10 Terrible Rock Songs That Killed Classic Albums

10. Elvis Presley and America - U2

U2 are one of the first people who would tell you how much they have been influenced by American culture. The Joshua Tree practically sounds like something you’d see in an old Western, and some of their greatest hits have had to do with their fascination with some of their American heroes like Martin Luther King Jr. on Pride. Just as you’re winding down through the Unforgettable Fire though, Elvis Presley and America has got to be one of the single strangest tracks they have ever put to tape.

Although there’s the start of a great U2 song hidden in here somewhere, most of this track tends to feel more like an open ended jam session than a proper song, with most of the band sort of fiddling around aimlessly trying to lock in on a groove. Any song can come together with the right lyrics though…only problem here is trying to get a handle on just what the hell Bono is actually saying.

From one line to the next, Bono seems to be speaking gibberish, pretty much letting the music guide him and spitting out anything that pops into his brain when the tape is rolling. Considering this was following some of the band’s greatest songs like Wire and Pride though, it’s hard to really have this live up to the same standard. Experimentation should always be encouraged in bands, but you need to keep it in moderation. When it works well, U2 creates something like Drowning Man, but when they don’t have a goal, we get something like this.