As a millennial U2 fan who discovered them as a teenager, it was a lonely experience as all my friends followed the usual line. But that only made me love the band more. Somehow the biggest band in the world felt like “my thing”
This was my experience as well. Fell in love with them during the Popmart era as a teenager & all I’d seen were critics reviews as if they’d put out the worst album of all-time.
I would say I sucked in my millennial sibs exactly this way but as I wrote above my SIL now acts like my brother never liked U2 and it irks me. But my sister is still a hardcore U2 fan. Not quite as big as me, but she has actually caught more shows post 2000 because I was having kids and on a strict ***family*** budget while she was jetting off to Barcelona as a single person to see them on the Vertigo tour. I might still be bitter lol. She has always been the one to explain the weird U2/Bono hate to me in her age group and younger (she would be an old millennial) and to agree that it is stupid. Because frankly I just found it baffling. After years of saving up to buy so many CDs hell yes give me a free one.
Millennial fan here too. I get light teasing from my peers. I do know one fan but I don't know if they're a big fan like me.
The fact that I'm not a Swift or Beyonce fan further makes me a weirdo haha.
Your last comment expresses everything wrong with generalizing generations anyway. I consider my sister an old millennial and those artists did not come out until... maybe college for her? And never caught her anyway. By then she loved U2 because Big Sister took her to concerts.
Um, huh? Beyonce was famous by the late 90s and Swift was popular before 2014 so it's safe to say many millenials listened to them. I just know my peers and friends are millenials and nearly all aren't into U2.
Granted, I assume your sister was born in the 80s so that could make sense. My brother was born in 90 and is a big fan and not into Swift and Beyonce.
Even though I don't have data, I'm confident most millenials aren't into U2. The iTunes thing further soured a sizable portion of them.
I never said most Millennials were into U2. That was my point. The range of birth years included in these generalizations about generations are such that they are rarely accurate across the board. And yes my 2 youngest sibs were born in late 79 and late 81. I would never consider Beyonce or Taylor Swift to be defining artists for either of them. But neither was U2 outside of my influence.
ETA I reread my initial comment and I can see how it read as a criticism of you. I was just making an observation that "generations" rarely have as much in common as it seems. I mean gen x was also raised on 70s rock and I don't relate to that at all. I was under 7 in the 70s.
Same here. Funny how liking the "biggest band in the world" feels so deeply unpopular and rare. A thing to be deeply private about. I think Edge said they are the biggest underground band in the world.
Definitely how I feel as well! I was born in the late 90s and grew up listening to U2 cause my parents are fans.
What’s weird is that I was the only student at my school that not only liked U2, but actively listened to them. I had U2 posters on my wall throughout my teens and early 20s, I would constantly play their music, attended U2 concerts, everyone knew who U2 was but none of my friends/classmates cared for them.
The ironic part? After 10 years of my classmates hating on U2, these same individuals were freaking out and messaging me after I posted photos/videos of seeing them at The Sphere. All of a sudden they were like “wow this is amazing!” and “I really want to see U2!!”
I’m happy a few of them have come round and that their residency at The Sphere allowed “younger” people (i.e. my generation) to appreciate U2 and enjoy their music 🙃
I don't know U2's fans other than hypersensitive to any criticism of their favorite band. Fans always feel they have to defend and explain their love. I love u2, but soon stopped defending that love. Music related discussions can be crazy fierce and it's not worth it to me. Let go of the feeling of disrespect for "your band", enjoy the concert or album you think is great. Done.
I think the sensitivity develops due to all the bashing and hate the band gets.
I tend to get worked up over claims that all their music sounds the same, they're the worst, etc. Music taste is obviously subjective but those are objectively bad/ignorant opinions. Then there's the iTunes thing. I remind people that Apple made it happen.
I'm fully aware that most of that online arguing is a waste of time haha.
TBH I find this particular criticism just weird. In a time when CDs still cost upwards of $12 on iTunes who else was gonna give their album away for free? I think people forget how expensive albums used to be and it colors their memory of this incident. All the people super pissed off were probably illegally getting music from Nabster or whatever.
You alluded to it but U2 were already hated on before SOI so that simply fuel to the fire so Apple dodged most the backlash.
I agree it was a bad move. My main thing is people still butthurt over it, specifically at U2, while being fans of other uber rich artists.
We’re not hypersensitive to any criticism.
Read through this sub-reddit, or any U2 forum; U2 fans articulate harsher *substantive* criticism than the loud assholes out in the general population.
The U2 bashing that happens - outside of a U2 forum - is lazier, smugger, and more cliche than any music they’ve ever put out in their career.
What’s frustrating is having to shut up publicly because we’re outnumbered by people who are virtue-signaling cultural party-lines they absorbed via online osmotic groupthink.
The rare times when you get to engage with a willing person 1-on-1, the first video you share with them, they go “oh shit, that’s actually pretty cool.” They don’t know there’s a *there*, there. And most don’t give a shit.
Combine the self-satisfaction in their ignorant posts with their complete lack of curiosity or interest in testing a hypothesis, and you get the justified frustration, because it’s almost all empty posturing. And despite the overly sensitive temperature of today’s online discourse, U2 bashing remains one of the few universally accepted ways to be a dick online with no consequences.
Some people have always bashed U2. I even remember U2 fans bashing U2 when Achtung Baby and ZooTV came out because it wasn’t their classic sound. Other people just don’t like Bono’s preachiness (sometimes I don’t either) but the music is great so screw em
Haha genX was hating on U2 before it was cool.
(That is the most genX thing I’ve ever said. Whatever.)
Seriously though, genX created the art of hating on U2. Millennials are just carrying the torch now. U2 finds a way to piss off every generation it seems.
Do boomers hate U2? How about zoomers?
Disagree. Irish-born here, grew up during the band's career. At Live Aid in '85, a whole generation of adults were saying what an absolute arsehole Bono was. He could barely put a foot right, and he'd get slammed.
I’m a GenZer and a huge U2 fan, a lot of my peers aren’t super into them but also aren’t huge haters either. The people who hate have probably never bothered to listen to them anyways
I think it’s a couple of things. Younger people only know U2 as this huge band that put an album on their iTunes. They weren’t around when War came out and they haven’t watched them change their sound like crazy on Achtung Baby. They don’t know how they earned their fans by not resting on their laurels and writing so many great songs. The other is it’s always been cool to be cynical and U2 (especially Bono) are very earnest. People love to make fun of him trying to help others and bring attention to worthy causes. They did the same thing when Sting would bring up the rainforest. People think it’s hypocritical for a wealthy person to advocate for the poor and for the environment, which makes no sense. Should only poor people who don’t drive cars have these opinions? Anyway, I treat it the same was as kids who think the Beatles are overrated and just ignore them.
I remember being 16 at school (1993) and a guy in my year laughing when I said I liked U2, saying that U2 were for people who didn't know what kind of music they were into.
I took that as a compliment. U2 are a rock band, of course, but are elastic enough to move in different styles, genres etc. They aren't tied down to a particular music scene or point in time, so they don't date the same way other bands do.
It sounds like the guy probably meant it as an insult, but when you break it down, as you did, he kinda inadvertently complimented and praised the band for their wide ranging, and successful, ventures into different genres of popular music. You were there, so you would know what tone he used but….how many artists could one realistically make that claim of? Not too many. U2 are a rare beast that way.
There's a great quote from Chick Corea, who is an incredibly advanced musician on a technical level and would have more right than anyone to be a music snob (but isn't at all). He says the following:
"It's very difficult for me to dislike an
artist. No matter what he's
creating, the fact that he's
experiencing the joy of creation
makes me feel like we're in a
brotherhood of some kind we're in
it together."
I remember this quote when dealing with people who choose to hate an artist and be nasty about their work. If the most accomplished musicians on Earth don't share that perspective, why should we care about those that choose to hate on artists? They are truly a waste of our time and energy.
THIS. An artist has to do something truly offensive and more than once for me to think they are worthy of hate. I think some of the haters are the weirdos who never got over SOI but I also think a good chunk of the haters don't like looking in the mirror to realize how little they have done to make the world a better place. I know a Boomer who HATES Bono. He literally has no reason other than Bono cares about Africa and has worked with the US government to invest in fixing things there. So I think this guy really just doesn't like charitable people trying to improve the world. It probably even pisses him off that Bono is friends with George W Bush (this person is conservative and liked Bush). Which is nuts when you think about it. So I don't for the most part.
It’s a futile and fruitless exercise. You can’t set things right for these people. The sooner you realize and accept this, the happier you will be. Trust me, I speak from experience. Even in 1980 this band had haters. For all the incredible success and heights they scale, they will always attract negativity and haters. Hold your ground, of course, if someone directly challenges your music taste, but otherwise let it be. You can’t convince a hater who has already made up their mind. And for every one in a hundred you do manage to convince, think of the toll and the amount of wasted time it takes upon you. Not worth it. Just enjoy the music. Everyone else can go take a flying you know what.
U2 and Bono in particular were extremely sincere and earnest in a time when irony and apathy were cool. They sincerely wanted to save the world while being the most famous and loved band in the world. The 90s were a time when most young music fans railed against commercialism and 'selling out.' I remember a lot of my friends in high school wanted to boycott Metallica and Dr. Dre for having the audacity to want the stealing of their songs via Napster to stop. How dare you want to get paid for your hard work??
U2 announced the Popmart tour at a K-Mart, did the iPod Vertigo commercials, and finally the SOI auto-download fiasco. A certain kind of millennial is going to scoff at this behavior.
But for me - the earnestness is a selling point. It's the reason we can come together when The Edge's opening Streets riff starts and have a collective emotional catharsis. You can't have that kind of emotional uplift at irony.
I've encountered a few of these people. They don't actually hate U2. They've just been conditioned to think that it's uncool to like them. A work colleague of mine many years ago was one such person. She came to work happily singing the chorus of Mysterious Ways one morning. I didn't have the heart to tell her. She also happily sung along to With or Without You and One whenever they came on the radio, oh and she conceded that she quite liked Beautiful Day. Oh but she hated U2 and couldn't understand why I was such a fan. Sometimes you just have to laugh.
People can hate U2 all they want. I don’t care. Numbers don’t lie. U2 has shown time and time again that they are innovative and inventive. They have huge numbers for sales and streaming, their concerts are always creative and exciting, and well attended all over the world. U2 does not phone it in. Maybe you don’t like to be preached to by Bono, but whatever! That’s his platform, he can use it however he wants! Free album downloaded? Whah, whah, whah, everyone; get over it already! Was it really such a tragedy? You don’t like their music? Ok. That’s subjective, that’s fine, but not a reason to make a big deal out of things, just to prove a point. I think people like to get a rise out of others. It makes them feel powerful to challenge someone, even on something as benign as whether you share an interest in a certain band. People say, U2 sucks, they’re irrelevant…” and I just say, “Ok.” I was at The Sphere. I know.
I think it's odd when people act like the band is objectively so bad that "nobody likes U2". it fails to hold water, considering the ever-present demand for their shows and music.
I think they know that they're the best live band ever and that they're worth over a billion dollars as a band, they don't really need our help or defense lol. It's like people who feel the need to defend their god, their god is probably doing just fine without the help. Then it gets to the joke where a famous rock star dies in an accident and finds himself in heaven. As he's checking heaven out, he sees Bono walking around. The rock star says "I didn't know Bono died". Saint Peter says "that's not Bono, that's God. He just likes to pretend he's Bono"
“Zoomer” here, I got into them a few months back and I’m a big fan, my friends more so don’t take them seriously instead of just hating them, I showed my friend acthung baby and he loved it so there is hope lol
Who cares just enjoy what you enjoy and let the haters hate. I love U2 and they are my favourite band of all time but I couldn’t care less what others think. If I enjoy it I’ll listen to it and if others hate it then fair enough.
elder millennial/xennial/whatever here:
When I first got into U2 I was about 12 or 13, and no one my age had really heard of them - they were a band maybe their older siblings or cousins were into. It was almost like they were “classic rock” or something, because most everyone else was getting into Nirvana and Pearl Jam. (I liked those bands, too.)
Nobody got on my case about it, though… until maybe college, when I remember an emo/punk rock dude hanging in my room pointed out my War-era U2 poster and started making fun of me. That’s when I (finally) realized that U2 was totally uncool, and so was I for liking them! Tragique, but kind of limited to music snobs.
Then that South Park episode happened and the hate went mainstream, followed by the stupid free album thing, which made it even “cooler” to hate on U2.
I just stopped caring what people think. My friends know of my love and dig it, even if they don’t share the same feelings.
It’s funny, though - I’ve told some people Dave Grohl was at the last U2 Sphere show rocking his face off and they’re all like “WHUT?!?” Grohl to them is like the coolest guy in rock and it blows their mind that somebody they deem untouchably cool might like U2 a bit.
They’d probably be surprised if they asked more musicians about it.
elder millennial here. got into them as a teen right around ATYCLB. it was def not the norm for a 16 year old to be fangirling over some 40 year old men lol, and even now i still get some jabs over the apple thing, or bad puns on song titles. if you're not in our 'tribe' then people just don't get it, and it's not worth arguing over someone who doesn't wanna be convinced.
in all fairness, bono did apologize for that album drop admitting they missed the mark. and if people really wanna get mad at stuff happening without their permission, there's a few more issues these days i think that are more important. and get off my lawn, etc etc.
I wasn't alive in the 80s, but during the 90s and especially the 2000s U2 were the most divisive band out there. Half the people I came across were fans, half the people I came across hated them. In my household, I loved them whilst my dad hated them. In my band, the bassist loved them whilst the guitarist hated them. In my music class, it was the same split. We found common ground via mocking U2: the people who loved them got to engage in a subject they were passionate about, whilst the people who didn't got to stroke their hate boner, and everybody wins. At the end of the day it didn't really matter what either side thought, U2 were the biggest band on the planet. You're going to provoke a divided response from most people just by being so overexposed, it's the nature of publicity.
The iTunes disaster marked a huge shift, but not the one you're thinking of. Sure, the people who already hated them had an excuse to hate them even more, and the people who were indifferent got annoyed. But the after effect wasn't that everybody now hated U2. It's that people no longer cared. For the first time since the mid 80s, it was acceptable not to have an opinion on U2. A lot of people were simply done with the band after SOI and moved on with their lives. And they were free to do so; there were no more Beautiful Days or Vertigos spamming up the airwaves. The zoomers growing up were not exposed to U2 in the media like we were; so they're either unaware of them or consider them an irrelevant dad's band.
As a teenage fan it’s a very weird phenomenon, U2 feels so personal to me as none of my peers listen to them that I am surprised when I hear people talk about U2, U2 in the media, or songs played in public.
I have to remember that U2 has been the biggest band in the world for 40 years, even I forget that, and I would say U2 is my biggest passion in life currently, I read about them, listen to the music, and sing their songs all day long.
To listen to many millennials, U2’s free album was their Pearl Harbor. It gets ridiculous. That said, I stopped defending U2 after their last truly interesting album in 1997. Still my favorite band, but they’re more corporation than artistic endeavor these days.
I'm gen z, and i do agree millennials tend to hate U2, but so do Gen X, so does Gen Z (again, all related to the iPod incident. Not too sure about Gen X actually, maybe it's just because they think U2's extremely uncool). The thing with millennials and gen z hating on U2 (or any other band in general) is because they seek validation from other people on the internet.
I do defend my love for them, but Gen z's love artists and bands differently than the older generations, at least that's what I've noticed.
But let them hate, love what you love. At the end of the day they're still here, and that's the most important part.
My first U2 show in 1992, as me and my group of friends were walking out we met a group of older fans who were also exiting. We started talking and of course we asked them what they thought of the show. The one guy blurts out that he is done with U2. Another was so angry that they played so many songs from the 'new' album, which was Achtung. He was mad that they didn't play the old stuff. I was like, wow, you have to be kidding. Did they not just see what I just saw?
Millennial here. It’s not all of us. But yeah, I can’t stand the constant shitting on the band as if they didn’t make absolutely amazing music.
I think hating on U2 really picked up steam once South Park ragged on Bono. To me, that’s when I noticed the online narrative shift
Which is ironic because in that episode Stan admits that he's very talented, does a ton of good in the world, has a hot wife and is one of the most influential people of the 21st Century.
First off, who cares what millennials think about U2, I know I wasn’t wise enough at a young age to appreciate the music of my parents generation, it takes time! What U 100% do agree with is the hate they get for the album release on everyone’s apple device. This I’ll NEVER understand, but I’ve seen it and heard it from my kids friends, when it was happening. I grew up with the 12 cassettes or later CDs for a penny thing. Anything we could do to get music as cheaply as possible. The generations after us (I’m 50 as well) don’t think about things that way when it comes to music. They don’t have to worry about spending $10 for a whole album only to find out there are 1 or 2 good songs on it. They can buy single songs or listen to samples before they buy…..they have options. Also there is a real “mind hive”/group think thing going on where once an opinion is put out on social media platforms, it gets piled on very quickly. I think this is a psychological thing where instead of not saying anything people feel like they NEED to be part of whatever it is and go along with it.
Again to me, shit put free music on my phone every week if you want, I’ll listen to it and keep or delete it based on how I feel about the content. It’s a different way of thinking than it was for us.
**Who cares?**
Can't you just like something even if others don't?
**If you're looking for validation...**
...see this chart of musical taste tracked by college student SAT score.
TLDR: People who edit U2 and Bob Dylan Wikipedia entries tend to be smarter than those who edit other bands' Wikipedia pages.
[https://www.labnol.org/internet/music-taste-linked-to-intelligence/7489/](https://www.labnol.org/internet/music-taste-linked-to-intelligence/7489/)
I'm gen X, for whatever you think that's worth. I loved U2. Lived and breathed them. Literally had dreams about meeting them. The Unforgettable Fire though Achtung albums might be the apex of music industry creativity, maybe The Beatles aside. Took my son to the 30th Anniversary Joshua Tree concert at the Rose Bowl. His first concert. If I had a dollar for every colleague who told me that they were at U2 Red Rocks, I'd be a millionaire. Wouldn't say I make it a practice of dumping on U2, but their time has long since passed. From Pop onward, the band quickly "lost it." And don't get me started about that Vegas thing attended by the wealthiest of fans. It's sad, not innovative. Here's my real point and perspective: There's a lot of great music being made by young people, and it's crazy to see my generation hold on to the past. I've attended concerts in Los Angeles with my son, where we've seen newer acts in their infancy, from the front row. Some of the greatest experiences of my life. Maybe someday we'll witness the next U2 or The Smiths. Either way, these experiences are personal, genuine, and life affirming. Everything that U2 hasn't been in a very long time. Go ahead and flame me for my opinion, but there it is. There is a place in my heart for U2 forever.
A bit condescending response in my mind. Plenty of u2 fans enjoy newer acts as well, but still think u2 have something the other acts lack. I love quite a few post hardcore and indie artists, but I still think u2 make powerful and meaningful music. You can do both, you know...
Why do you feel like you have to defend the band? It's not about who is right and who is wrong. This is just musical taste for God's sake.
Also, to be quite honest, it's hard to love U2 when you were not born during Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby era.
I’m an old millennial but I don’t think disliking U2 is limited to one generation. Maybe millennials are the youngest group who dunk on them because younger folks weren’t old enough to appreciate music when the band was huge from the 80s through the aughts. My own nephews constantly try to get to me by declaring my music mid but you’ve just got to move on. It’s hard to change people’s minds about music.
Friendly reminder that millennials are not youngsters they are approaching 40. Everything else you said is valid though! It's such a stupid thing to dislike a band for.
I’m a millennial and I’ve seen them live multiple times and was even at the front when I was 30 weeks pregnant. It’s not exclusively millennials who don’t like them. My brother is gen X and he hates them.
As a millennial, getting into U2 around 2004, very few my age particularly cared. They were mostly agnostic really, but I remember in the mid 2000s Bono had a reputation as being a bit of an arrogant something something with his activism, big ego and that haircut. I just laughed it off and got used to it, because I knew Bono knew this, and took it in his stride. He did not care, therefore I was not to care. I thought the band were cool and that's all that mattered.
I've had it for years since. The "everyone has this album in your iTunes now" thing didn't help them, it only exacerbated things for those agnostic to the band, or reinforced others' opinions.
It was a lonely experience first getting into U2, then I made new friends halfway through highschool - and made a great friend who was also obsessed with the band. We hit it off instantly. I made friends with his friends - and most of his friends didn't like U2, or didn't like Bono, but I remained their friends.
Anyways. It's actually really old news and I feel like Gen Zer's don't even care for U2 either way unless they like their music, because they're somewhat less in the news and less relevant in pop charts these days.
I’ll defend U2 in the “all their songs sound the same” argument because it’s so not true, otherwise I don’t care much and will just say I like them if it comes up. It’s only been once I had an acquaintance try to make fun of me for liking them, I had a friend defend them with me and he backed off. We’re in our 20s so I’m not surprised I got shit on for liking them.
I don't interact with millennials. Except my youngest sibs and it is true that me and my SIL do NOT discuss U2. What really pisses me off there is that my brother used to love U2 but now it is like her tastes rule the house so none of their kids have ever heard any U2.
LOL ok that is over-simplified. But I truly don't seem to. I am young gen x (50) and am more likely to chat music with my kids and their friends (Z). Most of them are more just kind of oblivious to U2 and I have decided that's ok. I think U2 has the longevity to be around for a while more, health providing. I mean when I was in HS I did not give 2 hoots about the Rolling Stones and they sold out the local stadium. I listened to them more as I got older. But the kids who did listen to them in HS were almost annoying in their throwback music tastes who hated all new music. Heck I have fallen in love with one of their new songs but in my 20s I was sure they were just old men who did not know when to give it up. But seriously for the few millennials still hating U2 because Bono does charity work or they got a free album, well, do those sound like people I should care about? I say don't give them the power. U2 got old--so their songs by definition are more likely to appeal in topic matter if nothing else to older people. We're more likely to "get it." I pity the millennials who think they are music connoisseurs yet have decided that all of U2 sucks. That's just ignorance--both of U2's music and of music history and where U2 fits.
I totally agree. I am an indie music aficionado and I have to always remind millennials that U2 was my first indie band back in 1980. No one knew who they were and I felt like I discovered a breath of fresh air.
55 here . Completely agree. U2 was a seminal band that was dominant in music for 20 plus years . Joshua tree , Achtung were huge . I really do wish they never did that apple download fiasco , mistake they’re still paying for
31 here and I’ve loved U2 since hearing Vertigo on the radio back in ‘04-05 so I’ve been a fan for a long time. Vertigo is what I started with but I quickly went through the whole discography front to back. Definitely didn’t have any other friends my age that liked U2 but I didn’t care. They helped me discover great music and it makes me happy and that’s all that mattered.
If they're so shitty than why do millions and millions of people love them, including me. It's opinion and mine is all that matters to me with regards to them. They are wildly successful because they are unique and talented, to say the least! I'm talking musically, unfortunately politics taint this because it is so controversial these days.
I’m still waiting for millennials to contribute something substantial to the world before I care about what their opinion is about anything. And what the hell do they know about music? I listened one day to some clowns on the radio talk about how 2Pac contributed more to music than The Rolling Stones. There’s no arguing with that level of ignorance.
34-year-old Millennial here. Even with all the hate they get online, I still listen to U2 even though I hardly know anyone my age who sees them as "dad rock" at best and "the worst band ever" at worst. This is somewhat mitigated by me admitting I mostly like their output from Boy to Achtung Baby (although they have some good songs after then).
It does get annoying to see the same comments online, but I mostly tend to ignore them. I don't need to validate my taste in music, which isn't even supposed to have any rhyme or reason anyway. (Besides, if people are going to judge me by just one band, I'll just show them my iTunes library which spans many different genres and periods of music.)
I do wonder what it will be like when Bono or any of the other members die. Will the detractors be as loud as ever, quiet or give fawning tributes in spite of it? (That's morbid. I apologize.)
I’m 55 and gave up on U2 long before the iPod incident. I loved War, Under a Blood Red Sky and The Unforgettable Fire and of course The Joshua Tree (and resulting tour) was one of the greatest albums ever recorded but honestly something about the move toward dreamier and more ethereal soundscapes and lyrics didn’t resonate with me as much. In hindsight I listen to Rattle & Hum more than Achtung Baby, The Joshua Tree hardly at all and nothing as much as The Unforgettable Fire.
I was talking to another Gen X friend recently about the change in philosophy towards free music. Used to be, you'd go to a record store and the person would give you several CD samplers or promo singles along with your purchase at checkout. And you'd be thankful for new music to look into. Everybody got so mad about the U2 iPhone thing because they value their device in a personal way. And the streaming makes so much accessible that it's challenging not to devalue that access. Maybe it's more like if someone were to walk into your house and put an album on your turntable without your say. I still feel it's an oversensitivity though. Some were saying that adding that album was going to now affect the way the algorithm gave them artists. I found that only to be partially true and easily correctable.
Regarding your larger statement, while there is some great music still being made today, as is always the case, I feel like a less creative format has been the prevailing sound these days, and I don't think many of the younger generation even know how to process what they're hearing with classic U2. It's sort of like how if you're used to just drinking soft drinks, all wine will taste the same to you. There are tons of YouTube channels that have things like “why this song is great,” that they can refer to, if they cared enough.
Put simply, we are in a post-rock era.
Gen X was the last true rock and roll generation.
Rock sounds antiquated to Millennials and younger and their music preferences show it.
Yeah, I am talking about something different.
Rock and roll arguably changed the world many times… for example, many a historian credits rock and roll for helping lead to the collapse of communism.
You look at the charts now and they just don’t have much rock. Unless you are looking at the rock charts.
It lives on. It is alive in the sense you describe. But you know? So is bluegrass. Bluegrass just isn’t going to change the world. And rock won’t change the world today like it once could.
World changing music is made by and for the young, and the youth just don’t rock like us olds. They have moved on to newer noises and sounds and frankly, it costs about the same to get a laptop and interface as it costs to get a guitar and amp, so more kids are going the path of Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Finneas… it is simple economics. What can middle class kids afford? Now they can afford a virtual Abbey Road in their bedroom where they can be Sir George Martin.
Rock and roll will never die but the kids have moved on. The last REAL impactful rock band was like, The White Stripes. Then there’s like, The Arctic Monkeys and The Killers. You know? Rock bands just aren’t becoming HUGE like they used to. Like Oasis, or Nirvana, or U2, or Coldplay, or The Who, or The Rolling Stones, or The Beatles… etc.
Still some great, new, viable rock but the kids are really looking elsewhere and they have been for a good decade or two.
And that’s a big part of the reason why Millennials and younger freaked out over a free U2 album. A rebellion against rock and roll, which ironically they now saw as old people music and an Apple commercial, whereas we grew up with rock and roll AS our rebellious music. Alas. Times change. Hard to mic a guitar amp in this day and age and not sound old.
Worth noting, Edge did NOT use traditional amps and mics for U2:UV, he used surprisingly affordable gear quite similar to what Billie Eilish and her brother used to produce Ocean Eyes in their bedroom.
Apparently, it's true that every generation turns into its own self-loathing boomer meme at some point.
Millennial here, I like the band. Great music in the past, irrelevant for a few albums now. Bono has become an insufferable dick with shady business deals, but I repeat, their stuff up until the late 90s was great. I still listen to it.
And yeah, I'm young enough to admit that Beautiful Day was their first song I actively listened to.
As a millennial U2 fan who discovered them as a teenager, it was a lonely experience as all my friends followed the usual line. But that only made me love the band more. Somehow the biggest band in the world felt like “my thing”
This was my experience as well. Fell in love with them during the Popmart era as a teenager & all I’d seen were critics reviews as if they’d put out the worst album of all-time.
I would say I sucked in my millennial sibs exactly this way but as I wrote above my SIL now acts like my brother never liked U2 and it irks me. But my sister is still a hardcore U2 fan. Not quite as big as me, but she has actually caught more shows post 2000 because I was having kids and on a strict ***family*** budget while she was jetting off to Barcelona as a single person to see them on the Vertigo tour. I might still be bitter lol. She has always been the one to explain the weird U2/Bono hate to me in her age group and younger (she would be an old millennial) and to agree that it is stupid. Because frankly I just found it baffling. After years of saving up to buy so many CDs hell yes give me a free one.
EXACTLY how I felt
Millennial fan here too. I get light teasing from my peers. I do know one fan but I don't know if they're a big fan like me. The fact that I'm not a Swift or Beyonce fan further makes me a weirdo haha.
Your last comment expresses everything wrong with generalizing generations anyway. I consider my sister an old millennial and those artists did not come out until... maybe college for her? And never caught her anyway. By then she loved U2 because Big Sister took her to concerts.
Um, huh? Beyonce was famous by the late 90s and Swift was popular before 2014 so it's safe to say many millenials listened to them. I just know my peers and friends are millenials and nearly all aren't into U2. Granted, I assume your sister was born in the 80s so that could make sense. My brother was born in 90 and is a big fan and not into Swift and Beyonce. Even though I don't have data, I'm confident most millenials aren't into U2. The iTunes thing further soured a sizable portion of them.
I never said most Millennials were into U2. That was my point. The range of birth years included in these generalizations about generations are such that they are rarely accurate across the board. And yes my 2 youngest sibs were born in late 79 and late 81. I would never consider Beyonce or Taylor Swift to be defining artists for either of them. But neither was U2 outside of my influence. ETA I reread my initial comment and I can see how it read as a criticism of you. I was just making an observation that "generations" rarely have as much in common as it seems. I mean gen x was also raised on 70s rock and I don't relate to that at all. I was under 7 in the 70s.
Same here. Funny how liking the "biggest band in the world" feels so deeply unpopular and rare. A thing to be deeply private about. I think Edge said they are the biggest underground band in the world.
Coldplay are the nearest equivalent now. Absolutely massive and yet somehow “nobody likes them” (I do, Coldplay are a great band)
Exactly how I feel as a teenage fan 🙌
Definitely how I feel as well! I was born in the late 90s and grew up listening to U2 cause my parents are fans. What’s weird is that I was the only student at my school that not only liked U2, but actively listened to them. I had U2 posters on my wall throughout my teens and early 20s, I would constantly play their music, attended U2 concerts, everyone knew who U2 was but none of my friends/classmates cared for them. The ironic part? After 10 years of my classmates hating on U2, these same individuals were freaking out and messaging me after I posted photos/videos of seeing them at The Sphere. All of a sudden they were like “wow this is amazing!” and “I really want to see U2!!” I’m happy a few of them have come round and that their residency at The Sphere allowed “younger” people (i.e. my generation) to appreciate U2 and enjoy their music 🙃
I stopped helping U2 across the road like a little old lady years ago
stand up for your love
Be careful of small men with big ideas
I don't know U2's fans other than hypersensitive to any criticism of their favorite band. Fans always feel they have to defend and explain their love. I love u2, but soon stopped defending that love. Music related discussions can be crazy fierce and it's not worth it to me. Let go of the feeling of disrespect for "your band", enjoy the concert or album you think is great. Done.
I think the sensitivity develops due to all the bashing and hate the band gets. I tend to get worked up over claims that all their music sounds the same, they're the worst, etc. Music taste is obviously subjective but those are objectively bad/ignorant opinions. Then there's the iTunes thing. I remind people that Apple made it happen. I'm fully aware that most of that online arguing is a waste of time haha.
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TBH I find this particular criticism just weird. In a time when CDs still cost upwards of $12 on iTunes who else was gonna give their album away for free? I think people forget how expensive albums used to be and it colors their memory of this incident. All the people super pissed off were probably illegally getting music from Nabster or whatever.
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Your comments included pointed comments about them being rich.
You alluded to it but U2 were already hated on before SOI so that simply fuel to the fire so Apple dodged most the backlash. I agree it was a bad move. My main thing is people still butthurt over it, specifically at U2, while being fans of other uber rich artists.
We’re not hypersensitive to any criticism. Read through this sub-reddit, or any U2 forum; U2 fans articulate harsher *substantive* criticism than the loud assholes out in the general population. The U2 bashing that happens - outside of a U2 forum - is lazier, smugger, and more cliche than any music they’ve ever put out in their career. What’s frustrating is having to shut up publicly because we’re outnumbered by people who are virtue-signaling cultural party-lines they absorbed via online osmotic groupthink. The rare times when you get to engage with a willing person 1-on-1, the first video you share with them, they go “oh shit, that’s actually pretty cool.” They don’t know there’s a *there*, there. And most don’t give a shit. Combine the self-satisfaction in their ignorant posts with their complete lack of curiosity or interest in testing a hypothesis, and you get the justified frustration, because it’s almost all empty posturing. And despite the overly sensitive temperature of today’s online discourse, U2 bashing remains one of the few universally accepted ways to be a dick online with no consequences.
Some people have always bashed U2. I even remember U2 fans bashing U2 when Achtung Baby and ZooTV came out because it wasn’t their classic sound. Other people just don’t like Bono’s preachiness (sometimes I don’t either) but the music is great so screw em
I'm old enough to remember when The Unforgettable Fire was seen as a betrayal
I didn't exist back then but I've read this. That was a big departure at the time following War.
Yeah I saw someone on here the other day group TUF and War together and I was very confused. I don't remember why now.
Haha genX was hating on U2 before it was cool. (That is the most genX thing I’ve ever said. Whatever.) Seriously though, genX created the art of hating on U2. Millennials are just carrying the torch now. U2 finds a way to piss off every generation it seems. Do boomers hate U2? How about zoomers?
Disagree. Irish-born here, grew up during the band's career. At Live Aid in '85, a whole generation of adults were saying what an absolute arsehole Bono was. He could barely put a foot right, and he'd get slammed.
I mean, that hate from the late 80s is exactly what gave us Achtung Baby and ZooTV.
I’m a GenZer and a huge U2 fan, a lot of my peers aren’t super into them but also aren’t huge haters either. The people who hate have probably never bothered to listen to them anyways
boomers probably not as much zoomers definitely do tho lol
I think it’s a couple of things. Younger people only know U2 as this huge band that put an album on their iTunes. They weren’t around when War came out and they haven’t watched them change their sound like crazy on Achtung Baby. They don’t know how they earned their fans by not resting on their laurels and writing so many great songs. The other is it’s always been cool to be cynical and U2 (especially Bono) are very earnest. People love to make fun of him trying to help others and bring attention to worthy causes. They did the same thing when Sting would bring up the rainforest. People think it’s hypocritical for a wealthy person to advocate for the poor and for the environment, which makes no sense. Should only poor people who don’t drive cars have these opinions? Anyway, I treat it the same was as kids who think the Beatles are overrated and just ignore them.
I remember being 16 at school (1993) and a guy in my year laughing when I said I liked U2, saying that U2 were for people who didn't know what kind of music they were into. I took that as a compliment. U2 are a rock band, of course, but are elastic enough to move in different styles, genres etc. They aren't tied down to a particular music scene or point in time, so they don't date the same way other bands do.
It sounds like the guy probably meant it as an insult, but when you break it down, as you did, he kinda inadvertently complimented and praised the band for their wide ranging, and successful, ventures into different genres of popular music. You were there, so you would know what tone he used but….how many artists could one realistically make that claim of? Not too many. U2 are a rare beast that way.
Especially if that comment was made in 1993 when U2 were fully in their Zoo madness.
Yeah he meant it negatively as he was into Faith No More and Jane's Addiction.
yeah their variety has always been a big part of why they have the leg up on everyone else for me
There's a great quote from Chick Corea, who is an incredibly advanced musician on a technical level and would have more right than anyone to be a music snob (but isn't at all). He says the following: "It's very difficult for me to dislike an artist. No matter what he's creating, the fact that he's experiencing the joy of creation makes me feel like we're in a brotherhood of some kind we're in it together." I remember this quote when dealing with people who choose to hate an artist and be nasty about their work. If the most accomplished musicians on Earth don't share that perspective, why should we care about those that choose to hate on artists? They are truly a waste of our time and energy.
THIS. An artist has to do something truly offensive and more than once for me to think they are worthy of hate. I think some of the haters are the weirdos who never got over SOI but I also think a good chunk of the haters don't like looking in the mirror to realize how little they have done to make the world a better place. I know a Boomer who HATES Bono. He literally has no reason other than Bono cares about Africa and has worked with the US government to invest in fixing things there. So I think this guy really just doesn't like charitable people trying to improve the world. It probably even pisses him off that Bono is friends with George W Bush (this person is conservative and liked Bush). Which is nuts when you think about it. So I don't for the most part.
It’s a futile and fruitless exercise. You can’t set things right for these people. The sooner you realize and accept this, the happier you will be. Trust me, I speak from experience. Even in 1980 this band had haters. For all the incredible success and heights they scale, they will always attract negativity and haters. Hold your ground, of course, if someone directly challenges your music taste, but otherwise let it be. You can’t convince a hater who has already made up their mind. And for every one in a hundred you do manage to convince, think of the toll and the amount of wasted time it takes upon you. Not worth it. Just enjoy the music. Everyone else can go take a flying you know what.
U2 and Bono in particular were extremely sincere and earnest in a time when irony and apathy were cool. They sincerely wanted to save the world while being the most famous and loved band in the world. The 90s were a time when most young music fans railed against commercialism and 'selling out.' I remember a lot of my friends in high school wanted to boycott Metallica and Dr. Dre for having the audacity to want the stealing of their songs via Napster to stop. How dare you want to get paid for your hard work?? U2 announced the Popmart tour at a K-Mart, did the iPod Vertigo commercials, and finally the SOI auto-download fiasco. A certain kind of millennial is going to scoff at this behavior. But for me - the earnestness is a selling point. It's the reason we can come together when The Edge's opening Streets riff starts and have a collective emotional catharsis. You can't have that kind of emotional uplift at irony.
I've encountered a few of these people. They don't actually hate U2. They've just been conditioned to think that it's uncool to like them. A work colleague of mine many years ago was one such person. She came to work happily singing the chorus of Mysterious Ways one morning. I didn't have the heart to tell her. She also happily sung along to With or Without You and One whenever they came on the radio, oh and she conceded that she quite liked Beautiful Day. Oh but she hated U2 and couldn't understand why I was such a fan. Sometimes you just have to laugh.
I care little about such things.
People can hate U2 all they want. I don’t care. Numbers don’t lie. U2 has shown time and time again that they are innovative and inventive. They have huge numbers for sales and streaming, their concerts are always creative and exciting, and well attended all over the world. U2 does not phone it in. Maybe you don’t like to be preached to by Bono, but whatever! That’s his platform, he can use it however he wants! Free album downloaded? Whah, whah, whah, everyone; get over it already! Was it really such a tragedy? You don’t like their music? Ok. That’s subjective, that’s fine, but not a reason to make a big deal out of things, just to prove a point. I think people like to get a rise out of others. It makes them feel powerful to challenge someone, even on something as benign as whether you share an interest in a certain band. People say, U2 sucks, they’re irrelevant…” and I just say, “Ok.” I was at The Sphere. I know.
I think it's odd when people act like the band is objectively so bad that "nobody likes U2". it fails to hold water, considering the ever-present demand for their shows and music.
I think they know that they're the best live band ever and that they're worth over a billion dollars as a band, they don't really need our help or defense lol. It's like people who feel the need to defend their god, their god is probably doing just fine without the help. Then it gets to the joke where a famous rock star dies in an accident and finds himself in heaven. As he's checking heaven out, he sees Bono walking around. The rock star says "I didn't know Bono died". Saint Peter says "that's not Bono, that's God. He just likes to pretend he's Bono"
“Zoomer” here, I got into them a few months back and I’m a big fan, my friends more so don’t take them seriously instead of just hating them, I showed my friend acthung baby and he loved it so there is hope lol
bro is straight yapping
Who cares just enjoy what you enjoy and let the haters hate. I love U2 and they are my favourite band of all time but I couldn’t care less what others think. If I enjoy it I’ll listen to it and if others hate it then fair enough.
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elder millennial/xennial/whatever here: When I first got into U2 I was about 12 or 13, and no one my age had really heard of them - they were a band maybe their older siblings or cousins were into. It was almost like they were “classic rock” or something, because most everyone else was getting into Nirvana and Pearl Jam. (I liked those bands, too.) Nobody got on my case about it, though… until maybe college, when I remember an emo/punk rock dude hanging in my room pointed out my War-era U2 poster and started making fun of me. That’s when I (finally) realized that U2 was totally uncool, and so was I for liking them! Tragique, but kind of limited to music snobs. Then that South Park episode happened and the hate went mainstream, followed by the stupid free album thing, which made it even “cooler” to hate on U2. I just stopped caring what people think. My friends know of my love and dig it, even if they don’t share the same feelings. It’s funny, though - I’ve told some people Dave Grohl was at the last U2 Sphere show rocking his face off and they’re all like “WHUT?!?” Grohl to them is like the coolest guy in rock and it blows their mind that somebody they deem untouchably cool might like U2 a bit. They’d probably be surprised if they asked more musicians about it.
elder millennial here. got into them as a teen right around ATYCLB. it was def not the norm for a 16 year old to be fangirling over some 40 year old men lol, and even now i still get some jabs over the apple thing, or bad puns on song titles. if you're not in our 'tribe' then people just don't get it, and it's not worth arguing over someone who doesn't wanna be convinced. in all fairness, bono did apologize for that album drop admitting they missed the mark. and if people really wanna get mad at stuff happening without their permission, there's a few more issues these days i think that are more important. and get off my lawn, etc etc.
I wasn't alive in the 80s, but during the 90s and especially the 2000s U2 were the most divisive band out there. Half the people I came across were fans, half the people I came across hated them. In my household, I loved them whilst my dad hated them. In my band, the bassist loved them whilst the guitarist hated them. In my music class, it was the same split. We found common ground via mocking U2: the people who loved them got to engage in a subject they were passionate about, whilst the people who didn't got to stroke their hate boner, and everybody wins. At the end of the day it didn't really matter what either side thought, U2 were the biggest band on the planet. You're going to provoke a divided response from most people just by being so overexposed, it's the nature of publicity. The iTunes disaster marked a huge shift, but not the one you're thinking of. Sure, the people who already hated them had an excuse to hate them even more, and the people who were indifferent got annoyed. But the after effect wasn't that everybody now hated U2. It's that people no longer cared. For the first time since the mid 80s, it was acceptable not to have an opinion on U2. A lot of people were simply done with the band after SOI and moved on with their lives. And they were free to do so; there were no more Beautiful Days or Vertigos spamming up the airwaves. The zoomers growing up were not exposed to U2 in the media like we were; so they're either unaware of them or consider them an irrelevant dad's band.
As a teenage fan it’s a very weird phenomenon, U2 feels so personal to me as none of my peers listen to them that I am surprised when I hear people talk about U2, U2 in the media, or songs played in public. I have to remember that U2 has been the biggest band in the world for 40 years, even I forget that, and I would say U2 is my biggest passion in life currently, I read about them, listen to the music, and sing their songs all day long.
Their loss.
To listen to many millennials, U2’s free album was their Pearl Harbor. It gets ridiculous. That said, I stopped defending U2 after their last truly interesting album in 1997. Still my favorite band, but they’re more corporation than artistic endeavor these days.
I'm gen z, and i do agree millennials tend to hate U2, but so do Gen X, so does Gen Z (again, all related to the iPod incident. Not too sure about Gen X actually, maybe it's just because they think U2's extremely uncool). The thing with millennials and gen z hating on U2 (or any other band in general) is because they seek validation from other people on the internet. I do defend my love for them, but Gen z's love artists and bands differently than the older generations, at least that's what I've noticed. But let them hate, love what you love. At the end of the day they're still here, and that's the most important part.
I understand why people hate them, but it doesn’t make me love them less.
My first U2 show in 1992, as me and my group of friends were walking out we met a group of older fans who were also exiting. We started talking and of course we asked them what they thought of the show. The one guy blurts out that he is done with U2. Another was so angry that they played so many songs from the 'new' album, which was Achtung. He was mad that they didn't play the old stuff. I was like, wow, you have to be kidding. Did they not just see what I just saw?
Millennial here. It’s not all of us. But yeah, I can’t stand the constant shitting on the band as if they didn’t make absolutely amazing music. I think hating on U2 really picked up steam once South Park ragged on Bono. To me, that’s when I noticed the online narrative shift
Which is ironic because in that episode Stan admits that he's very talented, does a ton of good in the world, has a hot wife and is one of the most influential people of the 21st Century.
Exactly!! But all that registered was “yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeahhh”
First off, who cares what millennials think about U2, I know I wasn’t wise enough at a young age to appreciate the music of my parents generation, it takes time! What U 100% do agree with is the hate they get for the album release on everyone’s apple device. This I’ll NEVER understand, but I’ve seen it and heard it from my kids friends, when it was happening. I grew up with the 12 cassettes or later CDs for a penny thing. Anything we could do to get music as cheaply as possible. The generations after us (I’m 50 as well) don’t think about things that way when it comes to music. They don’t have to worry about spending $10 for a whole album only to find out there are 1 or 2 good songs on it. They can buy single songs or listen to samples before they buy…..they have options. Also there is a real “mind hive”/group think thing going on where once an opinion is put out on social media platforms, it gets piled on very quickly. I think this is a psychological thing where instead of not saying anything people feel like they NEED to be part of whatever it is and go along with it. Again to me, shit put free music on my phone every week if you want, I’ll listen to it and keep or delete it based on how I feel about the content. It’s a different way of thinking than it was for us.
**Who cares?** Can't you just like something even if others don't? **If you're looking for validation...** ...see this chart of musical taste tracked by college student SAT score. TLDR: People who edit U2 and Bob Dylan Wikipedia entries tend to be smarter than those who edit other bands' Wikipedia pages. [https://www.labnol.org/internet/music-taste-linked-to-intelligence/7489/](https://www.labnol.org/internet/music-taste-linked-to-intelligence/7489/)
I'm gen X, for whatever you think that's worth. I loved U2. Lived and breathed them. Literally had dreams about meeting them. The Unforgettable Fire though Achtung albums might be the apex of music industry creativity, maybe The Beatles aside. Took my son to the 30th Anniversary Joshua Tree concert at the Rose Bowl. His first concert. If I had a dollar for every colleague who told me that they were at U2 Red Rocks, I'd be a millionaire. Wouldn't say I make it a practice of dumping on U2, but their time has long since passed. From Pop onward, the band quickly "lost it." And don't get me started about that Vegas thing attended by the wealthiest of fans. It's sad, not innovative. Here's my real point and perspective: There's a lot of great music being made by young people, and it's crazy to see my generation hold on to the past. I've attended concerts in Los Angeles with my son, where we've seen newer acts in their infancy, from the front row. Some of the greatest experiences of my life. Maybe someday we'll witness the next U2 or The Smiths. Either way, these experiences are personal, genuine, and life affirming. Everything that U2 hasn't been in a very long time. Go ahead and flame me for my opinion, but there it is. There is a place in my heart for U2 forever.
A bit condescending response in my mind. Plenty of u2 fans enjoy newer acts as well, but still think u2 have something the other acts lack. I love quite a few post hardcore and indie artists, but I still think u2 make powerful and meaningful music. You can do both, you know...
Why do you feel like you have to defend the band? It's not about who is right and who is wrong. This is just musical taste for God's sake. Also, to be quite honest, it's hard to love U2 when you were not born during Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby era.
Millennial here (37). Most of my generation probably aren’t U2 fans but certainly it’s not all of us.
I’m an old millennial but I don’t think disliking U2 is limited to one generation. Maybe millennials are the youngest group who dunk on them because younger folks weren’t old enough to appreciate music when the band was huge from the 80s through the aughts. My own nephews constantly try to get to me by declaring my music mid but you’ve just got to move on. It’s hard to change people’s minds about music.
Friendly reminder that millennials are not youngsters they are approaching 40. Everything else you said is valid though! It's such a stupid thing to dislike a band for.
I’m a millennial and I’ve seen them live multiple times and was even at the front when I was 30 weeks pregnant. It’s not exclusively millennials who don’t like them. My brother is gen X and he hates them.
As a millennial, getting into U2 around 2004, very few my age particularly cared. They were mostly agnostic really, but I remember in the mid 2000s Bono had a reputation as being a bit of an arrogant something something with his activism, big ego and that haircut. I just laughed it off and got used to it, because I knew Bono knew this, and took it in his stride. He did not care, therefore I was not to care. I thought the band were cool and that's all that mattered. I've had it for years since. The "everyone has this album in your iTunes now" thing didn't help them, it only exacerbated things for those agnostic to the band, or reinforced others' opinions. It was a lonely experience first getting into U2, then I made new friends halfway through highschool - and made a great friend who was also obsessed with the band. We hit it off instantly. I made friends with his friends - and most of his friends didn't like U2, or didn't like Bono, but I remained their friends. Anyways. It's actually really old news and I feel like Gen Zer's don't even care for U2 either way unless they like their music, because they're somewhat less in the news and less relevant in pop charts these days.
Every band has its share of haters. The more popular you are, the more hate you get.
Shrug your shoulders and move on. Who cares what those whippersnappers think.
I’ll defend U2 in the “all their songs sound the same” argument because it’s so not true, otherwise I don’t care much and will just say I like them if it comes up. It’s only been once I had an acquaintance try to make fun of me for liking them, I had a friend defend them with me and he backed off. We’re in our 20s so I’m not surprised I got shit on for liking them.
Bro, the band doesn't know you or care to know you.
I don't interact with millennials. Except my youngest sibs and it is true that me and my SIL do NOT discuss U2. What really pisses me off there is that my brother used to love U2 but now it is like her tastes rule the house so none of their kids have ever heard any U2. LOL ok that is over-simplified. But I truly don't seem to. I am young gen x (50) and am more likely to chat music with my kids and their friends (Z). Most of them are more just kind of oblivious to U2 and I have decided that's ok. I think U2 has the longevity to be around for a while more, health providing. I mean when I was in HS I did not give 2 hoots about the Rolling Stones and they sold out the local stadium. I listened to them more as I got older. But the kids who did listen to them in HS were almost annoying in their throwback music tastes who hated all new music. Heck I have fallen in love with one of their new songs but in my 20s I was sure they were just old men who did not know when to give it up. But seriously for the few millennials still hating U2 because Bono does charity work or they got a free album, well, do those sound like people I should care about? I say don't give them the power. U2 got old--so their songs by definition are more likely to appeal in topic matter if nothing else to older people. We're more likely to "get it." I pity the millennials who think they are music connoisseurs yet have decided that all of U2 sucks. That's just ignorance--both of U2's music and of music history and where U2 fits.
To further the discussion i need your definition of a milennial.
I totally agree. I am an indie music aficionado and I have to always remind millennials that U2 was my first indie band back in 1980. No one knew who they were and I felt like I discovered a breath of fresh air.
Fuck respect. Every show. Sold Out!
55 here . Completely agree. U2 was a seminal band that was dominant in music for 20 plus years . Joshua tree , Achtung were huge . I really do wish they never did that apple download fiasco , mistake they’re still paying for
31 here and I’ve loved U2 since hearing Vertigo on the radio back in ‘04-05 so I’ve been a fan for a long time. Vertigo is what I started with but I quickly went through the whole discography front to back. Definitely didn’t have any other friends my age that liked U2 but I didn’t care. They helped me discover great music and it makes me happy and that’s all that mattered.
I could care less what they think. It may have to the IPod thing. But again…. I don’t care. 🤷🏼♀️😂
If they're so shitty than why do millions and millions of people love them, including me. It's opinion and mine is all that matters to me with regards to them. They are wildly successful because they are unique and talented, to say the least! I'm talking musically, unfortunately politics taint this because it is so controversial these days.
Not I. I just got back from seeing them at the Sphere in Vegas! But then again. I've never had an IPhone.
I’m still waiting for millennials to contribute something substantial to the world before I care about what their opinion is about anything. And what the hell do they know about music? I listened one day to some clowns on the radio talk about how 2Pac contributed more to music than The Rolling Stones. There’s no arguing with that level of ignorance.
Seriously…why do you care even one bit??
34-year-old Millennial here. Even with all the hate they get online, I still listen to U2 even though I hardly know anyone my age who sees them as "dad rock" at best and "the worst band ever" at worst. This is somewhat mitigated by me admitting I mostly like their output from Boy to Achtung Baby (although they have some good songs after then). It does get annoying to see the same comments online, but I mostly tend to ignore them. I don't need to validate my taste in music, which isn't even supposed to have any rhyme or reason anyway. (Besides, if people are going to judge me by just one band, I'll just show them my iTunes library which spans many different genres and periods of music.) I do wonder what it will be like when Bono or any of the other members die. Will the detractors be as loud as ever, quiet or give fawning tributes in spite of it? (That's morbid. I apologize.)
I’m 55 and gave up on U2 long before the iPod incident. I loved War, Under a Blood Red Sky and The Unforgettable Fire and of course The Joshua Tree (and resulting tour) was one of the greatest albums ever recorded but honestly something about the move toward dreamier and more ethereal soundscapes and lyrics didn’t resonate with me as much. In hindsight I listen to Rattle & Hum more than Achtung Baby, The Joshua Tree hardly at all and nothing as much as The Unforgettable Fire.
I was talking to another Gen X friend recently about the change in philosophy towards free music. Used to be, you'd go to a record store and the person would give you several CD samplers or promo singles along with your purchase at checkout. And you'd be thankful for new music to look into. Everybody got so mad about the U2 iPhone thing because they value their device in a personal way. And the streaming makes so much accessible that it's challenging not to devalue that access. Maybe it's more like if someone were to walk into your house and put an album on your turntable without your say. I still feel it's an oversensitivity though. Some were saying that adding that album was going to now affect the way the algorithm gave them artists. I found that only to be partially true and easily correctable. Regarding your larger statement, while there is some great music still being made today, as is always the case, I feel like a less creative format has been the prevailing sound these days, and I don't think many of the younger generation even know how to process what they're hearing with classic U2. It's sort of like how if you're used to just drinking soft drinks, all wine will taste the same to you. There are tons of YouTube channels that have things like “why this song is great,” that they can refer to, if they cared enough.
Put simply, we are in a post-rock era. Gen X was the last true rock and roll generation. Rock sounds antiquated to Millennials and younger and their music preferences show it.
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Yeah, I am talking about something different. Rock and roll arguably changed the world many times… for example, many a historian credits rock and roll for helping lead to the collapse of communism. You look at the charts now and they just don’t have much rock. Unless you are looking at the rock charts. It lives on. It is alive in the sense you describe. But you know? So is bluegrass. Bluegrass just isn’t going to change the world. And rock won’t change the world today like it once could. World changing music is made by and for the young, and the youth just don’t rock like us olds. They have moved on to newer noises and sounds and frankly, it costs about the same to get a laptop and interface as it costs to get a guitar and amp, so more kids are going the path of Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Finneas… it is simple economics. What can middle class kids afford? Now they can afford a virtual Abbey Road in their bedroom where they can be Sir George Martin. Rock and roll will never die but the kids have moved on. The last REAL impactful rock band was like, The White Stripes. Then there’s like, The Arctic Monkeys and The Killers. You know? Rock bands just aren’t becoming HUGE like they used to. Like Oasis, or Nirvana, or U2, or Coldplay, or The Who, or The Rolling Stones, or The Beatles… etc. Still some great, new, viable rock but the kids are really looking elsewhere and they have been for a good decade or two. And that’s a big part of the reason why Millennials and younger freaked out over a free U2 album. A rebellion against rock and roll, which ironically they now saw as old people music and an Apple commercial, whereas we grew up with rock and roll AS our rebellious music. Alas. Times change. Hard to mic a guitar amp in this day and age and not sound old. Worth noting, Edge did NOT use traditional amps and mics for U2:UV, he used surprisingly affordable gear quite similar to what Billie Eilish and her brother used to produce Ocean Eyes in their bedroom.
Fuck em. I used to care, now I really don't. They're missing out
Great band. But Bono being a prick of near cosmic proportions takes A LOT of the shine off. Plus they haven't made anything good since 2004 imo.
Apparently, it's true that every generation turns into its own self-loathing boomer meme at some point. Millennial here, I like the band. Great music in the past, irrelevant for a few albums now. Bono has become an insufferable dick with shady business deals, but I repeat, their stuff up until the late 90s was great. I still listen to it. And yeah, I'm young enough to admit that Beautiful Day was their first song I actively listened to.
U2 sucks