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About This Track
“Even Better Than the Real Thing” is the second song on U2’s 1991 album Achtung Baby. It was released as the album’s fourth single on 7 June 1992.
“Even Better Than the Real Thing” originated from a chorus guitar riff that The Edge composed in Los Angeles during the Rattle and Hum sessions. A demo of the song, called “The Real Thing”, was recorded at STS Studios during the same session in which “Desire” was recorded. The band remarked that the song’s guitar riff reminded them of The Rolling Stones, but that it sounded “deeply traditional”. Consequently, it was shelved until the Achtung Baby recording sessions, when the band took the multitrack recording of the demo to Hansa Studios in Berlin in late 1990. The band made little progress on the demo there, as the Berlin sessions were plagued by conflict and difficulty in completing songs.
The song peaked at #12 becoming one of the few U2 singles that failed to reach the top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. It made #8 on the Dutch Top 40. A few months after its initial release DJ Paul Oakenfold remix charted better than the original, reaching No. 8. In the United States, the single was a hit on rock radio. It reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and #5 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also reached #27 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and #35 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart.
“Even Better Than the Real Thing” originated from a chorus guitar riff that The Edge composed in Los Angeles during the Rattle and Hum sessions. A demo of the song, called “The Real Thing”, was recorded at STS Studios during the same session in which “Desire” was recorded. The band remarked that the song’s guitar riff reminded them of The Rolling Stones, but that it sounded “deeply traditional”. Consequently, it was shelved until the Achtung Baby recording sessions, when the band took the multitrack recording of the demo to Hansa Studios in Berlin in late 1990. The band made little progress on the demo there, as the Berlin sessions were plagued by conflict and difficulty in completing songs.
The song peaked at #12 becoming one of the few U2 singles that failed to reach the top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. It made #8 on the Dutch Top 40. A few months after its initial release DJ Paul Oakenfold remix charted better than the original, reaching No. 8. In the United States, the single was a hit on rock radio. It reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and #5 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also reached #27 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and #35 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart.
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Albums featuring this track
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Achtung Baby
U2
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The Best Of 1990-2000
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The Total Thing (disc 1)
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All The Best
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Shouts
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caiotribbiani wrote:
such a sexy and delicious song
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nicki-77 wrote:
♥
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WestEndIrish wrote:
The sun won't melt our wings tonight!
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flippant23 wrote:
Superb.
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my_throat_hurts wrote:
@bojay Coca Cola, seems more fitting for Pepsi ;)
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XimenaDoherty wrote:
U2 is even better than the real thing...you better believe it :) [2] You better do! :P
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edimervaldo wrote:
Even better than most of their songs
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Dark99 wrote:
Opened their show with this tune... pretty rad.
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NathelieJulienn wrote:
uow, this is a amazing track!!
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echo725 wrote:
This song is about a swarm of bees.
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Bolshevized wrote:
This track is another piece of evidence in regards to why The Edge rules.
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chromiumnumbers wrote:
What a song, what an album. U2's best, thanks to Mr. Eno.
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citruscorp wrote:
this song is about sex
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annisthenymph wrote:
They played Even better than the real thing in Argentina! It was the first song. I couldn't believe it! It was awesome!!
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bojay wrote:
Surprised that Coca Cola hasn't snapped this up for advertising purposes...
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wyzwolenie wrote:
this song IS even better than the real thing [2] (maybe not better but you know...)
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isitbeer30yet wrote:
..you'll be satisfied...gonna blow right through ya like a breeze <3
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corky64 wrote:
Great....<3
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louies33 wrote:
U2 even better than the real thing...you better believe it :)
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Sn1per_El1te wrote:
Awesome song, probably the best one which not included in 360 Degree Tour
Track Stats
854,990 Scrobbles
220,743 Listeners
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