Legacy Achtung Baby

 —aj ramirez of popmatters, in 2011

achtung baby certified 8× platinum in riaa, , according nielsen soundscan, album has sold 5.5 million copies in country, of march 2009. record has been certified 5× platinum in australia, 4× platinum in uk, , diamond in canada, highest certification award. overall, 18 million copies have been sold worldwide. u2 s second-highest-selling record after joshua tree, has sold 25 million copies. band, achtung baby watershed secured creative future, , success led group s continued musical experimentation during 1990s. zooropa, released in 1993, further departure band, incorporating additional dance music influences , electronic effects sound. in 1995, u2 , brian eno collaborated on experimental/ambient album original soundtracks 1 under pseudonym passengers . pop in 1997, group s experiences dance club culture , usage of tape loops, programming, rhythm sequencing, , sampling resulted in dance-oriented album.

the record highly regarded among members of u2. mullen said, thought great record. proud of it. success no means preordained. real break had done before , didn t know if our fans or not. bono called album pivot point in band s career, saying, making achtung baby reason re still here now. clayton concurred, saying, if hadn t done excited about, made apprehensive , challenged stood for, there have been no reason carry on... if hadn t been great record our standards, existence of band have been threatened. group s reinvention occurred @ peak of alternative rock movement, when genre achieving widespread mainstream popularity. bill flanagan pointed out many of u2 s 1980s contemporaries struggled commercially albums released after turn of decade. argued u2, however, able take advantage of alternative rock movement , ensure successful future set[ting] first of new groups rather last of old . toby creswell echoed these sentiments in 2006 music reference book 1001 songs, writing album helped u2 avoid becoming parodies of , being swept aside grunge , techno revolutions . allmusic called album pivotal moment dance-rock, happening late in game showing biggest young band in world had eye on dancefloor , while uncut wrote u2 blithely ignored both grunge , britpop , reinvented post-modern dance-rock of achtung baby . 2010 retrospective spin said u2 became emblematic band of alternative-rock era achtung baby.

achtung baby has been acclaimed writers , music critics 1 of greatest albums of time; according acclaimed music, 80th-highest-ranked record on critics lists. in 1997, guardian collated worldwide data range of renowned critics, artists, , radio djs, placed record @ number 71 on list of 100 best albums ever . in 2003, national association of recording merchandisers ranked @ number 45 on definitive 200 list, while usa today featured on list of top 40 albums of time. 3 years later, album appeared on number of rankings, including hot press s 100 greatest albums ever @ number 21, time s list of all-time 100 albums , , book 1001 albums must hear before die. vh1 ranked 65th on 100 greatest albums of rock & roll episode of series greatest. rolling stone placed record @ number 63 on 2012 list of 500 greatest albums of time , calling prescient mix of sleek rock , pulsing euro grooves , stating emotional turmoil made u2 sound more human ever . entertainment weekly s 2013 list of all-time greatest albums ranked record 23rd, stating instead of coast[ing] forever on cinematic storytelling mastered on excellently righteous joshua tree , group ripped rule book achtung baby. record topped spin s list of 125 influential albums 1985 2010; author said, unlike radiohead ok computer , kid a, u2 took post-industrial, trad-rock disillusionment not symbol of overall cultural malaise, challenge buck , transcend... struggling simultaneously embrace , blow world, never more inspirational.