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In the year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a new Europe emerged. The Cold War came to an end. On the eve of German reunification, the last flight into East Berlin held four men seeking inspiration. U2 arrived in Berlin, “ready for what’s next.” There to record their next album, they quickly found disagreements and stark contrasts in their musical direction. Disillusioned and not making progress, the band found themselves at the brink of breaking up.

In the 20 years that have passed since the release of Achtung Baby, most fans have forgotten how close it came to demise. Thankfully, the two sides reached an agreement, finding a way to fuse the new electronic sound with solid strong structure. The band referred to the album’s musical departure from their past work as “the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree.”

Fans quickly understood the allusion. The distorted guitar of the album’s opening song “Zoo Station”, shockingly introduced listeners to a postmodern, darker and more sophisticated U2. Two decades and over 18 million copies later, the album’s affect on engineered modern rock music is indisputable. Songs like “One” and “Mysterious Ways” sound as fresh and inventive tonight as they did 20 years ago.

Transcending time, Achtung Baby is now widely recognized as one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Fans can listen to the newly released 20th Anniversary reissue, while pondering what might have happened in Berlin.