Ask the Critic: Robert Hilburn

Question: I remember reading a U2 review you wrote back in 1985 for “The Unforgettable Fire.” You ended it by saying something to the effect of “U2 has still not written their ‘Hey Jude.’ ” In your opinion, have they now? If so, what song would it be?

Eric Riddle

Santa Clarita

Hilburn: Your files are better than mine, Eric. I couldn’t find the reference, but I recall the spirit of it. By the time of “Unforgettable Fire,” U2 was already on its way to deserving to be called the greatest rock band in the world. Its live show was inspiring, and it melded purpose and craft into its best songs, including “New Year’s Day” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” which made them profoundly moving.

Yet in 1985, U2 still hadn’t touched the mainstream pop world the way the Beatles had. It needed an anthem, a “Let It Be” or a “Hey Jude,” to make it a band that everyone could embrace. U2 delivered it sooner than anyone expected with a series of songs on its next album, 1987’s “The Joshua Tree.”

Lots of rock musicians worry about compromising their art when they reach for a massive pop single, but U2 actually sharpened its art on “With or Without You,” “Where the Streets Have No Name” and, especially, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” The last is probably its “Let It Be.” One of the others (or “One”) is probably its “Hey Jude.”

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