U2 get to number one in UK

U2's 12th album, "No Line on the Horizon", (bland cover isn't it?) has gone straight in at number one in the UK, their tenth UK chart topper. While you might argue in the current music-sales era it would be pretty odd if they hadn't, This impressive feat means that they are one of the most successful album artists ever, one number one behind the Beatles and 5 (!) behind Elvis. The incredible hype around the album has no doubt helped the sales no-end, but still critics seem to be divided about how good it is. Rolling Stone and Q magazine have both given it 5 stars, (although Q would possibly give that to Bono's answering machine message), while Pitchfork (probably predictably) called it Pitiful and Jim Carroll of The Irish Times isn't really a fan.

While never being a big U2 fan myself, Achtung Baby is a great album, i quite liked All that you can't Leave Behind and Pop and i own the obligatory copy of The Joshua Tree that was handed out with my passport. However, two of my friends are obsessives (i've spent many pub conversations arguing random Bono-and-the-lads related topics ad nauseum) and they have both come back declaring it to be a piece of modern genius.

I'll reserve judgement until i've heard it, but maybe people might stop talking about their tax status for a few minutes and have a listen to the music for a bit.