10 Musical Shifts That Fell Flat On Their Face

By the early ‘90s, it seemed that U2 could do no wrong. Even with the endless amount of pretentiousness radiating off of Bono, albums like the Joshua Tree and The Unforgettable Fire marked a turning point in ‘80s rock. After the electronic sounds of Achtung Baby launched the band into the ‘90s, things started going downhill fast.

Starting with Zooropa, the band started to go down a more electronic road, which seemed like the next logical step considering the previous album’s success. After that album’s lackluster reception, the band released Pop, which is exactly what it says on the tin.

Instead of incorporating their lush soundscapes into the mix, this record just sounds like the band threw together a bunch of keyboard loops into Pro Tools and hoped for the best, with Bono delivering some of his most synthetic vocal performances on record.

For a band that always made you feel elated every time you heard them, this feels like you’re witnessing the BizarroWorld version of the band, whose personality had been sucked dry. All of Bono’s pretentious statements could be forgiven in the ‘80s, but this was the moment where U2 let themselves buy into their ego.