10 Best Alternative Albums Of The 1990's

At the end of the 80's, U2 were being looked at as the last serious rock band left standing. With other arena rock acts like Queen and Def Leppard falling by the wayside, U2 were the ones to bring fist-pounding rock into the next decade. To say it went in a different direction would be an understatement.

After the contentious Rattle and Hum, U2 went back to the studio with a less-than-stellar attitude. Wanting to abandon their old sound, the band fought over creative direction as they worked throughout studios in Dublin and Berlin. What manifested were some of the most introspective songs the band would compose.

Achtung Baby's appeal was completely different from their previous work, indulging in hipster irony on songs like "The Fly." The overarching theme of the album is human interaction and how to deal with the lack of intimacy in the modern age. Accompanying these lonely songs are some of Edge's greatest guitar landscapes and the most moody vocal performances to come from Bono.

Holding it all together is Larry Mullen Jr.'s ingenious use of different percussion influenced by industrial and electronic dance music. In fighting amongst themselves, Achtung Baby is a perfect display of a band at their most human.