Spinner

U2's 'Achtung Baby' Named Best Album of Last 25 Years

U2's mega-selling LP 'Achtung Baby' has topped a poll to find the best album of the past quarter century.

As part of Spin magazine's 25th anniversary, its editors compiled a Top 125 most influential albums of the past 25 years, referencing various countdowns of musical milestones and readers' polls since the publication's launch. They crowned the Irish stars' 1991 album as top of the pile.

Prince's 'Sign o' the Times' took second place, followed by the Smiths' 'The Queen Is Dead' at three. 'Nevermind' by Nirvana and Radiohead's 'OK Computer' completed the top five.
'Achtung Baby' was the record that saw U2 reinvent themselves after the creative doldrums of 1988's 'Rattle And Hum.' Its recording was a fractious process of unexpected experimentation that, for long periods, alienated band members Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen. However, on release, it was a huge commercial and critical success, and has sold more than 18 million copies.

On Spin's website, music editor Charles Aaron defends the mag's choice. "Unlike Radiohead with 'OK Computer' and 'Kid A,' U2 took their post-industrial, trad-rock disillusionment not as a symbol of overall cultural malaise, but as a challenge to buck up and transcend," he explained.

Aaron adds that with 'Achtung Baby,' U2 became the emblematic band of the alternative rock era, adding, "Struggling to simultaneously embrace and blow up the world, they were never more inspirational."

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Peter

I could name 10 other records that are better then that crappy one.Just because it sold 18 mil,doesnt mean its a good record..Pearl Jams TEN is 10 times better,and this is why I dont read SPIN and ROLLING STONE anymore..JOSHUA TREE gets my vote if any U@ album should be there its this one..ACHTUNG sucks ass!!!! and Ive been a fan since BOY..BRUTAL!

April 27 2010 at 5:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
chuck

The Band....The Last Waltz

April 27 2010 at 4:38 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tony

This list sucks! Never heard of most of them. They need someone with taste and knows about music.

April 27 2010 at 4:29 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
me

what a joke...as these absurd polls usually are

April 27 2010 at 4:00 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tim Murray

No thanks... I'll choose my own favorites... if you voted for one of the most overated bands of the past 25 years I would agree with you...

April 27 2010 at 3:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
paige

Michael Jackson's bad

April 27 2010 at 3:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ricky

Personally, I like from 2002, Beck ~ Sea Change.

April 27 2010 at 3:35 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
cvolcher@juno.com

U2??????? the best band in thae last 35 years??? as John McEnroe once said YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!!!!!!!! As any one heard of a little band call BLONDIE!!!!! and there album PARALLLE LINES!!!!!! eith the beautiful DEBORAH HARRY!!!!!! THE BEST SINGER IN THE LAST 40 YEARS

April 27 2010 at 3:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to cvolcher@juno.com's comment
Miser

uhm, their last studio album came out almost 30 years ago so they do not qualify for the last 25. not to mention...Debbie harry best female vocalist? rofl. and come on, the list doesn't say 40 years or 50 years, stop calling out things like The Last Waltz or Dark Side Of The Moon. wrong generation

May 04 2010 at 5:17 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
TLB

Global All-Time Top 20 Albums
The Top 20 Best-Selling albums of all time in the whole wide world are:


1. "Thriller" - Michael Jackson (60 million)

2. "Black In Black" - AC/DC (42m)

3. "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" - The Eagles (41m)

4. "Saturday Night Fever" - (Soundtrack) (40m)

5. "Dark Side Of The Moon" - Pink Floyd (40m)

"Come On Over" - Shania Twain (39m)

"The Bodyguard" - (Soundtrack) (37m)

"Bat Out Of Hell" - Meat Loaf (37m)

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" - The Beatles (32m)

"Led Zeppelin IV" - Led Zeppelin (32m)

"Dirty Dancing" - (Soundtrack) (32m)

"Falling Into You" - Celine Dion (32m)

"Let's Talk About Love" - Celine Dion (31m)

"Rumours" - Fleetwood Mac (30m)

"Jagged Little Pill" - Alanis Morissette (30m)

"Titanic" - (Soundtrack) (30m)

"Millenium" - Backstreet Boys (30m)

"1" - The Beatles (30m)

"Abbey Road" - The Beatles (30m)

"Bad" - Michael Jackson (29m)

Album with Most Weeks At Number One (in total)
115 for the soundtrack to "South Pacific". Top artist album is Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (41 weeks). Top group album is The Beatles' "Please Please Me" (30 weeks). Top solo album is Elvis Presley's "G.I. Blues" (22 weeks) - though this is also a soundtrack

Longest Stay in The Chart by an Album
Simon And Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" spent 278 weeks in the Top 40 spanning 1970-1975. Top album by a solo artist is Meat Loaf's "Bat Out Of Hell" (244 weeks between 1978 and 1994 - never rising above no. 9 in the chart!). Longest stay in the Top 40 by an album recorded by a group is "Dark Side Of The Moon" by Pink Floyd (211 weeks: 1973-2003). Longest stay in the chart by an album recorded by a female soloist is "Jagged Little Pill" by Alanis Morissette (94 weeks, 1995-2000).


Longest Continuous Stay in The Album Chart by An Artist
317 weeks for Simon and Garfunkel from the entry of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" on w/e 21st Feb 1970 to the departure of "Simon And Garfunkel's Greatest Hits" 13th Mar 1976. Longest run in the Top 40 for a soloist is 171 weeks; Elvis Presley from "Elvis' Golden Records Volume 2" (16th Jun 1960) to "It Happened At The World's Fair (OST)" (19th Sep 1963

Artist with Most Consecutive Number 1 Albums
Two groups have had unbroken runs of 8 chart-toppers. They are Led Zeppelin (from "Led Zeppelin 2" in 1969 to "In Through The Out Door" in 1979) and Abba (from "Greatest Hits" in 1976 to "The Singles - The First Ten Years" in 1982). By an odd piece of synchronicity Led Zep's eighth consecutive chart-topper ("In Through The out Door") was recorded at Abba's very own Polar Studios in Sweden.
Leading soloist is Robbie Williams (5 - from "Life Thru A Lens" in 1997 to "Escapology" in 2002). Leading female soloists with 3 consecutive number ones each are Eva Cassidy (from "Songbird" in 2001 to "American Tune" in 2003) and Madonna ("Evita" 1996 to "Music" in 2000, though "Evita" was a soundtrack album featuring a number of other artists).

http://www.everyhit.com/recordalb.html

Can't seem to find any U2.


April 27 2010 at 3:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Reed

WORST BAND EVER!

April 27 2010 at 3:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply