Why U2 – Reason #18

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whyu2U2 are frequently referred to as “The Biggest Band in the World”, and I suppose that the meaning of that phrase is open to interpretation, but at the end of the day, I’m not sure how true it is. “Best Band in the World”, sure. All day, every day, but “biggest”? I think that it might be truer to call U2 something along the lines of “World’s Biggest Cult Band”. Wikipedia states that “A…musical artist…will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base.” and I think that that describes U2 to a tee. I don’t know many people who like U2, if I’m being honest. I can only think of one that I encounter daily in my physical life, and that’s my wife, and before I came along, she couldn’t have cared any less about U2 than she did. Even online, U2 haterism is rampant, so I maintain my theory that U2 definitely don’t belong listed among the most popular bands in the world, and you know what? That suits me just fine. I’ve generally found that people who like U2 are intelligent, responsible, and generally speaking, good people. They care about what happens in the world around them. For U2 fans, “life’s not fair” isn’t a valid explanation, and neither is “because I said so”. U2 fans are literate, curious, and accepting, all of which are traits that are echoed in the band itself. I know that our guys, Bono especially, worry sometimes that they don’t appeal to a wide enough base of music listeners, but I for one am glad that U2’s music and lyrics weed out some of the riff-raff, so to speak. It means something to be a U2 fan, and I’m proud to be part of that group. If you’re reading this, chances are that you should be proud, too.

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broadsword

Ever since I realized as a kid, while poring over the liner notes of the Bob Marley - Songs of Freedom boxed set, that writing about music was a viable career choice, one of my greatest desires has been to write about U2. The band has been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I'm thrilled to have this opportunity to contribute a little something to the fantastic online community that's been built around the band.

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