Seven songs that changed the world, according to Bono: “At the top of the tree”
After hailing from the howls of punk in Dublin, during the 1980s, Bono popped on some shades and emerged as one of the most prominent figures in the music industry.
With U2’s distinctive blend of anthemic pop-rock, the Irish singer carved out a unique nook in a musical moment dominated by synth-pop groups as the four-piece pushed on towards the ‘post’ realms of music. But even beyond his musical accomplishments, Bono has bolstered his legacy over the past four decades through his extensive philanthropic efforts and outspoken advocacy on political matters, with various results and critiques.
Bono’s political commentary and charity work stem from his ardent belief that those with a platform to incite positive change should do so with every fibre of their being. It’s an admirable stance that has seen Bono come under fire from the music community, with some suggesting his altruism is more closely aligned with sanctimony. With such an outlook, it will come as no surprise that the U2 singer fell in love with Bob Dylan’s protest singing and satirical sociopolitical commentary from a young age.
Undoubtedly, early accomplishments like ‘Masters of War’ and ‘Only a Pawn in Their Game’ would have tickled Bono’s fancy, but as an aspiring songwriter, he slavered over what came next. In 1965, Dylan’s newly established friendship with Allen Ginsberg coincided with a return to his teenage fascination with electric rock ‘n’ roll. In the masterpiece albums Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited, he brazenly “went electric” and embraced increasingly abstract lyrics inspired by Beat Generation literature.
Much of Bono’s favourite Bob Dylan songs arrived during this period, including his overall favourite, ‘Like a Rolling Stone’. In 2011, the U2 frontman spoke to Rolling Stone about the enduring anthem, noting his religious feeling towards it as a song that “turns the wine to vinegar”. Well, it’s certainly acerbic if that’s what he means.
He added reverently, “The verbal pugilism on display here cracks open songwriting for a generation and leaves the listener on the canvas”. That was ratified by John Lennon and Paul McCartney who said that the song proved to them that The Beatles could and should reach a little further.
Bono picked up on the fact that, in a sense, Dylan’s protest era never died. It was just more coherent in his early acoustic phase. “The ‘us’ and ‘them’ are not so clearly defined as earlier albums,” he noted. “Here he bares his teeth at the hipsters, the vanity of that time, the idea that you had a better value system if you were wearing the right pair of boots.”
Above the “caustic” social commentary, Bono appreciates ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ as one of those rare songs that “changes everything”. Whether politically or simply culturally, there can be no doubt that Dylan’s influence is still being felt today. In many ways, there’s culture before the song, and culture after. With that in mind, the U2 frontman continued to list several more songs, seven to be precise, that are the “reason I’m in a band”.
He said: “David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’, Arcade Fire’s ‘Rebellion (Lies)’, Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, Marvin Gaye’s ‘Sexual Healing’, Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, Public Enemy’s ‘Fight the Power’.” It’s an impressive list of tunes that cover the gamut of society fairly well. And interestingly, he was even in the studio next door when Joy Division were recording their classic love-torn indie classic.
But of those assorted masterpieces that changed the world, Bono places Dylan at the “top of this tree” of songwriting royalty as “the king of spitting fire himself, the juggler of beauty and truth, our own Willy Shakespeare in a polka-dot shirt,” Bono concluded, claiming that he would carry Dylan’s luggage “any day”. Given that the pair became friends, the original vagabond may well have taken him up on that offer.
For over 40 years, Bono has run in Dylan’s shadow, striving to attain a similar level of respect for his songwriting prowess. While nobody can measure up to the American troubadour, Bono will be contented with a nod of respect from his hero. In 1984, the U2 singer was lucky enough to interview Dylan for Hot Press before joining him onstage to perform ‘Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat’.
Unfortunately, Bono has bittersweet memories of the occasion since he forgot some of his lines under the pressure of the moment. Still, he wouldn’t trade that evening for the world. “You let me sing beside you,” Bono wrote in an open letter to Dylan in 2020. “You reminisced about Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem in the West Village, encouraging me, ‘You’ve not just got to make your own song up, you got to make yourself up too.'”
Each song Bono listed as a world-changing phenomenon is anthemic, accessible and progressive. David Bowie’s 1977 single ‘Heroes’ would undoubtedly make it on many other music fans’ lists as one of the most iconic tracks by one of the 20th century’s most influential artists. As for Bono, who emerged just as the Starman’s most emphatic decade waned, Bowie was the epitome of rock star royalty.
When Bowie passed away in January 2016, Bono was among the scores of famed fans to publish tributes. “I’ve played at being a rock & roll star, but I’m really not one,” the U2 singer admitted in his statement to Rolling Stone. “David Bowie is my idea of a rockstar.” Bono concluded his impassioned tribute poetically, noting that “the sky is a lot darker here without the Starman.” You can say that again Bono, mate. Alas, love him or loathe him, you can’t say that the Irishman doesn’t know a cracking, timeless tune when he hears one.
The songs that changed the world, according to Bono:
- ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ – Bob Dylan
- ‘Heroes’ – David Bowie
- ‘Rebellion (Lies)’ – Arcade Fire
- ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ – Joy Division
- ‘Sexual Healing’ – Marvin Gaye
- ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ – Nirvana
- ‘Fight The Power’ – Public Enemy
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