“Even Better Than the Real Thing” by U2 is a sleek, swaggering rock track from their 1991 album Achtung Baby. It captures the band in a moment of reinvention—diving headfirst into a new sound that mixed alternative rock, electronic textures, and a bit of glam attitude, all while still holding onto their anthemic core.
The song kicks off with a distorted, siren-like guitar riff from The Edge that instantly grabs attention. It’s sharp, mechanical, and sets the tone for a track that’s all about desire, illusion, and chasing something that might not even exist. Bono’s vocals are playful and seductive, leaning into a more ironic, self-aware vibe than the earnestness of U2’s earlier work.
Lyrically, it plays with themes of temptation and artificiality, with lines like “Give me one last dance / We’ll slide down the surface of things” hinting at the shallow thrills of modern life—and the way we sometimes choose the fake over the real because it’s easier, shinier, or more exciting. It’s catchy but laced with tension, mirroring the album’s larger themes of love, doubt, and transformation.
Released as a single in June 1992, it reached the top ten in several European countries, No. 11 in Australia, and No. 12 in the UK. In the United States, it topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.