To be fair, the RS list aligns with the magazine’s fuddy-duddy reputation, which skews toward dad-rock (Bruce Springsteen’s High Hopes took second place), so U2’s first place finish is less than surprising. It’s a win-win nonetheless. Bono gets to say U2 made the best album of the year, but the non-consensual consumer strategy was debunked, so if Hickory Farms was thinking of having its workers shove pretzel crackers topped with smoked gouda into customers’ mouths while they’re texting, well…now they know better.