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Ahead of U2's Sphere residency, I wrote a list of 28 songs I wanted to hear at the venue during the setlist.
Not all of them happened, but as Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Bram van den Berg enjoy their holiday break from the Sphere shows, I wanted to see how many I got right.
Granted, U2 isn't exactly known for their spontaneous setlists. Generally, once they settle into their groove, they may only rotate a couple of songs each night. But at the Sphere, the band has actually given more variety than initially expected, leading to some great surprises like “Two Hearts Beat As One” and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”
But not all of my predictions were right. I thought I had a handle on U2's setlist tendencies. As you'll see in this article, they are still capable of surprising fans.
The setlist
On an average night at the Sphere, U2 opens their shows with an homage to the “ZooTV” tour. The sequence of “Zoo Station”-“The Fly”-“Even Better Than the Real Thing”-“Mysterious Ways”-“One” (with a “Love Me Tender” epilogue)-“Until the End of the World”-“Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses”-“Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World.”
This same sequence was played on the “ZooTV” tour in the early nineties.
Then, to break up the “heaviness” of Achtung Baby as Bono says, they play a turntable set. This part of the setlist was supposed to feature a different album every night. But the majority of the shows feature four from Rattle and Hum, “All I Want Is You,” “Desire,” “Angel of Harlem,” and “Love Rescue Me.”
There has been some variation, as you will see, but that's the majority of the sets. U2 then plays the final remaining tracks from Achtung Baby, “Acrobat,” “So Cruel,” “Ultraviolet (Light My Way),” and “Love is Blindness” before their encores.
The encore at the Sphere has been the same every night. “Elevation”-“Atomic City”-“Vertigo”-“Where the Streets Have No Name”-“With or Without You”-“Beautiful Day” closes out each show.
My predictions
Of course, we knew that all 12 Achtung Baby songs would be played at the Sphere. That was a given and an easy 12/12 start to my predictions. But over 30 different songs have been played during this residency. Let's see which ones I had right.
Under the “Live Stapes” category, which were the hits that rarely miss a tour, I also did fairly well. “Beautiful Day,” “Elevation,” and “Vertigo” are all played in the encore. I didn't write “Atomic City,” which wasn't even released for four more weeks at the time of that article. Otherwise, it would have made the list.
“City of Blinding Lights” is right with a caveat. I felt that the full-band electric version was a no-brainer given its anthemic qualities and potential for visuals. They played it once, and it was closer to the Songs of Surrender arrangement.
Similarly, I was right guessing that “Desire” would be played. Given its themes, it was a no-brainer. But when it's played, it's during the turntable set and in a stripped-down acoustic arrangement.
I was wrong about “Bullet the Blue Sky,” though, which was a staple of the “ZooTV” tour.
War
One of my other categories was about U2's War album. During teasers for the Sphere, a white flag was shown, signaling surrender. U2's last album was also titled Songs of Surrender, so it was virtually guaranteed they'd play songs from their third album.
In my predictions article, I said, “For as much as I'd love to hear a non-megahit like ‘Two Hearts Beat As One,' ‘New Year's Day' feels the most likely to be played. I could also see ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday,' or maybe even '40.'”
They did end up playing “Two Hearts” once, and have played “Sunday Bloody Sunday” twice (albeit acoustically). However, my official guess, “New Year's Day,” has not been played at this juncture.
New-age hits
I did completely miss the mark on the newer U2 hits. “Every Breaking Wave” and ‘Love is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way” have been live staples in recent years. But neither have been played. I figured the latter could close out shows if they wanted to end on an uplifting anthem. “Beautiful Day” has taken that role on.
“Every Breaking Wave” still feels like a possibility should U2 focus on Songs of Innocence/Experience during their turntable sets. It's a song familiar to the band and fans alike, so it can never truly be ruled out. But at this time, the prediction was wrong.
I also guessed three more Songs of Experience songs, “The Blackout,” “Get out of Your Own Way,” and “American Soul.” None of them have been played. “The Blackout” felt the most likely just given the visual spectacle it was on the “Experience + Innocence” tour.
“Invisible” and “You're the Best Thing About Me” also have not been played.
If the Sphere setlists have taught me anything, it's that U2 is putting the Bono-centric “Songs of” era behind them for now.
Zooropa
Celebrating Zooropa, which was written and recorded during U2's “ZooTV” tour in the nineties, also felt like a sure-fire guarantee at the Sphere. However, that has yet to happen.
“Dirty Day” was reportedly rehearsed by the band, but that hasn't happened. Even “Stay (Faraway, So Close!),” which is a relatively easy song for Bono and The Edge to do solo if they wanted, hasn't made its way into the setlist. I'm still holding out hope that it happens.
In conclusion
15 shows remain on U2's Sphere residency itinerary. Things can change, and with the extended holiday break, maybe the band will be in the lab cooking up new setlist additions.
Either way, they are playing a strong setlist that honors the past. The “ZooTV” tour can never be replicated, but U2 is discovering even more advanced possibilities with their Sphere residency.
Final count: 17/28 correct
U2 will resumt their Sphere residency on January 26.
