It's a welcome to their Sphere shows and an overall nod to Vegas for hosting them. The wiki page notes that they credited Debbie Harry and Giorgio Moroder for the similarities to Call Me; they wanted to give a nod to the 70s Blondie/Clash era of music just as much to all the signature themes that have grown around Vegas over the years. It's catchy; I like it the more I hear it. Thanks for the clip !
They did say that this song was a nod to The Clash and Blondie, so you're spot-on with that observation. I hadn't noticed it but I think you're also spot-on with the break part/interlude being very Beatles-esque. I found your channel through your The Warning reactions and U2 is my all time fave band, so I was glad to see this one pop up. I appreciate your overall attitude of being able to respect a band or artist who you may not like their music but still appreciate what they've done and their work. Not to mention your general policy of keeping things positive and discarding the negative reactions. A lot more people should take that approach in life, and especially with their behavior on the Internet. Keep up the good work!
The big hype around Bad is due to their Live Aid performance. Live Aid in the 80s had a lot of big name bands, and U2 was new on the scene. They got the invite because of their hit Pride (In the Name of Love). But the stole the show with a 13-minute rendition of Bad due to Bono's stage presence, crowd interaction and dancing with the fans. I like the song Bad, but I can see where it may not be everyone's cup of tea. I think many people either want to relive the nostalgia, or experience first hand what they've seen in recording from that concert. This is at least my take on why many U2 fans talk up the song Bad, which to others may just seem like a random song on an old U2 album.
That's a fair take...but to add to that, if you know the story behind the song then it certainly adds to the reason why so many people like it. Not everyone is fussed about the meaning behind a song and just like the "sound" of them...but Bad does resonate for deeper reasons than that. Also the song, particularly live builds to a big crescendo and is quite euphoric when witnessed live. Having said all that, that is the same for many other songs by other bands. I have been a U2 fan for 30+ years and there isn't much that I'd say I don't like - but there are plenty that I skip when not in the mood. The Live Aid performance has added to the history of Bad...it had been a live fan favourite instantly in the year prior to live Aid and I think even without that performance it would've still risen to the status it has.
