U2’s One is a song that has been assumed to mean many things. Some say it is a song about being rejected by the church, some say it is about a man coming out to his father, and others view it as a song about the entire world coming together. Whatever you take the meaning to be, U2’s One is in a class of its own. Few songs can plumb the depths of religious imagery with such vivid accuracy, and do it without coming across as over the top. While the song is full of righteous anger, the underlying sympathy and sweetness makes it into the powerful listen that it has come to be. Outside of its content, the song is credited with keeping the band together during a period of creative stagnation. The band knew how special the song would be when it first came together, and they haven’t ever looked back from that.

-S. Russ