U2 'Pride (In The Name Of Love)'

Chart Peak: 3

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If only I'd started this album a week earlier I could have timed this post for MLK Day. Oh well.

The start of a long run of appearances for U2, even despite the conspicuous gap around their late-80s commercial peak. Whilst they'd already had a Top 10 single in the UK with 'New Year's Day', this was the start of their real superstar era, and the start of a long run of Top 10s that remained officially unbroken until 1991.

It was of course the lead single from their pivotal album The Unforgettable Fire (recently re-released in Deluxe Edition form if you can stomach that price) and to some extent follows the template set by earlier anthems like 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' and the aforesaid 'New Year's Day', but with more inventive production. Drumming has probably never sounded better on a rock record thanks to the combined efforts of Larry Mullen Jr, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois and the acoustics of Slane Castle. Wisely, though, the arrangement is quite sparse, allowing the maximum space for Bono's expansive vocal. Apparently he has been dismissive in retrospect of the impressionistic lyrics, but that to me just shows how much the band have lost their way in more recent years. He does have a point in regretting the line "Early morning, April 4, shot rings out in the Memphis sky" as innacurate, but it's forgiveable for once. U2 are an easy band to dislike but this single is a strong case for the defence, using all their worst tendencies for the good.

Also appearing on: Now 5, 20, 22, 32, 36, 37, 41, 47, 48, 49, 53, 57 [LMC vs U2], 60, 61, 62, 63, 66, 72
Available on: The Unforgettable Fire (Remastered)