U2's “Songs of Innocence” named Rolling Stone’s Best Album

PanARMENIAN.Net - U2's Songs of Innocence has been named Best Album of 2014 by Rolling Stone, Digital Spy said.

The group's surprise collection was released in September via Apple's iTunes, controversially downloading automatically for customers free of charge.

The album beat Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes into second place, with The Black Keys' Turn Blue and St Vincent's self-titled collection in third and fourth positions respectively.

Explaining the ranking, Rolling Stone wrote: "There was no bigger album of 2014 - in terms of surprise, generosity and controversy. Songs of Innocence is also the rebirth of the year.

"Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. put their lives on the line: giving away 11 songs of guitar rapture and frank, emotional tales of how they became a band out of the rough streets and spiritual ferment of Seventies Dublin. This is personal history with details."

Praising the band for making a record full of "stories and triumph, memory and confession detonated with adventure and poised", the review concluded: "Songs of Innocence is the proof - and the emotionally raw rock album of the year, at any price."