U2 Rock Band Setlist Guesses

Cheap traffic-generating stunt, or legitimate blog post? You decide. In any event, it looks like Bono reads SFTC because I fucking called this 2 weeks ago. Via Kotaku:

With the music business falling apart, musicians are hoping to get their cut of the music game pie — even The Beatles have their own Rock Band title! Now, it looks like Irish rockers U2 want in, too.

U2 hasn't lent their likeness to games, and from what bassist Adam Clayton tells USA Today, it sounds like the group has turned down offers. Here's Clayton on the odds of U2 in a music game:

We definitely would like to be in there, but we felt some of the compromises weren't what we wanted. That could change. I love the idea that that's where people are getting music, and we'd love to be in that world. We'll figure something out. What The Beatles have done, where the animation is much more representative of them, is what we're interested in, rather than the one-size-fits-all animation. We didn't want to be caricatured.

So, then. A U2 Rock Band game, inspired by the Beatles mold. DELICIOUS. This is totally doable. Over a dozen solid albums, numerous hit singles, distinct sonic eras, legendary visual designs, 4 distinct personalities, and challenging instrument tracks. The only thing missing is an intimidating mythology, but even the Beatles Rock Band game didn't really delve into all the squabbling, so there's no real story that needs to be told aside from the political/social eras that U2 inserted themselves into. (Rattle and Hum wasn't necessarily a narrative masterpiece, either.)

And if we're going to follow the Beatles mold, then it stands to reason that 40 songs is a nice round number to work with, giving each album its moment in the sun and getting a bit deeper into the catalog beyond the singles. I'm going to err on the side of caution and assume that the game would concentrate on album tracks and not obscure B-sides; one notable exception could be the live version of "Bad" from the Wide Awake In America EP, which is one of my personal favorites; the version of "Sweetest Thing" that appeared on the Best Of compilation might also be up for consideration.

So, then, here's my best guess for a setlist for a game that does not yet actually exist. And let it be known that I'm intentionally omitting some of my favorites - "All I Want Is You," "Ultraviolet," "Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World," "Acrobat," "Daddy's Going to Pay For Your Crashed Car", etc. - because, well, you can't throw 'em all in. Along those lines, I'm throwing in a few songs from Pop because, well, every album's gotta be represented. (Can I also admit that I haven't listened to the new album, even though I've owned it for months?)

Boy

1. I Will Follow
2. Out of Control
3. Electric Co.

October

1. Gloria
2. I Fall Down

War

1. Sunday Bloody Sunday
2. Seconds
   
3. New Year's Day
4. Two Hearts Beat As One
5. 40

Under A Blood Red Sky

1. Party Girl
2. 11 O'Clock Tick Tock
   

Unforgettable Fire

1. A Sort of Homecoming
   
2. Pride (In the Name of Love)
3. Bad

Joshua Tree

1. Where the Streets Have No Name
2. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
3. With Or Without You
4. In God's Country

Rattle And Hum

1. Desire
2. Angel of Harlem
3. Bullet the Blue Sky (live)

Achtung Baby

1. One
2. Until The End of the World
3. The Fly
4. Mysterious Ways

Zooropa

1. Zooropa
2. Numb
3. Lemon

Pop

1. Discothèque
2. Staring At The Sun

All That You Can't Leave Behind

1. Beautiful Day
2. Elevation
3. Walk On

How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

1. Vertigo
2. City of Blinding Lights
3. All Because of You

No Line on the Horizon

1. No Line on the Horizon
2. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
3. Get On Your Boots