U2 fans suggest one song ‘hasn’t aged a second’ and is still one of their best recordings

A U2 song that “hasn’t aged a second” has been found by fans on an album right from the middle of their acclaimed three-album run.

Fans praising Zooropa say the title track is one of their best songs, with the “experimental sounds” following Achtung Baby and preceding Pop praised by listeners. One took to the r/U2 forums and wrote: “Zooropa, one of U2‘s best songs. The three album span of Achtung Baby, Zooropa and Pop takes U2 from a band that I like to one of my favourites, and Zooropa (the song) epitomises the best of that span! Experimental sounds, sweet wah wah guitar effect, deep, meaningful lyrics, cool beat and vibe, one of U2’s best.” Other listeners have since agreed with the original poster, and say it “hasn’t aged a second” since its release thirty-two years ago.

One user wrote: “It hasn’t aged a second in thirty-two years.” Another added: “If anything, the song itself and the entire album are more relevant now than they were when they were released. U2 was prophetic with this album, it’s astonishing.” A third wrote: “The transition into the second half of the song is incredible. One of my favourite U2 moments.”

Others were full of praise for the Zooropa track, saying it features in their top five U2 songs of all time. Some had hoped the track would feature at a gig the band played in Las Vegas’ Sphere attraction.

One wrote: “Not that it took anything away from the show that I saw because it was incredible, but I really wish they would’ve done a handful of songs from Zooropa instead of Rattle and Hum during the middle of the show.”

Another added: “Totally agree. Zooropa fits so much better with AB in a concert (especially at the sphere).” A third wrote: “Zooropa and Discotheque would have just added to the greatness of the show.

One user has since compared Zooropa the song to David Bowie’s Station to Station, a comparison which has received plenty of praise from U2 fans. They wrote: “Both start with noisy soundscapes and build with catchy instrumentation. They enter into the first movements of their songs, dark and sardonic images of society, though different in theme.

“Both songs have a stark signature that bookends their first movements- Bowie’s haunting ‘The return of the Thin White Duke…’ lyrics and the Edge’s isolated delay riff.

“Then both songs change mood radically, each entering a second movement that could be counted among the catchiest of either artist’s discography. The tonal change in the lyrics is a mirror too, both become much brighter but not a bit less sardonic.”

Another summarised Zooropa as an “amazing song, incredible album.” U2’s eighth studio album has since received a mixed reaction from the band, with Bono saying his “work of genius” at the time has diminished.

He said: “I really thought our pop discipline was matching our experimentation and this was our Sgt. Pepper. I was a little wrong about that. The truth is our pop disciplines were letting us down. We didn’t create hits. We didn’t quite deliver the songs. And what would Sgt. Pepper be without the pop songs?”