10 Most Divisive Albums In Rock Music History
9. Achtung Baby - U2
The whole aesthetic of the '90s was something that was logically supposed to kill a band like U2. Since they were known as the standing gods of the rock industry with songs that sounded larger than life, there was pretty much no way for them to compete with the more rustic sounds that came with bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. And on Achtung Baby, they succeeded by not even trying to make the Joshua Tree again.
Drowning themselves in irony, U2 really entered a different phase in their career with this album, embracing elements of dance music into the mix to create a unique update of their usual sound. Then again, with a change of sound comes a lot of haters, and there were more than a few people shaking their heads as to what the hell Bono was thinking here.
Once you sat with it for a while, you can really credit Achtung Baby with saving U2. As ironic as a song like the Fly was supposed to be, there were just as many songs that were about the jaded side of love like Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses and So Cruel. There's a lot of extravagant parts of this album, but that's just hiding the real message. If you get this famous, it comes at a price, and you'd be surprised as to how many people aren't willing to pay it.