Have U2 dated more or less than these 80s bands?
 

I've been discussing various bands of the 80s with my parents, and most particularly had a different opinion to my dad over whether U2 or The Icicle Works sounded older. He (who hates U2) claimed U2, but I thought that the Icicle Works sounded older. Below is a song example by both (first is the Icicle Works, the latter U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday video, which is similar to on the album):

m.youtube.com/watch?v=85mvq5XxjKk

m.youtube.com/watch?v=EM4vblG6BVQ

I argue that U2 sound quite like an early version of Coldplay or (90s) Radiohead, but my dad says that they have dated more than a lot of other rock.

Of the bands below, which seems to you (have you heard of any or all in their 80s incarnations) like they have dated most or least?

*U2
*The Icicle Works
*REM
*The Smiths
*Guns N Roses
*Echo and the Bunnymen
*New Order

Please exclude any music by these bands post 1990.

i agree with you in this case, that icicle song was 80's as f*ck.

From those artist i would say the least dated for me would be U2 and The Smiths and the most dated would be REM and Guns n roses.

To me the smiths could still pass off as a new indie band, a song like "Please let me get what i want" would be a hit in any era and U2 for better or worse always comes up with a radio hit once in awhile and stays relevant.

REM and GNR to me though are pure 90's. every REM song ive heard still sounds like it belongs in a 90's college radio station and GNR always reminds of the hair metal of the late 80's early 90's.

U2 stinks now-a-days if you ask me. Bullet the Blue Sky was a great song though.

This is absolutely worse than any YouTube comment I'd ever read.

:p:

Care to elaborate on that?

The misconceptions and the misinformation on YouTube is painful to read.

You're not being very subtle ya know, why don't you just tell me how im wrong so that i can respond with how you're wrong.

I agree with this. To me GNR is the most dated, as hair metal pretty much ceased to exist after the Grunge avalanche.

Indie rock still lives on, and the Smiths could very well fit into the whole Interpol wave.

As for U2, I haven't really heard anything from them since the Beautiful Day album, I thought they should have continued to push their more experimental 90's sound.

:beer:

glad to see im not the only one who sees it like that.

U2 still feels reletivley current, but that doesn't mean that they don't suck.