10 Musical Left Turns NOBODY Saw Coming

U2 were strong contenders for the band of the 80's.

Not only did they have stellar songs and mind-blowing live shows, but they also had a hand in many political and activist causes at the same time.

What many see as the classic from this time is 1987 epic The Joshua Tree, with multiple tracks becoming modern rock staples. U2 were officially musical gods.

Then the 90's happened.

With the pop music sphere now being soaked in alternative cynicism, how would the 80's gods U2 fit in the mix? As the tides shifted, the band decided to immerse themselves in irony and release Achtung Baby, an album that had a more electronic edge to it, which was particularly forward-thinking given the industrial boom a few years down the road.

The record still had Bono's trademark howls, but with had a dark slant to its atmospherics and songs that talked about automatic love and the loss of intimacy.

And it paid off in spades. "Mysterious Ways" and "One" remain some of the best material the band has ever written. When their 80's glory started to feel passe, U2 proved that they could do alternative rock, just on their own terms.