When the 90s kicked off, U2 were already titans of rock, riding high on the monumental success of The Joshua Tree and the sprawling Rattle and Hum. But instead of resting on their laurels, the Irish quartet decided to tear it all down and start fresh. They headed to a newly reunified Berlin, where they traded their earnest, Americana-tinged sound for a grittier, electronic-infused palette. Over the course of the decade, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. released just three studio albums, but each one captured a band unafraid to experiment—and sometimes stumble—in pursuit of something new. Here's our definitive ranking of U2's 90s studio albums.
3. Pop (1997)
By 1997, the musical landscape had shifted: grunge was fading, Brit-pop was in full swing, and electronic music was going mainstream. U2 responded with Pop, a strange, fearless album that feels like a time capsule of late-90s pop culture. It was the band's first foray into samples, loops, and drum machines, and the result is a mixed bag of dance-floor anthems and introspective ballads. Tracks like "Discotheque"—with its catchy guitar riff and Village People-inspired video—divided fans, while "Mofo" dove headfirst into techno territory. The album also features the haunting "Please," a commentary on Northern Ireland's political turmoil, and the accessible "Staring at the Sun." The band themselves weren't fully satisfied with the final mix, later remixing several songs for compilations. Despite its flaws, Pop remains a bold, if uneven, experiment.
2. Zooropa (1993)
Originally conceived as an EP, Zooropa was recorded in just six weeks—a whirlwind compared to the lengthy sessions for Achtung Baby. Inspired by the band's over-the-top Zoo TV Tour, the album is a sprawling, media-saturated journey. The title track snakes along with digital noise before unfolding into a sonic wonder, with Bono's ironic lyrics drawn from commercials. "Numb" features The Edge on monotone lead vocals over an industrial beat, while "Lemon" is a shimmering dance-pop gem that spawned numerous remixes. The standout is the melancholic "Stay (Faraway, So Close)," and the album closes with "The Wanderer," a stark electronic track featuring Johnny Cash on vocals. Zooropa won the Grammy for Best Alternative Album and remains an underappreciated gem in U2's catalog.
1. Achtung Baby (1991)
There's no contest: Achtung Baby is U2's masterpiece of the 90s. Bono famously called it "the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree," and that's exactly what it is. The band abandoned their signature sound for a mix of electronic, industrial, and alternative influences. The Edge swapped his clean, delay-heavy guitar for a distorted, fuzzy tone, creating thunderous riffs on tracks like "Zoo Station," "Mysterious Ways," and "The Fly." But the album also delivers some of the band's most enduring ballads, including the iconic "One" and the brilliant "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)." Deeper cuts like "So Cruel" and "Love is Blindness" add layers of complexity. The accompanying Zoo TV tour saw U2 reinvent their live show as a multimedia spectacle, complete with Bono's leather-clad alter ego. The album won a Grammy for Best Rock Album, and its legacy was cemented when the band performed it in its entirety during their 2023 Sphere residency in Las Vegas. Achtung Baby is a no-skip album that still sounds fresh today.
For more on bold artistic reinventions, check out our ranking of How Prince's Batman Soundtrack Became the Ultimate Superhero Album. And if you're in the mood for more rankings, see The 10 Most Flawless Comedy-Drama Series of the Last 5 Years, Ranked.
