War Songs Ranked

War is the third studio album by the Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Steve Lillywhite, and was released on 28 February 1983 on Island Records. The album is regarded as U2’s first overtly political album, in part because of songs like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “New Year’s Day”, as well as the title, which stems from the band’s perception of the world at the time; lead vocalist Bono stated that “war seemed to be the motif for 1982.” War was a commercial success for the band, knocking Michael Jackson’s Thriller from the top of the UK charts to become the band’s first number-one album there. It reached number 12 in the United States and became the band’s first gold-certified album there. War received generally favourable reviews, though it was poorly received by some British critics. The group supported the album with the War Tour through the end of 1983. In 2012, the album was ranked 223rd on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. Here are all of the War songs ranked.

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10. Seconds

“Despite the folky, marching procession here, the lyrics are track-devastatingly cringe (USSR! GDR! YES THE PUPPETS PULL THE STRINGS!), which makes me hold on even tighter to the gorgeous interludes where Bono is just kind of sighing. You can keep the spoken word interlude tho, which totally kills the rhythm”

9. Surrender

“he HIDDEN classic, folding in two oscillating emotions in a way thats still totally natural. Starts out sounding like it’s title, with textures so lovely and resigned you want to lie down to rest for a thousand years. But then Bono comes in, barking in this rough but still super slick triplet chant that has you rising from the dead all over again. Then it’s the chorus, with the swaying surrender chants over the electric guitar lines. The lyrics are vague, but I think this is the band trying to compose a sort of hymn to urban life– both how it feels to get lost in the hustle and bustle and the awe you’ll feel when you step back to process its enormity”

8. The Refugee

“People HATE this song. I love it. Love the goofy tribal drums. Love the misjudged vocal accents. Love that this political song about America is really just a song about hot chick! Love the “WAR-ER!-ER!.” Love the sad little, reverby guitar between the verses, which sounds kinda like how Paris, Texas looks.”

See more: U2 Albums Ranked

7. Like a Song…

“Vocally Bono sounds kinda outmatched here, like a little cartoon kid running into some bully’s outstretched hand, widely swinging his fists “Lemme at him!” His voice is just cracking and bursting all over the place, doesn’t matter the song is all anthemic build up to nothing much in particular. It’s actually kinda unique in that way– an unpretentious guitar work out given a pompous vocal coating.”

6. Drowning Man

“And that’s it on the anthems for a while. Don’t love the atmospherics on this one; they’re a little too The Cure go AOR in their watery way. Same with the lyrics– a needy reedy little love poem. This is def the band satisfying Bono’s Jim Morrison fetish, cause they’re not doing much to distract from his theatrics here.”

5. Red Light

“Oh my god, the opening to this song. Listen to it real quick, won’t take more than a few seconds. So sexy and great that nothing else here really interests me until those vocals return again “A-DA-DA A-DA-DA A-DA-DA.””

4. 40

“Pretty lovely closer– a teenage prayer to god, as Brian Wilson would say. Though, in retrospect, Bono’s threat of “I will sing a new song” is somewhat chilling.”

See more: U2 Songs Ranked

3. Two Hearts Beat as One

“I don’t know my right from left/ I don’t know my right from wrong.” — ah yes, the Bono has a nasty hard-on and doesn’t know how to fit it into his intellectual schema jam.”

2. New Year’s Day

“The OTHER classic. The beginning “YEAAA-H-H” is out of place among those epic chords, but the second Edge starts mashing his fret, the piano’s come in, and… “all is quiet on New Years Day.”

1. Sunday Bloody Sunday

“The classic. Who doesn’t kick it when Bono does little “AW YEA” before the strings kick in. AN intimate excitement we all share. The sound of an arena band you could still touch from the front row– wouldn’t last, unfortunately.”