Comments on: Is U2 Going To Leave Universal Music Group Behind?

By: sloanish

sloanish — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 04:33:37 +0000

It’s so hip and cool to hate U2! Where do I sign up?! Oh, Urth Cafe? Thx XOXO

By: Lucas Jensen

Lucas Jensen — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 04:00:27 +0000

@Cos: POP was a "failure" that would be a success to most bands, as Dennisobell has pointed out. American Life was an out-and-out turd.

By: MickFNS

MickFNS — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:31:06 +0000

They already did that damn Batman Bowie-ripoff song; now this. Awful. Although I can't wait for the Post/Times cheeky "Will U2's New Musical Be An Atomic Bomb?" etc., etc.

Ireland needs to break "the peace" so these guys can get back to writing about "the troubles" and make some music that matters again.

By: Maura Johnston

Maura Johnston — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:12:38 +0000

@dennisobell: Yeah, I should have clarified and said current recorded-music profile. Or, uh, something less awkwardly phrased than that!

By: Chris Molanphy

Chris Molanphy — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:44:04 +0000

@Cos: Sure.

If your quip was meant to refer to my "anything close to the lows" comment, remember that Pop is a platinum-plus album that spawned two solid, if short-lived, Top 40 hits. Meanwhile, Madge's low-seller, American Life, is certified platinum in name only (reportedly it did somewhere between 500K and 700K in sales, total) and spawned absolutely no meaningful radio hits. Both have had a shitty afterlife, but American Life's is unquestionably shittier.

By: Cos

Cos — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:15:17 +0000

@dennisobell: Are you including POP in those figures?

By: El Zilcho!

El Zilcho! — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:06:52 +0000

I can’t wait for the Spider-Man musical. Peter Parker and Uncle Ben will bring the house down singing “With Great Power (Comes Great Responsibility)”

By: Chris Molanphy

Chris Molanphy — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:47:41 +0000

Cumulatively, Madge beats U2 (U.S. certs: 63m vs. 51m), and she also kills them on greatest-hits tonnage - Immaculate Collection is one of the best-selling greatest-hits albums of all time, and it just keeps selling. None of those scattershot U2 comps has come close (although they make up for it by releasing a new half-assed hits album every couple of years, unlike her).

But recently, on studio albums, they pretty consistently beat her. Her highs are higher than theirs, but they haven't experienced anything close to the lows she's had this decade.

By: King of Pants

King of Pants — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:40:04 +0000

Why does Julie Taymor make it impossible for me to defend her? SPIDER-MAN MUSICAL??? Julie, I want to love you, but seriously, STOP IT.

By: Dead Air ummm Dead Air

Dead Air ummm Dead Air — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:31:56 +0000

@MickFNS: God help Bono if Kraven the Hunter is singing about Africa.