Boy Songs Ranked
Boy is the debut studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was released on 20 October 1980 by Island Records and was produced by Steve Lillywhite. Boy contains songs from the band’s 40-song repertoire at the time, including two tracks that were re-recorded from their original versions on the group’s debut release, the EP Three. Boy received generally positive reviews and included one of U2’s first singles to receive airplay on US radio, “I Will Follow”. The release was followed by the band’s first tour of continental Europe and the US, the Boy Tour. The album peaked on the UK chart at number 52 in August 1981 and in the US at number 63. In 2003, Boy was ranked 417th on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In 2008, a remastered edition of Boy was released. Here are all of the Boy songs ranked.
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11. Another Time Another Place
“To be honest, I do not really like this song very much. It is kind of slow, and I do not like the tune of it very much either. It is also too long for my liking”
10. Out of Control
“This song is good, but it is very catchy. Maybe a little bit too catchy. I do like the song overall, and it also is a perfect example of U2’s early experimenting with the post-punk genre.”
9. Twilight
“This is the ultimate punk song by U2, and it has a great vibe and a catchy tune, but not in an annoying way. I love this song. The track opens with a chromatic, chiming riff reminiscient of something off Television’s _Marquee Moon_, as the bass moves in with a dark, descending chord pattern.”
See more: U2 Albums Ranked
8. The Ocean
“This song is short, but slow. Its sort of depressing mood takes away from the album as a whole, in my opinion, because all of the other songs are very upbeat and happy, while this one is not. It is not an awful song, but I would have to call it the worst on this album.”
7. Stories for Boys
“This song is awesome, and second best on the album after “The Electric Co.” This song is the perfect song for this album. I love the innocence and rawness of the song, and I think that that fits in well with the theme of boyhood.”
6. Shadows and Tall Trees
“This is a great song to end the album with. The name comes from the seventh chapter of the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and I love this reference, both because I personally love that story and because that book fits perfectly into the theme and mood of this album, because it is about young boys. The song itself is great, and I love the chorus. It really actually brings me into the world of Lord of the Flies, and I think that U2 hit the nail on the head with this one. Great parting note.”
5. The Electric Co.
“This song is an awesome one, and another U2 classic. The thing about this version of it is that it is performed as a punk song, while the song really works best as a rock song. The live version of it on the live album Under a Blood Red Sky is really amazing, because that performance takes place after the War album, which is really U2’s first rock album, though it still has some post-punk aspects. Either way, this song is great, both musically and lyrically, and I consider it the best song on the album.”
See more: U2 Songs Ranked
4. A Day Without Me
“This song is good, but not great. The lyrics do not have much depth, but I do like the sound of the song. Here we have classic post-punk with an more energetic touch thanks to the vocals, which builds an interesting contrast with the dark music.”
3. Into the Heart
“This perfectly portrays the theme of the album, which is boyhood and childhood. It is very sincere and nostalgic. One of the greatest debut albums ever, I’m old enough to remember when U2 actually mattered and it’s because of great music like this.”
2. An Cat Dubh
“Cool lyrics, and I like the analogy to a black cat. I find it ironic that Bono wrote this about the same woman that he eventually wrote “All I Want Is You” for.”
1. I Will Follow
“This song is a classic, and it has beautiful, sincere lyrics, which anyone who has lost someone in their life can relate to. It is one of my favorites on the album. If it’s not their best song, it’s very close to it; that riff is one of the few acts of genius of an otherwise overrated guitarist, and the atmosphere is that of a cold but life-affirming winter’s night in Belfast.”