someone who never really listened to U2 prior to this project I was interested in hearing what is considered one of their best after having a terrible experience with All That You Can’t Leave Behind. However now that I’ve also heard Achtung Baby I’m not so sure that I’m going to connect with U2. This was a better experience but still not one I really enjoyed.

i really enjoyed this album and see myself listening to it again in the future. has a great sound and strong lyrics.

Really neat textural work with the instrumentation just rejones by the utterly lame lyricism.

Like it 3-5

Really enjoyed relistening to this album after last hearing it a million years ago. This album was one of those first albums I really got into when I was young and first establishing music that was MY music. Interesting as I listened to The Joshua Tree not terribly long ago, and while that album is an undeniable classic and huge album, I wasn't as into it as I once was a million years ago, most of the tracks being so familiar that, while great, don't move me whole lot, not in a fresh kind of way. Surprisingly, Achtung Baby is like really doing it for me! I mean, this album is also very familiar to me, but it's hitting me in a zesty, refreshing kind of way, while also getting at me emotionally. There's themes here that I definitely relate to more than when I was 12. This album is vibrant and colorful, but there's beautiful melancholy here as well. It feels like a turning point after a long duration of separation when you start to pick your head up, start opening the blinds and letting light in again. There's sadness, there's longing, but life has color and is still there to be embraced, there to welcome you. I dunno, just stuff I'm feeling as I'm listening. Very surprised by my reaction but I dig it. Also got Lanois and Eno on deck, which never hurts. Great album. Love it.

Difficult to taste an album what's you know so many of the tracks, and that have bitten used in so many places.

This certainly sounds like a band trying to change their sound but it feels more important in the evolution of U2, than music as a whole. I’m not the most knowledgeable about their albums but I’d assume this is a watershed before what would ultimately turn U2 into a bit of generic stadium rock sort of band, rather than the band that seemed relevant prior to this.

Ok, I know it's easy to hate U2. They can be preachy and maybe a little conceited. But they definitely had a string of some excellent albums back in the day, including this album. It's a definitely change of style for the band with subtle influences from electronic and industrial artists. It's perhaps not their most easily accessible album. It's also maybe their most daring album (which I'd give to their flopped disco album 'Pop'). But it definitely achieves a lot, including some of the band's best songs, like "Mysterious Ways" and "Better Than the Real Thing". The legacy of this album would later be revisited in a tribute album called "AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered". Covers were provided by the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Patti Smith, Depeche Mode, Jack White and others. That impressive line up is the proof that this remains an important album.

Classic

Nice for work

Last good US album. Lots of good songs here some forgettable

own

I was listening to this and everything was going ok. Sure, this was a change from the U2 of previous towards their Omnishite music of the late 20th and early 21st Centuries. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t particularly engaging or exciting either. This all changed when One Love came on and I instantly recalled that fucking awful moment in 2020 when thousands of people were dying every day from Covid and a bunch of self-important thespians though that singing this together over the internet would make everyone feel better. Changed the game after that. Fucking Hollywood!

No loescuché xd

No. 54 Really cool listen. Some highlights and no song I really disliked.

U2s radikaler Stilbruch: düster, elektronisch, emotional. Songs wie „One“ und „Mysterious Ways“ zeigen die Band auf dem Höhepunkt ihrer Kreativität. Der deutsche Titel? Eine ironische Hommage an Berlin, wo das Album entstand – und ein Augenzwinkern zur eigenen Neuerfindung.

4 только благодаря песне One, больше ни одна не понравилась.

Meni njihov najbolji

It’s the type of album that would be considered a 4 just because it’s U2. But it’s such a far, wanky cry from Joshua Tree that it deserves a 2. Ultimately, though, it’s a 3. Decidedly average.

It's ok. I don't really like U2.

Execrable

Edited. Not a 5

U2 hasn’t been good since they forced an album on my iTunes in 2014.

Fuck you too

I despise U2, but this is their best album

Liked some but not all of it

One of the best!

Fantastic defining sound of U2

Absolutely killer album. Does Bono's bravado grate on me at times? Sure. But the production and songs on this album are SO good. Could've lost a song or 2 to make this truly legendary, but I struggle to find bad things to say about this record. 9/10

Una banda conocida, con buenas canciones, pero no es para mi

Minu jaoks kohutavalt igav ja Bono vokaal ei istu mulle üldse.

Two tracks from this album (“One” and “Mysterious Ways”) are tunes that have had radio play, so those are familiar to me and the best songs on the album. The rest of the tracks all are well done with excellent sound quality. It’s just that U2 is one of those bands that I never really got enthused about.

Bono must like languages. Me too, Bono. This is very mellow. Actually liked it more than I expected. Pleasant background stuff. No rip-roaring highlights, but no complaints.

Starts strong but quickly gets very samey. More Mono than Bono.

Just so boring, I really can’t connect with U2 on any level and I just find all the lyrics, singing, and guitar riffs to be soulless. Having Eno attached to this should have helped but this just wasn’t for me.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that one of the biggest rock bands in the world has a lot of hits, but alas I was still surprised at how many of these songs I already knew! I feel very “meh” about U2 overall though, if I’m being honest.

There are a few U2 songs that make me weep, "One" among them. Don't know what it's "really about" nor do I care all that much. As a U2 fan, I can't say this is my favorite album of theirs. They basically frosted over the things that made them great: the rhythm section sounds flattened and is mixed into a shoebox, the muscular guitar lines are buried under effects so thick you can only barely ascertain the guitar at all, and say what you will about Bono - you gotta respect his passion and commitment to the job - but on this he is (of course) devolving into the crooner all rock singers think they should be. What U2 are good at is building an emotional vignette from the constraints of the four-piece rock convention. When they deviate like they do on Achtung Baby, it's a little disconcerting. They're clearly out of their comfort zone. But a band like this (hugely successful), at this point in their career (past their prime and entrenched in the mainstream), is in a damned if you do, damned if you don't position. Experiment and try something different, and your fanbase is repelled. Keep doing the same thing you always have and you're seen as lazy, tired, behind the times. The former is the natural thing musicians want to do, but riskier. The latter is a paycheck but a high-speed train to irrelevance. And U2 wants to be relevant more than anything else. Although U2 don't seem to tire of playing I Will Follow or New Year's Day a million times, they did decide to go the riskier route on this album, with mixed results.

Pretty great

I really came to terms with the fact that I do not care that much for U2 by listening to this album. It just strikes me as, above all, bland - maybe I had to be there. I see why people like it, but it's not my thing. Highlights: One, Until the End of The World (Edge carries btw).

When I saw I got a U2 album, I got pretty exciting. However this one was a big disappointment. It really falls flat, with little excitement along the way. 2/5

Hadn’t heard this side of U2 much before, only their more recent albums. Like the rest of their stuff, I see why they hit it big, and this album seems rougher around the edges in a good way

average/

I've listened to this album too many times without giving it a rating. I started out thinking it was great, but as time has gone on, I think it's just great for U2. I'm just not the biggest U2 fan, but there are some real bangers on here. Best Songs: One, Mysterious Ways, Love Is Blindness Worst Songs: Zoo Station, So Cruel

U2 reminds me of the Star 96.7 Chicago radio station because they overplayed it so much. I feel like if I wasn't annoyed by them already they would be great.

Never was quite sure why this is regarded so highly- even now after fully listening to it, perhaps for the first time. Even biggest songs which I know "One" and "Mysterious Ways", I like, but don't really care that much for, so I can't see rating this more than 3.

An argument can be made that this is U2's best album, and it is an astonishing reinvention of a band who had just rode their anthemic sound to its peak and logical conclusion with "The Joshua Tree." A more experimental and dance-oriented sound than that and prior records, the pop songwriting remains every bit as strong, and there are very few missteps across its twelve track. A damn near perfect album.

After reading the critics’ reviews of this album, I don’t get it. It sounds like any other U2 album. It’s not bad, but it certainly isn’t “dark, industrial, electronic, or sensual.”

Two times in the past three days I have happily gasped at the albums that were generated. The previous one was The Queen Is Dead, and today I got Achtung Baby. These are two seminal albums from my twenties that were played hundreds of times back then. I recall in 1991 when the first single, The Fly, was released and thinking "what the hell is this?" It was definitely not the U2 we were used to, and there was no way to know what was to come. What did come was amazing. I loved this record immediately and felt that they could do no wrong (even thought there were a few missteps along the way already). I didn't realize this would be their last great album, but they did have an impressive run anyway. I was excited to give it a listen today, as I hadn't played the whole record through in quite some time. What I felt then was what I felt today. This is one amazing album. If my least favorite song is Mysterious Ways, and I don't think it's bad at all but just not as interesting as the rest, then I still love it. One is always a song I can go back to, but my favorites are the less popular tracks such as So Cruel, Ultra Violet, and Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses. Thank you to the generator for an excellent start to the week.

Incredibly generic but has a couple of hits that pull this up to a 2.

There are so many things that make this a great album, one could go on and on. The specific things that struck me this time, listening to it for the first time in a while: The pleasing sonic quality of The Edge's guitars and his unique approach to playing; Bono's voice is a little raspy - like he's singing on a tired voice - and it just pairs perfectly with the guitar sound; And the songs are just fucking great ... and unique.

My thoughts on this album, poorly articulated and poorly organized: 1. This is a very 90s album. 2. When this album came out, it seemed to me to be a departure from U2's prior efforts. My assessment hasn't really changed. 3. I know some guitarists who are dismissive of the Edge as a guitarist because, I dunno, his playing is simplistic or something. That may be true, but holy shit the dude just slays on the guitar atmospherics on this album. 4. Re: that last point, I wonder if the guitar atmospherics has something to do with the fact that Daniel Lanois produced this album. There's certainly other albums he's produced (and played guitar on!) that have excellent atmospherics. Mostly, I'm thinking about Fever In, Fever Out by Luscious Jackson, but also the Red Dead Redemption 2 soundtrack. 5. Overall, I really, really liked hearing this again and sort of wonder why I stopped listening. Maybe because so many recent U2 albums have felt like duds to me?

I was in college in architecture school when this album came out. This album was super popular and a bit artsy so it was played a lot in architectural studios of the era. I spent a lot of time in those studios listening to it. I saw the Zoo TV tour. Normally, I would say nostalgia would be weighing heavily on my rating, but I had completely forgotten about this album and haven't listened to it in at least 20 years. I'm sure I've heard One or Mysterious Ways on the radio, but I had erased a bunch of songs on this like So Cruel, Acrobat and The Fly, which I'm pretty sure was a single. I guess having four producer/engineers involved was a good choice because the album sounds great. I like that they tried something different, apparently in large part because the Edge was listening to Nine Inch Nails and KMFDM, as well as Eno understanding the mission. If you told me you hate this album because of Bono's bombastic, over-emotive singing, I would get it. It's kind of interesting how they embraced a libertine Berliner aesthetic and got less pretentious and forced in the song and lyric writing but the singing went the other way.

Moderate-level U2 fan as I may have reported before. This is the band at the peak of their powers, I think. Pretty sure this was one of the few CDs that my wife and I both brought to our marriage, but it's been a while since I've played it all the way through and I'd forgotten about some of the songs. Not a bad one in the bunch; most are full-on great. Mysterious Ways may be their best kick-ass radio-friendly anthem, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.

5/5 - This was a really exciting release when it came out. The production was so different and a big step away from where they had been headed with Rattle and Hum. I probably hadn't listened to this all the way through in 20 years. Still knew every song, and it's just great. I'll probably listen to it again today.

Very easy to listen to but not as interesting or exciting as The Joshua Tree. The influences from industrial and electronic music are clear. It's pretty consistent and I enjoyed listening but I don't think there are any songs I want in regular rotation.

surprised me a lot. thoroughly enjoyed

Very good album. It would be even better if I had not heard all these songs before. I feel like they've all been released as singles.

I enjoyed this. “One” is the standout for me here but not a bad track on this album.

Definitely an unnecessary inclusion alongside the other U2 here.

I’m sure U2 fans adore this album, but it wasn’t for me. I did enjoy the second half more than the first half. 6/10 for me.

Another U2 album - another hour or Bono mumbling through lyrics that we thankfully can’t decipher because if we could he’d probably be preaching to us about something hypocritical- meanwhile the backing music is full of distortion and reverb with occasional bouts of mistakenly breaking out into actual melody. I’ll never understand the raves for this band.

awesome

Lots of singles. Lame singles.

I’ve never gotten the appeal of U2. The most mid of rock bands, nothing on here really stands out. Nothing on here was offensive to the ears either, just sounds like generic background music to me. 4/10

U2 isnt my favorite, album is interesting tho

class

Wow, the hate for this album in th reviews is strong (and also the love). I’m stuck in the middle. I think some of the songs were bangers, and I do think U2 should be recognized for the influence they’ve had. It’s not my favorite, but I’m not calling them terrorists either.

This one was pretty generic. Nothing particularly special about it. It wasn't really anything special to begin with about U2, but at least the first records were more interesting. From this album on, they became uninspired.

not bad, not great

Amazing album

Standouts - Until the end of the world - The Fly - Ultra Violet This album is way more experimental than I was expecting from a U2 album, I actually ended up really enjoying it. It feels like a sonic youth album at times. There are some really generic songs in here which brings it down a lot. low 4

Fucking Bono man, I don't need this on a Monday morning. This is just the most empty noise of a band I've had on this list so far. Every album is just like this one too. Nothing unique to say, nothing innovative to try. Waste of time.

Good stuff. I like this earlier version of u2. Had never really heard these tracks

2.5 Stars This is an album I’ve tried a few times and I’ve never been blown away from it. It’s not bad, although sometimes bland. It’s probably more of a “you needed to be there” kind of thing, as many lost it as one of the best albums of the 90s and to me that is clearly not right. But “One” is a great (although overplayed) song. I’m iffy on the other singles, and some of the non singles are interesting enough. But I have this one 2 listens over the weekend, after a history of never getting through it over a number of attempts, and I’ve landed on it’s fine but I will never return to it on my own accord.

This was the first time hearing a U2 album all the way through. The band has a solid groove. The Edge's guitars are distinct which I appreciate during certain songs. Bassist Adam Clayton truly held these songs together for me. I like drum pads and dance music, but I do think drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. was underutilized to add more texture. I do not like Bono's voice and the more I heard it the less I wanted to hear. He is not a good storyteller; he feels "it" but he doesn't bring the audience with him. It got hard not to get grumpy while listening through this album because of his voice. I will say they know how to make an enticing intro to all their songs.

Favorites: Even Better Than The Real Thing One Until The End Of The World So Cruel The Fly Mysterious Ways Ultra Violet (Light My Way) Acrobat Love Is Blindness

I like these guys and it's probably the best album I've heard by them. I vastly prefer the side one songs that sound less like normal U2 over the side two ones, which are much more what you expect. The production and songwriting are welcome departures, and the song "One" is as good as they're ever going to be. But I still have this thing about U2 where I don't go back and listen to their records that often. They give you everything the first time, and there's not that much mystery to uncover afterwards.

Great! Love their sound. Some great songs.

Excellent album by a band with incredible staying power. I feel like they took more risks on this album...had more of an...edge 😅

sounds so flat it actively annoys me

oh. But anyway u2 is also an Irish band. anyway idk wether this is just a coincidence or something else. And yes, we know that you fucking hate pop rock and we know you think that bono is pretentious. But even the most pretentious music nerds from rate your music decided to give this a 3.7 out of 5. And it completely don’t sound like the stuffs they put out before no matter you are comparing with war or the Joshua tree. The atmosphere is visibly darker and guess what? Our dear friend Brian Eno worked on this. And he handled the atmo pretty well! TLDR: u2 are overhated and this album is one of their best. 4/5

How could it all go so wrong?

This is so generic. Good lord. It sounds like the music they play in superdrug because they don't want to pay for the real stuff. I have never forgiven U2 for the un-deletable "free album" that appeared in my meticulously curated iTunes against my will, spoiling the vibe and not going away. The assumption that we would be grateful for this because it's so amazing?! The reason it was so egregious is because it was so mid!!! Anyway, this is like that.

Album #5: Achtung Baby - U2 Genre (according to Wikipedia): Alternative rock Singles?: The Fly, Mysterious Ways, One, Even Better than the Real Thing, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses Have you heard any songs from this album or group before?: I’ve heard One before. I’ve also heard a bunch of tracks like Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride (In the Name of Love), the first three songs off of The Joshua Tree, and Beautiful Day. Also, The Wanderer, which features Johnny Cash. Thoughts?: With this album being called one of the greatest of all time on Wikipedia, I have high expectations. So far, the music is very moody, which is good, because if the music makes you feel something, that’s great. The lyrics aren’t sticking out to me yet, aside from One. The album was underwhelming, I don’t remember a lot of the tracks. Maybe I shouldn’t have set expectations for it. Favorite songs: One, The Fly, Acrobat As a writer, what can you use this music for when honing your craft?: I would use this music mainly for science fiction projects. I don’t know how exactly it reminds me of sci-fi. Maybe it’s because of the industrial influences. File correlation: File #008: Silvercrest Services

thre

She Moves In Mysterious Ways 1001 Albums Generator 176 (12/4/2025) Achtung Baby is the final U2 album that has seen consistent praise from critics, and it's not unfounded. This album, especially its first half, is made up of some really nice pop/rock songs. The biggest hit is by far "One", which is actually one of my least favorites here. Songs like Even Better Than The Real Thing and Until The End Of The World are absolutely huge. Edge gets dismissed as a guitarist because he uses delay pedals a lot, but the guitar on this album is consistently great. Who's Gonna Ride Your Horses is perhaps the most similar to U2's 80's style of Big Music, but its got a bit of a heartland/Springsteen thing going for it too. So Cruel is my least favorite song on the album. The almost trip-hop beat is just dated and not great. However, The Fly is like proto-shoegaze and Mysterious Ways is one of the most danceable songs on the album. Unfortunately, after this, the album is largely forgettable and starts feeling way too long. Besides Acrobat, the last four songs all blended together for me. Achtung Baby was a pleasant surprise for a guy who has always dismissed U2, perhaps unfairly, but the album has some glaring issues, especially in its second half. 3.5/5, rounded up to a 4. Favs: Until The End Of The World The Fly Mysterious Ways Least Fav: So Cruel

please don't stone me to death, but i think it's quite enjoyable. first time ever listening to U2 so i was expecting to hate it a lot more based on what i'd heard

Extremely rare instance of the opening track being the worst on the album instead of the best. That’s how full of themselves U2 were at this point in their career. Biggest band in the world for sure! First album from my birth year? What a great year for music ‘91 was. Now I wanna hop down the rabbit hole and find my top ten from that year. This could make it but might fall closer to top 20. This is a definite 4.5 so for the moment I’m gonna give it a 4 and may edit to a 5 if I feel like later.

Excellent album. Zeitgeist is the word for it

Not big on U2 but this album had some good moments. One and Mysterious Ways are definitely highlights.

This really is peak U2, they were never more re-inventive than this. The Fly alone mints this album but round it out with the rest and ifs just pop rock perfection.

(9/12 liked songs = 75%) Liked it a lot more than I was expecting.

I own this album but never actually listened all the way through. Rocking with U2 tho so high hopes. Good opener, very interesting sound. Real thing is catchy, good songwriting. Pop rock. Very cool guitar solo. One is a classic. 30 years later and still in commercials says something. End of the world is fine. Nothing special. Wild horrors is catchy, but very generic U2. Production on so cruel is ahead of its time. Great piano/drums. Simple but super affective. Too much going on with the fly. Not a bad song but the production is off. I like the guitar solo tho. Followed up by the best song on the album, maybe the best ever released by U2. Mysterious ways is just a great song, no notes. I like trying to throw your arms a lot. Need more emotion in their songs like this one. Bono is a great singer/songwriter. Ultra violet is pretty good, great songwriting but a little generic. I like acrobat, classic U2. Love is blindness feels like a closer which I like a lot, makes the album feel like an album. Emotional/different which the album needed. Over pretty good, some all time classics but as an album just pretty good. 3.4 stars

I'd give it a 3.5 if it were possible. Maybe a couple better songs, but mostly just ok

Damn it, I think I like this

This one has some interesting history but I base my rating on how much I like the music, and U2 has never really been my style. It's not bad, but I also don't think it's that fantastic Standouts One Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses 3/5

I grew up listening to U2 so I don't hold Bono's pretentiousness against the band because I love the music. Killer album in a killer catalogue. And still one of the best live bands I've ever seen. Favorites: One, Until the End of the World, Ultra Violet, Acrobat (for the amazing guitar), Love Is Blindness Would I listen to it again: Yes

The last great U2 album.

5.5/10 Maybe I don't like U2 after all Highlights: One

Only two tunes on here that I really care about, "Even Better Than the Real Thing", and "Mysterious Ways". Not a fave of mine.

have had a pretty standard distaste for u2 since the itunes preload debacle. very pleasant surprise was this album!!

2.5 Even as someone who never got into U2, their albums are easy to listen to. Nothing about their music sticks out and makes me want to come back to it, but it’s easy to throw on in the background when I’m doing something or entertaining guests. I did enjoy this more than their previous album I reviewed (Joshua Tree), but still pretty bland for my taste.

Første tanke var at U2 bare er en kæmpe please for mig, skulle til at skrive guilty pleasure men de er jo bare mega gode. Der er en masse Danceable rock på var min tanke med Groovy riffs og bongo trommer og basslines der er funky. Så det var fra start 90’erne og tænkte med det samme på madchester. De har åbenbart været i Berlin og blevet inspireret lidt af den elektroniske og industrielle lyd hvilket man sagtens kan høre. Det er også lidt mørkt i det som giver mening, fordi de gik igennem skilsmisser og tab flere af dem. Jeg synes også der er noget underligt sexet over lyden, specielt på mysterious ways både i lyrik, vokal og beat. De var åbenbart tæt på at gå i opløsning pga kunstnerisk krise, hvor bandmedlemmer var opdelt. Shimmer guitaren er mega fed. Synes sgu bare det er virkelig godt album, kan godt lide alt ved U2 stort set

U2 gtes a bad rep at times, but they make some pretty decent music. I really liked the first part of the album, up until One. Some very new sounding songs for U2 and interesting ideas. After that the songs kind of ranged from decent to forgettable. Nothing of it too bad, but it really lacks the hit smashes that Joshua Tree had.

Sterile music for the masses.

One alone is enough for the 5. Stellar

I hadn’t listened to this album in a long time. Subsequently I’ve grown to enjoy Brian Eno’s solo music, which I hadn’t heard before. You can see his influence on this album.

It's ok. Nothing really interesting but nothing offensive either. Best song: Mysterious Ways

Fuck U2

All time fav

There’s just something about U2 that I cannot stand

I feel like people decided they should like it because they liked other albums from U2. I was unimpressed when I listened to it when it came out and was interested in my take on it now, but unfortunately it hasn't changed.

Idk, One is good but too much U2 too fast. High 3.

This is an album with a big sound. There are some quieter songs like One and Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World, but there's also some harder rocking, more experimental ones. I think this may be where the reputation for bombast may have started. All in all, not my favorite U2 album, but still very good.

So do I love U2 now? This was great. For me the Edge was the star of this album and not Bono, which is maybe why I liked it so much. His guitar parts were awesome and his backing vocals elevated every song they were featured in. "One" is obviously a classic, but "The Fly" was also a highlight for me.

I love early U2 (up to The Joshua Tree) but I also love how they have reinvented them to be more poppy and electronic, whilst keeping that U2 stamp thanks to Bono's voice and The Edge's characteristic guitar sound. For some reason, it seems like U2 have become un-cool, but I think at face value their music is rather good. Not the U2 I fell in love with (that weas the "Sunday Bloody Sunday" era) but quite good in its own right.

Enjoyable album, none of the songs that I know U2 for and still had a good time listening and was pleasantly surprised.

still not over the time they forced every iPhone user to have their album saved. evil

As a guy with Irish heritage, I’m surprisingly not the most familiar with U2. When I was a kid, we had a single U2 CD my parents would play in the car. Whatever record had “Elevation”, that’s the only track that stuck with me all these years later. I suppose I could easily just look that up on Spotify and see if I remember the other tracks, but I’ve never really cared to do so. It wasn’t really all that impactful of a memory, just a very old one I have. Anyway, I didn’t recognize any of the tracks on this album, hits included. I know about the reputation this album has though, and I know about the reputation Bono has nowadays. His portrayal on South Park as well as the whole forced album on Apple phones thing really fucked the band as a whole in the public eye, didn’t it?? All that being said, I guess I’m a fan of U2 now. This was nowhere even remotely close to what I remember them sounding like. This album is damn near a 5 for me. The electronic elements are stellar, as are the guitar playing and Bono’s iconic singing. I enjoyed just about every song here. The only thing keeping it from being a 5 is that, despite all the ways I enjoyed this album, I still don’t think anything stood out as truly incredible. Fantastic, yes. But not incredible. The closest song to true perfection I thought was “Even Better Than The Real Thing”. This is a really good album and it’s currently first place on the list of albums I may go back and change to a 5 if I feel like reranking a bit. I know this is considered by many to be their magnum opus, so I’m curious to see what I think of their other albums on this list. Really good first impression with this one.

4.5

Good music U2 is a good Irish band ☘️🙏🏻🇮🇪

Das klingt nicht wie das U2, das ich aus dem Radio kenne. Das ist gut. Solide 4 1/2 Sterne.

More like U2

This is a much different U2 from the first album we reviewed, War. They’re more polished, more pop oriented, less raw, both emotionally and musically. Is that a bad thing? Nope. I think both styles work for them. It’s growth and exploration and they did it well. A few really great songs on here and a solid album overall.

A decent album from an above-average band. Not all of the tracks are bangers, but a handful of them really stand out from the rest. U2 consistently provides a solid rock sound and this album seems a bit more exploratory then staying true to their previous compilations. Well worth a listen.

This was the beginning and the end of U2. The “new” beginning where they succeeded in reinventing themselves without destroying what was unique to themselves. I don’t think the reinvention was anywhere near as compelling as their earlier incarnation, but I understand that there’s only so many times you can write a song to Jesus (thinly veiled as being sung to a woman) while playing the same three chords until you need to try something new. But it’s also the end of U2. This is the first album where they start to parody rock stardom and the last before they lose themselves in the joke. The album itself is actually quite strong, with lots of familiar songs, and other interesting compositions (which sway a bit too far into the pop lane for my personal taste) that are good. Listen, any album that has One and Even Better Than the Real Thing has got to chart just on those, right? The rest of the album holds up and works well.

This album is all over the place and difficult to rate. One is a beautiful song. All time classic, something i can listen to a million times and still love. Zoo Station i absolutely hate. I hated the whole goofy Zoo TV nonsense they did. Then you have everything else which ranges from pretty good to entirely forgettable. Take the song One out of the equation and this is a weak 3, however, One is so good I'm tempted to do 4 BUT we are rating albums, not songs. Much of the lift One gives the album is negated by the Zoo station nonsense. So album is a 3, but for the record the song One is a very strong 5.

My sister and her boyfriend were hanging around with a buddy listening to music. Buddy sez, "you know, I'm getting really tired of you two." They were, you know, what?? "Oh! not you two - the band, the band!" I feel the same way. Loved the early albums, so much electricity screaming through them. Then like a lot of artists, but definitely not all, who start raw and angry and full of passion, they just sounded to me like they got super rich, technically brilliant, and really really good at making U2 music. Gave it a couple listens, sounds great, just not compelling.

U2 really began developing their sound on this album — you can hear traces of what's to come in most tracks on this album. Amazing that "One" was initially improvised in the studio, especially with it being one of the band's most popular songs. What surprised me the most about this album, depsite listening to U2 since I was probably 3 years old, was the lyricism! With lines like "in my dream I was drowning my sorrows, but my sorrows, they learned to swim" and "... you left my heart empty as a vacant lot / For any spirit to haunt" there's more meaning to Bono's lyrics than I realized. This is coming from the guy who sings "uno (1), dos (2), tres (3), catorce (14)" a decade later on How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. Song picks: "One", "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses", and "Acrobat".

Nothing crazy. I’d give it 2.5 if there were half stars

I remember not being a fan of U2 when I was younger, but I surprisingly enjoyed this album a lot. I love the 90s alt rock vibes and the 'edgy' album cover and name. Standout tracks for me are One, Until The End Of The World, Ultra Violet, Acrobat, and Love Is Blindness. Prior to this, I only knew Jack White's cover of Love Is Blindness, so it's cool to hear the original. I like the band's sound and really like Bono's voice. 8.5/10.

This was definitely a U2 album. Sounded great and was well produced but I can't say any particular song stuck out to me. The Edge gets too much hate for his use of effects, I've grown to have more respect for him. 7/10

A long, long time ago. In a small town not that far away. A younger version of myself had an iPod. Imagine…. It was a time before smartphones and music subscriptions. It’s romantic to think of a time without constant notifications and updates. At the time you primarily learned about music from the radio, friends or family. Then one day a deal made through U2 and Apple forces a download of their newest album onto every single iPod in existence. No consent was given at all. It was like a virus that found its way into your iPod the moment it was plugged in to your computer. You at first think cool a free album… But then you listen to it and realize that you don’t really care for U2. Then if you shuffle your music it ends up embedded in your life whether you like it or not. So you think whatever I’ll just delete it. Then you find out you can delete are your own personal music but not U2. This violation of user choice made apple release a tool to remove the album and forced an apology from U2. I was not a fan of U2 then and continue to not really be into their music. But I cannot deny that I sang along to many of the tunes on this album either way.

Kinda an interesting album. Nothing stood out to me. But overall the album was chill and enjoyable

every time I think of U2 I think of two things: - the time they put that 2014 album on everyone's iPhones without them asking - my favourite joke ever, which goes as follows Bono and his wife are lying in bed. He turns to her and goes "I love you honey". She replies "I love you too". He turns away crying. Why can't she love him for who he is and not for his band. I hadn't listened to much U2 outwith the classics before this. Had fun listening to this album, although by the end of it I was definitely aware of its length. 3.5/5. I also very much prefer the Jack White version of Love Is Blindness from the Gatsby soundtrack. Thanks for writing it lads. Although I've just looked it up and you were going to give it to Nina Simone but kept it for yourselves?? Putting the rating down just for that. Songs added to playlist: - Even Better Than The Real Thing - One - Mysterious Ways - Love Is Blindness

Not U2's best representation. For me its a 2.5 but rounding down feels more right than rounding up

The true coming of age album for U2. Everything that came before led to this masterpiece. From the jarring start of Zoo Station through the chorus wails of Love is Blindness, there simply isn’t a bad track on this album. Just needs the Perfecto mix of Even Better Than The Real Thing to elevate it further. Nothing they’ve done since reaches this quality.

Meh

I'm surprised how much I don't hate this

Low expectations going in because I already know I don’t like “One” or especially “Mysterious Ways”, which were the only two songs on this album I recognized. But I didn’t hate listening to it, alright? I genuinely liked “Acrobat” and “The Fly”, and the thing as a whole was a decent ride.

Kind of a fluffy U2 album - lots of droning atmosphere and melancholy lyrics. Not bad, not my favorite U2 album either.

2.3 Third U2 album on here, so I've now had late stage, early stage, and finally mid stage. Maybe it caught me on the wrong day but this was the worst of the lot. War was actually alright, the later one was generic shite, but this was the most disappointing of the lot. I was trying to put my finger on why it's so bad and the closest I can get to it is it sounds like the selection of songs David Brent puts together in that episode of the office. Just fake, cringy stadium rock. I think it's saying something that for all the albums they sold, I've never met a single U2 fan. You'll meet people both from that era or born way after that wax lyrical about the smiths, the police etc, but who actually likes them today. It's as though everyone of that era was put under a spell that's been broken. As it's shite.

Not my favorite U2 album, but it does have one of my favorite U2 songs - Mysterious Ways.

Forgot how many great songs are on this album! So good!

Classics

Inoffensive to the point of mediocrity. This is music for people with no personalities. At least it's not The Joshua Tree.

U2 fucking suck

The band decided to record this in Berlin in some half-baked attempt to make the album more European or somehow artistically benefit from the reunification of Germany. This only resulted in the band being miserable as they recorded in a studio that had fallen into disrepair. Their arguments led to them almost breaking up. What a shame. Einstürzende Neubauten is cited as one of the bands that U2 listened to as part of their quest to find a new musical direction. How this appears in this album's music is completely lost on me. That album was at least interesting. The most boring person you know fucks to this. Highlights: Mysterious Ways

A lighter side to 90s alt-rock w/o all the grunge/metal

of all U2 Albums, the consensus is that this was their magnum opus, U2 At theri absolute best. Whilst im not neccessarily the BIGGEST fan of this one,(Not from a "they sold out" stance like some people seem to hold), I appreciate this album, as it was good sense of the direction Alternative was going in the 90s (amidst the chaos of that small band in Seattle). 4/5. (probably a 5/5 but that Songs of Innocence stunt was unforgiveable ngl, unfair or not.)

Superb album.

Solid. 4.35 stars

2025 is the year of finding out I would've been a U2 fan when they were still around

Not the biggest fan of U2 as individuals or musically but they do have some fantastic songs. I find that some of the songs on this drift by relying on the ´U2 sound’ without any strong melodies or riffs underpinning them. However, I think ‘One’ and the final three tracks are sensational. Special mention to ´love is blindness’. The whole song is great but I love the guitar solo especially - it is visceral and broken at the same time, which captures the mood of the song perfectly. I loved it so much it was played at our wedding reception - which would prompt a good discussion on the least appropriate songs to play at a wedding.

I’ve flip flopped as to how to rate this album. On the one hand, some of the tracks are a little overplayed (it shouldn’t necessarily be punished for it but hard to disregard hearing ‘one’ for the thousandth time), and I don’t think it is necessarily as transformative as others insist it was to their sound. On the other, it’s a really solid album and, from front to back, one of their best with very few weak tracks on it.

I wanted to hate this album, but it had some highlights

Their seventh album. Rock. I've tried and tried and tried again over the years with U2. They just don't do anything for me. Like this album, it isn't bad but it doesn't do anything for me at all. It's bland and I was bored.

Really interesting to dive into this, I am not a huge U2 person but a more noisy, personal album from them works for me. Clearly a Pop/Rock thing but they take some influence from Alternative, 90s type stuff, and likely set up some of those sounds for success. Still hits some overly sentimental beats for me but sounds great!

More like ECCH-tung 🤢

A grudging 4. Theres no denying that this was an epic reinvention of a band and that the album is full of great tracks. My dislike of the band and particularly Bono shouldn't really colour the review, so a 4 it is.

Un cambio importante en la sonoridad la banda. 4/5

I don't think every track is great, but songs like One, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, and Ultraviolet are close to perfect. Other such as So Cruel, Until the End of the World and Even Better Than the Real Thing are so solid. It's one that I should revisit more than I do. 5 Stars.

This was Even Better Than the Real Thing.

Mid rock album, not bad, not great. Favorite track was One

I’ve never quite gotten the hype around U2, despite them being a massive band, but I figured that part of the problem was my lack of familiarity with their discography. For this reason, I was eager to give this album a shot. I’m trying not to judge U2 too harshly, but look at “Achtung Baby” like I would any other album by an artist unfamiliar with. Ultimately, I just feel that this album is a moderately interesting wash of reverb that simply doesn’t do much for me. “Mysterious Ways” is the only song that I really like, and it’s also the hookiest.

I’ve never been a U2 fan I find their music by and large kinda bland. “One” is excellent though

hiç beğenmedim

Its alright

while i don’t think there’s a bad song on this album, in fact every song is stellar; as an album it kind of drags on with a lot of the songs being much slower.

Unrelentingly bland and boring. The guitar "solo" at 2:15 of "Love is Blindness" does a good job of encapsulating the talent and ambition on display in another hour of U2's music, formulated to never stray too far from optimal mass-appeal.

Found it boring more than anything else. Some ok songs but I see no reason to listen to it again.

Not my kinda music, but my great aunt would love this.

I have never liked U2, I have never understood it. This was a slog for me. Bono is so uninteresting, the edge may be a guitar revolutionary but that doesn't stop them from making songs that are infinitely less interesting than REM. I don't love the joshua tree but why did they need a reinvention from that sound? Even my boy Brian Eno can't save this. Mysterious ways is fine I guess. I feel like I’m being punked, so many people I know list this as a best album of all time and I truly can’t see it. It must have been a right place right time situation because I’ve never met anyone under thirty who gives a shit about this band.

I don't know why we needed this middle tier U2 album. For the most part it's fine, sometimes even good, but too many sha la las and baby lyrics. Feeling a decent 2/5

I always thought I didn’t believe in musical guilty pleasures - if you like a song or artist, why should you feel bad about it just because someone else has decided it’s uncool? Then I signed up for the generator and realised that I’m weirdly defensive when it comes to liking U2. So fuck it - I got this album for Christmas when I was 14 and I still love it.

Entiendo que este álbum da comienzo hacia un giro más comercial en la carrera de U2. Sin embargo considero que no por ello hay que descartar la relevancia de este álbum en la cultura popular. Así bien no considero a nivel personal que este sea el álbum que más me gusta de U2, contiene muchos temas reconocidos y además se puede decir que es una obra cuya composición es acertada en la intención: Ser reconocidos. En ese momento era importante para la banda producir un giro en su carrera, dado que el álbum anterior no había sido tan bien recibido. Eso los llevo, no en ausencia de conflictos internos, a generar este álbum, que tiene vestigios de elementos previos y los por venir. Lo que más sobresale a mi parecer es el trabajo de guitarras de The Edge y la voz de Bono (que en un par de temas utiliza efectos electrónicos que me parecen interesantes y bien aplicados).

I tend to love it when a band reinvents themselves, but this one's never done much for me. I suppose part of the problem is that U2's reinvention involves becoming more danceable, whereas I'm someone who stays firmly planted in her seat. Intellectually, I can recognize that this is just as daring as any of R.E.M.'s wild stylistic shifts in the 90s, but emotionally, I just don't really need it in my life.

I lived it

c’est sur qu’il y a du joli travail à saluer dans cet album : des compositions quali, des accords de guitare électrique qui marchent bien, de belles ambiances sonores, soutenues par une partition de percus intéressante, et bien sûr un travail vocal très propre qui signe l’esprit du groupe Maintenant c’est pas le genre de rock que j’aime, même si j’ai pu viber par moments genre The Fly, ou Mysterious Ways, mais de manière générale ce truc un peu sensuel / intimiste / drama, à la fois dans la voix et dans les mélodies, me touche pas voire me saoule Marrant car j’ai eu une grosse période U2 quand j’étais en 5e, sur leur album de 2014

Pas mon album préféré d’U2 (qui reste à ce jour The Joshua Tree). Je m’attendais pas à trouver leur son One ici, surtout après les deux premiers morceaux qui font beaucoup plus rock hangar à mon goût—j’accroche à tout sauf au refrain. Ceci dit, à part la mélodie de Mysterious Ways et la composition de So Cruel, un album qui me laisse un peu indifférente, peut-être parce que j’ai été un peu déçue sachant que j’avais déjà surkiffé beaucoup de leurs sons précédents et le projet musical —peut-être plus “rock commercial” aujourd’hui (I still haven’t found what I’m looking for, Where the streets have no name, Bullet the blue sky, pour n’en nommer que quelques uns). Pour cette raison, on est sur un 2,7 arrondi au-dessus.

I really like "the fly." First time listening to this one. I like it more than I expected - I'm not a big U2 person.

Gross

Joshua Tree proves they're capable of greatness. This just feels like a watered down version of something that could be good. Bland & flavorless.

Mid-career U2. This should be fun. Zoo Station - 7/10. Harder than a lot of what we heard on War. Solid musicianship, as we expect from U2. Even mediocre U2 is good. Even Better than the Real Thing - 7/10. Interesting start to this song. This has the smooth vocals and slick instrumentals I expect from U2. One - 10/10. This is one of the all time great U2 songs. Until the End of the World - 7/10. Good stuff. Not much to say, it's typical U2. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - 7/10. I hate to put it like this, but it's generic U2. It's exactly what you would expect from U2 outside of the big hits. So Cruel - 6/10. Solid U2. Good music, good vocals, nothing to really stand out. Could stand to be about a minute and a half shorter. The Fly - 8/10. This is a hidden gem. I like this one. A little more edge to it than the "generic" U2. Mysterious Ways - 9/10. This is one of the songs I think of when I think of U2. That said, it's a step beneath songs like Sunday, Bloody Sunday, or One, or Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World - 7/10. Smooth and silky. Ultra Violet (Light My Way) - 7/10. Solid. Acrobat - 7/10. Again, it's good "generic" U2. Love Is Blindness - 7/10. Solid, but not standing out. Overall Rating - 3.71/5 (7.42/10).

By the time One started playing I knew exactly what rating I should give.

Is U2 Rock? I don’t know their official definition, but they felt like rock to me. Their reputation was GenZ was spoiled due to the iTunes infiltration - they didn’t give us a chance to love them. Found myself adding almost every other song to my liked. 5/5.

Aspects of the sound were enjoyable. This ends up being pretty same-y by the end of the record and wears thin for me. There isn't a clear movement to the album - it stays pinned at a similar level of intensity and emotional weight throughout with little deviation. Just not really for me.

Kan inte förmå mig att bry mig om detta. Ni är jätteduktiga, men ni är också jättetråkiga.

There’s One great song on here There are quite a few really good songs as well But there’s some awfully insipid stuff around that

Megh

It’s U2. But pretty good U2. I’m sure at the time this came out it was groundbreaking. A fine listen, not off putting, but won’t seek it out.

C'était bien sympa, mais rien non plus de fou j'ai trouvé juste bien dans la longueur.

Wanted not to like this but fair play.

I had this back in the day, but it really just doesn't engage me now. It's not really bad, but it's about the last U2 album I can take much of.

A bit repetitive. One is a good song though

It's ok. Never enjoyed U2. Repetitive sounds, guitar and christian rock type vibes.

Think I'm just not the biggest U2 fan for some reason, but still enjoyed the album

8.2

First listen

This album was just fine

God I hate U2

#125 - Just OK. Not the biggest fan of U2

Bueno

Ikke hørt så mye på U2, men dette var bra!

Even though I really liked this album when it came out in 1991, and don't listen to it as often anymore, it's still a classic that deserves recognition. The reinvention from their earnest '80s sound to this darker, more experimental approach was genuinely bold - incorporating industrial and dance influences on tracks like "The Fly," "Mysterious Ways," and "Zoo Station" showed real artistic courage. It's become increasingly fashionable to be a U2 hater amongst Millennials and Gen Z, rating albums like this 1 star just because Bono's annoying or the iTunes thing. But Achtung Baby was legitimately groundbreaking and influential. The production, the songwriting, the willingness to blow up their image - it all worked. So yeah, fuck the haters. 5/5

La bomba termonuclear de mi juventud se unió a la de mi adolescencia en este disco. Fue el primer disco que me compré en CD. A cambio de la pérdida de un vinilo enorme con las letras en la funda tenía un disco enano con un libreto que ganaba en facilidad para escucharlo una y otra vez sin poner la aguja sin cara A ni cara B, una nueva experiencia. Mágico.

“One” is a singularly great song. There are other good songs here, but the band is more laid back than usual. Their passion is what sets U2 apart, so this is not their strongest effort. Bono talk/sings through several songs, which is weak. And a few if the sings are not very strong/sappy. Still, it might be worth another listen. For now, it’s a 3.

**_Achtung Baby_ by U2: In-Depth Review** Released in 1991, _Achtung Baby_ is not only a pivotal moment in U2’s career but also a landmark in rock history. Coming off the critical backlash to _Rattle and Hum_, the band retreated to Berlin’s Hansa Studios and reinvented themselves. The result was a sonically daring, emotionally raw, and thematically complex album that redefined U2 for the 1990s. --- ### 🎧 **Music and Production** Musically, _Achtung Baby_ marked a radical departure from U2’s anthemic, reverb-soaked sound. Embracing industrial, electronic, and alternative rock influences, the album is darker, more textured, and more rhythm-driven. - **Industrial Edge**: Tracks like *Zoo Station* and *The Fly* open with metallic guitar riffs and distorted rhythms, signaling a new sonic direction . - **Electronic Textures**: Songs like *Mysterious Ways* and *Even Better Than the Real Thing* incorporate dance beats and synths, reflecting the band’s interest in Madchester and club culture . - **Production Team**: Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois returned as producers, encouraging experimentation and even erasing anything that sounded “too much like U2” . The production is intentionally fragmented, rejecting the polished grandeur of _The Joshua Tree_ in favor of something more chaotic and alive. --- ### 🖋️ **Lyrics and Themes** Lyrically, _Achtung Baby_ is U2’s most introspective and emotionally fraught album. Bono drew heavily from personal turmoil, including the Edge’s marital breakdown and the band’s internal tensions. - **Love and Betrayal**: Songs like *One*, *So Cruel*, and *Love Is Blindness* explore the pain of fractured relationships with brutal honesty . - **Identity and Irony**: The album is steeped in irony and self-awareness. *The Fly* introduces a new persona for Bono—flamboyant, cynical, and media-savvy—mocking celebrity culture and the band’s own earnest image . - **Spiritual and Existential Undertones**: Tracks like *Until the End of the World* and *Acrobat* grapple with guilt, redemption, and disillusionment, often using religious imagery . The lyrics are less about grand political statements and more about emotional disintegration, making the album feel intimate and human. --- ### 🎭 **Themes and Conceptuality** _Achtung Baby_ functions as a concept album about **disillusionment, transformation, and reconciliation**. The narrative arc moves from confusion and chaos (*Zoo Station*) to emotional collapse (*Love Is Blindness*), with moments of clarity and connection in between (*One*, *Ultraviolet*) . The album’s title and cover art—featuring a distorted image of a man in drag—reflect themes of **identity fragmentation and reinvention**, both personal and artistic. --- ### 🌍 **Influence and Legacy** _Achtung Baby_ had a seismic impact on 1990s music and culture: - **Alternative Rock Catalyst**: It helped bridge the gap between classic rock and the emerging alternative scene, influencing bands like Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, and R.E.M. . - **Visual Innovation**: The Zoo TV Tour revolutionized live performance with multimedia overload, satire, and sensory overload, setting a new standard for stadium shows . - **Cultural Commentary**: The album’s ironic tone and media-savvy persona prefigured the postmodern skepticism of the digital age. It also reaffirmed the album as an artistic statement in an era increasingly dominated by singles. --- ### ✅ **Pros of _Achtung Baby_** - **Bold Reinvention**: U2 successfully shed their old skin, embracing a new sound without losing their identity. - **Emotional Depth**: The lyrics are raw, personal, and universally relatable. - **Sonic Innovation**: The fusion of rock, industrial, and electronic elements was ahead of its time. - **Cohesive Concept**: The album flows as a unified narrative, both musically and thematically. - **Cultural Impact**: It redefined U2’s image and influenced a generation of musicians. --- ### ❌ **Cons of _Achtung Baby_** - **Not Immediately Accessible**: The dense production and darker tone can be off-putting to fans of U2’s earlier, more uplifting work. - **Overplayed Singles**: Songs like *One* and *Mysterious Ways* have suffered from radio saturation, potentially dulling their impact. - **Less Anthemic**: Those seeking the soaring choruses of _Where the Streets Have No Name_ may find the album too subdued or introspective. - **Some Tracks Feel Dated**: A few electronic elements haven’t aged as gracefully, especially to modern ears. --- ### 🏁 **Conclusion** _Achtung Baby_ is U2’s most daring and complete artistic statement. It’s a record of transition—not just for the band, but for the culture around them. By embracing uncertainty, irony, and sonic experimentation, U2 didn’t just survive the '90s—they helped define them. > “It’s the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree,” they said. And from its ashes, they built something entirely new—fragile, beautiful, and unforgettable. --- **Essential Tracks**: - *One* – A haunting ballad on unity and fracture - *The Fly* – A genre-bending critique of fame - *Mysterious Ways* – A groove-laden meditation on love and spirituality - *Love Is Blindness* – A devastating closer on emotional blindness **Final Verdict**: _Achtung Baby_ is not just U2’s best album—it’s one of the greatest reinventions in rock history.

I knew it had good tracks in it but it was actually even better as an album than I expected.

70

For a long time, I didn't listen to U2, because they suck. And then one day I found myself listening to U2, and they didn't suck. Life is weird.

I like U2, and I liked this album

bono is a douchebag

U2

Clashy, but in an acceptable way.

top

An exceptionally cool album from a now very uncool band. Darker than they would have made up until this time and with songs like One it can’t be a bad album. Loved it.

So so good.

Better than expected. I'm giving double the amount of stars I thought I would - two. After the malaise of the Unforgettale Joshua Tree Fire years U2 stumbled into the 90s and into a career high by trying to sound like Jesus Jones. The gutars are fantastic it could almost be Andy Gill and the electronic atmospherics are cool. But Bono is far too high in the mix. He can't let an instrumental passage go by without vocalising unneccessarily. Even in the verses and choruses he's too damn loud and delivers every bloody line with ernest passion forcing you to pay attention to lyrics, which are gibberish. A clique is still a clique and nonesense is still nonesense if you sound like you mean it man. But the guitar sound is marvelous and that's earned an extra star. Pity you can't hear them!

Not a fan unfortunately, never really have been 🤷

U2 sucks. i could hardly give a rat’s ass about them or this record, but still listened to it. wasn’t worth shit. Psycho Circus is better. fight me

Wasn’t the worst thing ever but also was.

solid, but some weaker tracks / some of it feels like filler

Hating U2 doesn’t make you cool

Why the fuck is there so much U2 on this list? I swear this is maybe the third or fourth U2 album I've reviewed in the past month or two. Are there more? My GOD this was boring. It's unbelievable how great the first three U2 albums are and how dogshit this is, and this is apparently still in U2's "good" era? According to who?? This STINKS!!!

I dismissed it in the day, I guess because it wasn’t Joshua Tree. But just now I gave a serious listen, and I get it.

a walk down memory lane

It’s ok. To be honest, could be just me, but many of their songs are just something playing in the background..but +1.5 stars for “one”.

Strong 3. I want to give it a 4 because I generally just like U2’s sound and style but only the big songs stood out to me. Still though, it was a nice listen and I could def be convinced to give it another go. They’re more of a greatest hits band but I think they’re pretty decent for background tunes as well.

feeling pretty meh about U2 as a whole. mysterious ways was nice, One was fine, and everything else just kinda sounds the same in my opinion. every song is a quasi-balled that never amounts to distinction.

Sounds pretty much exactly like what you’d expect a U2 album to sound like, and Mysterious Ways is such a banger. I know people love this band but I still don’t fully understand the appeal, even if I am giving this a higher rating.

It's U2 with only one of their hits. They're definitely a greatest hits band for me. I get tired of their sound pretty fast.

Solid rock album that has a few gem songs on it. One is great. So cruel got me lyrically. Ultra violet is cool. It is fascinating how you can see so many of their songs being played in a stadium. But that just seems to be their artistic apporach I guess.

achtung is german i think but i forgot what the word means there are some good songs on here about 3 or so

I’ll never understand all the hate towards U2

U2 is one of those bands of which I only know the radio hits. I’ve never really been interested in listening further. Perhaps it’s that they’ve had so many radio hits over the years that I didn’t feel the need to delve further into their discography. I’m more inclined to think it’s because I’m a bit indifferent to their sound. The instrumentation is nice and Bono’s voice is decent, but I’ve never connected to the music much. I was curious to listen to this album and see if it reinforced my feelings on U2 or if I would be surprised and become a fan. Unfortunately, I’d have to say it reinforced my feelings. The album is perfectly fine. But that’s about it. There’s some good writing on a few of the tracks, some interesting melodies, and Bono’s voice did win me over at its softer, more tender moments. Overall though, the album got too similar sounding over its course and I don’t like Bono’s voice enough to really want to listen to him for almost an hour. I think U2 is just not my shot of Irish whiskey.

Second U2, another one I know the singles only. Bono is so loud in the mix! I think I was expecting more from the non-singles. Mysterious Ways is great and some others. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? Singles Owned: No: 21/1001, 21/87 (24%) Will I get? No

Enjoyed it a lot. ★★★★

Fine - not really doing much for me.

Not a big fan of U2 but the tunes were OK and the album was good.

U Talking U2 2 Me???

Boooooooooooooriiing

Good stuff.

I've never listened to this album (36). Boring band, but great album.

This was the beginning of the downturn for me with U2. Maybe a couple of good songs, with “One” being the best, but overall this album is not breaking any new ground, and it lacks the passion of U2’s earlier music. Almost feels like they are going through the motions… & beginning the shmaltzy cheesy phase. Nothing really terribly bad about it, just not great.

I do like Bono and the gang. Musically they are rock enough but some ballads shine as well. I am separating musical Bono from his political/huge ego Bono to give this 3 stars. Listened before? Y Saved to library? Y Favorite track(s): Mysterious Ways. One. ⭐⭐⭐: Liked it! Saved no tracks.

Ugh, more wailing from Bono. "Is it getting better?" Hard no. "Baby, baby, baby, light my way." Real poetic shit. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A ⭐: Hated it.

This is not my favorite U2 album but it has one of their best songs "One." The rest of the album is ok and I would listen to it again.

Ça y va fort sur le U2 ces derniers temps. Le voyage à Berlin s'en vient et un partie de l'album me met dans l'ambiance. Zoo Station //// Until the End of the World conçue pour le long film de Wim Wenders et que j'ai écouté récemment.

Quelques excellentes tounes. Je dois dire que mon écoute a pas été ultra attentive (écoute d'auto avec la famille), mais je trouve que plus ça avance, plus le style de jeu de Edge est un peu "gimmicky", voire "showoff/regardez comment je suis original". Perso, War a été mon pref, suivi de Joshua et lui.

C’est de bon ton en 2025 de rire de U2… en effet ils ont fait des affaires assez quétaines, mais je ne comprend pas le hate. Cet album est incroyable. Un son très different de Joshua Tree mais quand même très maitrisé. U2 qui fait du genre d’alternatif? Wow. One, ballade classique des 90s Mysterious Ways classique dansant. J’ai beaucoup aimé Who’s gonna ride your wild horses, ainsi que Ultra Violet. J’ai déjà hâte de le réécouter. (Désolé félix, War je n’embarque toujours pas complètement)

Good for U2

HELL YEAH MORE U2

I've been patiently waiting to review Achtung Baby, as it's the only U2 album I own, and I think it's some of their best work. I haven't listened to all of this album in a long time, but the times that I have listened to it, I've really enjoyed it. Now that I've listened to the other three U2 albums on this list, I'm curious if I'll still hold this in higher regard than The Joshua Tree and War. While I enjoyed listening to Achtung Baby, it’s a bit short of five stars for me. Now that I’ve listened to more of U2’s discography, it was really interesting to listen to this album as their follow-up to The Joshua Tree, and the band’s attempt to reinvent their sound a bit. I enjoyed hearing U2 incorporate elements of alternative rock, shoegaze, and dance music into their sound. Even with that new approach, they still sound like themselves, with their trademark arena rock sound. I think that moody melodies were a part of what made War and The Joshua Tree so great, but this album seems to have more emphasis on rhythms and broader sounds. The thing that holds Achtung Baby back for me, is that I felt like U2 recycled a lot of guitar sounds and lyrical themes over the course of this album. There were more than a couple of songs that dealt with difficult romantic relationships, and I just don’t think that’s something that the band was able to emotionalize through their music, and I got tired of hearing them sing about it. Achtung Baby is still fun to listen to, but I don’t think it can justify its nearly hour-long runtime. As far as individual songs are concerned: I loved the crunchiness of the guitars on Zoo Station, and the tin-pan drumming sounds. I've knew heading into this album that it was a shift for U2, but I'd never picked up on the influences of late eighties shoegaze and dance music before today. This leadoff track felt like it was ushering in a new Europe, post Berlin Wall. The overall sound is industrial, but it still has that shimmering guitar that U2 is known for. I loved that ticking sound that they incorporated into this song too, and I thought the rhythms were excellent. The guitar on “Even Better Than the Real Thing” is great too, as was the bass line. Songs like this are a reminder that I just enjoy listening to U2. I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of “One.” I do like the soft crescendo it builds to, and the lyrics and sound are good, but it's just not super high on my list of U2 songs. Something about it just feels insincere to me in a way, but I felt that way about a lot of the love and relationship songs on this album. I loved the guitar on “Until The End Of The World,” and the bass groove was excellent too. “Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” is one of my favorite U2 songs, and I think it’s one of their most underrated songs too. I loved guitar playing and the drumming. The sound creates this wide-open atmosphere, that goes along perfectly with the imagery of riding horses. “So Cruel” was the best song on the album about relationships. The lyrics are incredibly brutal, which is not something I’m used to from U2. I loved the piano, and the strings were incredible too. It’s such a beautiful song, and the sound contrasts really well the dark lyrics. I love the vocal distortions on “The Fly.” It's like a preview of “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me,” which I really love. I liked the industrial sound of the guitar and drums too. “Mysterious Ways” is another one of my favorite U2 songs. I love that it’s really rhythmically driven, and it has such a great groove to it. The guitar playing is excellent, and it’s very effective as supplementary to the percussion and bass. The vocals are great too, and I love singing along to this song. I enjoyed revisiting Achtung Baby today, but now that I’ve reviewed all four U2 albums on this list, I’ll have to go with War as my overall favorite.

After listening, I can confirm that this is indeed an album made by the band U2.

Should get more consideration as a contender for U2’s best album.

Not for me.

Prefer the older stuff, some decent tracks

Despite being ubiquitous throughout my childhood and teens age years, the only U2 album I’ve ever listened to all the way through was Rattle and Hum. But this album? Aside from the singles (well, some of them anyway), it’s straight trash.

Damn two in a row of albums my parents love, so I grew up listening. Lotta great memories, super fun album

Not my genre. Outside of One and The Fly I don’t think I’d delisted to any track.

A few good songs but not really my type of music

It’s an alright pop rock album. People seem to get upset by U2 but they don’t seem that relevant anymore

Some REALLY great tunes here and overall good album structure, just not as raw and impactful as some earlier stuff from them and a few low points. Solid 3.5

I like this one, feels like a cohesive album where the singles fit into it.

Like many resourceful teens, my friends and I would rent seedy hotel rooms to party in. During one such party I was having a spat with my girlfriend, and couldn’t figure out why she was aloof. My friend Tom began singing She Moves In Mysterious Ways. Record holds up well.

Huge whiplash hitting this one right after Slayer

eh

This wasn't bad, which is surprising for me to say when I really don't like U2. I still prefer Johnny Cash's version of One Love

U2 reinvent themselves after breaking/discovering America. They are now the house band in the Blade Runner universe, it's raining- it's always raining in this fucking town, isn't? Cats, dogs, piss, tears, spit, water-based lube it's coming down in buckets. No men. It's not raining men. Fuck me. I pout. I take one last drag before the rain finishes it off. I throw my half-finished cigarette in a puddle of shit brown water. Some young man comes out of some club with a corny name like 'On the Edge of Forever' I hear; 'She Moves in Mysterious Ways' playing for a second. I walk towards the club. I pull on the heavy door- it pulls back. Once in I get lost forever at least that's what I want them to think.

I know it's no longer hip to like U2, but they had their sound and it was epic and cool at the time. I still like them and this is one of their best albums - and with a great album name to boot.

Mesmerizing. Atmospheric, Brian Eno produced, Alt-rock playing-U2 has never been better. The imagery and tone of this album is the essence of U2 cool before they sold out and made yuppie rock such as "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb."

This album serves no purpose to me other than to reaffirm what I’ve always known. U2 are almost certainly one of the most overrated bands of all time. They make my fucking teeth grind with how shit they are.

This is way longer than I remembered…takes a long time to get to the hits I love. Really fought the urge to skip. Love the production, probably amazing live. But felt surprisingly samey. Bass part stood out more once I got bored of Bono’s voice. The musicality of these guys isn’t questionable. Just feels like there’s far too many fillers.

Mid.

Tiene alguna cancion curiosa pero me parecio un poco flojo

Sorta rock music ur dad plays in the CD rack on the car radio and you mindlessly don’t pay attention to whilst staring out the window to the pretty scenery outside. It’s not actually bad rock but you get the point.

I've never been a big fan of U2; their sound is just too floaty. Bono's voice isn't the greatest thing ever, but it works well for this type of music. The album is kind of meh, but it's music.

Arena rock is a tough sell for me, but this is actually fairly listenable. It gets a little draggy on the back half, but not enough to bring it down a star.

I’m not a U2 fan - Ultraviolet is a bloody cracker tho!

Pretty underwhelming - several of my favourite U2 songs in mysterious ways and real thing but a lot of mediocrity. No where near their height in War

Cracking Monday listen, probably first full u2 album I’ve listened to start to finish. One is such a great song but littered with interesting songs throughout

I think u2 actually started very strong I could bop to boy (especially the electric co) any day, this is alright, I just think bono suits post punk more than this??? Idk that’s just it for me I think this era is overrated but U2 as a whole might be overhated, they’re a critical enigma 3/5

Pure 90s U2 bliss. I loved quite a few of the songs on this album.

I don’t know what U2 was thinking. This album sounds like they threw their guitars into a blender and called it “art.” Sure, a few tracks are catchy, but most of it feels like Bono trying too hard to be deep. I miss when they just rocked instead of experimenting. 3 stars for me, and that’s being generous.

U2 is not bad at all after all.

I think there are good arguments on both sides as to whether you should be able to separate art from the artist, and I'm not sure which side I come down on. What I do know, however, is that it's much easier to separate the art from the artist when the art in question is actually any good, not dull, plodding, stadium rock shite. Realistically, Bono is no bigger bell end than Morrissey, but the big difference between the two is that the Smith's made some great music. I'm going to resist the urge to add a Hat Twat Tax and give this album a two rather than a one. Either way though, I'd be happy to never hear this again.

Before Coldplay there was u2

Beige dad rock. Sort of guys who look forward to experimental missionary sex. What happened to U2... They were never amazing, but man they got boring.