The band's 10th studio album,
All That You Can't Leave Behind, has long been considered a return to form following the disappointments that were
Zooropa and
Pop, neither of which had any long-lasting, wide-appeal classics. When you think of the many songs that are considered must-plays at most U2 concerts, those albums have none; ATCLB has three: "Beautiful Day," "Walk On" and "Elevation." I like "Beautiful Day," but it's become one of those good songs I never feel like listening to. I get why it was and is still so popular, regardless. "Walk On" is the best of the bunch. I used to hate "Stuck in a Moment That You Can't Get Out Of," but I've come around to liking it quite a bit. For my money, the best two of the best songs from this record are "Kite" and "When I Look at the World." The rest of the album is pretty forgettable. I used to kind of like "New York," but it's just kind of there for me now.
Getting back to the album as a whole, it's clear the band was trying to recapture their classic sound, and while some of the 90s elements are still very present, I'd say they were pretty successful in that regard. Bono at the time remarked that they were "reapplying for the job of the best band in the world," which is a pretty arrogant thing to say, but, well, it's Bono.
The success of this album was kind of a double-edged sword, as it was nice to see the band doing well again, but I think the success here is what resulted in them thinking, "Hey, let's write some hits," on later albums, instead of just writing and letting the chips fall where they may. And later jumping into bed with both Apple and Live Nation are two of the more disappointing things they've ever done, neither of which possibly happens without the resurgence generated by the popularity of this album. Those acts have made them less appealing as both rock musicians and people, although their bottom line ($$$) has obviously won out big time, so what do I know?