U2 Albums, Ranked

By Evan Ferstl

Over more than 40 years of activity, U2 has transformed from just another angry post-punk band into one of the most recognizable names in music. Their extensive and varied discography contains a veritable mix of pop culture smashes and cult favorites. Here is how their 14 studio albums stack up:

14. “Pop” (1997)

Highlights: None

Don’t let the album name fool you; U2 has never strayed so far from pop as they do here. The end result is bloated, lethargic, and drowned in production. “Pop” is what it would sound like if refrigerator noises decided to play alternative rock. 

13. “How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb” (2004)

Highlights: “City of Blinding Lights,” “Sometimes You Can’t Make it On Your Own”

Too bad this album isn’t just the chorus of “City of Blinding Lights” on repeat for 50 minutes, because that would have been phenomenal. The product that was released instead has some high points but is mostly steeped in mediocrity. Alas. 

12. “October” (1981)

Highlight: “Gloria”

The downturn of quality on “October” is pretty inexplicable considering all of the great albums U2 released around the same time. Maybe it’s just that the songs don’t come together to create a cohesive mood. “Gloria” is awesome, though. 

11. “Songs of Experience” (2017)

Highlights: “Love is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way,” “13 (There Is a Light),” “The Little Things That Give You Away”

The most recent release by U2 is a decent, albeit deeply flawed, album. The major issue with “Songs of Experience” is that, for an album reworked to factor in dissatisfaction with Trump’s election and Brexit, the songs should pack more of a punch instead of flailing about like pillows. Also, Bono yells out “refujesus” for no reason and the world cringes. 

10. “Rattle and Hum” (1988)

Highlights: “Angel of Harlem,” “All I Want Is You,” “God Part II”

“Rattle and Hum” is a mess. In addition to the studio recordings, which are wonderful, this album contains live cuts of their old songs, live covers, and snippets of music from other performers. Oh, and Bono likes to ramble during the live portions (see “Silver and Gold” for the most infamous example). What should have been a great release is led astray by all this padding, resulting in an excessively long album where U2’s artistic pretensions are on full display. 

9. “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” (2000)

Highlights: “Beautiful Day,” “Walk On,” “In a Little While”

U2’s return to form after the failed experiments on “Pop” is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, this album produced some of the finest power ballads of the band’s career. On the other hand, after the first half of the album, there’s not much left worth dancing to, and that’s a massive bummer. 

8. “No Line On the Horizon” (2009)

Highlights: “No Line On the Horizon,” “Breathe,” “I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”

Three of the last four songs are shapeless mush, and there’s the occasional embarrassing Bono-ism (“Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady”) that interrupts a good song, but otherwise, there’s not much to complain about. This is a strong, underrated album. 

7. “Boy” (1980) 

Highlights: “I Will Follow,” “A Day Without Me,” “An Cat Dubh”

U2’s punk roots are on display with their debut album, but Bono and company turn the anger and gloominess permeating the genre into a youthful shout of fortitude. That being said, “Boy” still nurses a sinister side, especially on “An Cat Dubh” and “Shadows and Tall Trees.” The album is quite consistent in quality, but there are no massive peaks. 

6. “Zooropa” (1993)

Highlights: “The First Time,” “Stay (Faraway, So Close!),” “Zooropa”

In 1993, U2 perfected the art of hypnosis with the mesmerizing Zooropa. U2’s best weird album is a strangely accessible mix of cold and heartfelt music that often sounds completely extraterrestrial. There’s even a Johnny Cash cameo that somehow works. 

5. “Songs of Innocence” (2014)

Highlights: “Every Breaking Wave,” “California (There is No End to Love),” “The Troubles”

Unfortunately, “Songs of Innocence” will always be marred by an ill-advised marketing ploy that turned a generation against U2. Yes, this is the album that appeared unsolicited on iPhones across the world back in 2014. Lost in all the criticism U2 has received in recent years is that this album is a great late-career renaissance, boasting one of the prettiest collections of songs in the band’s catalog.

4. “The Unforgettable Fire” (1984)

Highlights: “Pride (In the Name of Love),” “Bad,” “A Sort of Homecoming”

This album is lifted into the upper tiers by “Pride (In the Name of Love),” the best U2 song of all time, and “Bad,” which isn’t far down the list. Despite a couple of weaker tracks in the middle of the album, this is a rewarding listen and certainly the most experimental of U2’s early releases. 

3. “War” (1983)

Highlights: “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “New Year’s Day,” “Like a Song...”

Without a doubt the angriest, hardest-hitting release in U2’s catalog, “War” is where the Irish boys earn their reputation as champions of political protest. Bono, in particular, is a righteous firebrand, screaming out desperately for peace on track after track. It’s a timeless message, and one that he’s tried to recapture many times since, but nowhere is it as raw and honest as it is on this album. “War” is the first of U2’s three great masterpieces. 

2. “Achtung Baby” (1991)

Highlights: “Mysterious Ways,” “Love is Blindness,” “The Fly”

U2’s rebound from the disappointing “Rattle and Hum” is a triumph of epic proportions. 

An emotional rollercoaster of electrifying dance rock and melancholy ballads, “Achtung Baby” shows the band’s tremendous capacity to evolve and improve. In fact, there’s no U2 album with a better collection of individual songs. After having released music for more than a decade, the band proved their staying power with this captivating record. 

1. “The Joshua Tree” (1987)

Highlights: “Red Hill Mining Town,” “With or Without You,” “Trip Through Your Wires” 

As U2 emerged into the light of superstardom, the band became darker and more introspective than ever. This album starts with three of the band’s biggest radio hits, but transitions smoothly into a brooding, extended meditation on death and murder by the end. “Achtung Baby” might be the best collection of songs, but “The Joshua Tree” is more fulfilling as an album, and its profound legacy in the world of rock is undeniable.