Bono disclosed which U2 album he believes showcases his best vocal performance.

Every singer treats their voice like a prized possession, especially since it’s an extension of their body. Working on different vocal scales can be challenging, and overindulging after a performance often leads to a vocal reminder later on. Although Bono is typically self-critical about his voice, he admitted that the best vocal performance he ever recorded came decades into U2’s career, in the 2000s.

During the 1980s, Bono appeared to be at the height of his abilities, regardless of what he sang. Even though some were put off by his political views, no one could deny his conviction in his music, particularly when hitting the high notes on “Where the Streets Have No Name” or delivering the raw intensity of “Bullet the Blue Sky.”

Bono and U2 performs at the 48th Grammy Awards show in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Bob Riha Jr/WireImage)

As grunge began to emerge, Bono was already shifting his vocal style. While he could still deliver his usual strong performances, during the recording of Achtung Baby, he started to recognize the impact of occasionally tapping into his falsetto on various tracks.

In fact, could it be that his “Fly” persona was simply a way for Bono to experiment with different aspects of his vocal range? While he appeared to embrace the over-the-top rock star persona, like so many before him, it’s difficult to listen to a track like “Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me” without sensing that he was exploring new vocal territory, testing the limits of what he could achieve.

Although How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb was somewhat of a reset for the band, Bono’s voice came through powerfully right from the start of “Vertigo.” Despite his botched attempt at counting in another language, this was still the same vocalist behind The Joshua Tree, with his voice front and center, unembellished by effects.

While the songs may not rank among U2’s greatest, it didn’t matter as long as Bono believed in what he was singing. He remarked, “My voice is the best it’s ever been on this record. And I believe it’s my father’s gift to me. He was a great tenor, and when he died, he passed that on to me.”

It’s hard to deny the passion Bono brought to every song. While “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own” may not hit as emotionally hard as “One” did, the moment those falsetto backing vocals appear in the chorus, it feels like he’s embracing you through the speakers.

Even though Bono may not have had the best technique or the widest range compared to his peers, technical perfection was never his goal. That was for classical musicians. All he aimed to do was create music that felt like someone pouring their soul onto the tape.