Rating: 8/10
After their major blow-up in fame, U2 was seeking reinvention. They achieved it with Achtung Baby, which branched away from their usual stadium-rock sounds and inched towards influences of alternative rock and industrial music. In my opinion, this album has some truly amazing songs, some of which are highlights of their entire catalog, but also some songs that are hard to get into.
In this post, I’ll be ranking all the songs from U2’s seventh studio album, Achtung Baby, from best to worst. Without further ado, let the ranking commence!
12. Love Is Blindness (Track 12)
This isn’t even a bad song by any means. I don’t know why, but I just don’t enjoy it that much. It’s just a little to slow and eerie for me, and it feels sort of stagnant. I kinda wish this album had ended on a more triumphant and upbeat note.
11. Even Better Than the Real Thing (Track 2)
This song has a nice energy, and it feels very upbeat, likely due to the fast-tempo. Honestly, it’s a pretty good song, but I guess the melody and the hook don’t really grab me. The guitar work is amazing though.
10. Zoo Station (Track 1)
This song has a very cutting and harsh sound to it, but still manages to sound like a U2 song. Normally I wouldn’t, but I actually like the vocal distortion on Bono’s voice in this song. I like this song as an album opener, but I don’t imagine that I’ll listen to it much outside of Achtung Baby.
9. Acrobat (Track 11)
Here’s where we reach the songs on this album that I like a lot, but aren’t my absolute favorites. This is a really cool and unique song, and I think Bono’s vocals are really great. I find it kind of hard to focus on the lyrics though, because the music is really nice and it kind of stole my attention. “And I must be an acrobat to talk like this and act like that. And you can dream, so dream out loud. And you can find your own way out.”
8. Ultra Violet (Light My Way) (Track 10)
This song is a journey to listen to. It’s one of those songs that starts out really slow and quiet, and then builds into something grand and impassioned. It’s pretty nice.
7. Tryin’ To Throw Your Arms Around the World (Track 9)
I was originally gonna have Ultra Violet in this spot, but I just love the instrumental in this song. The drums, the guitar, the bass; it all sounds so good. This was a pleasant surprise because when reading reviews for this album, I didn’t see many people heralding this song as one of their favorites, but I think it’s pretty good. It’s just a nice, chill jam.
6. The Fly (Track 7)
The guitar in this song is so freaking cool. Plus, the lyrics are really interesting. This song has a very aggressive and angry feel to it in the verses, and then the chorus feels more happy and inspirational. I really like the chorus of this song.
5. So Cruel (Track 6)
This song sounds really great, but the lyrics are actually pretty sad. Bono sounds great, and all the instrumental work is fantastic. I think I would like this song just a tad more if it came to some huge crescendo, but it’s also good as it is.
4. Until the End of the World (Track 4)
“I took the money, I spiked your drink. You miss too much these days if you stop to think. You lead me on with those innocent eyes, you know I love the element of surprise. In the garden, I was playing the tart. I kissed your lips and broke your heart.” We’ve now reached my absolute favorite songs from this album! The beginning of this song is low-key terrifying, but other than that, I really like this song. Probably because of the biblical themes in the lyrics (apparently it’s about Jesus and Judas). Really, the lyrics in this song tell such a strong story, it’s amazing. Plus, the guitar is incredible in this song. That’s not to discredit the drums and bass, though, because those sound awesome as well.
3. Mysterious Ways (Track 8)
This is one of the few songs on this album that doesn’t make me feel as if U2 was involved in some huge, global conspiracy. This is a relatively light song when compared to the rest of the tracks on Achtung Baby, and I really appreciate it for that. What can I say? I love my easily-enjoyed tunes. That’s not to say this isn’t a super cool song, though, because it is. The music in this song is so catchy and fun, and it allows the song to be a radio-hit (at least for the time it came out) while still being interesting and compelling.
2. Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Track 5)
“You’re dangerous, you don’t know what you want. Well you left my heart empty as a vacant lot for any spirit to haunt.” I wasn’t expecting this song to be one of the best from the album because I hadn’t heard much about it in the reviews I read, but it’s without a doubt one of my favorites. That may be because it sounds like something from The Joshua Tree. There’s something so passionate and curious about this song, and it just feels very adventurous. The chorus of this song is really compelling, and the song as a whole just feels like classic U2 to me. Additionally, the lyrics are really great. Plus, the “don’t turn around” part at around 4 minutes in is really cool to me. “Ah, the deeper I spin. Ah, the hunter will sin for your ivory skin. Took a drive in the dirty rain to a place where the wind calls your name, under the trees, the river laughing at you and me. Hallelujah! Heaven’s white rose, the doors you open I just can’t close.”
1. One (Track 3)
“Did I disappoint you or leave a bad taste in your mouth? You act like you never had love, and you want me to go without. Well, it’s too late tonight to drag the past out into the light. We’re one, but we’re not the same. We get to carry each other.” This is undoubtedly the most iconic song from Achtung Baby, and one of the most iconic songs in U2’s whole catalog. Truly, it deserves all that renown and praise. This song is absolutely anthemic, and it serves as a great reminder that love doesn’t always work out, but it’s something that is worth fighting for. As far as U2 songs go, this is one of the all-time greats, and definitely in my top 5 songs from the band. This song, while a little bit sad, manages to be inspiring and uplifting within it’s sadness, and I think that’s where the true beauty of this song lies. “Did I ask too much? More than a lot. You gave me nothing, now it’s all I got. We’re one but we’re not the same. Well we hurt each other, then we do it again. You say love is a temple, love a higher law. Love is a temple, love the higher law. You ask me to enter, but then you make me crawl, and I can’t be holding on to what you got when all you got is hurt.”
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