At first I stood by and did nothing, but now I must declare war on 'Glee'

[Imran Siddiqui]

It was fine. Hell the original song wasn't all that hot.

[Asher]

With taste like that, I can see how you can like Glee.

'One' is regularly cited as one of the best songs recorded, even if you find Bono to be a douche.

"One" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track from their 1991 album Achtung Baby, and it was released as the album's third single in March 1992. While recording Achtung Baby, conflict arose between band members over the direction of U2's sound. Tensions almost prompted the band to break up, until they rallied around the improvised writing of "One". They spent the remainder of the sessions working on the song's mix. The lyrics, written by lead singer Bono, describe struggles to maintain relationships with others, but they have been interpreted in other ways. The song reached #7 in the UK charts and #10 in the Billboard Hot 100, and reached the top of the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts. It peaked at #10 on the Dutch Top 40.

The song is widely considered to be one of the band's greatest songs and is consistently featured in lists of the greatest songs of all time. Rolling Stone ranked the song #36 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" and Q ranked the song at #1 on its list of the "1001 Greatest Songs of All Time".[1]

[Imran Siddiqui]

Your argument is seriously that U2's "One" is one of the greatest songs of all time based on Rolling Stone and Q Magazine?

[Asher]

Your argument is seriously that U2's "One" is one of the greatest songs of all time based on Rolling Stone and Q Magazine?

Not just. It's on virtually all of the big lists ('consistently' ranked, in the wiki).

I also happen to think it is a great song. But the thing that makes it is the emotion in the song, which was completely missing in the Glee auto-tuned Broadway rendition. The vocals in the original have many notable imperfections in the voice, which convey a sense of being worn out and tired. It's pretty much a critical component of the song.

Hell, the guitarist in the Glee version is even altering the melody by simplifying it in the guitars. He's not even playing all the notes.

It's amateur hour.

[Al B. Sure!]

That Rolling Stones 500 list is fairly biased in favor of rock music.

[Imran Siddiqui]

One is a decent song and glee "musical-ed" it, which being a musical comedy isn't exactly a shock. And depending on what they were using it for (DVRed it but haven't been able to watch it yet), the emotion that Bono was going for may not have fit what it was being used for in the show.

[Asher]

That Rolling Stones 500 list is incredibly biased in favor of rock music.

Rap music may be art, but they ain't songs.

The good raps sample songs.

You have much to learn, Alby.

[Asher]

One is a decent song and glee "musical-ed" it, which being a musical comedy isn't exactly a shock. And depending on what they were using it for (DVRed it but haven't been able to watch it yet), the emotion that Bono was going for may not have fit what it was being used for in the show.

One is a ridiculously simple song, both in structure and melody. If you strip away the emotional component and lead to an auto-tuned singalong broadway version, it butchers the song.

It's not a song Glee should've touched. Now they've pissed me off, while before I was indifferent.

Stick with showtunes and madonna, stay away from music with meaning.

[Al B. Sure!]

You can't take a list that purports to be the list of greatest songs of all time seriously when it has Weezer on it.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'm sure they are quaking that they've pissed you off.

So we've established you have a hard on for Matchbox 20 and U2 (or at least the song "One")

[Al B. Sure!]

Plus Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Benny Goodman, etc. etc. are all conspicuously absent.

[Asher]

I'm sure they are quaking that they've pissed you off.

So we've established you have a hard on for Matchbox 20 and U2 (or at least the song "One")

MB20 stuff was when I was a teenager, which I've outgrown.

I've got quite refined tastes now.

I was indifferent to U2 (and still am to most of their stuff), but I took a university course on U2 for easy marks (seriously), and a lot of their old stuff is great, including "One"

[SlowwHand]

You can't take a list that purports to be the list of greatest songs of all time seriously when it has Weezer on it.

True.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Joshua Tree is wonderful, and most of Actung Baby is very good. True.

But the main question is WTF, re: university course on U2?!

[Asher]

Plus Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Benny Goodman, etc. etc. are all conspicuously absent.

Rolling Stone's market doesn't include that old stuff. It is a rock magazine, through and through, at least historically.