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Staring at the Sun (U2 song)

October 18, 2023

"Staring at the Sun" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their 1997 album, Pop, and was released by Island Records as the album's second single on 14 April 1997. The song peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, number one in Canada and Iceland and number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In the US, it topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and Adult Alternative Songs charts. It also reached the top 10 in Finland, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand and Norway.

"Staring at the Sun"
Single by U2
from the album Pop
B-side
Released14 April 1997 (1997-04-14)
GenreAlternative rock
Length4:37
LabelIsland
Composer(s)U2
Lyricist(s)Bono and The Edge
Producer(s)Flood, with additional production by Steve Osborne
U2 singles chronology
"Discothèque"
(1997) 		"Staring at the Sun"
(1997) 		"Last Night on Earth"
(1997)
Music videos

Background Edit

The song was written with the line "Stuck together with God's glue," which was taken directly from the title of the album by the Irish band Something Happens, who are good friends with U2.[1] The band felt the song was a potential "anthem to rival 'One'."[2][3] A new mix of "Staring at the Sun" was released for the compilation, The Best of 1990-2000.[2] During the mid-2002 recording sessions in which "Electrical Storm" and "The Hands That Built America" were recorded, parts for four U2 songs were re-recorded, including "Staring at the Sun." The song has been compared to the work of Oasis.[4][5]

A kaleidoscope bearing the single's logo in gold was distributed to promote the single.[6]

Critical reception Edit

Kevin Courtney from Irish Times commented, "Could this be U2's riposte to "Champagne Supernova", an overt attempt to steal some thunder back from Oasis and regain their rightful place as anthem makers supreme? "Staring at the Sun" has shades of psychedelia, lazy sunny afternoons watching a Waterloo sunset, and it's as big, bold and Beatlesque as anything Noel Gallagher has ever knocked out. The Edge picks out pictures of matchstick men on his guitar, while Bono sings of "Summer stretching on the grass ... Summer dresses pass . .." A front runner for U2's big Summer 97 hit."[7] British magazine Music Week gave it top score with five out of five and named it Single of the Week, writing, "Possibly the most obvious single on Pop, this track is awash with a melancholy that's amplified by The Edge's plangent, keening guitar signature. Big."[8] David Sinclair from The Times said, "God is good, but will He listen? Bono asks in this solid return to traditional U2 territory. Does He have a choice?"[9]

Live performances Edit

"Staring at the Sun" was played at most of the PopMart Tour shows. However, during the first concert at Las Vegas, U2 failed to time the song correctly and had to start over. Bono singing at the wrong tempo was to blame for the mistake. The song was performed acoustically for most of the rest of that tour.[2] It had several appearances on the Elevation Tour, being the only Pop song to be performed on all three legs of the Elevation Tour. Sometimes it also appeared as a snippet in "Discothèque". It was performed as a live staple of the North American leg of the 2018 Experience + Innocence Tour."[10][11]

It appeared in the live videos/recordings Please: PopHeart Live EP, "Please" single, PopMart: Live from Mexico City, Hasta la Vista Baby! and U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle, Ireland.

Formats and track listings Edit

7-inch and cassette release
No.TitleLength
1."Staring at the Sun"4:37
2."North and South of the River"4:38
CD release 1
No.TitleLength
1."Staring at the Sun"4:37
2."North and South of the River"4:38
3."Your Blue Room"5:28
CD release 2
No.TitleLength
1."Staring at the Sun" (Monster Truck mix)5:06
2."Staring at the Sun" (Sad Bastards mix)6:19
3."North and South of the River"4:38
4."Staring at the Sun" (Lab Rat mix)5:05

Charts Edit

Release history Edit

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States 11 March 1997 Contemporary hit radio Island [44]
United Kingdom 14 April 1997
  • CD
  • cassette
 [45]
Canada 15 April 1997 CD [46]
United States
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
Japan 25 April 1997 CD [47]

See also Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ . 24 July 2009. Archived from the original on 24 July 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Greene, Andy (14 March 2017). "U2's 'Pop': A Reimagining of the Album 20 Years Later". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  3. ^ Power, Ed (30 October 2018). "PopMart: Were U2 Making a Joke or was the Joke on Them?". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Stylus Magazine".
  5. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Pop Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  6. ^ "..:: U2 Collectibles and Memorabilia - Silver & Gold". U2wanderer.org. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  7. ^ Courtney, Kevin (21 February 1997). "U2 Goes Pop". Irish Times.
  8. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 5 April 1997. p. 28. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  9. ^ Sinclair, David (19 April 1997). "The week's top pop releases; Records". The Times.
  10. ^ Greene, Andy (3 May 2018). "U2 Dig Deep at Transcendent 'Experience' Tour Opener in Tulsa". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  11. ^ Olivier, Bobby (26 June 2018). "Hits be damned, U2 doubles down on spectacle for tech-heavy new tour: review". NJ.com. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  12. ^ "U2 – Staring at the Sun". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  13. ^ "U2 – Staring at the Sun" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  14. ^ "U2 – Staring at the Sun" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  15. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3203." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  16. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3211." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  17. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3195." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  18. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 18. 3 May 1997. p. 20. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  19. ^ "U2: Staring at the Sun" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  20. ^ "U2 – Staring at the Sun" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  21. ^ "U2 – Staring at the Sun" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  22. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 213 Vikuna 20.3. '97 – 26.3. '97)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 21 March 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  23. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Staring at the Sun". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  24. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 21. 24 May 1997. p. 14. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  25. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 19, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  26. ^ "U2 – Staring at the Sun" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  27. ^ "U2 – Staring at the Sun". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  28. ^ "U2 – Staring at the Sun". VG-lista. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  29. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  30. ^ "U2 – Staring at the Sun". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  31. ^ "U2 – Staring at the Sun". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  32. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  33. ^ "U2 Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  34. ^ "U2 Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  35. ^ "U2 Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  36. ^ "U2 Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  37. ^ "U2 Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  38. ^ "U2 Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  39. ^ "U2 Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  40. ^ "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 15 December 1997. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  41. ^ "RPM '97 Year End Top 50 Alternative Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 15 December 1997. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  42. ^ "Árslistinn 1997 – Íslenski Listinn – 100 Vinsælustu Lögin". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1998. p. 25. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  43. ^ (in Polish). Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  44. ^ "New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1187. 7 March 1997. p. 90.
  45. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 12 April 1997. p. 41. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  46. ^ "'Staring at the Sun' – U2". u2songs.com. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  47. ^ "ステアリング・アット・ザ・サン | U2" [Staring at the Sun | U2] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 30 August 2023.

October 18, 2023
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Staring at the Sun is a song by Irish rock band U2 It is the fifth track on their 1997 album Pop and was released by Island Records as the album s second single on 14 April 1997 The song peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart number one in Canada and Iceland and number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100 In the US it topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and Adult Alternative Songs charts It also reached the top 10 in Finland Ireland Italy New Zealand and Norway Staring at the Sun Single by U2from the album PopB side North and South of the River Your Blue Room Released14 April 1997 1997 04 14 GenreAlternative rockLength4 37LabelIslandComposer s U2Lyricist s Bono and The EdgeProducer s Flood with additional production by Steve OsborneU2 singles chronology Discotheque 1997 Staring at the Sun 1997 Last Night on Earth 1997 Music videos Official Music Video on YouTube Miami Version on YouTube Contents 1 Background 2 Critical reception 2 1 Live performances 3 Formats and track listings 4 Charts 4 1 Weekly charts 4 2 Year end charts 5 Release history 6 See also 7 ReferencesBackground EditThe song was written with the line Stuck together with God s glue which was taken directly from the title of the album by the Irish band Something Happens who are good friends with U2 1 The band felt the song was a potential anthem to rival One 2 3 A new mix of Staring at the Sun was released for the compilation The Best of 1990 2000 2 During the mid 2002 recording sessions in which Electrical Storm and The Hands That Built America were recorded parts for four U2 songs were re recorded including Staring at the Sun The song has been compared to the work of Oasis 4 5 A kaleidoscope bearing the single s logo in gold was distributed to promote the single 6 Critical reception EditKevin Courtney from Irish Times commented Could this be U2 s riposte to Champagne Supernova an overt attempt to steal some thunder back from Oasis and regain their rightful place as anthem makers supreme Staring at the Sun has shades of psychedelia lazy sunny afternoons watching a Waterloo sunset and it s as big bold and Beatlesque as anything Noel Gallagher has ever knocked out The Edge picks out pictures of matchstick men on his guitar while Bono sings of Summer stretching on the grass Summer dresses pass A front runner for U2 s big Summer 97 hit 7 British magazine Music Week gave it top score with five out of five and named it Single of the Week writing Possibly the most obvious single on Pop this track is awash with a melancholy that s amplified by The Edge s plangent keening guitar signature Big 8 David Sinclair from The Times said God is good but will He listen Bono asks in this solid return to traditional U2 territory Does He have a choice 9 Live performances Edit Staring at the Sun was played at most of the PopMart Tour shows However during the first concert at Las Vegas U2 failed to time the song correctly and had to start over Bono singing at the wrong tempo was to blame for the mistake The song was performed acoustically for most of the rest of that tour 2 It had several appearances on the Elevation Tour being the only Pop song to be performed on all three legs of the Elevation Tour Sometimes it also appeared as a snippet in Discotheque It was performed as a live staple of the North American leg of the 2018 Experience Innocence Tour 10 11 It appeared in the live videos recordings Please PopHeart Live EP Please single PopMart Live from Mexico City Hasta la Vista Baby and U2 Go Home Live from Slane Castle Ireland Formats and track listings Edit7 inch and cassette releaseNo TitleLength1 Staring at the Sun 4 372 North and South of the River 4 38 CD release 1No TitleLength1 Staring at the Sun 4 372 North and South of the River 4 383 Your Blue Room 5 28 CD release 2No TitleLength1 Staring at the Sun Monster Truck mix 5 062 Staring at the Sun Sad Bastards mix 6 193 North and South of the River 4 384 Staring at the Sun Lab Rat mix 5 05Charts EditWeekly charts Edit Chart 1997 PeakpositionAustralia ARIA 12 23Austria O3 Austria Top 40 13 25Belgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 14 46Canada Top Singles RPM 15 1Canada Adult Contemporary RPM 16 20Canada Rock Alternative RPM 17 1Europe Eurochart Hot 100 18 21Finland Suomen virallinen lista 19 4France SNEP 20 49Germany Official German Charts 21 41Iceland Islenski Listinn Topp 40 22 1Ireland IRMA 23 4Italy Musica e dischi 24 9Netherlands Dutch Top 40 25 22Netherlands Single Top 100 26 19New Zealand Recorded Music NZ 27 4Norway VG lista 28 9Scotland OCC 29 3Sweden Sverigetopplistan 30 26Switzerland Schweizer Hitparade 31 29UK Singles OCC 32 3US Billboard Hot 100 33 26US Adult Alternative Songs Billboard 34 1US Adult Top 40 Billboard 35 13US Alternative Airplay Billboard 36 1US Dance Singles Sales Billboard 37 23US Mainstream Rock Billboard 38 2US Mainstream Top 40 Billboard 39 22 Year end charts Edit Chart 1997 PositionCanada Top Singles RPM 40 5Canada Rock Alternative RPM 41 8Iceland Islenski Listinn Topp 40 42 4UK Singles OCC 43 139Release history EditRegion Date Format s Label s Ref United States 11 March 1997 Contemporary hit radio Island 44 United Kingdom 14 April 1997 CDcassette 45 Canada 15 April 1997 CD 46 United States 7 inch vinylCDcassetteJapan 25 April 1997 CD 47 See also EditList of covers of U2 songs Staring at the Sun List of RPM number one singles of 1997 Canada List of RPM Rock Alternative number one singles Canada Number one modern rock hits of 1997References Edit U2 U2faqs com Songs Lyrics FAQ 24 July 2009 Archived from the original on 24 July 2009 Retrieved 4 November 2021 a b c Greene Andy 14 March 2017 U2 s Pop A Reimagining of the Album 20 Years Later Rolling Stone Wenner Media LLC Retrieved 2 November 2018 Power Ed 30 October 2018 PopMart Were U2 Making a Joke or was the Joke on Them The Irish Times Retrieved 2 November 2018 Stylus Magazine Erlewine Stephen Thomas Pop Review AllMusic Retrieved 29 September 2009 U2 Collectibles and Memorabilia Silver amp Gold U2wanderer org Retrieved 4 November 2021 Courtney Kevin 21 February 1997 U2 Goes Pop Irish Times New Releases Singles PDF Music Week 5 April 1997 p 28 Retrieved 16 May 2022 Sinclair David 19 April 1997 The week s top pop releases Records The Times Greene Andy 3 May 2018 U2 Dig Deep at Transcendent Experience Tour Opener in Tulsa Rolling Stone Retrieved 5 May 2018 Olivier Bobby 26 June 2018 Hits be damned U2 doubles down on spectacle for tech heavy new tour review NJ com Retrieved 30 August 2018 U2 Staring at the Sun ARIA Top 50 Singles Retrieved 23 January 2019 U2 Staring at the Sun in German O3 Austria Top 40 Retrieved 23 January 2019 U2 Staring at the Sun in Dutch Ultratop 50 Retrieved 23 January 2019 Top RPM Singles Issue 3203 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved 23 January 2019 Top RPM Adult Contemporary Issue 3211 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved 27 May 2020 Top RPM Rock Alternative Tracks Issue 3195 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved 23 January 2019 Eurochart Hot 100 Singles PDF Music amp Media Vol 14 no 18 3 May 1997 p 20 Retrieved 25 January 2020 U2 Staring at the Sun in Finnish Musiikkituottajat Retrieved 23 January 2019 U2 Staring at the Sun in French Les classement single Retrieved 23 January 2019 U2 Staring at the Sun in German GfK Entertainment charts Islenski Listinn Topp 40 NR 213 Vikuna 20 3 97 26 3 97 Dagbladid Visir in Icelandic 21 March 1997 p 16 Retrieved 11 July 2018 The Irish Charts Search Results Staring at the Sun Irish Singles Chart Retrieved 23 January 2019 Top National Sellers PDF Music amp Media Vol 14 no 21 24 May 1997 p 14 Retrieved 27 November 2019 Nederlandse Top 40 week 19 1997 in Dutch Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 23 January 2019 U2 Staring at the Sun in Dutch Single Top 100 Retrieved 23 January 2019 U2 Staring at the Sun Top 40 Singles Retrieved 23 January 2019 U2 Staring at the Sun VG lista Retrieved 23 January 2019 Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Retrieved 23 January 2019 U2 Staring at the Sun Singles Top 100 Retrieved 23 January 2019 U2 Staring at the Sun Swiss Singles Chart Retrieved 23 January 2019 Official Singles Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Retrieved 23 January 2019 U2 Chart History Hot 100 Billboard Retrieved 2 October 2019 U2 Chart History Adult Alternative Songs Billboard Retrieved 2 October 2019 U2 Chart History Adult Pop Songs Billboard Retrieved 2 October 2019 U2 Chart History Alternative Airplay Billboard Retrieved 2 October 2019 U2 Chart History Dance Singles Sales Billboard Retrieved 5 July 2021 U2 Chart History Mainstream Rock Billboard Retrieved 2 October 2019 U2 Chart History Pop Songs Billboard Retrieved 2 October 2019 RPM 97 Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks RPM Library and Archives Canada 15 December 1997 Retrieved 23 January 2019 RPM 97 Year End Top 50 Alternative Tracks RPM Library and Archives Canada 15 December 1997 Retrieved 23 January 2019 Arslistinn 1997 Islenski Listinn 100 Vinsaelustu Login Dagbladid Visir in Icelandic 2 January 1998 p 25 Retrieved 15 February 2020 Najlepsze single na UK Top 40 1997 in Polish Archived from the original on 4 June 2015 Retrieved 2 July 2019 New Releases Radio amp Records No 1187 7 March 1997 p 90 New Releases Singles PDF Music Week 12 April 1997 p 41 Retrieved 5 July 2021 Staring at the Sun U2 u2songs com Retrieved 1 December 2021 ステアリング アット ザ サン U2 Staring at the Sun U2 in Japanese Oricon Retrieved 30 August 2023 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Staring at the Sun U2 song amp oldid 1180538366, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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