u2
The 35 Best Albums of the Last 35 Years
Let’s face it: With most “Best Albums” lists, you know the broad strokes of the ranking before you even click. Part of that predictability is understandable: Most iconic records earn their reputation. But these rankings shouldn’t be fossilized, and a shit-ton of amazing LPs have been shoved aside in the pursuit of maintaining the status quo. We didn’t ignore the unimpeachable on our list — you’ll see plenty of the staples you’ve come to expect. But we also hope we’ll spark your curiosity and encourage you to hunt for a title you may have missed over the last 35 years. 35. Bruce Springsteen – Tunnel of Love (1987) CREDIT: Columbia Records How does one follow up a rock album that recalibrates stadium sound systems and offers a stark look at hard times in America? With love songs, of course. ...
SPIN 35 How U2’s Concert in War Torn Sarajevo Came About
This past September 23rd was the 23rd Anniversary of one of the most famous and truly meaningful rock concerts ever staged: U2 playing Sarajevo, soon after the end of the war in Bosnia and the hellish three and a half year seige of the city. Since then time has, as it often does, slobbered all over the occasion and preserved it in a larvae of sacchriny, revisionist myth. In reality, the road to that historic night — and it was a great night, and really did change the morale of a country — was anything but simple and sure, and in the beginning the band didn’t want to do it. I know all this because it was entirely my idea. CREDIT: In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images In the first few days of January 1996, just weeks after the first wars in the former Yugoslavia ended, with Serbia’s...
The 35 Greatest Concerts of the Last 35 Years
We know, we know — the best concert of all-time is your friend’s obscure indie-punk band playing a sweaty neighborhood basement back in ‘94. We admit that one slipped through the cracks. Maybe it’s a fool’s errand, but this list is our attempt to narrow down three and a half decades of worthy live music events — legendary festivals, headlining tours from major artists, one-off stage collaborations, multimedia spectacles — into an eclectic and satisfying blend. – Ryan Reed 35. Heilung at Castlefest (8/5/2017) CREDIT: Gonzales Photo/PYMCA/Avalon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Music-related viral clips tend to be silly and easily digestible, like the dude riding a skateboard to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” while sipping on Ocean Spray. So it’s heartening that Heilung’s debut l...
The Most Influential Artists: #14 U2
As part of our 35th anniversary, we’re naming the most influential artists of the past 35 years. Today, we’re at #14. From Dublin, Ireland here is U2. Credit: Kevin Mazur / Contributor A sad cultural truth: Some Gen Z-ers only know Dublin’s finest for inspiring headlines like “Here’s how to remove U2’s new album from your iPhone.” But we can’t blame Bono and company for dreaming big: Decades before they pissed off thousands of Apple users with their “free album” gambit, they were testing out risky creative concepts in the studio and onstage. The quartet — guitarist the Edge, bassist Adam Clayton, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and their perpetually sunglass-ed frontman — emerged with 1980’s Boy as a stadium-tailored tweak on post-punk. But t...
The 50 Best Songs of the Year 2000
The year 2000 looms large in pop culture history: the Y2k non-scare, the Seinfeld “Newmannium” episode, the “In the Year 2000″ sketch from Conan O’Brien’s original late-night show, the Hulu series PEN15. And just like, say, the grunge-defined 1991, the year immediately conjures specific sounds: gleaming teen-pop, earnest radio rock, the Neptunes and Timbaland. There’s never a bad time to revisit this music. But in the middle of a pandemic, with America on the verge of collapse, it feels extra comforting — a blast of nostalgia for a time when you could safely exit your home, visit your local mall’s Sam Goody and buy Mystikal’s “Shake Ya Ass” CD single. For this list, our only criteria was that the songs appear on albums or soundtracks released in 2000. Here we go. 50. Papa Roach, “Last Reso...
U2’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind to Be Reissued With New Songs
Damn, it’s been 20 years since U2 released All That You Can’t Leave Behind, an album some considered a return to form after experimenting on Zooropa and Pop. So it makes perfect music biz sense that the album, 20 years later, is getting the proverbial red carpet rolled out for its anniversary. All editions will feature the remastered version of the original tracks and a U2 concert from Boston in 2001. Other editions will feature that, along with 39 additional songs, including remastered B-sides, outtakes and 11 remixes featuring four previously unheard versions recently discovered in the band’s Dublin archives. The super deluxe version will also offer a hardback book from longtime friend and collaborator Anton Corbijn, with previously unseen photos and a poster. The group re...
The 25 Best Soundtrack Albums of the 1990s
In the 1980s, music and film collided for cross-promotional blockbusters both transcendent (Purple Rain) and transcendently cheesy (Footloose). In the ‘90s, soundtracks continued to sell in the millions, capturing cultural moments like the Seattle grunge of Singles or the Britpop and electronica of Trainspotting. Auteurs like Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson reached deep into their record collections to set the mood while movies like Above the Rim and Menace II Society pioneered the concept of soundtracks as hip-hop mixtapes. A great soundtrack can propel an unsuccessful single, like Seal’s “Kiss From A Rose,” to the top of the charts, or revive a decades-old hit, like Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It can also push a cult singer-songwriter like Elliott Smith or Aimee Mann to an Oscar perf...
Watch Bono and the Edge Cover Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’
On Sunday, St. Vincent shared a video of herself “fumbling through” a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” But she wasn’t the only one inspired to tackle the 1971 rock classic. U2’s Bono and the Edge also posted a video cover of “Stairway,” a song they’ve played four times on tour, to salute their road crew. “There’s one annoying aspect of an Irish crew that has to be said,” Bono says in the clip. “Wherever you go in the world, whatever venue you’re playing — whether it’s the Olympia or 3 Arena or Madison Square Garden — you walk into the venue and it’s a big moment, and you’ll hear a song that we said, ‘We’ll never, ever play this.’ And that’s right, ‘Stairway To Heaven.’ These professionals believe they play this better than the band. And you know, it might be tru...
Inhaler’s Elijah Hewson on Influences, Debut Album Prep and New Single ‘Falling In’
Inhaler is one of the 2020 bands you need to know. After a Winter tour in the UK and Europe, where the foursome played sweaty sets of their hooky indie rock, the Dublin, Ireland foursome were perched to head stateside for a spring trek that would’ve seen them perform at some of the most iconic venues for on-the-verge artists – like the Bowery Ballroom in New York City and West Hollywood’s Troubadour. “That was one of the venues that we were really excited to play, obviously,” frontman/guitarist Elijah Hewson tells SPIN of the hotspot known for hosting important early gigs from The Byrds, Elton John and even Radiohead’s OK Computer release show. “We only had a small brush with L.A. when we were there [last fall]. We were kind of rushed from radio to all these kinds of interviews and press a...
Bono Shares a Playlist of the ’60 Songs That Saved My Life’
Want to feel old? U2 singer Bono turns 60 today. Maybe if you’re young, maybe he’s always been old. But that’s not the point here. In honor of his big birthday, Bono shared a playlist of artists who have inspired him. It’s diverse and wide-ranging that includes expected artists like David Bowie, Sex Pistols, the Ramones, (as in “The Miracle [of Joey Ramone]”), Nirvana and the Clash but also included Kanye West, Billie Eilish, Arcade Fire and Kendrick Lamar. Additionally, he shared a series of letters he wrote to each artist mentioned on the list, thanking them for inspiring him along the way and what their music meant to him. “These are some of the songs that saved my life…. the ones I couldn’t have lived without… the ones that got me from there to here, zero to 60… through all the scrapes...
U2’s Adam Clayton Opens Up About How Quarantine Affects Mental Health
U2’s Adam Clayton has been open about his battles with depression and addiction, and on Friday night the bassist visited Ireland’s The Late Late Show to discuss how quarantine can affect others who are struggling with their mental health. “I think it’s hugely stressful for people to be inside, in small spaces, maybe with children, maybe having to work from home if people still have their jobs,” he explained, adding that these stressors could cause additional anxiety. “For anyone under that kind of pressure, there is help out there,” he assured. “It’s hugely difficult to manage and in an isolated state, when you’re just stuck with your own head and the thoughts going on inside your head, that is extremely stressful.” When asked about his “own run in with issues,” and how...
