22. "Beautiful Day" by U2 (2000)

"Beautiful Day" established U2 (again) as the biggest band on the planet. U2's stellar 2001 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, re-enthroned the band's sonic magnanimity and appealed to our collective greatness. The Edge's wall-of-sound guitar, Adam Clayton's pulsing rhythm, Larry Mullen, Jr.'s beating drums, and Bono's vocal passion engaged listeners during a third decade of music making. "Beautiful Day" was their clarion call.

U2's relevancy in the early part of this decade will also be tied to the events of 9/11. The D Man's brothers were a few terrifying blocks away and watched the towers fall that fateful day in September 2001. Robbie still has the dust on his shoes from his journey across the Brooklyn Bridge to escape Manhattan. A month later, they attended U2's sold-out show in Madison Square Garden and have since said it was one of the most cathartic experiences of their lives. Indeed, Bono and The Edge agreed that those New York City shows are among the most memorable of their thirty-year career.

Millions shared in that experience a few months later during halftime of the Super Bowl, when U2 paid tribute to the deceased and Bono, ever the attention-seeking Irishmen, ripped open his jacket and unfurled an American flag. It was awesome. Maybe the greatest public performance of all time, certainly of that magnitude. Likewise, "Beautiful Day" became an anthem of peace, hope, and reinvention during the rest of U2's heart-shaped tour.

For the video, click here. For a huge performance at Slane Castle, click here.

Why listen? Powerful, inspiring rock music has long been U2's forte. "Beautiful Day" is a powerful, inspiring rock song. Forget the band's back catalog and this song would have been even bigger, if that even makes sense or is possible. When Bono reaches to sing reach me, I know I'm not a hopeless case, a sort of communal understanding is realized: with each other, we are not cast off forever.

Something else? You already know what else.