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U2 Disappointed by ‘No Line’ Only Going Platinum Once
U2 Disappointed by ‘No Line’ Only Going Platinum Once
Posted on Oct 23rd 2009 2:00PM by Michael D. Ayers
Any band these days would love to sell a million records, but for U2, that high number is not enough. The multi-platinum rockers told the Associated Press that they’re displeased with the sales of their latest album, ‘No Line on the Horizon.’ Recent U2 albums have been selling in the three to four million range, while ‘No Line’ has only broken the million mark. Bono and company see factors such as the lack of a hit song and the fickle public’s need for a “diet of pop” are contributing to this so-called slump.
“We weren’t really in that mindset,” Bono said about the lack of a commercial hit from ‘No Line.’ “We felt that the album was a kind of an almost extinct species, and we should approach it in totality and create a mood and a feeling, and a beginning, middle and an end. And I suppose we’ve made a work that is a bit challenging.”
“The commercial challenges have to be confronted,” bassist Adam Clayton said. “But I think, in a sense, the more interesting challenge is, ‘What is rock ‘n’ roll in this changing world?’ Because, to some extent, the concept of the music fan — the concept of the person who buys music and listens to music for the pleasure of music itself — is an outdated idea.”
That said, this isn’t the first time that U2 is failing their own high expectations. Remember the group’s 1997 album ‘Pop’? Widely considered the group’s worst album, that too failed to yield a mega-commercial hit that they had achieved with ‘The Joshua Tree’ and ‘Achtung Baby.’ That Bono says the new material is more challenging is indicative of this facet, but still, the band continues to try and reach new audiences with a recent partnership with BlackBerry and an appearance on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ So they’re not giving up hope.
All of this said, U2 probably doesn’t have much to worry about. They’re currently enjoying record-setting numbers for their ‘360 Tour’ and have an ace up their sleeve — next week will mark the release of the deluxe version of 1984’s ‘The Unforgettable Fire,’ which featured a little song everyone might have heard of called ‘Pride (In the Name of Love).’
U2 will broadcast the October 25 date on their 360 Tour from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. live on YouTube at 8:30PM PT.
