The All-TIME 100 Albums: Achtung Baby by U2

E-Mail This Article

The All-TIME 100 Albums

22 of 101

By Josh Tyrangiel Published: November 13, 2006

VIEW THE COMPLETE LIST

ALBUM: Achtung Baby

YEAR RELEASED: 1991 LABEL: Island ARTIST: U2

TIME 100 ALBUMS PODCASTS

PODCAST: Welcome to the All-TIME 100 Albums - the musical compilations of the last half-century that need no introduction. That said, listen in below as music critics Josh Tyrangiel and Alan Light introduce the list and talk about the top albums of the 1950s and '60s.

PODCAST: We know. Twenty-nine of the 100 greatest albums of all time come in the 1970s, and Pink Floyd isn't there. Play this podcast to learn why we picked the titles we did, and if you have something to say, tell us about it using the talkback link below.

PODCAST: Maybe it's a Sign O' The Times that you're listening to critics' audio recordings about great music, but this podcast about how we chose the best albums of the 1980s really is a Thriller. Give it a listen below.

PODCAST: Here's music even the younger set will know by heart. Listen to selected clips from the 1990s through present day as music critic Josh Tyrangiel discusses his picks.

Download this to your iPod at iTunes
Or, copy and paste this URL into your favorite podcasting tool:

Coaxed to Berlin by producer Brian Eno, U2 spent several chilly months arguing over how they wanted to sound in their second decade. Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton were in the 'Ain't broke, don't fix it' camp while Bono and The Edge campaigned for changing everything. The final product is less a revolution than a reformation; the grand guitar hooks are still there, but they're buried under polyrhythms and effects borrowed from electronic music. The songs seldom start and end at the same pace; they require more attention, and reward it, too. Bono veers between his love of sinners and saints, but his lyrics make sure it's a fair fight, as proven by "One," a song so accessible that it started as a bitter take on Bono's relationship with his father, twisted into a commentary on the state of the band, became a staple at weddings and now is used as an anthem to fight global poverty.