Why do so many people hate U2?

[Amandistan]

I see a lot of online hatred toward the band U2. Even here and I can't understand why this is.

1. The early stuff is pure passion and energy.  They had almost the same level of passion as NMA.
2. The early albums were really good.
3. Even "All that you can't leave behind" was good and that's not even old.
4. Bono gives loads of money to charities and seems to genuinley care about it.

It's like they can't win at all. They give a 100 percent free album away and people continuously ***** about it.
People just write off all of the early albums (before they became really big) and label them as crap. When in reality, They write their own songs and do it very well. Just because something  is more mainstream doesn't mean it's crap.

I will admit to this: Some of U2's music is pure genius. 

[ldopas]

Reasons people hate U2?

1. Bono redefines smug self importance
2. They are Tax dodgers
3. Bono's hat being flown round the world while preaching environmental to the rest of us
4. Discotheque
5. Bono's 1980s mullet
6. Bono's silly "personas"

There are a few perhaps, though I do have a couple of U2 albums. 

[Master Ray]

I also like U2.

The early stuff... great.

I'll say that my favourite album of theirs is 'Achtung Baby'... it seems to be regarded as a silly 'stadium rock' album in many peoples minds (not in a good way) but it was such a revolutionary album at the time, especially after the dreary 'Rattle And Hum'... put it like this, can you imagine the likes of bloody Coldplay putting out a new single that sounds like 'The Fly'..?  MENTAL track!!!!

And then to follow it up with the superb 'ZOOROPA'... with this ******* great track (great video too)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWHwI-Hvpzo

Brilliant.

From that point to this, it's not been completely great (although any U2 album has at least 6 great tracks on it...) but I'll just say that the most recent one, 'Songs Of Innocence' is just terrific, far better than a band of their vintage should be coming up with... we've all seen these aged artists struggling to match up to their glory days and IMO, U2 are doing a fine job...

[Pol]

I think its probably because they are so massive that they become a easy target for people. Its just the way it seems to be. Weirdly its uncool to like u2 yet they sell out massive venues everywhere. There maybe just too popular for their own good.

[Heno]

a couple of songs

don't hate their music

don't even hate the band

the edge's guitar is stunning. first album - spotless.

larry mullen is cool according to big L

and a few songs off the second album that have memories for me

the end

[ldopas]

It's like they can't win at all. They give a 100 percent free album away and people continuously ***** about it.

Ah thank you. Another reason is the impertinence of putting things in peoples accounts, even free, can be seen as an intrusion. It psychologically is one thing to tell you you can download something for free, quite another to shove it up your backside unasked for.

My issue (and I do like some U2), is they and many other artists give freebies and free tracks (even my favourite band Killing Joke did it on their last album) to iTunes users only. WHY? I vehemently do not have anything to do with Apple as they are as bad as Microsoft these days, why do I HAVE to buy their expensive hardware and intrusive software to get the free stuff and extra tracks for groups I have bought music from, been to see and supported all my life?

[Master Ray]

That thing about U2 sending their new album to peoples various devices... I can't help but think that if it was a far more fashionable band, people would have raved over their generosity...

I can see why people hate U2, but it seems to be kind of a knee-jerk reaction (although, let's face it, Bono can be pretty insufferable sometimes... those bloody shades!)

Still think their last album was something of a return to form...

[Dipple]

I have agree with MaterRay on Achtung Baby. Saw them in 1992 at Roundhay Park in Leeds and they were brilliant. Not listened to them much since I think it was called Pop album.

[Master Ray]

Here's the full 'Songs Of innocence' album on Youtube (yes, the one that was rudely shoved onto your musical devices...) if anyone wants to check it out... be interested in your opinions... I say again that I think it's a pretty decent album...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2dS4FE1GXY

[szmurf]

I think it's a pretty good album, but, of course they were selling a LP deluxe edition for over $100.  Kinda sad that.

[Guillaume]

People hate U2 because many critics/journalists (at least french journalists) said at the time that NMA were a bit like U2, "heroic", lyrical rock, ha ha ...remember the 80's days with mix of music and politics with  The Alarm, Big Country, early U2...
Myself i quite like the early U2 albums up to and including "The Joshua tree"...i haven't listened to most of their 90's and 2000's stuff, though.

[Shush]

I know it shouldn't have mattered, but in the 80's I couldn't see past Bono's mullet. And they named an album after a cactus

[Bunny]

Great band up to the Joshua Tree. Then they vanished up their own arses. In the mid to late 80's I used to work with a bloke who went to school with them. He wasnt complimentary. Something about winking I think he said. Mind you he was a ballroom dancer. 

[Amandistan]

I personally don't know much about Bono or the band's personalities but listened to a few early albums and really liked them. I even enjoyed All that you can't leave behind but was probably only 12 or 13 when it was released.
All I really know about Bono is that he is wealthy and gives a lot of money away.

I read that he was in the bicycle accident on fb and saw all sorts of nasty remarks.
Ex. "Good, if he can't play guitar, then no more crap albums.".
It seemed as if people hated a musician that they have never met personally.

[Tony S]

Quite happy to say I really like the Boy, October, War and Under a Blood Red Sky albums. Great songs, and lots of passion. I don't have any other U2 albums, but there are other songs I like from later albums. Not a massive fan, but I never really got the hate thing either. It seems that sometimes, massive success and popularity also means a huge backlash as well, as if being successful is not acceptable ! Saying that, they did seem to go through a phase of big self-importance.