U2 at Sphere: Ranking how all 12 Achtung Baby songs were played

At the Sphere, U2 played all 12 songs from Achtung Baby live. But not all performances were the same, and as the residency concludes, we rank how all 12 songs were performed.

Released in 1991, Achtung Baby is one of U2's signature albums. It reinvented the band with a whole new sound, deeper lyrics, and a whole new ethos was unlocked.

Now, this is based off of the performance I went to in September and subsequent recordings I've heard. Some nights are better than others, so this is a reflection of the ones I've heard.

Ranking all 12 Achtung Baby songs played at Sphere

Below the Achtung Baby songs are ranked from worst to best.

“Mysterious Ways”

On one hand, I'm grateful to have heard “Mysterious Ways” live again. It missed the “Joshua Tree” anniversary tour and “Experience and Innocence” tour shows I saw after 2015's “Innocence + Experience” tour.

But still, I think that the song lacks some oomph when not in a stadium or arena. Everyone was too scared to stand up this early in the show, and the visuals for the song paled in comparison to some of Achtung Baby's other tracks.

Nothing offensively bad with any of the performances. It's been played a fair amount over the past few years, perhaps it just lacked some power without the crowd moving. Perhaps The Edge's extended guitar solo was missed. However, the “My Sweet Lord” snippet during the final show was great.

“Until the End of the World”

Before I get crucified for listing one of U2's live staples so low, hear me out. I attended the second show of the Sphere residency. This was before the band began using a snippet of the Rolling Stones' “Paint It Black” in the bridge. That alone would've broguht this up a few pegs.

But similarly to “Mysterious Ways,” the Sphere version was relatively run in the mill in comparison to other performances of the song.

“Acrobat” 

Now, in 2018, “Acrobat” was a standout. U2 dusted off the song and played it live for the first time ever in the “Experience + Innocence” tour. The Edge is always on fire during the performances, but I don't think the band ever quite found a groove with it at the Sphere.

After initially playing it after “So Cruel,” the first song from Achtung Baby played after the mid-show acoustic set, the band swapped the songs. Having “Acrobat” follow whatever acoustic song was played last was a smart swap. However, it's a hard song to nail and needs full emotional commitment to it. Some performances lacked that punch.

“Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World”

It's amazing that in 2023/2024, we can say that U2 played “Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World.” The song is a standout from Achtung Baby, but it hasn't been heard in concerts since the “ZooTV” tour in the '90s.

The return was great, even if Bono's balloon metaphor was hit-and-miss. The biggest issue was that listening to shows later in the residency, Bono appeared checked out of the song. He would talk-sing his way through some of the verses, sometimes missing his cues.

I get it, though. It's unlikely U2 will ever have a reason to play the song live again. It was a matter of obligation, as it's one of Achtung Baby's tracks.

“Love Is Blindness”

To be fair, “Love Is Blindness” has never been one of my favorite U2 tracks. Its gothic sound is certainly an interesting exploration by U2, but it never fully connected.

At the Sphere, the blue screen is filled with insects. The Edge's guitar solo has never felt as powerful as it does inside of the Sphere, and his “Viva Las Vegas” is a primer for what's to come in the encore.

“Ultraviolet (Light My Way)”

I've seen some U2 fans rag on the Sphere performances of “Ultraviolet (Light My Way.” I'd push back and say that at least at the earlier shows, Bono was really committed to the song. Some cite his lower-register singing as a sign of disinterest. I'd argue that at his advanced age, he can't belt like he would in the second verse onward on the “360” tour.

Even then, his singing now isn't that different from the way he sang on the “ZooTV” tour. He sang in a slow, lower voice until the verses.

Plus, I like the U2 allowed Bram van den Berg to make “Ultraviolet” his own in a sense. The drum fills at the end, when Bono sings the final “baby, baby, baby” refrains, are a nice touch. They allowed an artist to put his own stamp on an already iconic song.

“Even Better Than the Real Thing”

A huge reason “Even Better Than the Real Thing” is so high is because U2 chose to return to the song's original Achtung Baby arrangement at the Sphere. It's a small, but meaningful difference. For the past decade, U2 has always played the song akin to the “Fish Out of Water” remix.

The visuals are mind-blowing during the song, too. An “Elvis Chapel” is created, as an easter egg-filled collage sprawls the screen.

But the biggest highlight of the song is when Bono reaches the middle eight. He sings the “take me higher” refrains in a full falsetto — something he hasn't done in years.

“One”

“One” is so high on this list for one simple reason: Bono sings the whole song. It has become the norm for the singer to allow the crowd to sing the first chorus (and sometimes even more). However, it's nice to hear the song full sung by him.

And at some shows, Bono's falsetto was top notch. He would hit notes he hasn't since the '90s “ZooTV” tour.

“So Cruel” 

The biggest selling point, at least to me, in justifying the ticket price of seeing U2 at the Sphere was hearing “So Cruel.” The song was never truly given a shot in a live setting and hadn't been attempted in decades.

Luckily, U2 did not disappoint at the Sphere. One of my concerns was that Bono wouldn't sing the falsetto-heavy chorus. But he did, and the song sounded great in the new arrangement. The Edge's shimmer effect was a subtle change from the album version. Adam Clayton's bass is also worth going back and listening for.

“The Fly”

Like “Even Better Than the Real Thing,” it'd be easy to get caught up on the visuals during “The Fly.” Like U2's “ZooTV” tour, “The Fly” is performed with sensory overload hitting the screen. Various words and phrases hit the screen at a rapid blink-or-you'll-miss-it rate.

Still, the song is home to one of The Edge's greatest guitar solos. Hearing it live is a completely new experience.

“Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” 

“Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” was one of the first U2 songs I ever heard. It gripped me instantly and sold me on the band.

Once again, van den Berg adds his own stamp to the song. It's less on the nose than his changes to “Ultraviolet,” but van den Berg adds little fills towards the end of the song.

Unlike some songs from Achtung Baby, “Wild Horses” seems like one that U2 was excited to play each night. Bono's stage movements would suggest that as he pranced around the stage singing it.

“Zoo Station” 

But the greatest song in the set is the opening one: “Zoo Station.” As the concrete structure begins to crack open with every strum of The Edge's guitar, the Church of Light-like metaphor becomes clear.

Bono spins around on his little mic stand, and it gets the crowd pumped and ready for what's next.

Sure, this is a basic answer, but every time I go back and listen to concerts from the residency, I start with “Zoo Station.” It's the perfect concert opener, and who doesn't love Bono resurrecting his Fly persona?