Modern Rock Tracks No. 1s - U2 and "Desire"

U2's adventures on their "Joshua Tree" tour yielded the band's first MRT chart topper, winning over fans despite lackluster reviews and accusations of inflated egos.

U2 - "Desire"

Weeks atop the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart: 5 (10/22/88 - 11/19/88)

Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers during this time:

• Phil Collins - “Groovy Kind of Love” (10/22 and 10/29)

• Beach Boys - “Kokomo” (11/5/88)

• The Escape Club - “Wild, Wild West” (11/12/88)

• Bon Jovi - “Bad Medicine” (11/19/88)

Up to this point in the brief history of the Modern Rock Tracks chart, the songs that ended up at #1 were British acts with modest popular momentum on U.S. radio stations. Indeed, none of the top songs I’ve reviewed so far made much of a dent in the flagship Billboard Hot 100 chart in the fall of 1988, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who made it through the 1980s blissfully unaware of bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees or Big Audio Dynamite.

Admittedly, there’s no real definition of what qualifies for the MRT chart. Chart positions are determined by the number of times songs are played on radio stations exclusively devoted to “modern rock” and “college rock” formats. The early days of the chart were full of artists whose songs barely cracked the Hot 100 or missed it entirely. And those formats evolved over time as tastes changed; there are several periods in the history of MRT when songs managed significant crossover success.

That success was realized for the first time in October and November 1988 when a plucky Irish band named U2 broke through on both the MRT and the Hot 100 with a track called “Desire.”

Viewing U2 in 1988 with a 2023 perspective is interesting. U2 is one of the seminal bands of the 1980s and 1990s, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame initiates (Class of 2005), multi-platinum artists with a wide catalog beloved (or loathed, depending) across the world. The band’s sizable footprint on rock history might have been much smaller were it not for the enormous success of their 1987 album “Joshua Tree,” which yielded the band’s only #1 hits on the Hot 100 (“With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”). It’s certified diamond by the RIAA for sales of more than 10 million copies, netted more than 25 million sales worldwide, and turned U2 from a respectable rock band into a global phenomenon seemingly overnight.

With that in mind, in hindsight it seems like a no-brainer that U2 would be lauded for their musical efforts in the year that followed “Joshua Tree,” and clearly the band was riding their own wave of confidence duly earned from their efforts. But the critical reception in 1988 for their follow-up album, “Rattle and Hum,” was lukewarm at best, and pretty freakin’ mean at worst. Here are just a couple reviews from the time…

“By almost any rock & roll fan’s standards, U2’s Rattle and Hum is an awful record.” – Tom Carson, The Village Voice

“...what comes across in song after song is sincere egomania. Bono starts the album with his foot in his mouth as he introduces 'Helter Skelter,' saying, ''This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles. We're stealing it back.' He'd forgotten that U2 is not the Beatles — and he goes on to scramble the lyrics.” – Jon Pareles, New York Times

These reviews seemed lackluster due in large part to the negative perception of the band’s inflated ego and the underwhelming release of the album’s companion “Rattle and Hum” documentary. I have no vivid memories of this time in music history and never knew there was a documentary attached to this album, but it proved to be a turning point for the band going forward, which will be the subject of future columns about U2.

In spite of the critical discourse among music writers, “Rattle and Hum” still went 5x platinum in the U.S., driven both by fans eager for more U2 following “Joshua Tree” and the power of its lead single, “Desire.”

“Desire” didn’t waste any time ascending the MRT chart, debuting at #4 and hitting #3 the following week before taking the top spot away from Psychedelic Furs. At the same time, the song was resonating on Top 40 stations and in record stores. The week “Desire” opened at #4 on MRT, it was #37 on the Hot 100. By the time it was knocked out of the top MRT spot around Thanksgiving 1988, “Desire” became the first MRT chart topper to break the top 5 of the Hot 100, peaking at #3 behind “Bad Medicine” by Bon Jovi. 

There’s a really good reason for the track’s success: it’s really, really good.

Critics panned the band’s hubris, but I feel like this song comes from a place where the band is exploring its own roots and the roots of rock and roll in America. That makes sense, given the main purpose of “Rattle and Hum” was to showcase how the band incorporated American rock, folk, and blues influences into their own music while on tour for “Joshua Tree.”

“Desire” captures that essence, and the band sounds like they’re having fun with it. As a listener, you’re sucked right into the song with the opening guitar riff and Bono’s exuberant growl “yeahhhh” before kicking into high gear. The song features a riff colloquially referred to as the “Bo Diddley beat,” and the band referenced the song “1969” by The Stooges as the inspiration for their composition. The similarities are pretty obvious, even on first listen.

“Desire” stays strong throughout, building to the crescendo of Bono’s howling “Dee-siiiiiiiiii-iyer” before jumping back into the next set of verses. Perhaps sensing that blast of energy, the song’s bridge softens and slowly builds again before finishing in a flourish of guitars and a prominent harmonica solo. Compared to the relatively mellow fare from “Joshua Tree,” “Desire” sounds like a band alive in the moment.

The lyrics are open to interpretation, reflecting either the euphoric high of chasing one’s desires or burning out once you attain them. If you take the imagery at face value, Bono refers to “bright lights” and the “big city,” of “needles and spoons” in a more direct reference to drug use, and the love of “money, money, money, money, money.” Are these allusions to the band’s own overindulgences, or is it more of a commentary on America itself, chasing desires that leave you with nothing more than “a fever, getting higher”? It’s more of the latter, at least according to Bono, but regardless of the perspective, the subject matter fits with the sometimes frantic pace of the music.

I love this song and it was one of the first U2 songs I can remember in heavy rotation on the radio during my elementary school years. But given the song’s popularity and prevalence on the mainstream Billboard Hot 100 chart, it begs the question: Can a song that achieves mainstream popularity still belong to the audiences that stay faithful to more obscure modern rock tracks? Should a track like this dull the spotlight for lesser known acts like The Screaming Tribesmen or Hunters & Collectors, both of which peaked behind “Desire” on the MRT chart? This type of minutiae may be hotly debated by music critics, hardcore fans and music lovers, but from my perspective, any time a solid rock track can hold its own with the top pop acts, it opens the door to smaller acts looking to make waves in the mainstream. That’s always a good thing.

U2 set the record for longest run at #1 on MRT with “Desire,” notching five consecutive weeks before being unseated. It won’t be very long before that record is bested. But don’t worry about U2; they’ll be back here again, not long after their musical direction takes a big shift in the early ‘90s.

Rating: 9/10

Chart notes:

Hats off to Siouxsie and the Banshees for holding down the #2 spot for several weeks with “Peek-A-Boo,” which didn’t exit the top 10 until more than two months after its chart peak.

• "The Killing Jar" by Siouxsie and the Banshees: Siouxsie Sioux and her Banshees didn’t waste any time following up their chart topper with another top 5 hit. Unlike the eclectic mishmash of styles that made “Peek-A-Boo” a unique hit, “The Killing Jar” is a more grounded rock track. It peaked at #2 behind “Desire.”

•  "Carolyn’s Fingers" by Cocteau Twins: I’m not really sure what’s going on with this one. The first 20 seconds give you the impression that it’s going to be a standard soft rock groove, something akin to a Matchbox 20 or Duncan Sheik track. And then the lead singer starts … singing? Wailing? I’m not sure, and it could just be 2023 Matt not appreciating what my 1988 peers might have found unique and inspiring, but it’s a jarring shift that ruined the experience for me. It also managed a #2 peak for two weeks behind “Desire,” for reasons that may be lost to time. By all means, if you can sell me on anything from the Cocteau Twins’ catalog, I’d be grateful.

• “In Your Room” by The Bangles: It’s a fine enough song. I’m just grateful for an excuse to link to a video of one of my childhood crushes: Susanna Hoffs. It managed a #5 peak on MRT during this stretch, and would later peak at #5 on the Hot 100 as well.