Comments on: Did Petulant Radio Programmers Take Off U2′s “Boots” After Bono Spoke Up About Royalties?

By: Lucas Jensen

Lucas Jensen — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:11:38 +0000

@slowburn: Stay on topic in an Idolator forum?! Them's fightin' words. :)

By: Thierry

Thierry — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:26:51 +0000

@slowburn: Hey, I just thought it was a pretty striking similarity. That said, I agree that if whoever wrote this's case rests on "Boots" tanking, then it is a pretty weak one (and I'm someone whose on the record as ranking Pop in my top 5 U2 albums).

By: slowburn

slowburn — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:18:22 +0000

@Thierry: What's your point? Are you their lawyer or something? Everyone here agrees that the U2 single sucked, try to stay on topic.

By: Thierry

Thierry — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:56:59 +0000

@Lucas Jensen: So do I, but listen to "Get Your Boots On" and try telling me that U2 have never heard that riff - the song title similarity doesn't seem all that coincidental after that, does it?

By: Lucas Jensen

Lucas Jensen — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:53:14 +0000

@Thierry: I really like Future Clouds and Radar.

By: Thierry

Thierry — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:47:55 +0000

@revmatty: I guess ripping off a Future Clouds & Radar (formerly of Cotton Mather) song for your lead single isn't the recipe for chart success you'd think it would be. Ahem.

By: revmatty

revmatty — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:27:04 +0000

I’m with Al and Chris as well: it failed because it sucked. Even U2 bombs sometimes (pun intended). Is radio still that important to album sales? I haven’t listened to the radio other than NPR in a decade, and I hardly even listen to NPR anymore.

By: Maura

Maura — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:20:44 +0000

@Chris Molanphy: Poor Loverboy.

By: Chris Molanphy

Chris Molanphy — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:16:56 +0000

Regardless of the merits of the U2 single (I’m with Al; “Boots” was destined to fail — but I am somewhat mystified by the problems the much catchier “Magnificent” is having at radio), this smells to me like nothing so much as the payola-payback radio boycott of singles by the Who, Pink Floyd and Loverboy described in Fredric Dannen’s Hit Men:

http://features.slashdot.org/features/01/06/05/1034234.shtml?tid=141