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U2: the 100 most inspiring musicians of all time
The members are Bono (byname of Paul Hewson; b. May 10, 1960, Dublin, Ire.), the Edge (byname of David Evans; b. Aug. 8, 1961, Barking, Essex [now in Greater London], Eng.), Adam Clayton (b. March 13, 1960, Oxford, Oxfordshire, Eng.), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (b. Oct. 31, 1961, Dublin, Ire.).
Irish postpunk band U2 had established itself by the end of the 1980s not only as one of the world’s most popular bands, but also as one of the most innovative. Though forged in the crucible of punk rock that swept Europe in the late 1970s, U2 instantly created a distinctive identity with its grandiose sound; a merger of the Edge’s minimal, reverb-drenched guitar; and Bono’s quasi-operatic vocals.
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The band members were attending a Dublin secondary school when they began rehearsing, undeterred by their lack of technical expertise. The band’s early records were characterized by an intense spirituality, and they commented on social and political issues, such as the civil strife in Northern Ireland, with compassion and tenderness.
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U2 became renowned for its inspirational live performances and was a word-of-mouth sensation long before it made much of an impact on the pop charts. But, with the multimillion-selling success of The Joshua Tree album (1987) and the number one hits “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” U2 became pop stars. On Rattle and Hum (1988), a double album and documentary movie, the band explored American roots music—blues, country, gospel, and folk— with typical earnestness but were pilloried by some critics who found the project pompous.
U2 reinvented itself for the new decade, reemerging in 1991 with the album Achtung Baby and a sound heavily influenced by European experimental, electronic, and disco music. With this came a stage show that trafficked in irony and self-deprecating humor, qualities virtually absent from the band’s music in the previous decade; the 1992 Zoo TV tour was one of the most technically ambitious and artistically accomplished large-scale rock spectacles ever staged. But, despite the flashier exterior, the band’s lyrics remained obsessed with matters of the soul.
The dehumanizing aspects of media and technology were a recurring theme on subsequent records, even as the band immersed itself in techno textures.
In 1997, the band rush-released the Pop album to fulfill obligations for a stadium tour and was greeted with its worst reviews since Rattle and Hum. Another reinvention was in store, but this time, rather than boldly pushing forward, the band sought to reassure fans by making music that referenced its 1980s roots. The aptly titled All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004) were focused on riffs and songs rather than atmosphere and mystery, and they succeeded in reestablishing the quartet as a commercial force, but at what price?
The band took five years before releasing its 12th studio album, No Line on the Horizon (2009). Longtime collaborators Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois played a bigger role in the production and songwriting, and the layered textures of the album’s most experimental work crept back prominently in the mix.
Since the early 1980s, the members of U2—as a band and individually—have collaborated with other musicians, artists, celebrities, and politicians to address issues concerning poverty, disease, and social injustice.
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The Very Best Of U2 - U2 Greatest Hits - U2 Collection
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List of songs recorded by U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. The band formed in 1976 and released their debut EP Three in 1979 exclusively in Ireland. Following the release of their single "Another Day" in 1980, U2 signed a recording contract with Island Records, and released their first album, Boy, later that year. The band has since released 15 full-length studio albums, the most recent being Songs of Surrender in 2023. As of 2026, U2 have released 310 songs.
U2 discography
The Irish rock band U2 has released 15 studio albums, two live albums, three compilation albums, 85 singles, and twelve extended plays (EPs). The band formed at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in 1976 as teenagers. In 1979, the group issued their first release, the EP U2-3, which sold well in Ireland. The following year, the group signed to Island Records and released their debut album, Boy. It reached number 52 in the UK and number 63 in the US. They followed it up with the release of October (1981) and War (1983). War was a commercial success, becoming the band's first number-one album in the UK while reaching number 12 in the US. The album included the singles "Two Hearts Beat as One", "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day". On the subsequent War Tour, the group recorded the live album Under a Blood Red Sky and concert film U2 Live at Red Rocks, both of which sold well and helped establish them globally as a live act.
The band shifted towards a more ambient, abstract musical direction for The Unforgettable Fire (1984), their first collaboration with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. The album went to number one in the UK and produced the group's biggest hit to that point, the UK top-10 single "Pride (In the Name of Love)". The group's fifth album, The Joshua Tree (1987), made them international superstars and was a critical and commercial success, reaching number one in over 20 countries; it is one of the best-selling albums in the US (10 million copies shipped) and worldwide (25 million copies sold).
It produced their only number-one singles in the US, "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". U2 followed this up with the 1988 release of Rattle and Hum, a double album and companion documentary film which documented their experiences with American roots music from the Joshua Tree Tour with a collection of new studio tracks, cover songs, and live recordings. The lead single "Desire" was the band's first number-one single in the UK. The album sold over 14 million copies, while the film grossed $8.6 million.
Facing a backlash from Rattle and Hum and creative stagnation, U2 reinvented themselves musically in the 1990s. The band's following album, Achtung Baby (1991), marked a dramatic shift towards alternative rock, industrial music, and electronic dance music. It debuted at number one in the US, eventually sold 18 million copies worldwide, and spawned five singles, including "One", "Mysterious Ways", and the UK number-one "The Fly". U2's follow up albums Zooropa and Pop continued the band's experimentation with alternative rock and electronic dance music, reaching number one worldwide but with reduced sales. U2 regained commercial favour with the release of All That You Can't Leave Behind in 2000, returning to a more mainstream sound.
The album sold over 12 million copies and won seven Grammy Awards. It spawned several successful singles, including "Beautiful Day", "Walk On", "Elevation", and "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of". The following album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004), was promoted with the popular lead single "Vertigo". The album was another commercial success and ultimately won all nine of its Grammy Award nominations. The group's twelfth album, No Line on the Horizon (2009), reached number one in 30 countries but its sales of 5 million were seen as a disappointment by the band, and it did not contain a hit single. Their 2014 album Songs of Innocence was released at no cost to over 500 million iTunes Store users but the pervasiveness of the promotion brought controversy; the album's sales and charting duration were among the weakest in the band's discography. In 2017, U2 released Songs of Experience and began the 2017 and 2019 Joshua Tree Tours to commemorate the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree.
U2 have sold 175 million records worldwide. With 52 million certified units by the RIAA, U2 rank as the 22nd-highest-selling music artist in the US. U2 have eight albums that have reached number one in the US, the third-most of any group.