25 Favorite U2 Songs

Since meeting my friend James in the Stephen F. Austin State University dorms, my naïve musical sensibilities were enhanced with the introduction of the glorious Irish band U2.  Like so many other dummies going about their normal lives, I had heard plenty of U2 songs and enjoyed most of them, but it didn't dawn on me that so many of these songs I had been tapping my toe along with and belting out choruses, sometimes substituting the wrong words like we do with many tunes we aren't quite familiar enough with (yeah, I'm looking at you Joanna and your Twenty One Pilots "Stressed Out" remix), were all from the same group.

After nearly two decades of buying up their CDs, chasing after them on world tours (going to Canada to see a show counts as world travel in my eyes), shaking hands with The Edge outside Reunion Arena, and even holding the lyrics (along with about six other super-fans) for Bono one evening due to having not rehearsed the old song enough to re-memorize the lines, I figured it was time to try and narrow down what my favorite songs actually were for my favorite band.  Normally I would have made a top 10 list, as that is what I love to do.  However, with 13 studio albums, five compilation albums, one live album, and approximately 60 singles from said records, trying to narrow it down to only 10 songs wasn't fair to one of the greatest rock and roll groups of all time.

Therefore, below are my top 25 songs from U2's collection of music.  The top four are probably in line with most people's favorites, probably mixed around a bit though, but after that it gets a little more personalized.  Take for instance number 14 (spoiler alert, it is "When Love Comes to Town").  Prior to my trip to Vancouver for the opening of the Innocence + Experience Tour last year, that song might have only been in the bottom 25 of this list.  However, after the passing of B.B. King, coincidentally, on the night of the opening show, the following day the group added the song to their set and fans (with James and me among them) were treated to a live version of the song, which was the first time that had happened in 23 years.  That personal experience has elevated the song a lot and now, instead of just hearing a blues collaboration between U2 and B.B. King, it has become a cerebral memorial of the trip in general.

So without further ado, here are my personal favorite 25 U2 songs:

1. "With or Without You"

2. "One"

3. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"

4. "Where the Streets Have No Name"

5. "Love is Blindness"

6. "All I Want is You"

7. "City of Blinding Lights"

8. "Beautiful Day"

9. "Mysterious Ways"

10. "Numb"

11. "Walk On"

12. "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

13. "Pride (In the Name of Love)"

14. "When Love Comes to Town"

15. "Please"

16. "Every Breaking Wave"

17. "The Wanderer"

18. "Hawkmoon 269"

19. "The Troubles"

20. "Window in the Skies"

21. "God Part II"

22. "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)"

23. "No Line on the Horizon"

24. "Elevation"

25. "Magnificent"