A rock band! With guitars! On top of the singles charts in the Year 2000!
Beautiful Day, by U2 (their 4th of seven #1s)
1 week, from 15th – 22nd October 2000
The extended nature of our journey through this year has distorted things slightly, as we’ve had both Oasis and the Manics on top of the charts in recent months, not to mention the Corrs, but still. Rock music has become a highly endangered beast around here.
For someone who wouldn’t count himself as much of a U2 fan, their first three #1s all had merit. The raw, bluesy hum of ‘Desire’, the industrial prog of ‘The Fly’, and ‘Discotheque’s, well, disco beats were all enjoyable curios, oddities almost, which is a strange position for the biggest band in the world to be in. But here, at last, is U2: Biggest Band in the World ™.
And my heart sinks, because songs like this are why I don’t count myself as a big U2 fan. At least, not of 21st century U2. For this soaring, uncomplicated (undeniably catchy) rock music is not just setting U2’s manifesto for the new millennium, but that of rock music in general. From here we can draw a line to Coldplay, to Snow Patrol, to Imagine fucking Dragons… To U2 themselves foisting an entire album on unsuspecting iPod buyers. To stadium gigs at 300 quid a pop (or more, thanks to dynamic pricing). To streaming algorithms. To the death of indie clubs and small venues, and nightlife in general…
Okay, okay. I don’t lay all of this at the feet of U2’s ‘Beautiful Day’, but I’d say it represents a shift. They’re not the first band to soften the edges – in fact, the production here isn’t a million miles away from All Saints with William Orbit – but this does feel like a huge grasp for ubiquity. It’s a beautiful day…! Don’t let it get away… Of course, radio ate it up, and of course it featured as background to sports montages, adverts, and political campaigns, for years. (In fact, a big part of the reason I dislike this song is that it reminds me of when ITV had the rights to the Premier League highlights. This, versus the Match of the Day theme? No contest.)
The middle eight introduces a bit of edge, as Bono casts an omnipotent eye around the world and sees the oil fields at first light and the tuna fleets cleaning the sea out… But this feels more like an in-joke, to see if anyone will actually notice, than a statement. The rest of the song, unless my sarcasm detector is on the fritz, is pure motivational schmaltz. Pure corporate rock, the sort that the world’s worst CEO listens to in his Mercedes, on his way to making five hundred people redundant.
For anyone who thinks that I’m being harsh, or that I’m letting an anti-U2 bias cloud my judgement of one of their biggest hits, I will state that I really rate the two singles that followed ‘Beautiful Day’: ‘Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of’ and ‘Elevation’. But neither of them made #1, and so we are left discussing this record. I’ll leave the final words to a quote I heard once (I wish I could remember where from): If it is a beautiful day, then I don’t need Bono telling me about it…
The UK Number Ones Blog 
It’s a great song. Maybe the world needs more schmaltz and less cynicism. Besides, I don’t think it’s schmaltzy, it has too much of an edge of euphoria for that. I’ve never really understood why anything that appeals to a lot of different sorts of people is inherently fake or lame, or whatever the theory is.
One year away from 9/11, would you really begrudge some millennial optimism?
(Excuse the spirited comment. I reckon if every comment was “it’s all a matter of taste”, the combox on a blog like this would get pretty dull!)
Maolsheachlann, Dublin.
No excuses necessary. I write a post like this knowing that many – most? – won’t agree.
I don’t think it’s fake (lame, yes, but that’s down to taste). I think U2 mean every word and note of this record. But like I said, I’m a cynic, and I don’t need Bono telling me how wonderful a day it is.
You remind me of my father, who was disgusted by the apparently innocuous U2 lyric: “I’m just trying to find a decent melody, a tune that I can sing in my own company.”
“Bone wouldn’t recognize a decent melody if it hit him!”, he’s growl.
Maolsheachlannn
I know what you mean about Coldplay and Snow Patrol, though I’ve only really heard (reluctantly endured) Coldplay. Yes, that sort of stuff seems so plastic and soulless.
But this song isn’t like that! It seems to me like a powerful evocation of a “peak experience”, with a faint melancholy undertone, especially in the diminuendo at the end. The music sounds shimmery, sunkissed, and swirly (dream pop?) and really does bring associations and sitting on an airplane (the video works in this case) and watching the world below you and thinking of all the possibilities out there.
And it’s so consummately U2, with the chugging and accelerating guitar rift. I don’t even like U2 that much– I’ve never listened to an U2 album, and don’t know all their hits– but I’ve listened to this song hundreds of times, probably. It feels like a fitting signature song for them.
Maolsheachlann, Dublin
I think Coldplay get unfairly blamed for all of rock music’s ills in the 21st century. I like some of their stuff, mainly the mid 00s albums… The rest I find fairly bland, and nowadays they’re not even a rock act. Which I don’t begrudge. It’s good, in a way, that they’re trying to stay relevant by duetting with BTS, and not just relying on the 25 year old hits to fill stadiums.
You’re right with the dream-pop elements to Beautiful Day – they had definitely been listening to All Saints. And you’re right it’s not a bad song. But I personally don’t need rock music to tell me how wonderful life is. Just doesn’t work for me. Add in the fact that it’s the fairly insuferable Bono telling me, and well…
While I generally tend to prefer the first six U2 albums (up to 1988’s “Rattle and Hum”), “Beautiful Day” is a great song. It seems like they’ve run a bit out of steam since 2009’s “No Line on the Horizon.” But, hey, even if you’d only count their first six albums, they’ve certainly left their mark!
While I’m not a huge fan, for me their most interesting stuff was in the ’90s. Ok, it was a bit forced-irony, a bit too clever for its own good sometimes, but it was interesting.
I’m not very excited about 21st century U2, but I think they got some lightning in a bottle with this one.
I was a baby when this song came out but this is the first U2 song I remember hearing, a few years later obviously. I really enjoy this song. It sounds very sincere and earnest, which I guess was needed for U2 after a decade indulging in irony.
It’s interesting how eventually almost all major rock bands eventually end up sounding like U2, even for just one album. Even The Rolling Stones weren’t immune to this.
I think 90s U2 was their best. More irony, more schtick, more showing off please! And less Beautiful bloody Day.
Do all big rock acts end up sounding like U2, or did U2 just perfect that 21st century polished stadium rock sound that rock acts now can’t help sounding like U2…?
I noticed it among a lot of boomer, Gen X and millennial bands. They all tend to eventually become U2. Coldplay in particular is the major offender. But Pearl Jam, The Killers, Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters, Snow Patrol, Manic Street Preachers, Keane, Muse, Kings of Leon, Imagine Dragons are also guilty of dabbling in U2’s stadium rock sound. Even Radiohead were doing it on OK Computer to an extent.
Boomer bands at some point in the 90s and 2000s all dabbled in Electronic Dance Rock sound U2 where doing in the 90s. Stones did it on Bridges to Babylon (which is a pretty decent album ngl) though they went back to the blues rock path in the 2000s thanks to the garage rock/blues rock revival.
It’s like Harvey Dent said in The Dark Knight. You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become U2.
And all those bands you name, they’re all contemporaries of, or came after, U2. So it seems that U2 did indeed set the tone, did bring about the blandification of rock in the 20th century, and we can trace it all back to ‘Beautiful Day’ as ground zero. Case closed! 🙂
I’d disagree with the Manics being in your list though, as while they do often have a stadium rock sound, they’ve kept an edge that the likes of Snow Patrol and Imagine Dragons could only dream of.
U2 certainly do invite discussion! Me, I’m a lapsed fan. Bono, for all his preaching, had his heart in the right place – it’s just that rich music stars preaching (even when they have grown up knowing poverty) rub people the wrong way. Which is ironic, stick views in a lyric and it’s totally fine, express them outside of a song and it’s all “shut up rich man/woman”. U2 peaked with Joshua Tree for me, and then opted for a more interesting 90’s output avoiding repeating the formula – I like to thank the Pet Shop Boys piss-take for that (see Where The Streets Have No Name, which was brilliant). I thought 2000 was an attempt to bring back the stadium rock sound for a new century, and re-affirm their 80’s sound. Beautiful Day was pretty good in that respect, though it’s not in the same league as I Still Havent Found What I’m Looking For, Pride, and so on.
Without giving too many spoilers, I will also be exposing myself as a fan of Coldplay, Killers, Kaisers and other 00’s rock acts! If we are talking stadium rock, though, it’s only fair that Springsteen gets a mention in the absence of a number one. Born to Run arguably kicked off the whole stadium rock sound thing, and what a monster classic that it – the roots run right down to 2025 – see the fabulous life-affirming (but very sad) People Watching from Sam Fender, albums from the Killers and so on. I’m still hoping Bruce does a cover of it.
They do seem to… To be honest, I did write this post wanting to ruffle a feather or two.
Like I wrote in another reply, I do quite like a fair bit of Coldplay’s stuff from the mid-00s. Speed of Sound, The Scientist, Violet Hill… Fix You needs to disappear forever, though. Love the Killers, first 2-3 albums anyway, but again their more recent stuff has that bland stadium-filling sound that sounds huge and impressive but that isn’t very memorable (to me anyway). I feel the same way about Sam Fender, who I’ve tried to get what the fuss is about but can’t quite access. I’d say the Kaiser Chiefs were a bit different – not as huge-sounding and a bit more rocking.
Yes Kaisers were a bit more punky than Stadium, saw them, saw the Killers the other year in a Stadium gig – and they were suited for that setting – but they/Brandon are happy to vary their output from Springsteen-esque to Queen-ish to synthtastic, so as a whole it’s not that samey as an experience. Just as long as I dont have to sit through Mr Brightside and can make a dash for the early exit to beat the crowds. Coldplay I saw in their early days, and they were great, but I love the rousing anthems more, Princess Of China, Viva La Vida, Paradise, Adventure Of A Lifetime. Lost it a bit of late though! Kaisers OTOH are still fab. Killers also a bit more variable than they once were. U2 are at best OK these days. I’m being kind… 🙂
‘the sort that the world’s worst CEO listens to in his Mercedes, on his way to making five hundred people redundant.’ Harsh! 🤣
I like this one, but I agree that ‘Elevation’ and ‘Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of’ are better. Shame they never made it to number one.
~ Alasdair
It’s just got that free corporate-hospitality-tickets at Wembley, turn up an hour late, spend more time at the bar/buffet than watching the concert, kind of vibe to it… 😉
I love your write up of this. When they released Rattle and Hum….I became a late fan but then…oh then they decided to go in a direction not for me. I like a few of their songs since the late 90s like “In A Little While” and Sweetest Thing but not a lot. Bono can get…what is the word? Pretentious…yes oh yes…that is the word!
I mean, I think his heart’s in the right place, but it’s not what I want from my rock stars. I love the story about Bono telling an audience at a concert ‘every time I clap my hands a child dies in Africa’, and someone shouting back ‘well stop clapping your fucking hands then’
I LOVE that story!!!!! That is great!
I don’t dislike him like I do Sting…don’t get me wrong.
I can’t help hearing a lift from a much earlier no.1 in this – definitely a point where you could start singing “The Sun Always Shines on TV”
Yes, I can hear it. In the ‘touch me, take me to a higher place’ line?