Song · U2
“Atomic City” by U2
Released 2023
“Atomic City” by U2 appears on 14 radio countdowns from 14 stations between 2023 and 2026. It was first released in 2023. Its best result is #18 on the X96 Music Quorum 2023 Top 50 Songs. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #191 alternative song of 2023.
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U2 dropped "Atomic City" through Island Records on 29 September 2023, the same day they opened their U2:UV Achtung Baby Live residency at Sphere in Las Vegas, and the song was built to announce the run. It was their first new music since "Your Song Saved My Life" from Sing 2 in 2021, produced by Jacknife Lee and Steve Lillywhite at Sound City Studios.
The band pitched it as a nod to Blondie, Giorgio Moroder, the Clash and post-punk, and the chorus sits so close to "Call Me" that Debbie Harry and Moroder picked up writing credits. The title borrows an old Vegas nickname from the days of nuclear tourism. Larry Mullen Jr. missed the residency while recovering from surgery, yet he plays on the track and appears in Ben Kutchins's Las Vegas-shot video, which earned a 2024 MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Rock Video.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
Hard Rock & Metal
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 23 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON | 102.1 The Edge The Top 23 of 2023 | 22 |
| 2023 | 96 | The Buzz Burlington, VT / Plattsburgh, NY / Montreal, QC | The Buzz Top 99 Songs of 2023 | 99 |
| 2023 | 52 | WTMD Baltimore, MD | WTMD Top 89 Songs of 2023 | 89 |
| 2023 | 19 | 107.1 The Peak Westchester County, NY | WXPK Top 107 Songs of 2023 | 107 |
| 2023 | 52 | WFUV New York, NY | WFUV Top 90 Songs of 2023 | 90 |
| 2023 | 76 | WXPN Philadelphia, PA | WXPN Top 100 Most Played Songs of 2023 | 100 |
| 2023 | 67 | 90.9 The Bridge Kansas City, MO | 90.9 The Bridge Top 90 Songs of 2023 | 90 |
| 2023 | 73 | WYEP Pittsburgh, PA | WYEP Top 91 Songs of 2023 | 91 |
| 2023 | 18 | X96 Salt Lake City, UT | X96 Music Quorum 2023 Top 50 Songs | 50 |
| 2023 | 101 | 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) | WEQX Top 102.7 of 2023 | 103 |
| 2023 | 44 | WERS 88.9 Boston, MA | WERS Top 88 Songs of 2023 | 88 |
| 2023 | 23 | 93.3 WMMR Philadelphia, PA | WMMR Top 25 Songs of 2023 | 25 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 404 | The Current | 893 Essential Songs of The Current: 2005 to Now | 893 |
| 2026 | 328 | KXT | KXT 917 Song Countdown | 917 |
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