Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post Reply
User avatar
Honorio
Higher Ground
Posts: 4480
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:38 am
Location: L'Eliana, Valencia, Spain

Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by Honorio »

Achtung, babies, U2 are here...



U2's "Achtung Baby" (1991)

Tracklisting:
01 | Zoo Station
02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
03 | One
04 | Until the End of the World
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
06 | So Cruel
07 | The Fly
08 | Mysterious Ways
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
11 | Acrobat
12 | Love Is Blindness

Let's meet Hova next week...
User avatar
prosecutorgodot
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1547
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2015 5:53 am
Location: SF Bay Area, California

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by prosecutorgodot »

This is a pretty good album, but not one of my all-time favorites. Well-written rock songs, but not boundary-pushing, but I guess that's not strange. U2's M.O. is pretty much to make deep/conscious music for the masses. For me, this edges out The Joshua Tree for my favorite U2 album. Also, this is apparently a moment when U2 underwent a reinvention similar to what Paramore did with their latest album, so that's an interesting context.

06 | So Cruel
03 | One
08 | Mysterious Ways
01 | Zoo Station
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
11 | Acrobat
07 | The Fly
12 | Love Is Blindness
04 | Until the End of the World
User avatar
bonnielaurel
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1662
Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2013 2:48 pm

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by bonnielaurel »

08 | Mysterious Ways
03 | One
02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
06 | So Cruel
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
01 | Zoo Station
04 | Until the End of the World
11 | Acrobat
12 | Love Is Blindness
07 | The Fly
De gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum.
User avatar
Listyguy
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3012
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:34 pm

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by Listyguy »

prosecutorgodot wrote: 06 | So Cruel
03 | One
08 | Mysterious Ways
01 | Zoo Station
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
11 | Acrobat
07 | The Fly
12 | Love Is Blindness
04 | Until the End of the World
And here I was thinking that I would be the only one with "So Cruel" at the top position! Glad to have some company!

06 | So Cruel
03 | One
08 | Mysterious Ways
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
12 | Love Is Blindness
01 | Zoo Station
02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
07 | The Fly
04 | Until the End of the World
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
11 | Acrobat
User avatar
prosecutorgodot
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1547
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2015 5:53 am
Location: SF Bay Area, California

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by prosecutorgodot »

Listyguy wrote:And here I was thinking that I would be the only one with "So Cruel" at the top position! Glad to have some company!
:greetings-waveyellow:
Everything about the song's hook is perfect! Bono's little "hoo-oo-oo" melody gets stuck in my head pretty easily.
antonius
Movin' On Up
Posts: 976
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 7:47 pm
Location: Hoboken, Antwerp, Belgium

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by antonius »

08 | Mysterious Ways
03 | One
06 | So Cruel
02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
04 | Until the End of the World
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World

gap

07 | The Fly
01 | Zoo Station
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
11 | Acrobat
12 | Love Is Blindness
User avatar
ordinaryperson
Movin' On Up
Posts: 931
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2014 1:23 am

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by ordinaryperson »

"Did I disappoint you, or leave a bad taste in your mouth?"

01 | One
02 | Mysterious Ways
03 | The Fly
04 | Zoo Station
05 | Acrobat
06 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
07 | Until the End of the World
08 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
10 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
11 | So Cruel
12 | Love Is Blindness
There is No More Firmament.
User avatar
Dexter
Movin' On Up
Posts: 801
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2015 5:04 am

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by Dexter »

Excellent album

1. One
2. Mysterious Ways
3. Even Better Than the Real Thing
4. Until the End of the World
5. The Fly
6. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
7. Zoo Station
8. So Cruel
9. Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
10. Love Is Blindness
11. Acrobat
12. Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
User avatar
andyd1010
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1798
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:08 am

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by andyd1010 »

03 | One
08 | Mysterious Ways
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
11 | Acrobat
07 | The Fly
06 | So Cruel
12 | Love Is Blindness
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
04 | Until the End of the World
02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
01 | Zoo Station
User avatar
Honorio
Higher Ground
Posts: 4480
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:38 am
Location: L'Eliana, Valencia, Spain

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by Honorio »

03 | One
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
07 | The Fly
11 | Acrobat
08 | Mysterious Ways
02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
04 | Until the End of the World
01 | Zoo Station
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
06 | So Cruel
12 | Love Is Blindness
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
jamieW
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1938
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:19 pm

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by jamieW »

03 | One*
12 | Love Is Blindness*
11 | Acrobat*
08 | Mysterious Ways*
07 | The Fly
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
04 | Until the End of the World
01 | Zoo Station
06 | So Cruel
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing

Personal favorites *
Overall album rating: 7.33
krendler
Are You Experienced?
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2013 2:15 am

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by krendler »

03 | One
06 | So Cruel
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
08 | Mysterious Ways
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
01 | Zoo Station
02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
07 | The Fly
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
04 | Until the End of the World
12 | Love Is Blindness
11 | Acrobat
User avatar
Honorio
Higher Ground
Posts: 4480
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:38 am
Location: L'Eliana, Valencia, Spain

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by Honorio »

Results after the first week of voting:
01 | One | 1,4 points
02 | Mysterious Ways | 2,7 points
03 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses | 5,5 points
04 | So Cruel | 5,6 points
05 | Even Better Than the Real Thing | 6,5 points
06 | The Fly | 6,7 points
07 | Zoo Station | 7,2 points
08 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way) | 7,5 points
09 | Until the End of the World | 8,0 points
10 | Acrobat | 8,1 points
11 | Love Is Blindness | 9,2 points
12 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World | 9,6 points
maverick470
Wannabe
Posts: 116
Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2016 9:55 pm

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by maverick470 »

03 | One
08 | Mysterious Ways
06 | So Cruel
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
01 | Zoo Station
02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
04 | Until the End of the World
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
12 | Love Is Blindness
07 | The Fly
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
11 | Acrobat
User avatar
bootsy
Shake Some Action
Posts: 1297
Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:38 pm

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by bootsy »

02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
03 | One
08 | Mysterious Ways
04 | Until the End of the World
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
06 | So Cruel
01 | Zoo Station
07 | The Fly
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
12 | Love Is Blindness
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
11 | Acrobat
Bruno
Shake Some Action
Posts: 1384
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 1:33 pm
Location: São Paulo, Brasil
Contact:

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by Bruno »

03 | One
08 | Mysterious Ways
06 | So Cruel
02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
07 | The Fly
01 | Zoo Station
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
04 | Until the End of the World
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
11 | Acrobat
12 | Love Is Blindness
User avatar
FrankLotion
Movin' On Up
Posts: 840
Joined: Sat May 05, 2018 9:15 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by FrankLotion »

1. Mysterious Ways
2. One
3. The Fly
4. So Cruel
5. Even Better Than the Real Thing
6. Zoo Station
7. Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
8. Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
9. Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World
10. Love is Blindness
11. Until the End of the World
12. Acrobat

You know as acclaimed as this album still is (it’s well into the top 100 on AM), it gets a lot of undeserved scorn these days. I guess U2 in general tends to rub people the wrong way with their unsubtle righteousness but Achtung Baby really was something special. It was far more bitter and clever than the rest of their discography (and their peers) plus it’s hard not to see how influential the album was in the 90’s given how much of popular music in the UK borrowed from them in subsequent years. That would probably contribute to the biggest problem I could field towards these songs, they sound VERY dated to the period. With that said, this whole album is still a total knockout, I hope it keeps its classic status as long as it can!
User avatar
mileswide
Full of Fire
Posts: 2526
Joined: Wed May 01, 2019 5:08 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by mileswide »

04| Until the End of the World
07| The Fly
01| Zoo Station
10| Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
08| Mysterious Ways
03| One
11| Acrobat
02| Even Better Than the Real Thing
12| Love Is Blindness
05| Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
09| Tryin' to Throw Your Arms around the World
06| So Cruel
All I got inside is vacancy!
ArcadeFire
Wannabe
Posts: 136
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2012 4:29 pm

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by ArcadeFire »

01 | One
02 | Mysterious Ways
03 | The Fly
04 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
05 | Zoo Station
06 | Until the End of the World
07 | Love Is Blindness
08 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
09 |Acrobat
10 | So Cruel
11 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
12 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
Chris K.
Let's Get It On
Posts: 234
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:13 am

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by Chris K. »

03 | One
08 | Mysterious Ways
04 | Until the End of the World
05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
06 | So Cruel
02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
12 | Love Is Blindness
11 | Acrobat
01 | Zoo Station
10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
07 | The Fly
09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
SJner
Are You Experienced?
Posts: 47
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:09 am

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by SJner »

1. One
2. Even better than the real thing
3. Mysterious ways
4. Until the end of the world
5. Who's gonna ride your wild horses
6. Zoo station
7. So cruel
8. The fly
9. Love is blindness
10. Tryin' to throw your arms around the world
11. Acrobat
12. Ultraviolet
Heylazaro
Strange Fruit
Posts: 55
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2019 7:19 pm

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by Heylazaro »

U2 being artist of the month was a good excuse to revisit this album. Probably it’s one of the albums with the “best worst song”. I love One but I think prefer all the other songs in the album.

1- 11 | Acrobat
2- 07 | The Fly
3- 01 | Zoo Station
4- 12 | Love Is Blindness
5- 10 | Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
6- 04 | Until the End of the World
7- 02 | Even Better Than the Real Thing
8- 08 | Mysterious Ways
9- 09 | Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
10- 06 | So Cruel
12- 05 | Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
13- 03 | One
stone37
Different Class
Posts: 323
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:39 am

Re: Rank the Tracks: U2's Achtung Baby (1991)

Post by stone37 »

1. Mysterious Ways
2. One
3. Even Better Than the Real Thing
4. So Cruel
5. Zoo Station
6. The Fly
7. Love is Blindness
8. Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
9. Until the End of the World
10. Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
11. Acrobat
12. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
Post Reply

Return to “Rank the tracks”