What can be said about War that hasn't been said?  Nothing, really.  This is by far U2's finest work, the single greatest CD of the entire 1980s, and one of the great rock CDs of all time.  You can feel the urgency, the near desperation, and the incredible energy that power this amazing CD.  When War first came out, I listened to it continuously for three years--for real.  Nearly 30 years later, I still listen to it often.  If I had to pick a single favorite song on this magnificent CD, it would probably be "Surrender."

For fun, I decided to rank U2's first 11 studio CDs from most to leave favorite, and here's what I came up with:

1) War
2) Joshua Tree
3) Pop
4) October
5) Boy
6) Zooropa
7) How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
8) Rattle and Hum
9) Achtung Baby
10) Unforgettable Fire
11) All That You Can't Leave Behind (but I wish I did)

War is the single greatest CD of the entire 1980s. Everyone likes The Joshua Tree, and I concur (although, shoot me for saying this, I think the weakest track is "With Or Without You"). I would rate the oft-maligned Pop third (it's probably their final "great" record), I give a slight edge to October over the more uneven Boy, and then put Zooropa 6th (although if I ranked these based on how often I listen to the CDs, Zooropa would definitely rank higher, and it contains an absolutely magnificent song, "Dirty Day"). Jumping to the bottom, All That You Can't Leave Behind is simply awful (I didn't think U2 could ever do "trite" but ATYCLB proves otherwise), and the noble failure that's called The Unforgettable Fire is just above the very bottom (five first-rate songs, two of which are badly done and vastly improved in their re-worked live versions, and the rest of it unlistenable).  I know for many fans, "Achtung Baby" is a favorite U2 CD, but you know, that one has never worked for me.  It seems like a random disconnected group of songs, some very good, more than a few not, with far too much filler (c'mon, does anyone really like "So Cruel", perhaps the most painfully long 5:49 that U2 ever recorded?) with very few crossings over into the "great" category--think "Mysterious Ways" and "Zoo Station."  To my ears, not only is Zooropa far better, but it's also an unfairly criticized first-rate effort.

And one last list:  my half-dozen favorite U2 songs:  (in no particular order)
1)  Surrender - War
2)  I Will Follow - Boy
3)  Dirty Day - Zooropa
4)  One Tree Hill - Joshua Tree
5)  Gloria - October
6)  Pride - Unforgettable Fire

With the bottom half of the great dozen (i.e. runners-up, in no particular order):
7)  Stories For Boys - Boy
8)  Two Hearts Beat As One - War
9)  Red Hill Mining Town - Joshua Tree
10)  City of Blinding Lights - How To Dismantle...
11)  Stranger In A Strange Land - October
12)  Mysterious Ways - Achtung Baby
What can be said about War that hasn't been said? Nothing, really. This is by far U2's finest work, the single greatest CD of the entire 1980s, and one of the great rock CDs of all time. You can feel the urgency, the near desperation, and the incredible energy that power this amazing CD. When War first came out, I listened to it continuously for three years--for real. Nearly 30 years later, I still listen to it often. If I had to pick a single favorite song on this magnificent CD, it would probably be "Surrender. "

For fun, I decided to rank U2's first 11 studio CDs from most to leave favorite, and here's what I came up with:

1) War
2) Joshua Tree
3) Pop
4) October
5) Boy
6) Zooropa
7) How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
8) Rattle and Hum
9) Achtung Baby
10) Unforgettable Fire
11) All That You Can't Leave Behind (but I wish I did)

War is the single greatest CD of the entire 1980s. Everyone likes The Joshua Tree, and I concur (although, shoot me for saying this, I think the weakest track is "With Or Without You"). I would rate the oft-maligned Pop third (it's probably their final "great" record), I give a slight edge to October over the more uneven Boy, and then put Zooropa 6th (although if I ranked these based on how often I listen to the CDs, Zooropa would definitely rank higher, and it contains an absolutely magnificent song, "Dirty Day"). Jumping to the bottom, All That You Can't Leave Behind is simply awful (I didn't think U2 could ever do "trite" but ATYCLB proves otherwise), and the noble failure that's called The Unforgettable Fire is just above the very bottom (five first-rate songs, two of which are badly done and vastly improved in their re-worked live versions, and the rest of it unlistenable). I know for many fans, "Achtung Baby" is a favorite U2 CD, but you know, that one has never worked for me. It seems like a random disconnected group of songs, some very good, more than a few not, with far too much filler (c'mon, does anyone really like "So Cruel", perhaps the most painfully long 5:49 that U2 ever recorded? ) with very few crossings over into the "great" category--think "Mysterious Ways" and "Zoo Station. "  To my ears, not only is Zooropa far better, but it's also an unfairly criticized first-rate effort. And one last list:  my half-dozen favorite U2 songs:  (in no particular order)
1)  Surrender - War
2)  I Will Follow - Boy
3)  Dirty Day - Zooropa
4)  One Tree Hill - Joshua Tree
5)  Gloria - October
6)  Pride - Unforgettable Fire

With the bottom half of the great dozen (i. e. runners-up, in no particular order):
7)  Stories For Boys - Boy
8)  Two Hearts Beat As One - War
9)  Red Hill Mining Town - Joshua Tree
10)  City of Blinding Lights - How To Dismantle... 11)  Stranger In A Strange Land - October
12)  Mysterious Ways - Achtung Baby