Who really likes U2? I think that they are really bad, and their vocalist Bono sings like he had been drinking alcohol. Every song on this disgraceful "Baddest Hits" compilation sucks. Don't purchase any CD from AC/DC, U2, The Doors, Slayer, Megadeth, Queen, and the Stones. For good CDs, get CDs by such artists like Miles Davis, Metallica(except K'EA), Jimi Hendrix, and Dire Straits. They will rock your socks out than any of the bands above.

U2's music is legendary. Every single song they do is simply incredible. Every single album they do is simply amazing. They are that good.

This is the first official U2 best-of. Released in 1998 on Island, the set documents the band's early years, spanning (as the title says) the 1980-1990 period.

So how does this collection measure up?

Positives
-MOST OF THE BIG U2 HITS FROM THAT ERA ARE HERE! 'Pride (In The Name Of Love),' 'New Year's Day,' 'Where The Streets Have No Name' and 'With Or Without You' all appear on this set.
-You get underrated gems on here too. 'October (not listed in the track listing, because it is a hidden track),' 'The Unforgettable Fire' and 'Bad' all appear on this set.
-THE SOUND QUALITY IS EXCELLENT!

Negatives
-WHERE IS 'BULLET THE BLUE SKY' AND 'A SORT OF HOMECOMING'? These are great U2 songs that got some radio airplay back in the day, and yet, THEY ARE NOT ON HERE!!!
-And, they could probably fit on here too!

Overall, despite what's here, I can't give this more than four stars. But this is still highly recommended for the casual U2 fan looking for nothing more than the hits.

ENJOY!!!

Part of me can understand why some people hate U2 as passionately as they do. They were (and, if the success of the recent U23D is any indicator, remain) huge. I'll admit even I got burned out on hearing all of their hits a million times a day. And Bono does come off as a bit pompous (especially on Rattle and Hum, the first true failure of their career), though unlike (for example) Mick Jagger, who bought his seventh or eighth house a couple years ago, he does good stuff with his money. Unlike Mick, he puts it where his mouth is. Wait a sec... Mick does. Okay, this has the potential to come out really, really wrong. Never mind. Forget I said that. Back to square one.
But anyway, despite all that I still think U2 is a great band, even though I don't listen to their studio albums all that often, fantastic as War and The Unforgettable Fire and Boy and the Joshua Tree and All That You Can't Leave Behind are. I mean, if I feel like listening to U2 I can just turn on the radio and I'll hear ten of their songs in an hour. This is probably the U2 album I listen to most, because my cousin (cool guy, by the way) is a pretty big U2 fan, and whenever I see him (which is quite often, considering he now only lives twenty minutes away, as opposed to two hours as he used to, even though he had a sweet house back then), we ALWAYS play this and usually spin War or The Joshua Tree (my two favorites) as well. Good times.
But here's the point: If you just want a place to start your U2 collection, it doesn't really get much better than this. I would've liked "Gloria" (from their second album, October, which is decidedly hit-or-miss), but other than that it's got all their significant hits from the '80s, which were great. Oh yeah, I could complain about how "Anh Cat Dubh", "Shadows and Tall Trees", "I Fall Down", "With a Shout", "Seconds", "Two Hearts Beat as One", "Wire", "A Sort of Homecoming", "Running to Stand Still", "One Tree Hill", "Exit", "Hawkmoon 269" and so forth were left off, and there are too many edits. But it does contain the basics - "Where the Streets Have No Names", "Pride (In the Name of Love)", "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "Desire", "I Will Follow", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", "Bad" and all the others that have made them one of the most imitated bands in recent history. I think my favorite U2 track, contained here, is "New Year's Day", though I also really like "With or Without You".
U2 were great in the '80s, a time when nobody else really was (except for Prince, R.E.M. and Stevie Ray Vaughan, no other new artists really had much going for them). They've got a distinct sound, a solid rhythm section, and the Edge playing some fine guitar. And Bono. Love him or hate him, you have to admit he's been influential. Good band!

I bought this CD right when it came out, and I was very glad to, as at the time, U2 hadn't released a compilation and I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy four or five albums to get all the songs I liked by them.

First of all, a few provisos: people can argue over whether or not it was a good idea to restrict this compilation to a single decade, particularly when U2 continued to thrive, and possibly even improve, in the time following the period this album represents.

Also, compilations with titles like "The Best of..." are arguably more subjective than ones with titles like "Greatest Hits" or "Singles", as people can quibble about what an artist's best songs are, but there is less disputing whether or not a song was a hit, and even less about whether or not one was a single. Nevertheless, assuming that they meant something like "Hits" or "Singles" instead of "The Best of", this album fits the bill well, but not perfect.

First of all, not every song you might hear on the radio from this era is represented here - some more important than others, but still - "Bullet the Blue Sky", "In God's Country", "Two Hearts Beat As One", "Surrender", "God, Part 2", and several others are missing. At just over an hour, this compilation contains a good amount of music, but 4 or 5 more songs could have been included on a single CD.

Further, not all of them are as you might expect. "Bad", for example, is present in the studio version from The Unforgettable Fire and not the live version from Wide Awake in America that I was accustomed to hearing. Also, "New Year's Day" and "Where the Streets Have No Name" are in edited versions, which may be more familiar to some (again with the radio vs. album versions), but others will miss the full-length versions.

In hindsight, I'm glad I bought this CD - there are a lot of excellent songs on here I don't have elsewhere, like "Pride", "Desire", and "I Will Follow", but I now own The Joshua Tree and War and several of their other albums, though. In summary, I'd say that if you really like what you've heard from U2 thus far, you might consider their individual albums - you won't be disappointed with most of them. That said, this is a good introduction to U2's early work, and I recommend it for casual fans.

U2 one of the greatest bands ever! I love my CD! it has one of my favorite songs "With or With out you"

U2 is one of the very worst bands of all time along with the Doors, Queen, Rolling Stones and Black Sabbath. All their albums and songs are pure rubbish!! Bono has got to be some of the worst singers ever!! Don't buy this CD as you will be wasting your money. U2 SHOULD BE DISHONORED FOR MAKING SUCH AWFUL MUSIC.

This is an excellent introduction to and overview of teh first decade of U2's career. A slew of hits is on here, great music from start to finish. My only little disappointment is the absence of "In God's Country" from the Joshua Tree. The people who downgrade this CD appear to be people ticked off that their personal fav wasn't put on here; I don't see much quarrels with the music. Because there shouldn't be any; this is great stuff on here. Suffcient stuff from Rattle and Hum is on here that I was able to give up that CD; this CD has all the core hits from that album. Worth having for sure.

This is actually a best of that really includes the best of. Up to me it would have been a lot longer, but it's a great representation of their music from this era.

I knew about half the songs on the album when I bought it. Now I know and like most of them. I'd definitely buy it again.

kind of a wierd selection in whole?
I don't know somthing was off.
Better off to buy the individual albums.

I always knew U2 sucks!!! A friend of mine who is a huge fan of U2 and she kept on pushing me to listen to it and once I listened and I was like WTF is this??? and she kept telling me that U2 are always the best but I knew U2 is horrible!!! I believe she was trying to make me buy all of their albums so she could be able to get it from me for FREE but I am not that dumb!!! I told her we all cant have the SAME taste of music we all are different and we all have our own taste. So sorry friend I rate this 1 STAR!!! and yeah I have a message for U2: get lost!!! you guys are not worth to be a singer!!! You guys are terrible!!! You guys dont work too hard for this BS!!! *throw up*

I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED U2 WHO ARE AMONGST THE BEST IRISH ROCK BANDS AFTER TASTE AND THIN LIZZY.THEY MADE SEVERAL EXCELLENT ALBUMS LIKE JOSHUA TREE.THIS COMPILATION FEATUES THE BEST FROM THEIR EIGHTIES ALBUMS.BUY IT.

The negative reviews of this album are actually what made me want it. Since it's for casual U2 fans only, which is what I am. I really love a bunch of the songs on here. Some of the songs seem oddly placed though, as if they couldn't possibly be part of the best during this time period. For example, "When Love Comes To Town" just outright sucks. However, I hate blues, so it's understandable.

I am just a casual U2 fan and this CD is perfect for my collection.

The cream of the crop. After reading other helpful reviews on AMAZON,
I decided this one would be better for me than the recent POP tunes
this band has been recording. And since I received it, I've played it
many, many times and enjoy it more each time.

U2's 'The Best of 1980-1990' may be straightforward, but that simply shows how important and successful they have been for harnessing passion. This compilation works because their singles are often their best material. The '[Limited Edition]' is worth the extra purchase because it has some essential material. (There are some weaker songs as well, but the B-sides will prevent the collection from becoming repetitious.) "Pride (In the Name of Love)," "New Year's Day," "I Will Follow," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and "Desire" have all rewritten the history of pop/rock music. They resonate well even today. The other allegedly lesser songs are merely great. Singles were their strongest suit, but their albums are solid and consistent as well. (Although the nineties found some uneven albums, but that should be saved for another day.) Passion is rock's hallmark, and Bono's primal singing, The Edge's inventive guitar, Adam Clayton's throbbing baselines, and Larry Mullen's athletic and idiosyncratic drumming all have come together for some of the best big rock band songs since The Beatles.

Hey, did you know that the 'Best Of 1980-1990' exists in a double CD. The second CD is less famous but it is worth the money! There is a version of 'Everlasting love' and a nice version of 'Unchained Melody', plus,songs like 'Dancing Barefoot', 'Walk to the water', 'Bass Trap', 'The Three Sunrises' and 'Love comes tumbling' among other things. This second CD is actually very good.
But all in all, this is the best of U2's Best of!!!
U2 is one of my favourite bands, so it is no wonder that I have most of their soundtracks. I think, however, that some of the most recent CDs are not as good as their earliest ones. That is why this Best Of 1980-1990 is still one of my favourites. It got all the best songs from this period that I appreciate so much and I think it is very complete. If you don't know U2 that much, you should start with that CD as you've got the famous songs from the band: Pride, Bloody Sunday, With or Without (the most beautiful one ever), I still haven't found what I'm looking for', ...and there is a bonus track at the end of `Track 15' : October , which is a masterpiece!
U2 has become so important to me especially because of Bono's powerful voice. `With or Without' is the best example of that for me. But I still maintain that the double CD is better. Check ou the list of all the CDs and you will see the 1980 special edition!

Not bad, but not their best. compilations can be pretty bad and this one ??????????

Unless you're a wealthy person, you don't have the luxury to buy the entire catalog of every artist you become remotely interested in. That's what makes Best Ofs or Greatest Hits so convenient. You can start off with one album that represents the artist's best work, and if you don't like it, it only took you a few dollars and one album to find out. Not much skin off your t-i-t. If you find you really really love it, then you can continue on with their studio albums. It's smart and practical. You're only investing the big bucks into those who are worth it.

This is the process from which I fell in love with U2: I started off with their 90-00 set, then this, then The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, Zooropa, Pop, and War.

As far as the 80-90 set, it is geared towards casual fans, not hardcore fans, who should already have the material. The only major complaint I have about the collection is the fluff towards the end from the Rattle and Hum album. Desire is essential: When Love Comes to Town and Angel of Harlem are not.

C'mon,we can cry all we want about the "edits",what got left off,the song sequences etc.The truth is,you get some of the best music ever, on one cd ,for about ten bucks,that's all!How can you complain about that?If your a hard core fan you probably own all the records anyways,let those who are wondering what all the fuss is aboutwhy this band sells out everywhere they play,why they've won so many grammys, 25 years into their career, to find out for themselves,starting right here,with this excellent collection of music...Enjoy!

First off, I love U2. I'm fifteen years old only but I think that they're the greatest rock band on the face of the earth. I've never been to a concert but it would be a dream of mine to see one someday. All of these songs are excellent. They have so much power and meaning to them, I can't even describe it. I could rock out to U2 all the time. This album is just way too hard for me to pick a favorite. Cuz I love all of them. I think "Bad" and "The Unforgettable Fire" are beautiful and the lyrics are so wonderful. "New Year's Day" and "Pride" is given a great performance by Bono's vocals. "With or Without You", "Where the Street's Have No Name", and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" are number one hits that I could listen to for hours on end. The whole album is just.....GOOD. I hope U2 stays around for a long time spreading good news through their faith and music. Cuz I'll always be around to listen.

When this album came out orignially, there was a 2 disc collectors edition you could buy and I'm very glad I did as it's since been very hard to find. The second CD conains a bunch of high quality B-tracks including a cover of the song that changed clay wheel spinning forever; Unchained Melody. There are some really good songs here that represent the evolution and growth of the band throughout the 80's and it's a shame that this second CD isn't still included.

As many U2 fans know, the band evolved and the 80's vs. 90's decades are a good division point for their two "Best of" discs. Personally I like their earlier offerings better and I think most fans would agree. For the casual or new fan, this is an ok CD to start as it has most of the heavy hitters from the band first 5 albums. Honestly though the Joshua Tree is such a fantastic and complete album that it really warrants its own separate purchase.

Bottom Line: Really worth it if you can get your hands on the B-Side disc.

An okay fourteen track compilation(should've been at least two more songs here)of U2's prime/radio friendly material from the Irish supergroup's first ten years.Starting with "I Will Follow"(although this tune shows up halfway thru),"Sunday Bloody Sunday","New Year's Day","Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For","Angel Of Harlem","Desire" and so on.Casual U2 fans may get more out of this than the huge-timers.

This cd is great! My husband plays it every time we're in the car. A cd you can sing along with since you know every single lyric. A must have for every u2 fan!

Este disco compilatorio que recorre la carrera de U2 desde 1980 hasta 1990 (1988, en realidad). Estan casi todos los exitos principales del grupo como "Pride", "With or without you", "I will follow", "I still haven't found what I'm looking for", entre muchos temas. Quizas las grandes ausencias sean "Gloria", "Two hearts beat as one", "Bullet the blue sky" y quizas "A sort of homecoming". Quizas tambien "When love comes to town", podria no haber estado en este compilario. Pero de todas maneras, una gran compilacion, principalmente para los que quieren conocer a U2.

U2 are amongst the greatest rock bands of all time and rightfully deserved the acollades and awards.ignore the one star reviews and get this today.five stars.

One of the best of album's I've ever heard. No wonder, the decade 80-90 was their most succestfull time and they wrote excellent songs for more than one "best of". It was difficult to decide, which songs don't appear on this "best of". Which other band has such problems :-)?
By the way, who is Mariah Carey? A lot of boring songs! When we hear a song from her on the radio, my three-year-old song said:
Daddy, please turn the radio off!

I am on top of the world that a group as hugely talented as U2 got so many awards which they richly deserved.This great compilation features most of their big hits from the 80's like WITH OR WITHOUT YOU and WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME.No collection will be complete without this superb collection.highly recommended.five stars.

I mean, wow! This really deserves a star as they actually managed to put SONGS on this cd! That must've been a really hard job for the compilers to do so, -phew-!!

If you already have any of U2's CDs from the 80's, I wouldn't bother buying this. If you don't though, this is a pretty good place to start. I'd probably recommend just saving up your money and buying all their 80's CD's instead, since all of them are great. This best of CD doesn't completely fill the disc, has edited versions of "New Year's Day" and "Where The Streets Have No Name," and "When Love Comes To Town" isn't a very good song. The compilation isn't perfect or anything, but it still isn't too bad. I just gave it a 5 star rating because it turned me into a fan. After I listened to all of their songs off the albums, I ended up just making my own best of cd. This is what it looks like.

1. I Will Follow
2. A Day Without Me
3. Into The Heart
4. Gloria
5. October
6. Sunday Bloody Sunday
7. New Year's Day "edited version, so one more would fit"
8. Two Hearts Beat As One
9. A Sort of Homecoming
10. Pride
11. The Unforgettable Fire
12. Where The Streets Have No Name
13. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
14. With Or Without You
15. Red Hill Mining Town "This is probably the most underated song from The Joshua Tree, but it's the best one!"
16. Desire
17. Angel Of Harlem
18. All I Want Is You
19. The Sweetest Thing "single remix"

It fills the disc over 79 minutes and it gives a way better representation of the them! ...Oh yeah, I wouldn't bother buying U2's Best of 1990-2000. It's put together even worse. I'd just get Achtung Baby and download the song "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" instead.

My guess is that it HAD to be someone who was born around, say, 1982, because there's just NO WAY anyone who was really listening to this band during the mid to late 80's would have found these tracks to be the most endearing. What happened to all of the meaty, gritty, I-Wanna-Go-Fight-For-Ireland songs that made U2 such a phenom band??? Where did all of the gutsy, emotional tracks go?
Anyone who calls themselves a fan or who would like to make a single purchase to listen to what made these guys so great would gladly have shelled out a few extra beans for a 2 disc set. Lord knows U2 has more than enough songs from this time frame to fill up 2 CDs and then some!
Among the obvious MIA tracks are:
{Boy} I Will Follow, Stories For Boys, & Out of Control
{A Sort of Homecoming} Wire and Bad
{War} Two Hearts Beat As One
{Joshua Tree} Bullet the Blue Sky, Running To Stand Still, & In God's Country.
Come on... do this right next time!
As for me, I was looking for a compiled CD of this nature to give my son for Christmas. He is just becoming really interested in good music & I think he's finally ready to appreciate the greatness that is U2. I think I'll just burn a disc from my own library instead because this mix comes up way too short.

U2 is easily one of the greatest rock bands of the 80's. They made so many great albums and songs that it would be very difficult to assemble an accurate compilation of their best material. Unfortunately that is exactly what this record has failed to do.

Sure you get a sample of much of their best work. However the record is poorly assembled. At least two of the tracks are edited down: "Where The Streets Have No Mame" and "New Year's Day". I have no idea why. The album is only an hour long and there is more than enough space to fill it up. The selection is poor. For example: no songs from their album, "October", are on here. The Album, "War", is missing many great songs such as, "Seconds", "Two Hearts Beat As One" and "40". Even, "Joshua Tree", misses out. Where is, "Running Two Stand Still" and "Bullet The Blue Sky"? Some songs made the list that don't belong at all. "When Love Comes To Town", is a disappointing take on blues song which was only a hit becase of the appearance of B.B.King. "Bad" is long, boring and drags on for five or six minutes.

One good thing is that the album closes with perhaps their most beautiful love ballad ever, "All I Want Is You", which was the only reason to own the album, "Rattle And Hum". If your interested in U2's music for the first time ever, this might be an OK place to start. Otherwise buy the original LPs. As for the song, "All I Want Is you", download it off of Kazaa or something. You'll be happy you did.

A must have for any fan of U2. This timeless band has consistently put out great music over the years and on this disc you can capture all of their earlier hits. Great album for those looking to add U2 to their collection.

An amazing collection of songs from my favourite band ever. They RULE! The best of the 1980's and the best EVER, they are unchallenged, unstoppable, and unstable! The magic is at work with 'Pride', 'With or Without You' and 'Desire' and all the rest too, those are just my favourite's.

If you haven't heard any of these songs yet you are missing out on a part of your life. So go out and hear them. Now. That's pretty much all there is to be said!

It's great if you love early U2. Some of there best songs are on here. Great sound and nice facts inside the CD book. Great buy totally worth.