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  1. Originally posted by U232323:Depends on who you’re asking and how you define signature which to me is different than your favourite. SBS defines who they are - defiant, fighting for peace and justice with their classic sound but to Joe Public its probably WOWY due to its popularity, staying power and being from its most popular album.
    Thanks for your contribution

    Indeed, my initial idea of "signature song" was something broader than a personal favorite (although the two can easily go together). More perhaps like a song that everyone assicates with U2. Similar as Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody, or Led Zeppelin and Stairway To Heaven.

    But reading all the comments and posts here, I now come to think that for U2 there are a lot of variations when it comes to signature song.
    It seems to depend on age as well as geographical location. And none seems to be less than another.

    Fascinating
  2. The song that sums up U2 for me is streets but I think they have a lot of songs that sums them up
    Political U2: Sunday Bloody Sunday
    Dark U2: Exit
    Joyful U2: where the streets have no name
    Rockin U2: Vertigo
    Spiritual U2: I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
    Fun U2: Discotheque
    Sad U2: Stay (faraway so close)
    I could go on but I think you get the point
  3. Streets "............???..........."
  4. S
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    S
  5. Most casual fans that haven't attended a U2 concert don't know about Streets. My wife can recognize WOWY and Vertigo immediately without listening to a U2 album, no other song comes close.
  6. It's definitely With or Without you. When I'm talking to non-fans of our boys, everyone mentiones this title first. Besides, you can just check out YouTube views. One song matters, and it's WOWY.

    Second song mentioned by people I talk to is Pride, and if we're talking about the newer ones: Vertigo is their top hit. Not necessairly loved one, but when they think U2, they think yeahyeahyeahyeahyeahyeahyeahyeahyeah
  7. My own "personal signature song" would be I Will Follow, but that is because of my age and although not seeing them for many years after its release I bought Boy on or shortly after release so that is always my goto/never get bored of song.

    As a global signature song, cant believe no one has mentioned Bad from Live Aid, 1 billion people supposedly watched over the broadcast, the band thought they had "fucked it up" by not sticking to their scripted performance, to me that is what makes/made U2 different to everyone else. Making something so personal and individual in such a way that we all felt that we were dancing on with Bono.
  8. Originally posted by cesar_garza01:Most casual fans that haven't attended a U2 concert don't know about Streets. My wife can recognize WOWY and Vertigo immediately without listening to a U2 album, no other song comes close.
    then why would you call them casual fans? just call them 'people', if they haven't been to a u2 show and don't know about streets there's no reason to use the term 'fan' anyway
  9. cant believe no one has mentioned Bad from Live Aid


    I don't think that people born after, let's say ca. 1995 know about this performance. I wouldn't even be sure if they know about Live Aid. I mean, c'mon, even Live 8 was 13 years ago. This means that todays 18 y.o. didn't watch it live, or they don't remember doing it. And Live Aid... well, that was very long ago
  10. Originally posted by Ricku2:[..]
    then why would you call them casual fans? just call them 'people', if they haven't been to a u2 show and don't know about streets there's no reason to use the term 'fan' anyway
    Fine. My point still stands.
  11. I don't think you can have a signature song. But you can have a signature "sound"
    U2 have their own sound which makes the hairs on my neck stand up
    Stones have a sound
    Queen has a sound
    Beatles had a sound
  12. Originally posted by cesar_garza01:Most casual fans that haven't attended a U2 concert don't know about Streets. My wife can recognize WOWY and Vertigo immediately without listening to a U2 album, no other song comes close.
    I dunno. . . I knew Streets long before I considered myself a U2 fan. Most of my friends wouldn’t call themselves U2 fans, but the majority of them know Streets.

    That being said, definitely With or Without You. Pretty much universally recognized. Plus, if you search “U2” on YouTube it’s the first song to come up. In today’s culture that’s as good an indication as any.