Song · U2
“Discotheque” by U2
From the album Pop (1997)
“Discotheque” by U2 appears on 14 radio countdowns from 14 stations between 1997 and 2022. It was first released in 1997 on the album Pop. Its best result is #41 on the WRCX Top 103 Songs of 1997. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #65 alternative song of 1997, #4,361 alternative song of all time and #499 of the '90s.
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"Discotheque" kicks off U2's Pop and was the album's lead single on Island in early 1997, and it's the band hurling themselves at the dance floor with no safety net. Flood produced it, Howie B worked the sampler and added mixing and recording, and Mark "Spike" Stent did the main mix. Bono and the Edge wrote the words and both play guitar, Adam Clayton rides a fat, rubbery bass line, and Larry Mullen, Jr. drives it on drums and percussion, with the Edge adding backing vocals.
The electronic club influence that ran through their '90s work is right up front here, all fuzz, loops and swagger. Stéphane Sednaoui's video put the band inside a mirrorball, dressed up as the Village People. It went to number one in Britain, Ireland and several other countries, and topped the American and Canadian dance and alternative charts.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 92 | KROQ Los Angeles, CA | KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1997 | 107 |
| 1997 | 65 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 1997 | 91 |
| 1997 | 71 | Live 105 San Francisco, CA | Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1997 | 105 |
| 1997 | 66 | Q101 Chicago, IL | Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1997 | 101 |
| 1997 | 91 | WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD | WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1997 | 100 |
| 1997 | 55 | 107.7 The End Seattle, WA | The End Top 107 Songs of 1997 | 107 |
| 1997 | 50 | 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) | WEQX Top 102.7 of 1997 | 103 |
| 1997 | 75 | X103.9 Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | X103.9 Top 103.9 Songs of 1997 | 104 |
| 1997 | 91 | 105.7 The Point St. Louis, MO | 105.7 The Point Top 105.7 of 1997 | 106 |
| 1997 | 50 | Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) | Radio & Records Top 97 Songs of 1997 | 97 |
| 1997 | 41 | WRCX Rock 103.5 Chicago, IL | WRCX Top 103 Songs of 1997 | 103 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 138 | 99X | 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) | 1000 |
| 2021 | 823 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s | 908 |
| 2022 | 280 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s | 900 |
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