Song #8

Title: "With Or Without You" (live)
Artist: U2
Album: The version that I pick for this list is the one from the film 'Rattle and Hum,' although it does not appear on the album that accompanied the film. I've been able to get great bootlegs of all of the songs from the film, so I generally turn to this live version as my favorite. The original studio version would also appear about here on the list if this live version didn't exist, anyway. I just think the live version has just a bit more punch to it. The original song appeared on The Joshua Tree, 1987.
Written By: U2

If my last pick was a bit obscure, this pick definitely steers us back to the mainstream. Every once in awhile, the ignorant masses get it right. I have always felt that this is the most perfectly constructed song I've ever heard. The entire song is a crescendo of emotion and power, so when it does explode there near the end, the release is well earned and all the more potent. Producer Daniel Lanois said "It has tension and builds like one of those great Roy Orbison songs, where every section is unique and never repeats." He makes a good point. Structurally and how it perfectly builds tension throughout the song, its antecedent could be Orbison's glorious "Running Scared" (which also does not have a chorus).

BELOW: Here's the song from the film 'Rattle and Hum.' Enjoy Bono in all of his melodramatic glory...