(Continued from Part Four)
In 1995, U2 recorded "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" for the "Batman Forever" Soundtrack. They were nominated for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the Grammy Awards, Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards and Best Video from a Film at the MTV Video Music Awards.
U2 released an experimental album later in the year called Original Soundtracks 1, which they credited to "Passengers" to distinguish it from other material by the group. Luciano Pavarotti sang the opera solo on "Miss Sarajevo". Bono later not only produced a documentary based on Sarajevo's underground resistance movement but he also donated funds towards the project.
In 1997, U2 released the album Pop, which debuted at #1 in over 30 countries and has sold over one million copies. This next song, the group's first foray into Electronic music, is a riddle about love. "Once you know that, it changes the way you hear the song," Bono said in the book U2 by U2. "You can reach but you can't grab it, you can't hold it, control it, you can't bag it." "Discothèque" went Gold and popped inside the Top 10 in every major country except France, where it stalled at #12.
"Mofo" is a song at least partially written about Bono's mother, who died when he was 14. The track got its start in Nice, France, where the Edge and Bono flew to for musical inspiration. Originally, Bono played a wah-wah guitar and the song had a Blues sound. After the group began recording it in the studio, the song took on a different feel when Clayton added an R&B bassline to it.
What a great body of work, and we're far from done! The only thing keeping U2 from ranking higher is not having the album sales of those ahead of them. But the quality of their music is without question. "Staring At The Sun" is about people not always wanting to hear the truth, for lies can seem more comforting. The Edge's guitar is distorted through a Leslie speaker cabinet.
"Last Night On Earth" was the third single released from the album, just as U2's tour hit full stride. The song had its beginnings during the Zooropa sessions but it wasn't finished. With the tour upcoming, the band rushed to finish it and weren't happy with the album version. So while they were in San Diego for a concert, U2 booked Signature Sound Studio during April to re-record the track prior to its single release.
"Holy Joe" is another song originally developed for Zooropa before it was dropped from that project.
“Please" is a song about the conflict in Northern Ireland. "It's about terror, really," Bono said in the book U2 by U2. "Are there ever any excuses for it?"
We also want to feature "Do You Feel Loved".
In 1998, U2 released the compilation album The Best of 1980-1990, which has sold over four million copies. "Sweetest Thing" was released as the B-side to "Where The Streets Have No Name" in 1987 and was re-recorded and released as a single from the album.
U2 then reunited with Eno and Lanois for their 10th album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, released later in 2000. The single "Beautiful Day" rose to #1 in the U.K., Canada, Australia and Ireland. Billboard's methodology, meanwhile, was hacky suey for it sold over one million units in the U.S. but peaked at #21. That peak for the song looked silly when U2 won Grammy Awards in three prestigious categories for "Beautiful Day": Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. It is easily one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.
The album debuted at #1 in 32 countries and has sold over 12 million copies worldwide. This song is about Michael Hutchence of INXS, who committed suicide in 1997. Bono said the song is an argument between friends, but "in my case it's a row I didn't have while he was alive." "I feel the biggest respect I could pay to him was not to write some soppy song," he continued, "so I wrote a really tough, nasty little number, slapping him around the head." "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" landed in the Top 10 in most countries.
U2 received the prestigious Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards, with "Beautiful Day" nominated for Video of the Year and "Elevation" (also featured in the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) nominated for Best Group Video and Best Video from a Film.
Again, the group has never been afraid to tackle tough subjects. "Walk On" is about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a Burmese activist who was in house arrest from 1989-2010 for protesting her government. Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.
When "Walk On" earned Record of the Year honors, it was the first time an artist had won the award in consecutive years for songs from the same album. U2 also won an American Music Award for Internet Artist of the Year. U2 toured North America and Europe and after the mass murders of September 11, 2001, songs such as "Walk On" and "Peace On Earth" received significant radio airplay.
U2 performed at Madison Square Garden in the televised special America: A Tribute to Heroes. In 2002, less than five months after the attacks, U2 performed during halftime of Super Bowl XXXVI, with the names of victims displayed in the background. At the conclusion of their performance, Bono opened his jacket to show an American flag in the lining. USA Today ranked U2's performance as the best halftime show in Super Bowl history.
U2 continued to be recognized at the Grammy Awards in 2002 and 2003. "Elevation" won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and was nominated for Best Rock Song, while "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" earned Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and was nominated for Song of the Year, "Walk On" took Record of the Year and was nominated for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and All That You Can't Leave Behind won a trophy for Best Rock Album and was nominated for Album of the Year.
U2 continued to be recognized at the Grammy Awards in 2002 and 2003. "Elevation" won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and was nominated for Best Rock Song, while "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" earned Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and was nominated for Song of the Year, "Walk On" took Record of the Year and was nominated for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and All That You Can't Leave Behind won a trophy for Best Rock Album and was nominated for Album of the Year.
Bono explained the song "All Because Of You" in the book U2 by U2:
One of the things that underpins our work is the idea
that you can begin again and that you can reinvent
yourself, but also that you can go back to the
beginning, that you can be free of the mistakes that
you've made. So in "All Because Of You", there are
the lyrics: "I'm alive, I'm being born, I've just arrived,
I'm at the door of the place I started out from and I
want back inside."
Later in the year, U2 released the compilation The Best of 1990-2000, a Double Platinum album.
The group recorded "The Hands That Built America" for the movie The Gangs of New York, which won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the Grammy Awards and Best Original Song from a Movie at the Academy Awards.
Be sure to catch Part Six of U2!
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