Growing up, I didn’t really question why this band would be played along side Nirvana, Bush, Soundgarden, Linkin Park, etc. because my radio station of choice was not just grunge, but also “adult alternative.” So it would play pop shit, too, sometimes.
But I still, to this day, often find U2 listed among grunge artists, or their songs get played on grunge playlists. The fuck? How is this shit grunge? It doesn’t fit in any way! It doesn’t have the sound, it doesn’t have the style, shit it doesn’t even have the same emotional resonance. It’s happy and hopeful.
They’re not. They’re basically the one band out of the Echo & The Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes, Flock Of Seagulls mini-genre that really broke into the mainstream.
I call it non-progressive pop, or also corporate treadmill music. Because the harmony never gets anywhere or do anything interesting, but always feel like it’s moving