The Songs canon

Sourced and sung.

Every song chosen by hand, with the recording to play it.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.

Where the Streets Have No Name

1987 · From The Joshua Tree

Eno reckoned half the album's sessions went into it and nearly wiped the tape; the Edge's delay does the rest.

★ 8.4

One (U2)

1991 · From Achtung Baby

Berlin sessions nearly ended the band until the Edge played two chord sequences back to back and the song arrived.

★ 8.1
With or Without YouU2

With or Without You

1987 · From The Joshua Tree

The Edge was sent a prototype Infinite Guitar by Michael Brook, and U2 had their first American number one.

★ 8.0

Sunday Bloody Sunday

1983 · From War

Mullen's marching snare was cut at the foot of a Windmill Lane stairwell, and Bono insisted it was no rebel song.

★ 7.6

Beautiful Day

2000 · From All That You Can't Leave Behind

Eno programmed the drum machine, Lanois played the Telecaster, and the Edge won the argument for his old delay-drenched sound.

★ 6.9

New Year's Day

1983 · From War

A bass line Clayton stumbled on while decoding Visage's Fade to Grey, then Bono aimed the words at Poland's Solidarity.

★ 6.8

Mysterious Ways

1991 · From Achtung Baby

Grown from a Dublin jam called Sick Puppy, and Edge's Korg funk-wah setting turned Clayton's bassline into U2's funkiest record.

★ 6.2