Editing U2 (section)

== History ==
{{For timeline}}

=== Formation and early years (1976–1980) ===
[[File:MountTempleClock.jpg|thumb|The band formed in 1976 while attending [[Mount Temple Comprehensive School]] (pictured in 2007) in Dublin.]]
In 1976, [[Larry Mullen Jr.]], then a 14-year-old pupil of [[Mount Temple Comprehensive School]] in Dublin, Ireland, posted a note on the school's notice board in search of musicians for a new band.<!--as an Irish topic, this article uses international dating, i.e., dd/mm/yyyy not American dating mm/dd/yyyy.--> For the first practice, which was held on 25&nbsp;September in Mullen's kitchen, Mullen played drums and was joined by at least five other people: [[Bono|Paul Hewson ("Bono Vox")]] on lead vocals; [[The Edge|David Evans ("the Edge")]] and his older brother [[Dik Evans]] on guitar; [[Adam Clayton]], a friend of the Evans brothers, on bass guitar; and Ivan McCormick. Mullen later described it as "'The Larry Mullen Band' for about ten minutes, then Bono walked in and blew any chance I had of being in charge." Peter Martin, a friend of Mullen and McCormick, loaned his guitar and amplifier for the first practice,<ref name="mccorm27">McCormick (2006), pp. 27, 29–30</ref> but he could not play and was quickly phased out;<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.hotpress.com/news/THE-UNBELIEVABLE-BOOK/1488562.html|title=The Unbelievable Book|magazine=[[Hot Press]]|first=Neil|last=McCormick|date=3 December 1987|issue=11|volume=23|access-date=16 December 2016|archive-date=22 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322182616/http://www.hotpress.com/news/THE-UNBELIEVABLE-BOOK/1488562.html|url-status=live}}</ref> sources differ on whether he was in attendance at the first meeting or not.<ref>Sources stating that Martin attended the first practice: {{bulleted list|Chatterton (2001), p. 130|Jobling (2014), p. 16|McGee (2008), p. 9}}
Sources disputing Martin's attendance: {{bulleted list|{{cite web|url=https://www.u2songs.com/news/u245_forty_five_years_of_u2_with_ivan_mccormick|title=U245: Forty Five Years of U2 with Ivan McCormick|website=U2Songs.com|first=Aaron|last=Sams|date=25 September 2021|access-date=19 October 2021|archive-date=18 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018064904/https://u2songs.com/news/u245_forty_five_years_of_u2_with_ivan_mccormick|url-status=live}}}}</ref> Within a few weeks, McCormick was also dropped from the group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hotpress.com/U2/music/interviews/U240-U2-It-was-40-Years-Ago-Today/18931799.html|title=#U240 U2: It was 40 Years Ago Today|website=Hot Press|first=Colm|last=O'Hare|date=25 September 2016|access-date=16 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201174751/https://www.hotpress.com/music/u240-u2-it-was-40-years-ago-today-18931799|archive-date=1 December 2020|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The remaining five members settled on the name "Feedback" for the group because it was one of the few technical terms they knew. Early rehearsals took place in their music teacher's classroom at Mount Temple.<ref name="mccorm27"/> Most of their initial material consisted of [[cover version|cover songs]], which they admitted was not their forte.<ref>McCormick (2006), pp. 35, 40</ref> The emergence of [[punk rock]], in particular the influence of acts such as [[the Stranglers]],<ref name='strangledu2'>{{cite magazine |title=Hugh Cornwell talks to Adam of U2|magazine=Strangled|issue=20|publisher=SIS|date=February 1985|pages=4–9|url=https://archive.org/details/strangled-vol-2-no-20-1985-02/page/4/mode/2up|access-date=5 December 2021|quote="to be very honest, in those early days The Stranglers were much more of an influence than The Clash or The Pistols. The Clash were so much of an English working class movement we didn't feel part of"}}</ref> [[the Jam]], [[the Clash]], [[Buzzcocks]], and [[Sex Pistols]], convinced them that musical proficiency was not a prerequisite to success.<ref>McCormick (2008), p. 37</ref>

{{quote box
 | quote  = We couldn't believe it. I was completely shocked. We weren't of an age to go out partying as such but I don't think anyone slept that night&nbsp;... Really, it was just a great affirmation to win that competition, even though I've no idea how good we were or what the competition was really like. But to win at that point was incredibly important for morale and everyone's belief in the whole project.
 | source =&nbsp;—The Edge, on the band's winning a 1978 talent contest in [[Limerick]]<ref name="U2_by_U2_46-48"/>
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In April 1977, Feedback played their first gig for a paying audience at [[St. Fintan's High School]]. Shortly thereafter, the band changed their name to "The Hype".<ref>McGee (2008), pp. 11–12</ref> Dik Evans, who was older and by that time attending college, was becoming the odd man out of the group. The other members were leaning towards the idea of a four-piece ensemble.<ref name="U2_by_U2_46-48">McCormick (2006), pp. 46–48</ref> In March 1978, the group changed their name to "U2",<ref>McGee (2008), p. 14</ref> selecting it from a list of six options suggested by [[Steve Averill]], a punk rock musician with [[the Radiators from Space]] and a family friend of Clayton. The band chose U2 for its open-ended interpretations, visual strength on posters, and because it was the name that they disliked the least.<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 44</ref> Dik Evans officially left the band with a farewell concert at the Presbyterian Hall in [[Sutton, Dublin|Sutton]] on 4 March. During the show, which featured the group playing cover songs as the Hype, Dik ceremonially walked offstage. The remaining four members returned later in the concert to play original material as U2.<ref name="U2_by_U2_46-48"/><ref>{{cite podcast|url=https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzLzY0NGI5ZmRmZDBmNmUyMDAxMjdjZjQ3Nw|title=Intermission - The Night The Hype Became U2|work=U2-Y|first=Gareth|last=Averill|date=22 May 2023|access-date=9 July 2023|via=[[Google Podcasts]]|archive-date=9 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709073158/https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzLzY0NGI5ZmRmZDBmNmUyMDAxMjdjZjQ3Nw|url-status=live}}</ref> Dik joined the [[Virgin Prunes]], a band made up of mutual friends of U2; early on, the Prunes served as U2's default [[opening act]], and the two groups often shared members for live performances to fill in for occasional absences.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 20</ref> On 18 March, the four-piece U2 won the "Pop Group '78" talent contest sponsored by the ''[[Evening Press]]'' and [[Guinness]]'s [[Harp Lager]] as part of [[Limerick]] Civic Week.<ref>{{bulleted list|{{Cite web|url=https://www.u2songs.com/news/pop_group_1978|title=Pop Group 1978|website=U2Songs.com|first=Aaron J.|last=Sams|date=18 March 2022|access-date=9 July 2023|archive-date=9 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709080812/https://www.u2songs.com/news/pop_group_1978|url-status=live}}|{{cite news|title=Dublin boys top of Pops!|newspaper=[[Evening Press]]|date=20 March 1978|page=3}}}}</ref> The win was an important milestone and affirmation for the fledgling act.<ref name="U2_by_U2_46-48"/> The contest prize consisted of {{GBP|500}} ({{Inflation|UK|500|1978|fmt=eq|cursign=£|round=-1}}) and a recording session for a demo that would be heard by the record label [[CBS Records International|CBS Ireland]].<ref name="mcg16">McGee (2008), pp. 16–18</ref> U2's demo tape was recorded at Keystone Studios in Dublin in April 1978,<ref name="mcg16"/> but the results were largely unsuccessful due to their inexperience.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.hotpress.com/U2/music/interviews/STORIES-OF-BOYS/549279.html|title=Stories of Boys|magazine=Hot Press|first=Jackie|last=Hayden|date=5 June 1985|access-date=29 December 2016|volume=9|issue=12|archive-date=3 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103173926/http://www.hotpress.com/U2/music/interviews/STORIES-OF-BOYS/549279.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:U2 plaque in Limerick commemorating Pop Group 78 contest win (cropped).jpeg|thumb|upright=0.85|A plaque commemorating U2's victory in the 1978 Limerick Civic Week "Pop Group" music talent contest]]
Irish magazine ''[[Hot Press]]'' was influential in shaping U2's future; in addition to being one of their earliest allies, the publication's journalist [[Bill Graham (author)|Bill Graham]] introduced the band to [[Paul McGuinness]], who agreed to be their [[Talent manager|manager]] in mid-1978.<ref name="mcg16"/><ref>McCormick (2006), pp. 53–56</ref> With the connections he was making within the music industry, McGuinness booked demo sessions for the group and sought to garner them a record deal. The band continued to build their fanbase with performances across Ireland,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/features/u2-the-early-years-there-was-a-presence-a-magnetism-4226|title=In the Name of Love|magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]|first=Stephen|last=Dalton|date=December 1999|issue=31|access-date=30 December 2016|archive-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702130919/http://www.uncut.co.uk/features/u2-the-early-years-there-was-a-presence-a-magnetism-4226|url-status=live}}</ref> the most famous of which were a series of weekend afternoon shows at Dublin's [[Stephen's Green Shopping Centre|Dandelion Market]] in mid-1979.<ref name="mcg21">McGee (2008), pp. 21–24</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.u2songs.com/news/u2_at_the_dandelion_an_interview_with_john_fisher|title=U2 at the Dandelion: An Interview with John Fisher|website=U2Songs.com|first=Harry|last=Kantas|date=24 February 2020|access-date=19 October 2021|archive-date=20 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020033824/https://www.u2songs.com/news/u2_at_the_dandelion_an_interview_with_john_fisher|url-status=live}}</ref> 

In August 1979, U2 recorded demos at [[Windmill Lane Studios]] with CBS talent scout Chas de Whalley as producer, marking the first of the band's many recordings at the studio during their career.<ref>McGee (2008), pp. 23, 29</ref> The following month, three songs from the session were released by CBS in Ireland as the EP ''[[Three (U2 EP)|Three]]''. It was the group's first chart success, selling all 1,000 copies of its limited edition 12-inch vinyl almost immediately.<ref name="mcg21"/> In December 1979, the band performed in London for their first shows outside Ireland, although they were unable to gain much attention from audiences or critics.<ref>de la Parra (2003), p. 10</ref> On 26 February 1980, their second single, "[[Another Day (U2 song)|Another Day]]", was released on the CBS label, again only for the Irish market. The same day, U2 performed at the 2,000-seat [[National Stadium (Ireland)|National Stadium]] in Dublin as part of an Irish tour.<ref name="mcg27">McGee (2008), p. 27</ref><ref name="legends">{{cite episode|title=U2|series=[[VH1's Legends|Legends]]|network=[[VH1]]|season=1|number=6|airdate=11 December 1998}}</ref> Despite their gamble of booking a concert in such a large venue, the move paid off.<ref name="mcg27"/> Bill Stewart, an [[A&R]] representative for [[Island Records]], was in attendance and offered to sign them to the label.<ref name="RStone397">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/blessed-are-the-peacemakers-u2-102912/|title=Blessed Are the Peacemakers|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Henke|first=James|date=9 June 1983|access-date=2 July 2018|issue=397|pages=11–14|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204755/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/blessed-are-the-peacemakers-u2-102912/|url-status=live}}</ref> The following month, the band signed a four-year, four-album contract with Island, which included a {{GBP|50,000}} advance ({{Inflation|UK|50,000|1980|fmt=eq|cursign=£|round=-1}}) and {{GBP|50,000}} in tour support.<ref name="mcg29">McGee (2008), pp. 29–31</ref>

=== ''Boy'' and ''October'' (1980–1982) ===
[[File:Steve_Lillywhite_during_interview.jpg|thumb|[[Steve Lillywhite]] produced the band's first three studio albums: ''[[Boy (album)|Boy]]'', ''[[October (U2 album)|October]]'', and ''[[War (U2 album)|War]]''.]]
In May 1980, U2 released "[[11 O'Clock Tick Tock]]", their first international single and their debut on Island, but it failed to chart.<ref name="mcg29"/> [[Martin Hannett]], who produced the single, was in consideration to produce the band's debut album, ''[[Boy (album)|Boy]]'', but was replaced with [[Steve Lillywhite]].<ref name="mccorm96">McCormick (2006), pp. 96–100</ref> From July to September 1980, U2 recorded the album at Windmill Lane Studios,<ref name="mcg32">McGee (2008), p. 32</ref><ref name="pluckirish">{{cite magazine|title=U2: Pluck of the Irish|magazine=[[Trouser Press]]|first=Jim|last=Green|date=March 1982}}</ref> drawing from their nearly 40-song repertoire at the time.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Kings of the Celtic Fringe|magazine=[[NME]]|first=Gavin|last=Martin|date=14 February 1981}}</ref> Lillywhite employed an experimental approach as producer, setting up Mullen's drums in a stairwell and recording [[overdub]]s such as smashed bottles and cutlery skimmed against a spinning bicycle wheel.<ref name="mccorm96"/> The band found Lillywhite very encouraging and creative; Bono called him "such a breath of fresh air", and the Edge said he "had a great way of pulling the best out of everybody".<ref name="mccorm96"/> The album's lead single, "[[A Day Without Me]]", was released in August. Although it did not chart,<ref name="mcg32"/> the song was the impetus for the Edge's purchase of a [[delay (audio effect)|delay]] [[effects unit|effect unit]], the [[Electro-Harmonix]] Memory Man, which came to define his guitar playing style.<ref name="mcg29"/>

Released in October 1980,<ref name="mcg34">McGee (2008), p. 34</ref> ''Boy'' received generally positive reviews.<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 69</ref> [[Paul Morley]] of ''[[NME]]'' called it "touching, precocious, full of archaic and modernist conviction",<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Boy's Own Weepies|magazine=NME|first=Paul|last=Morley|author-link=Paul Morley|date=25 October 1980}}</ref> while Declan Lynch of ''Hot Press'' said he found it "almost impossible to react negatively to U2's music".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://hotpress.com/archive/492357.html|title=Boy|magazine=Hot Press|first=Declan|last=Lynch|date=10–24 October 1980|access-date=13 October 2011|volume=4|issue=10|archive-date=5 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405044251/http://hotpress.com/archive/492357.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Bono's lyrics reflected on adolescence, innocence, and the passage into adulthood,<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 67</ref> themes represented on the album cover by a closeup of an adolescent Peter Rowen, the younger brother of Bono's friend [[Guggi]].<ref name="mccorm96"/> ''Boy'' peaked at number 52 in the United Kingdom and number 63 in the United States.<ref name="mcg34"/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1981/BB-1981-04-18.pdf|title=Billboard Top LPs & Tape|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=18 April 1981|page=139|volume=93|issue=15|access-date=28 December 2016|via=World Radio History}}</ref> The album included the band's first songs to receive airplay on US radio, including the single "[[I Will Follow]]",<ref name="edgeofu2"/> which reached number 20 on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|Top Tracks]] rock chart.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/80s/1981/BB-1981-04-25.pdf|title=Billboard Rock Albums & Top Tracks|magazine=Billboard|date=25 April 1981|page=28|volume=93|issue=16|access-date=28 December 2016}}</ref> ''Boy''{{'}}s release was followed by the Boy Tour, U2's first tour of continental Europe and the US.<ref>de la Parra (2003), pp. 16–17</ref> Reviewing the band's early live performances, critics complimented their ambition and Bono's exuberance, and found the shows to be illustrative of U2's potential despite lacking polish.<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite news|title=A New Sound Under Pressure|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|first=Steve|last=Morse|date=7 March 1981|page=8}}|{{cite news|title=U2: Aiming for Number 1|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|first=Boo|last=Browning|date=27 February 1981|page=WK39}}|{{cite magazine|url=http://www.hotpress.com/music/interviews/U2-COULD-BE-IN-LA/549120.html|title=U2 Could Be in L.A.|magazine=Hot Press|first=Charlie|last=McNally|date=17 April – 1 May 1981|volume=5|issue=7|access-date=3 January 2017|archive-date=22 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322190604/http://www.hotpress.com/music/interviews/U2-COULD-BE-IN-LA/549120.html|url-status=live}}|{{cite news|title=U2: Intriguing New Band Explodes on the American Scene|newspaper=[[Orange County Register]]|first=C.P.|last=Smith|date=23 March 1981}}}}</ref>

[[File:Bono and Edge of U2 in Toronto 5-19-81.jpg|thumb|Bono and the Edge performing on the Boy Tour in May 1981]]
The band faced several challenges in writing their second album, ''[[October (U2 album)|October]].'' On an American leg of the Boy Tour, Bono's briefcase containing in-progress lyrics and musical ideas was lost backstage during a March 1981 performance at a nightclub in [[Portland, Oregon]].<ref name="mccorm113">McCormick (2006), pp. 113–120</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/history/2016/03/u2_portland_stolen_briefcase_h.html|title=How U2, a Portland bar and a missing briefcase altered music history (photos)|website=[[OregonLive.com]]|first=Joseph|last=Rose|date=22 March 2016|access-date=31 March 2016|archive-date=1 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301182354/http://www.oregonlive.com/history/2016/03/u2_portland_stolen_briefcase_h.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The band had limited time to write new music on tour and in July began a two-month recording session at Windmill Lane Studios largely unprepared,<ref name="mcg46">McGee (2008) pp. 46–47</ref> forcing Bono to quickly improvise lyrics.<ref name="mccorm113"/> Lillywhite, reprising his role as producer, called the sessions "completely chaotic and mad".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7511370.stm|title=U2's producer reveals studio secrets|website=[[BBC News]]|first=Mark|last=Savage|date=18 July 2008|access-date=24 December 2016|archive-date=11 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411144901/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7511370.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> ''October''{{'}}s lead single, "[[Fire (U2 song)|Fire]]", was released in July and was U2's first song to chart in the UK.<ref name="mcg46"/><ref name="ukcharts">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/21874/u2/|title=U2 <nowiki>|</nowiki> full Official Chart history|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=24 December 2016|archive-date=29 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129145220/http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/21874/u2/|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite earning the band an appearance on UK television programme ''[[Top of the Pops]]'', the single fell in the charts afterwards.<ref name="mccorm113"/> On 16 August 1981, the group opened for [[Thin Lizzy]] at the inaugural [[Slane Concert]]; the Edge called it one of U2's worst shows.<ref name="mcg46"/> Adding to this period of self-doubt, Bono's, the Edge's, and Mullen's involvement in a [[Charismatic Christian]] group in Dublin called the "Shalom Fellowship" led them to question the relationship between their religious faith and the lifestyle of a rock band.<ref name="mccorm113"/><ref>Flanagan (1995), pp. 46–48</ref> Bono and the Edge considered quitting U2 due to their perceived spiritual conflicts before deciding to leave Shalom instead.<ref name="mccorm113"/><ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=October |title-link=October (U2 album) |others=U2 |year=2008 |last=McCormick |first=Neil |type=Remastered deluxe edition CD booklet |publisher=[[Island Records]] |id=B0010948-02}}</ref>

[[File:Dave and U2 in studio, 1982.jpg|thumb|U2 with radio host [[Dave Fanning]] ''(centre)'' in February 1982]]
''October'' was released in October 1981 and contained overtly spiritual themes.<ref name="mcg49">McGee (2008), pp. 49–50</ref> The album received mixed reviews and limited radio play.<ref>Jobling (2014), pp. 88–89</ref> It debuted at number 11 in the UK,<ref name="mcg49"/> but sold poorly elsewhere.<ref name="mccorm120">McCormick (2006), pp. 120, 130</ref> The single "[[Gloria (U2 song)|Gloria]]" was U2's first song to have its music video played on [[MTV]], generating excitement for the band during the [[October Tour]] of 1981–1982 in markets where the television channel was available.<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 125</ref> During the tour, U2 met Dutch photographer [[Anton Corbijn]],<ref>McGee (2008), p. 55</ref> who became their principal photographer and has had a major influence on their public image.<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 127</ref> In March 1982, the band played 14 dates as the opening act for [[the J. Geils Band]].<ref>McGee (2008), pp. 57–58</ref> U2 were disappointed by their lack of progress by the end of the October Tour. Having run out of money and feeling unsupported by their record label, the group committed to improving; Clayton recalled that "there was a firm resolve to come out of the box fighting with the next record".<ref name="mccorm120"/>

===''War'' and ''Under a Blood Red Sky'' (1982–1983)===
After the October Tour, U2 decamped to a rented cottage in Howth, where they lived, wrote new songs, and rehearsed for their third album, ''[[War (U2 album)|War]]''. Significant musical breakthroughs were achieved by the Edge in August 1982 during a two-week period of independent songwriting, while the other band members holidayed and Bono honeymooned with his wife, [[Ali Hewson|Ali]].<ref name="mcc135">McCormick (2006), pp. 130, 135</ref><ref name="mcg59">McGee (2008), pp. 59–60</ref> From September to November, the group recorded ''War'' at Windmill Lane Studios. Lillywhite, who had a policy of not working with an artist more than twice, was convinced by the group to return as producer for a third time.<ref name="warpeace">{{cite magazine|title=War & Peace|magazine=NME|first=Adrian|last=Thrills|date=26 February 1983}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Producer: Steve Lillywhite|magazine=U2 Magazine|first=Geoff|last=Parkyn|date=March 1985|issue=14}}</ref> The recording sessions featured contributions from violinist [[Steve Wickham]] and the female singers of [[Kid Creole and the Coconuts]].<ref name="warpeace"/> For the first time, Mullen played drums to a [[click track]] to keep time.<ref name="mcc135"/> After completing the album, U2 played a short tour of Western Europe in December.<ref>de la Parra (2003), pp. 35–37</ref>

{{listen
|pos=left
 | filename     = U2 Sunday Bloody Sunday.ogg
 | title        = "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (1983)
 | description  = "Sunday Bloody Sunday" features a martial drumbeat, raw guitar, and lyrically, a bleak emotionally charged response to violence.
 | format       = [[Ogg]]
}}
''War''{{'}}s lead single, "[[New Year's Day (U2 song)|New Year's Day]]", was released in January 1983. It reached number 10 in the UK and became the group's first hit outside Europe; in the US, it received extensive radio coverage and peaked at number 53.<ref name="mcg63">McGee (2008), pp. 63–64, 66, 72</ref> Resolving their doubts of the ''October'' period,<ref>Stokes (1996), p. 36</ref> U2 released ''War'' in February.<ref name="mcg63"/> Critically, the album received favourable reviews, although a few UK reviewers were critical of it.<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 102</ref> It was the band's first commercial success, debuting at number one in the UK, while reaching number 12 in the US.<ref name="mcg63"/> ''War''{{'}}s sincerity and "rugged" guitar were intentionally at odds with the trendier [[synthpop]] of the time.<ref>Graham (2004), p. 14</ref> Described as a record on which the band "turned pacifism itself into a crusade",<ref>Reynolds (2006), p. 367</ref> ''War'' was lyrically more political than their first two records,<ref>McPherson (2015), p. 14</ref> focusing on the physical and emotional effects of warfare.<ref name="warpeace"/> The album included the [[protest song]] "[[Sunday Bloody Sunday]]", in which Bono lyrically contrasted the events of the [[Bloody Sunday (1972)|1972 Bloody Sunday]] shooting with [[Easter|Easter Sunday]].<ref name="mcc135"/> Other songs addressed [[nuclear proliferation]] ("Seconds") and the Polish [[Solidarity (Polish trade union)|Solidarity]] movement ("New Year's Day").<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 98</ref> ''War'' was U2's first record to feature Corbijn's photography.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Anton Corbijn|magazine=Propaganda|publisher=U2 Information Service|date=April 1989|issue=10}}</ref> An adolescent Rowen was again featured on the album cover, with his previously innocent expression replaced by a fearful one.<ref name="mcg63"/>

[[File:U2 War Tour-1983-05-30 - Devore.jpg|thumb|alt=U2 playing on an outdoor stage. The Edge is on the left playing guitar, Bono in the centre with a microphone, and Adam Clayton on the right playing bass guitar. A drum set is partially visible on the right side.|U2 performing at the [[US Festival]] in May 1983]]

On the subsequent 1983 [[War Tour]] of Europe, the US and Japan,<ref name="mcg63"/> the band played progressively larger venues, moving from clubs to halls to arenas.<ref>de la Parra (2003), p. 42</ref> Bono attempted to engage the growing audiences with theatrical, often dangerous antics, climbing scaffolding and lighting rigs and jumping into the audience.<ref name="wsj85">Lambert, Paul, "U2: Keeping the Faith with Unforgettable Fire", ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', 2 April 1985. In Bordowitz (ed.), ''The U2 Reader'', pp. 44–47.</ref> The sight of Bono waving a white flag during performances of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" became the tour's iconic image.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://motherjones.com/media/1989/05/bono-bites-back|title=Bono Bites Back|magazine=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]|first=Adam|last=Block|date=1 May 1989|access-date=18 June 2010|archive-date=3 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603072638/http://motherjones.com/media/1989/05/bono-bites-back|url-status=live}}</ref> The band played several dates at large European and American [[music festival]]s,<ref name="snow56">Snow (2014), p. 56</ref> including a performance at the [[US Festival]] on [[Memorial Day]] weekend for an audience of 125,000 people.<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 107</ref> Nearly rained out, the group's 5 June 1983 concert at [[Red Rocks Amphitheatre]] was singled out by ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' as one of "50 Moments that Changed the History of Rock and Roll".<ref name="redrocks">{{cite magazine|last=Cave|first=Damien|date=24 June 2004|title=U2's Gamble at Red Rocks|magazine=Rolling Stone|page=146|issue=951|display-authors=etal}}</ref> The show was recorded for the concert video ''[[U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky|Live at Red Rocks]]'', and was one of several concerts from the tour captured on their live album ''[[Under a Blood Red Sky]]''.<ref>Jobling (2014), pp. 108–111</ref> The releases received extensive play on MTV and the radio, expanding the band's audience and showcasing their prowess as a live act.<ref name="redrocks"/> During the tour, the group established a new tradition by closing concerts with the ''War'' track "[[40 (song)|40]]", during which the Edge and Clayton would exchange instruments and the band members would leave the stage one by one as the crowd continued to sing the refrain "How long to sing this song?".<ref>Graham (2004), pp. 20–21</ref><ref>McCormick (2006), p. 142</ref> The War Tour was U2's first profitable tour, grossing about {{USD|2&nbsp;million}}.<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 112</ref>

=== ''The Unforgettable Fire'' and Live Aid (1984–1985) ===
With their record deal with Island Records coming to an end, U2 signed a more lucrative extension in 1984. They negotiated the return of the copyrights of their songs, an increase in their royalty rate, and a general improvement in terms, at the expense of a larger initial payment.<ref name="band80s">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-keeping-the-faith-55384/|title=Keeping the Faith|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Connelly|first=Christopher|date=14 March 1985|access-date=2 July 2018|issue=443|pages=25+|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204911/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-keeping-the-faith-55384/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following the ''War'' album and tour, U2 feared that they were in danger of becoming another "shrill", "sloganeering [[Arena rock|arena-rock]] band".<ref name="RS_JT">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/the-joshua-tree-252429/|title=Review: The Joshua Tree|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Steve|last=Pond|date=9 April 1987|access-date=2 July 2018|issue=497|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702180202/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/the-joshua-tree-252429/|url-status=live}}</ref> While they were confident that fans would embrace them as successors to groups like [[the Who]] and [[Led Zeppelin]], according to Bono: "something just didn't feel right. We felt we had more dimension than just the next big anything, we had something unique to offer."<ref name="U2byU2_147">McCormick (2006), p. 147</ref> They sought experimentation for their fourth studio album, ''[[The Unforgettable Fire]]''.<ref name="COMPLETE_21">Graham (2004), p. 21</ref> Clayton said, "We were looking for something that was a bit more serious, more arty."<ref name="U2byU2_147" /> The Edge admired the [[ambient music|ambient]] and "weird works" of [[Brian Eno]], who, along with his [[audio engineering|engineer]] [[Daniel Lanois]], eventually agreed to produce the record. The decision to hire them was against the wishes of Island Records founder [[Chris Blackwell]], who believed that just when the band were about to achieve the highest levels of success, Eno would "bury them under a layer of [[Avant-garde music|avant-garde]] nonsense".<ref name="U2byU2_151"/>

{{Listen
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 |title="The Unforgettable Fire" (1984)
 |description="[[The Unforgettable Fire (song)|The Unforgettable Fire]]" has a rich, symphonic sound built from ambient instrumentation, a driving rhythm, and a lyrical "sketch".<ref name="STOKES_55">Stokes (1996), p. 55</ref>
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Partly recorded in [[Slane Castle]], ''The Unforgettable Fire'' was released in October 1984 and marked a major change of style.<ref name="PARRA_52-56">de la Parra (2003), pp. 52–55</ref> It was ambient and abstract, and featured a rich, orchestrated sound. Under Lanois' direction, Mullen's drumming became looser, funkier, and more subtle, and Clayton's bass became more subtle.<ref name="STOKES_50-51">Stokes (1996), pp. 50–51</ref> Complementing the album's atmospheric sound, the lyrics were left open to interpretation, providing what the band called a "very visual feel".<ref name="PARRA_52-56"/> Due to a tight recording schedule, Bono felt songs like "[[Bad (U2 song)|Bad]]" and "[[Pride (In the Name of Love)]]" were incomplete "sketches".<ref name="U2byU2_151">McCormick (2006), p. 151</ref> The album reached number one in the UK,<ref>McGee (2008), p. 78</ref> and was successful in the US.<ref>{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p5723/charts-awards/billboard-albums|pure_url=yes}} |title=U2: Charts and Awards |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 November 2014}}</ref> The lead single "Pride (In the Name of Love)", written about [[civil rights movement]] leader [[Martin Luther King Jr.]], was their first song to chart in the US top 40.<ref>Graham (2004), pp. 23–24</ref>

[[File:U2 on Unforgettable Fire Tour 09-09-1984.jpg|thumb|U2 performing in Sydney in September 1984 on [[the Unforgettable Fire Tour]]]]
Much of [[the Unforgettable Fire Tour]] moved into indoor arenas as U2 built their audience.<ref>de la Parra (2003), pp. 62–63</ref> The complex textures of the new studio-recorded tracks, such as "[[The Unforgettable Fire (song)|The Unforgettable Fire]]" and "Bad", was hard to translate to live performances.<ref name="PARRA_52-56"/> One solution was programming [[music sequencer]]s, which the band had previously been reluctant to use but now incorporate into the majority of their performances.<ref name="PARRA_52-56"/> Songs on the album had been criticised as being "unfinished", "fuzzy", and "unfocused", but were better received by critics when played on stage. ''Rolling Stone'', which was critical of the album version of "Bad", described its live performance as a "show stopper".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Henke|first=James|title=Review: Wide Awake in America|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=18 July 1985|issue=452–453}}</ref>

In March 1985, a ''Rolling Stone'' cover story called U2 the "Band of the '80s", saying that "for a growing number of rock & roll fans, U2{{nbsp}}... has become the band that matters most, maybe even the only band that matters".<ref name="band80s" /> On 13 July 1985, the group performed at the [[Live Aid]] concert at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]] for [[1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia|Ethiopian famine]] relief,<ref>{{cite news|title=Live Aid's Legacy of Concern|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=2 July 1995|first=Steve|last=Morse|edition=City|at=sec. Arts & Film, p. A1}}</ref> before a crowd of 72,000 fans and a worldwide television audience of 1.5&nbsp;billion people.<ref name="rs-liveaid-bad">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/u2s-bad-break-12-minutes-at-live-aid-that-made-the-bands-career-242777/|title=U2's 'Bad' Break: 12 Minutes at Live Aid That Made the Band's Career|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Gavin|last=Edwards|date=10 July 2014|access-date=13 July 2020|archive-date=3 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803130522/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/u2s-bad-break-12-minutes-at-live-aid-that-made-the-bands-career-242777/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="mcg88">McGee (2008), pp. 88–89</ref> During a 12-minute performance of "Bad", Bono climbed down from the stage to embrace and dance with a female fan he had picked out of the crowd,<ref name="rs-liveaid-bad"/> showing a global audience the personal connection that he could make with fans.<ref>de la Parra (2003), pp. 72–73</ref> The performance was a pivotal event in the band's career;<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 164</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]'' cited Live Aid as the moment that made stars of U2, and it included their performance on a list of 50 key events in rock history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/12/u2-stars-live-aid|title=U2 become stars after Live Aid|website=[[The Guardian]]|first=Pete|last=Paphides|date=12 June 2011|access-date=7 November 2016|archive-date=7 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107223325/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/12/u2-stars-live-aid|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== ''The Joshua Tree'' and ''Rattle and Hum'' (1986–1990) ===
{{quote box
 | quote  = The wild beauty, cultural richness, spiritual vacancy and ferocious violence of America are explored to compelling effect in virtually every aspect of ''The Joshua Tree''—in the title and the cover art, the blues and country borrowings evident in the music&nbsp;... Indeed, Bono says that 'dismantling the mythology of America' is an important part of ''The Joshua Tree''{{'}}s artistic objective.
 | source =&nbsp;—[[Anthony DeCurtis]]<ref>Rolling Stone (1994), pp. 68–69</ref>
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For their fifth album, ''[[The Joshua Tree]]'', the band wanted to build on ''The Unforgettable Fire''{{'}}s textures, but instead of experimentation, sought a harder-hitting sound within the limitation of conventional song structures.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=DeCurtis|first=Anthony|title=U2 Releases The Joshua Tree|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=26 March 1987|issue=496}}</ref> Realising that "U2 had no tradition" and that their knowledge of music from before their childhood was limited, the group delved into [[American roots music|American]] and [[Folk music of Ireland|Irish roots music]].<ref>McCormick (2006), pp. 169, 177</ref> Friendships with [[Bob Dylan]], [[Van Morrison]], and [[Keith Richards]] motivated Bono to explore [[blues]], [[folk music|folk]], and [[gospel music]] and to focus on his skills as a songwriter and lyricist.<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 179</ref> U2 halted the album sessions in June 1986 to play as a headline act on the [[A Conspiracy of Hope|Conspiracy of Hope]] benefit concert tour for [[Amnesty International]]. Rather than distract the band, the tour invigourated their new material.<ref name="McCormick 2006, p. 174">McCormick (2006), p. 174</ref> The following month, Bono travelled to [[Nicaragua]] and [[El Salvador]] and saw first-hand the distress of peasants affected by political conflicts and US military intervention. The experience became a central influence on their new music.<ref name=westwon>{{cite magazine|title=How the West Was Won|magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]|first=Stephen|last=Dalton|date=October 2003|issue=77}}</ref>

[[File:U2 (1987 Island Records Publicity Photo).jpg|thumb|A promotional image of the band for their 1987 album ''The Joshua Tree'']]
''The Joshua Tree'' was released in March 1987. The album juxtaposes antipathy towards US foreign policy against the group's deep fascination with the country, its open spaces, freedom, and ideals.<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 186</ref> The band wanted music with a sense of location and a "cinematic" quality, and the record draws on imagery created by American writers whose works the band had been reading.<ref>Graham (2004), pp. 27–30</ref> ''The Joshua Tree'' was critically acclaimed; [[Robert Hilburn]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' said the album "confirms on record what this band has been slowly asserting for three years now on stage: U2 is what [[the Rolling Stones]] ceased being years ago—the greatest rock and roll band in the world".<ref name="latimes-joshua">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-03-15-ca-10491-story.html|title=U2's Roots Go Deeper|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|first=Robert|last=Hilburn|author-link=Robert Hilburn|date=15 March 1987|at=section Calendar, p. 61|access-date=15 October 2010|archive-date=6 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206152411/http://articles.latimes.com/1987-03-15/entertainment/ca-10491_1_joshua-tree|url-status=live}}</ref> The record went to number one in over 20 countries,<ref name="10things">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2s-the-joshua-tree-10-things-you-didnt-know-106885/|title=U2's 'The Joshua Tree': 10 Things You Didn't Know|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Jordan|last=Runtagh|date=9 March 2017|access-date=2 July 2018|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702180231/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2s-the-joshua-tree-10-things-you-didnt-know-106885/|url-status=live}}</ref> including the UK where it received a [[Music recording sales certification|platinum certification]] in 48 hours and sold 235,000&nbsp;copies in its first week, making it the fastest seller in British chart history at the time.<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 170</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/who-we-are/eighties/|title=The history of the Official Charts: the Eighties|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=13 May 2018|archive-date=19 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119235412/http://www.officialcharts.com/who-we-are/eighties/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the US, it spent nine consecutive weeks at number one.<ref>{{cite AV media|people=King, Philip, and Nuala O'Connor (directors)|title=[[Classic Albums]]: U2&nbsp;– The Joshua Tree|medium=Television documentary|publisher=Isis Productions|year=1999}}; McCormick (2006), p. 186</ref> The album included the hit singles "[[With or Without You]]", "[[I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For]]", and "[[Where the Streets Have No Name]]", the first two of which became the group's only number-one hits in the US. U2 became the fourth rock band to be featured on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine,<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 177</ref> which called them "Rock's Hottest Ticket".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19870427,00.html|title=Time Magazine Cover: U2 – April 27, 1987|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=27 April 1987|access-date=23 March 2016|archive-date=9 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209061709/http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19870427,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The album and its songs received four [[Grammy Award]] nominations, winning [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]] and [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal|Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal]].<ref name="grammy-wins-noms">{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/u2/7858|title=U2 <nowiki>|</nowiki> Artist|website=[[Grammy Awards|Grammy.com]]|access-date=26 February 2022|archive-date=27 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227005423/https://www.grammy.com/artists/u2/7858|url-status=live}}</ref> Many publications, including ''Rolling Stone'', have cited ''The Joshua Tree'' as one of rock's greatest albums.<ref name="500Greatest">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/u2-the-joshua-tree-20120524|title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|magazine=Rolling Stone|year=2012|editor=[[Jann Wenner|Wenner, Jann S.]]|issue=Special Collectors Issue|page=29|isbn=978-7-09-893419-6|access-date=27 February 2013|archive-date=19 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119092242/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/u2-the-joshua-tree-20120524|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[The Joshua Tree Tour]] was the first tour on which the band played shows in stadiums alongside smaller arena shows.<ref>de la Parra (2003), pp. 102–103, 111</ref> It was the highest-grossing North American tour of the year with {{USD|35.1&nbsp;million}} earned at the box office,<ref name="U287">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-23-ca-9654-story.html|title=U2's $35-Million Gross Is Highest for '87 Tour|first=Robert|last=Hilburn|author-link=Robert Hilburn|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=23 January 1988|at=sec. Calendar, p. 1|accessdate=1 September 2023|url-access=subscription|archive-date=2 January 2022|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220102033941/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-23-ca-9654-story.html}}</ref> and globally it grossed {{USD|56&nbsp;million}} from 3.17&nbsp;million tickets sold.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/the-making-of-the-joshua-tree-behind-the-scenes-of-u2-s-spectacular-live-tour-20191112-p539zp.html|title=Masters of stagecraft add wall of wonder|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|first=Karl|last=Quinn|date=16 November 2019|page=24|access-date=6 September 2024}}</ref>

In October 1988, the group released ''[[Rattle and Hum]]'', a double album and theatrically released documentary film that captured the band's experiences with American roots music on the Joshua Tree Tour. The record featured nine studio tracks and six live U2 performances, including recordings at [[Sun Records|Sun Studio]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] and collaborations with Dylan and [[B.B. King]]. Intended as a tribute to American music,<ref>Stokes (1996), p. 78; Graham (2004), pp. 36–38</ref> one ''Rolling Stone'' editor spoke of the album's "excitement" and another described it as "misguided and bombastic".<ref name="rs-achtung-review">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/achtung-baby-251325/|title=U2's 'Achtung Baby': Bring the Noise|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Elysa|last=Gardner|date=9 January 1992|issue=621|page=51|access-date=2 July 2018|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204419/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/achtung-baby-251325/|url-status=live}}</ref> The film's director, [[Phil Joanou]], described it as "an overly pretentious look at U2".<ref name="RS_xxiv">Rolling Stone (1994), p. xxiv</ref> The film underperformed at the box office and was withdrawn from theatres after three weeks,<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 197</ref> having grossed only {{USD|8.6&nbsp;million}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=u2rattleandhum.htm|title=U2: Rattle and Hum (1988)|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=21 June 2017|archive-date=30 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170330172224/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=u2rattleandhum.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite the criticism, the album sold 14&nbsp;million copies and reached number one worldwide.<ref>Stokes (2005), p. 78</ref> Lead single "[[Desire (U2 song)|Desire]]" became the band's first number-one song in the UK while reaching number three in the US.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 119</ref> Most of the album's new material was played on 1989–1990's [[Lovetown Tour]], which visited Australasia, Japan, and Europe. They had grown dissatisfied with their live performances; Mullen recalled, "We were the biggest, but we weren't the best".<ref name="fricke">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-finds-what-its-looking-for-189823/ |title=U2 Finds What It's Looking For |magazine=Rolling Stone |first=David |last=Fricke |author-link=David Fricke |date=1 October 1992 |access-date=2 July 2018 |issue=640 |pages=40+ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026111642/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/u2s_serious_fun |archive-date=26 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> With a sense of musical stagnation, Bono hinted at changes to come during a 30 December 1989 concert near the end of the tour; before a hometown crowd in Dublin, he said on stage that it was "the end of something for U2" and that they had to "go away and&nbsp;... just dream it all up again".<ref>McGee (2008), p. 129</ref><ref>McCormick (2006), p. 213</ref>
{{Clear}}

=== ''Achtung Baby'', Zoo TV, and ''Zooropa'' (1990–1993) ===
{{quote box
 | quote  = Buzzwords on this record were ''trashy, throwaway, dark, sexy,'' and ''industrial'' (all good) and ''earnest, polite, sweet, righteous, rockist'' and ''linear'' (all bad). It was good if a song took you on a journey or made you think your hifi was broken, bad if it reminded you of recording studios or U2&nbsp;...
 | source =&nbsp;—[[Brian Eno]], on the recording of ''[[Achtung Baby]]''<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Bringing Up Baby|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Brian|last=Eno|author-link=Brian Eno|date=28 November 1991|issue=618}}</ref>
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Stung by the criticism of ''Rattle and Hum'', the band sought to transform themselves musically.<ref>Flanagan (1995), pp. 4–6</ref> Seeking inspiration from [[German reunification]], they began work on their seventh studio album, ''[[Achtung Baby]]'', at Berlin's [[Hansa Studios]] in October 1990 with producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno.<ref>Flanagan (1995), p. 7</ref> The sessions were fraught, as the band argued over their musical direction and the quality of their material. Clayton and Mullen preferred a sound similar to U2's previous work; Bono and the Edge were inspired by European [[industrial music]] and [[electronic dance music]] and advocated a change. Weeks of tension and slow progress nearly prompted the group to break up until they made a breakthrough with the improvised writing of the song "[[One (U2 song)|One]]".<ref>Flanagan (1995), pp. 6–11</ref> They returned to Dublin in 1991, where morale improved and the majority of the album was completed.

{{listen
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 | title = "The Fly" (1991)
 | help = no
 | description = "[[The Fly (U2 song)|The Fly]]" features hip-hop beats, distorted vocals, and a hard industrial edge that differed from U2's typical sound.<ref>Flanagan (1995), p. 30; Graham (2004), p. 49; Stokes (1996), p. 102</ref> | format = [[Ogg]]
}}

''Achtung Baby'' was released in November 1991. The album represented a calculated change in musical and thematic style, their most dramatic since ''The Unforgettable Fire''.<ref>Flanagan (1995), pp. 4–6; Graham (2004), p. 43</ref> Sonically, the record incorporated influences from [[alternative rock]], dance, and industrial music, and Bono referred to it as "four men chopping down the Joshua Tree".<ref name="ach-stations">{{cite magazine|title=Achtung Stations|magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]|first=Stephen|last=Dalton|date=November 2004|issue=90|page=52}}</ref> Thematically, it was a more introspective and personal record; it was darker, yet more flippant than the band's previous work. Commercially and critically, it has been one of the band's most successful albums. It produced five hit singles, including "[[The Fly (U2 song)|The Fly]]", "[[Mysterious Ways (song)|Mysterious Ways]]", and "One", and was a crucial part of the band's early 1990s reinvention.<ref>Graham (2004), p. 44</ref> In 1993, ''Achtung Baby'' won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cheers for Clapton: Guitar Great Picks Up Six Awards at Grammys|newspaper=[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]|first=Barbara|last=Jaeger|date=25 February 1993|page=C09}}</ref> Like ''The Joshua Tree'', many publications have cited the record as one of rock's greatest.<ref name="500Greatest"/>

[[File:Bono as The Fly Cleveland 1992.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Bono in March 1992 on the [[Zoo TV Tour]] portraying his [[persona]] "The Fly", a leather-clad egomaniac meant to parody rock stardom|alt=Bono with black hair, black sunglasses, and a black leather attire speaking into a microphone.]]
Like ''Achtung Baby'', the 1992–1993 [[Zoo TV Tour]] was a break with the band's past. In contrast to the austere stage setups of previous U2 tours, Zoo TV was an elaborate multimedia event. It satirised the pervasive nature of television and its blurring of news, entertainment, and home shopping by attempting to instill "sensory overload" in its audience.<ref name="ach-stations" /><ref name="closer-to-edge">{{cite magazine|url=http://hotpress.com/archive/2627068.html|title=Closer to the Edge|first=Olaf|last=Tyaransen|author-link=Olaf Tyaransen|magazine=Hot Press|date=4 December 2002|access-date=26 April 2011|archive-date=18 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818015505/http://hotpress.com/archive/2627068.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>de la Parra (2003), pp. 139–141; Flanagan (1995), pp. 12, 13, 58–61; Stokes (1996), pp. 110–111</ref> The stage featured large video screens that showed visual effects, random video clips from [[pop culture]], and flashing text phrases, along with a lighting system partially made of [[Trabant]] cars.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 143</ref> U2 were known for their earnest performances in the 1980s, but the Zoo TV performances were intentionally ironic and self-deprecating.<ref name="ach-stations" /> Bono performed as several over-the-top characters, including the leather-clad egomaniac "The Fly",<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bono-behind-the-fly-the-rolling-stone-interview-88039/|title=Behind the Fly|first=Alan|last=Light|author-link=Alan Light|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=4 March 1993|access-date=2 July 2018|issue=651|pages=42+|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204630/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bono-behind-the-fly-the-rolling-stone-interview-88039/|url-status=live}}</ref> the greedy [[Televangelism|televangelist]] "Mirror Ball Man", and the devilish "MacPhisto".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|first=Adrian|last=Deevoy|date=September 1993}}</ref> Prank phone calls were made to US President [[George H. W. Bush]], the [[United Nations]], and others. Live satellite link-ups to [[Siege of Sarajevo|war-torn Sarajevo]] caused controversy.<ref>de la Parra (2003), pp. 153, 166</ref> Zoo TV was the highest-grossing North American tour of 1992, earning {{USD|67&nbsp;million}}.<ref name="wapo010693">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1993/01/06/u2-dead-top-92-concert-sales/d6e12afc-cf16-4b62-96fa-76ef324fbb26/|title=U2, Dead Top '92 Concert Sales|first=Richard|last=Harrington|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=6 January 1993|page=C7|url-access=subscription|access-date=26 November 2019}}</ref>

[[File:U2 performing in Lisbon on Zoo TV Tour on May 15 1993 (3).jpg|alt=An elaborate concert stage set, set in a dark stadium. Three automobiles hang above two projector screens, aiming their headlights towards the stage.|thumb|left|The Zoo TV Tour ''(pictured in May 1993)'' was a multimedia spectacle, featuring a stage that used dozens of video screens and a lighting system with Trabant cars.]]
In June 1993, U2 signed a six-album deal to remain with Island Records/[[PolyGram]].<ref>Flanagan (1996), pp. 232–233, 239</ref> The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' estimated that the deal was worth {{USD|60&nbsp;million}} to the band,<ref name="latimesdeal">{{Cite news|title=U2 Record Deal Rocks Industry|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|first=Chuck|last=Philips|date=4 June 1993|page=F1}}</ref> making them the highest-paid rock group ever.<ref name="mcg161">McGee (2008), pp. 161–162</ref> The following month, the group released a new album, ''[[Zooropa]]''. Quickly recorded during a break in the Zoo TV Tour in early 1993, it expanded on many of the themes from ''Achtung Baby'' and the tour. Initially intended to be an [[Extended play|EP]], ''Zooropa'' evolved into a full-length [[LP album]]. It delved further into [[electronic music|electronic]], industrial, and dance music.<ref>Graham (2004), p. 51</ref> [[Country music|Country]] musician [[Johnny Cash]] sang the lead vocals on the closing track "[[The Wanderer (U2 song)|The Wanderer]]". Most of the songs were played at least once during the 1993 legs of the tour, which visited Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan; half the album's tracks became long-term fixtures in the setlist.<ref>de la Parra (2003), pp. 166–172</ref> ''Zooropa'' reached the top ten in 26 countries,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Ivors Spotlight Take That's Barlow|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Dominic|last=Pride|date=11 June 1994|volume=106|issue=24|page=38}}</ref> sold 7&nbsp;million copies,<ref>Bordowitz (2003), p. 289</ref> and won the 1994 [[Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album]], but the band regard it with mixed feelings; the Edge called it "an interlude".<ref name="u2byu2-248">McCormick (2006), pp. 248–249</ref>

Clayton's issues with alcohol came to a head on the final leg of the Zoo TV Tour. After experiencing a [[Blackout (drug-related amnesia)|blackout]], Clayton was unable to perform for the group's 26 November 1993 show in Sydney,<ref name="u2byu2-255">McCormick (2006), pp. 255–256</ref> which served as the dress rehearsal for a [[Zoo TV: Live from Sydney|worldwide television broadcast the following night]]. Bass guitar technician Stuart Morgan filled in for him, the first time a member of U2 had missed a concert since their earliest days.<ref name="mcg169">McGee (2008), pp. 169–170</ref> After the incident, Clayton resolved to stop drinking alcohol.<ref name="u2byu2-255"/> The tour concluded the following month in Japan. It earned 5.3&nbsp;million in ticket sales<ref>Cogan (2008), p. 154</ref> and {{USD|151&nbsp;million}} in gross revenues.<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/tait-towers-amish-music-concerts-stage|title=Inside the Amish town that builds U2, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift's live shows|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|first=Stephen|last=Armstrong|date=5 January 2018|access-date=10 March 2020|archive-date=6 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506022049/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/tait-towers-amish-music-concerts-stage|url-status=live}}|{{cite web|url=https://www.houstonpress.com/music/five-more-epic-80s-tours-that-deserve-the-wall-treatment-6756725|title=Five More Epic '80s Tours That Deserve ''The Wall'' Treatment|website=[[Houston Press]]|first=Nathan|last=Smith|date=12 September 2014|access-date=10 March 2020|archive-date=12 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812185112/https://www.houstonpress.com/music/five-more-epic-80s-tours-that-deserve-the-wall-treatment-6756725|url-status=dead}}}}</ref> ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''{{'}}s Tom Doyle said in 2002 that Zoo TV was "the most spectacular rock tour staged by any band".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=10 Years of Turmoil Inside U2|first=Tom|last=Doyle|magazine=Q|date=November 2002|issue=196}}</ref>

=== Passengers, ''Pop'', and PopMart (1994–1998) ===
In 1995, following a long break, U2 contributed "[[Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me]]" to the [[Batman Forever (soundtrack)|soundtrack album]] of the film ''[[Batman Forever]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Studio Shake-Up Has Production Team Singing 'Blues'|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Daily News]]|first1=Marilyn|last1=Beck|first2=Stacy Jenel|last2=Smith|date=25 May 1995}}</ref> The song reached number one in Australia and Ireland, number two in the UK, and number 16 in the US.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 178</ref> In November, the band released an [[experimental music|experimental]] album called ''[[Original Soundtracks 1]]'', a collaboration with Brian Eno, who contributed as a full songwriting partner and performer. Due to his participation and the record's experimental nature, the band released it under the moniker "Passengers" to distinguish it from U2's conventional albums.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.atu2.com/news/passengers-original-soundtracks-1-3.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102023947/http://www.atu2.com/news/passengers-original-soundtracks-1-3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 January 2013|title=Eno, U2 Make An 'Original'|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|first=Jim|last=Sullivan|date=7 November 1995|access-date=30 September 2009|pages=59, 64}}</ref> Mullen said of the release: "There's a thin line between interesting music and self-indulgence. We crossed it on the Passengers record."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Professionals|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|first=Tom|last=Doyle|date=April 1997|issue=127}}</ref> It was commercially unnoticed by U2 standards and it received mixed reviews.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 181</ref> The single "[[Miss Sarajevo]]" (featuring [[Luciano Pavarotti]]) was among Bono's favourite U2 songs.<ref>McCormick (2006), pp. 261–262</ref>

U2 began work on their next studio album, ''[[Pop (U2 album)|Pop]]'', in mid-1995, holding recording sessions with [[Nellee Hooper]], [[Flood (producer)|Flood]], and [[Howie B]]. The band mixed the contrasting influences of each producer into their music, in particular Howie B's experiences with electronica and dance music.<ref name="sound-on-sound-pop">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/jul97/flood_u2.html |title=Pop Art: Flood & Howie B |magazine=Sound on Sound |date=July 1997 |first=Paul |last=Tingen |access-date=29 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607055529/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/jul97/flood_u2.html|archive-date=7 June 2015}}</ref> Mullen was sidelined due to back surgery in November,<ref name="McCormick 2006, p. 262">McCormick (2006), p. 262</ref> prompting the other band members to take different approaches to songwriting, such as [[Programming (music)|programming]] drum [[tape loop|loops]] and playing to [[Sampling (music)|samples]] provided by Howie B.<ref name="sound-on-sound-pop"/> Upon Mullen's return in February 1996, the group began reworking their material but struggled to complete songs, causing them to miss their mid-year deadline to complete the record.<ref name="mcg182">McGee (2008), p. 182–185</ref> The band allowed manager Paul McGuinness to book their 1997–1998 [[PopMart Tour]] with the album still in progress;<ref name="mcc266">McCormick (2006), p. 266, 269–270</ref> Bono called it "the worst decision U2 ever made".<ref name="pop-nme-retrosp">{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/u2-463-1354442 |title=U2 Revisit Pop? |website=[[NME]] |date=23 May 2005 |access-date=12 March 2021 |archive-date=27 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927160052/https://www.nme.com/news/music/u2-463-1354442 |url-status=live }}</ref> Rushed to complete the album, the band delayed its release date a second time from late 1996 to March 1997,<ref name="mcg182"/><ref>{{cite news|title=The Trouble With U2|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|first=Brian|last=Boyd|date=19 October 1996|at=sec. The Week, p. 6}}</ref> cutting into tour rehearsal time.<ref name="legends"/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/flashback-davy-jones-sings-daydream-believer-at-a-u2-concert-89758/|title=Flashback: Davy Jones Sings 'Daydream Believer' at a U2 Concert|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Andy|last=Greene|date=31 March 2015|access-date=2 July 2018|archive-date=5 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705150721/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/flashback-davy-jones-sings-daydream-believer-at-a-u2-concert-89758/|url-status=live}}</ref> Even with the additional recording time, U2 worked up to the last minute to complete songs.<ref name="sound-on-sound-pop"/><ref name="mcc266"/>

In February 1997,<ref name="mcg187">McGee (2008), pp. 187–189</ref> the group released ''Pop''{{'}}s lead single, "[[Discothèque (song)|Discothèque]]", a dance-heavy song with a music video in which the band wore [[Village People]] costumes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Don't Call It Disco. Well, OK, You Can If You Want To. But Whatever You Call It, Dance Music Is Back With a Vengeance|newspaper=[[The Buffalo News]]|first=Anthony|last=Violanti|date=7 February 1997}}</ref> The song reached number one in the UK, Japan, and Canada, but did not chart for long in the US despite debuting at number 10.<ref name="mcg187"/> Within days of the single's release, the group announced the PopMart Tour with a press conference in the lingerie section of a [[Kmart (United States)|Kmart]] department store.<ref name="mcg187"/> Tickets went on sale shortly after, but ''Pop'' would not be released until March.<ref name="job253">Jobling (2014), pp. 253–256</ref> The album represented U2's further exploration of [[nightclub]] culture, featuring heavy, funky dance rhythms.<ref>Graham (2004), pp. 62–63</ref> The record drew favourable reviews.<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite magazine|title=Pop: Kitsch of Distinction|magazine=NME|date=1 March 1997}}|{{cite news|title=Pop|newspaper=[[The Sunday Times]]|first=Andrew|last=Smith|date=23 March 1997}}}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' stated that U2 had "defied the odds and made some of the greatest music of their lives".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/pop-193667/|title=Review: Pop|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Barney|last=Hoskyns|date=20 March 1997|access-date=2 July 2018|issue=756|archive-date=21 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121220914/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/pop-193667/|url-status=live}}</ref> Other critics felt that the album was a major disappointment.<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite magazine|url=http://www.andrewmueller.net/display.lasso?id=88|title=U2's "Pop" Reconsidered|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100810120533/http://www.andrewmueller.net/display.lasso?id=88|first=Andrew|last=Mueller|author-link=Andrew Mueller|magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] Legends|volume=1|issue=3|date=May 2004|access-date=18 June 2010|archive-date=10 August 2010}}|{{cite news|first=Matt|last=Dentler|date= 30 October 2000| title=U2 makes album world is waiting for|newspaper=[[The Daily Texan]]}}|{{cite web|url=http://www.crosswalk.com/culture/music/the-best-of-1990-2000-11618586.html|title=The Best of 1990–2000&nbsp;– U2|website=[[Crosswalk.com]]|first=Russ|last=Breimeier|access-date=23 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319093618/http://www.crosswalk.com/culture/music/the-best-of-1990-2000-11618586.html|archive-date=19 March 2016|url-status=dead}}}}</ref> Despite debuting at number one in over 30 countries, ''Pop'' dropped off the charts quickly.<ref name="mcg187"/> Bono admitted that the album "didn't communicate the way it was intended to",<ref name="pop-nme-retrosp"/> while the Edge called it a "compromise project by the end".<ref name="mcc266"/>

{{Multiple image|direction=vertical|align=right|image1=U2 PopMart Tour, Belfast, August 1997 (01).jpg|image2=U2 PopMart Tour, Belfast, August 1997 (18).jpg|caption2=The [[PopMart Tour]] stage featured a golden arch, mirrorball lemon, and 150-foot-long LED screen. The band emerged from the lemon during encores, although it occasionally malfunctioned.}}
The PopMart Tour began in April 1997 and was intended as a satire of [[consumerism]].<ref name="job253"/> The stage included a 100-foot-tall (30 m) golden yellow arch reminiscent of the [[McDonald's]] logo, a 40-foot-tall (12 m) mirrorball lemon, and a 150-foot-long (46 m) LED video screen, at the time the world's largest.<ref name="gopopmart">{{cite press release |url=http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=34093 |title=U2 Go 'PopMart' |publisher=[[PR Newswire]] |date=12 February 1997 |access-date=12 December 2016 |archive-date=3 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503051222/http://www2.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=34093 |url-status=live }}</ref> U2's "big shtick" failed to satisfy many who were seemingly confused by the band's new kitsch image and the tour's elaborate set.<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite magazine|last=Carter|first=Geoff|title=U2 live: Play-by-play of the concert|magazine=The Las Vegas Sun|date=27 April 1997}}|{{cite web|url=http://www.spin.com/2006/10/u2-brute/|title=U2, Brute?|website=Spin|last=Anderson|first=Kyle|date=4 October 2006|access-date=23 March 2016|archive-date=6 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306102839/http://www.spin.com/2006/10/u2-brute/|url-status=live}}}}</ref> The reduced rehearsal time for the tour affected the quality of early shows,<ref>de la Parra (2003), pp. 193–202</ref> and in some US markets, the band played to half-empty stadiums.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-06-09/lifestyle/9706060468_1_popmart-rock-group-u2-dates|title=U2 'Popmart' A Tough Sell in Some Cities|newspaper=[[Sun-Sentinel]]|first=Sean|last=Piccoli|date=9 June 1997|access-date=12 December 2016|page=3D|archive-date=20 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220125521/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-06-09/lifestyle/9706060468_1_popmart-rock-group-u2-dates|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="McCormick 2006, p. 277">McCormick (2006), p. 277</ref> On several occasions, the mirrorball lemon from which the band emerged for the encores malfunctioned, trapping them inside.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2008/03/ten_rock_star_stunts_even_more.html|title=Ten Rock-Star Stunts Even More Ridiculous Than Flying to Antarctica|website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]|first=Tammy|last=Oler|date=28 March 2008|access-date=12 December 2016|archive-date=22 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222083014/http://www.vulture.com/2008/03/ten_rock_star_stunts_even_more.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite the mixed reviews and difficulties of the tour, Bono considered PopMart to be "better than Zoo TV aesthetically, and as an art project it is a clearer thought."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/just-the-2-of-u-1.711046|title=Just the 2 of U|website=Irish Times|first=Brian|last=Boyd|date=27 February 2009|access-date=23 March 2016|archive-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702122221/http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/just-the-2-of-u-1.711046|url-status=live}}</ref> He later explained, "When that show worked, it was mindblowing."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Stairway to Devon − OK, Somerset!|magazine=Q |date=July 2010|issue=288|page=100 |author=((U2)) }}</ref>

The group's 20 September 1997 show in [[Reggio Emilia]] was attended by over 150,000 people, which was reported to have set a [[List of highest-attended concerts|world record for the largest paying audience]] for a one-act show.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=29052 |title=U2 Play to Biggest Audience Ever |publisher=[[PR Newswire]] |access-date=23 January 2017|date=21 September 1997|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706191525/http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/u2-play-to-biggest-paying-audience-ever-156005155.html|archive-date=6 July 2018}}</ref><ref>McGee (2008), p. 198</ref> U2 also [[U2 concert in Sarajevo|performed in Sarajevo on 23 September]], making them the first major group to stage a concert there following the [[Bosnian War]].<ref>de la Parra (2003), pp. 211–212</ref> Mullen described the show as "an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life, and if I had to spend 20 years in the band just to play that show, and have done that, I think it would have been worthwhile."<ref>{{cite episode |title=Jo Whiley interview with U2 |series=The Jo Whiley Show |airdate=November 1998 |network=[[BBC Radio 1]] |location=London}}</ref> Bono called the show "one of the toughest and one of the sweetest nights of my life."<ref name="Mueller2">{{cite news |title=U2 in Sarajevo: Part 2&nbsp;– The Rattle and Hum |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=26 September 1997 |first=Andrew |last=Mueller}}</ref> The tour concluded in March 1998 with gross revenues of {{USD|173.6&nbsp;million}} and 3.98&nbsp;million tickets sold.<ref name="kissfuture">{{cite magazine |title=Kissing the Future|magazine=Billboard|first=Ray|last=Waddell|page=19|volume=121|issue=10|date=14 March 2009}}</ref> The following month, U2 appeared on the [[Trash of the Titans|200th episode]] of the animated sitcom ''[[The Simpsons]]'',<ref>{{cite news|title=The Best... The Beautiful... and the Bizarre; Cast Aways; Cow-a-Bono, Dude|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|first=Janet|last=Kinosian|date=26 April 1998|at=sec. [[Los Angeles Times Magazine]], p. 10}}</ref> in which [[Homer Simpson]] disrupts the band on stage during a PopMart concert.<ref>{{cite news|title=Homer joins U2 on stage in 200th episode of 'Simpsons'|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Roisin|last=Ingle|date=30 May 1998|edition=City|at=sec. Home News, p. 3}}</ref> In November 1998, U2 released their first compilation album, ''[[The Best of 1980–1990]]'',<ref name="mcg208">McGee (2008), pp. 208–209</ref> which featured a re-recording of a 1987 B-side, "[[Sweetest Thing]]", as its single.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1819098/the-31-best-u2-non-album-tracks/franchises/ultimate-playlist/|title=The 31 Best U2 Non-Album Tracks|website=[[Stereogum]]|first=Ryan|last=Leas|date=27 July 2015|access-date=12 December 2016|archive-date=13 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513072834/http://www.stereogum.com/1819098/the-31-best-u2-non-album-tracks/franchises/ultimate-playlist/|url-status=live}}</ref> The album broke a first-week sales record in the US for a greatest hits collection by a group,<ref>{{cite press release|title=U2's 'Best Of' Highest Greatest Hits Debut by Any Band in the History of SoundScan|publisher=[[Island Records]]|agency=[[PR Newswire]]|date=13 November 1998}}</ref> and "Sweetest Thing" topped the singles charts in Ireland and Canada.<ref name="mcg208"/>

=== ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'' and Elevation Tour (1998–2002) ===
Following their musical pursuits in the 1990s, U2 sought to simplify their sound; the Edge said that with ''Pop'', the group had "taken the deconstruction of the rock 'n' roll band format to its absolute 'nth degree".<ref name="mccorm289"/> For their tenth album, ''[[All That You Can't Leave Behind]]'', the group wanted to return to their old recording ethos of "the band in a room playing together".<ref name="mccorm289"/> Reuniting with Eno and Lanois, U2 began working on the album in late 1998.<ref name="mccorm289"/><ref>McGee (2008), p. 208</ref> After their experiences with being pressured to complete ''Pop'', the band were content to work without deadlines.<ref name="mccorm289"/> With Bono's schedule limited by his commitments to debt relief for [[Jubilee 2000]] and the other band members spending time with their families, the recording sessions lasted until August 2000.<ref name="mccorm289"/><ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Elastic Bono Band|magazine=Q|date=November 2000|issue=170}}</ref>

Released that October, ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'' was seen by critics as a "back to basics" album,<ref>{{bulleted list |{{cite news|title=Sound Check|newspaper=Los Angeles Daily News|first=Fred|last=Shuster|date=27 October 2000}}|{{cite news|title=U2001: The Year We Make Contact|newspaper=[[The Arizona Republic]]|first=Kerry|last=Lengel|date=26 April 2001|page=8}}|{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2015/10/how-daniel-lanois-brought-u2-back-home/|title=How Daniel Lanois Brought U2 Back Home|website=[[Consequence of Sound]]|first=Ryan|last=Bray|date=30 October 2015|access-date=22 December 2015|archive-date=11 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511104047/https://consequence.net/2015/10/how-daniel-lanois-brought-u2-back-home/|url-status=live}}}}</ref> on which the group returned to a more mainstream, conventional rock sound.<ref name="mccorm289">McCormick (2006), pp. 289–296</ref><ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite news|title=All That You Can't Leave Behind|newspaper=The Independent|first=Andy|last=Gill|date=27 October 2000}}|{{cite news|title=U2's Latest: 'Behind' the Times|newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|first=Tom|last=Moon|date=29 October 2000|page=I15}}}}</ref> For many of those not won over by the band's forays into dance music, it was considered a return to grace;<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/friday_review/story/0,,388228,00.html#article_continue|title=Time to Get the Leathers Out|website=The Guardian|first=Adam|last=Sweeting|date=27 October 2000|access-date=23 March 2016|archive-date=19 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019015653/http://www.theguardian.com/friday_review/story/0,,388228,00.html#article_continue|url-status=live}}|{{cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/music/packages/U2Fleetcenter/album_review_leave_behind/|title=U2 Leaves the Present Behind|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|first=Steve|last=Morse|date=27 October 2000|access-date=14 January 2017|page=E17|archive-date=16 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116172446/http://archive.boston.com/ae/music/packages/U2Fleetcenter/album_review_leave_behind/|url-status=live}}|{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=157247|title=U2: All That You Can't Leave Behind|newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|first=Russell|last=Baillie|date=28 October 2000|access-date=14 January 2017|archive-date=16 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116183129/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=157247|url-status=live}}}}</ref><ref name="spin-band01"/> ''Rolling Stone'' called it U2's "third masterpiece" alongside ''The Joshua Tree'' and ''Achtung Baby''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/all-that-you-cant-leave-behind-202038/|first=James|last=Hunter|title=Review: All That You Can't Leave Behind|magazine=Rolling Stone|issue=853|date=9 November 2000|access-date=2 July 2018|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204519/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/all-that-you-cant-leave-behind-202038/|url-status=live}}</ref> The album debuted at number one in 32 countries<ref>McGee (2008), p. 221</ref> and sold 12&nbsp;million copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2014/09/18/how_u2_became_the_most_hated_band_in_america_partner/|title=How U2 became the most hated band in America|website=[[Salon (magazine)|Salon]]|first=Nico|last=Lang|date=18 September 2014|access-date=21 December 2016|archive-date=29 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229094220/http://www.salon.com/2014/09/18/how_u2_became_the_most_hated_band_in_america_partner/|url-status=live}}</ref> Its lead single, "[[Beautiful Day]]", reached number one in Ireland, the UK, Australia, and Canada, and number 21 in the US.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 220</ref> The song won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]], and [[Grammy Award for Record of the Year|Record of the Year]].<ref>{{cite news|title=A 'Beautiful' day for U2, Steely Dan; Old rockers steal thunder from Eminem at Grammys|newspaper=[[Boston Herald]]|first=Sarah|last=Rodman|date=22 February 2001}}</ref> At the awards ceremony, Bono declared that U2 were "reapplying for the job&nbsp;... [of] the best band in the world".<ref name=bonomission>{{cite magazine|last=Tyrangiel |first=Josh |date=4 March 2002 |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,212721,00.html |title=Bono's mission |magazine=Time |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020607181813/http://www.time.com/time/sampler/article/0%2C8599%2C212605%2C00.html |archive-date= 7 June 2002 |volume=159 |issue=9 }}</ref> The album's other singles, "[[Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of]]", "[[Elevation (song)|Elevation]]", and "[[Walk On (U2 song)|Walk On]]", reached number one in Canada,<ref>McGee (2008), pp. 226, 234, 239</ref> and charted in the top five in the UK and top ten in Australia.<ref name="ukcharts"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}</ref>

{{Multiple image|direction=vertical|align=right|image1=U2 Elevation Tour Berlin 2001-07-29 (18351610).jpg|image2=HeartWideShot3.jpg|caption2=After the elaborate stadium productions of their previous two tours, U2's 2001 [[Elevation Tour]] was a scaled-down affair that featured a heart-shaped stage.}}
The band's 2001 [[Elevation Tour]] started in March, visiting North America and Europe across three legs.<ref>McGee (2008), pp. 225, 233, 238</ref> For the tour, U2 performed on a scaled-down stage, returning to arenas after nearly a decade of stadium productions.<ref name="spin-band01"/> Mirroring the album's themes of "emotional contact, connection, and communication", the tour's set was designed to bring the group closer to their fans;<ref>Young (2004), pp. 61–62</ref> a heart-shaped catwalk around the stage encircled many audience members,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=U2 Tour: From the Heart|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Chris|last=Heath|date=10 May 2001}}</ref> and [[festival seating]] was offered in the US for the first time in the group's history.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=General Admission a Go for U2|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Richard|last=Skanse|date=3 February 2001}}</ref> During the tour, U2 headlined two [[Slane Concert]]s in Ireland, playing to crowds of 80,000.<ref>{{cite news|title=More of the Slane; U2 Wind Up Tour with a Night of Pure Magic|newspaper=[[Sunday Mirror]]|first=Dulra|last=O'Riordain|date=2 September 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=U2 back with the show of their lives; Stars and fans treated to a night to remember at Slane|newspaper=[[Belfast Telegraph]]|first=Nigel|last=Gould|date=27 August 2001}}</ref> Following the [[September 11 attacks]] in the US, ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'' found added resonance with American audiences,<ref name="mcc308">McCormick (2006), pp. 308–309</ref> as the album climbed in the charts and songs such as "Walk On" and "[[Peace on Earth (U2 song)|Peace on Earth]]" received radio airplay.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 237</ref> In October, U2 performed at [[Madison Square Garden]] in New York City for the first time since the attacks. Bono and the Edge said these shows were among their most memorable and emotional performances.<ref name="mcc308"/><ref>{{cite AV media|title=VH1: All Access: U2|medium=Television documentary|year=2005}}</ref> The Elevation Tour was the top-earning North American tour of 2001 with a gross of {{USD|109.7&nbsp;million}}, the second-highest amount ever at the time for a North American tour.<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/42644/elevation-u2-tops-2001-tours|title=Elevation! U2 Tops 2001 Tours|website=[[E! News]]|first=Josh|last=Grossberg|date=27 December 2001|access-date=12 January 2017|archive-date=18 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118102231/http://www.eonline.com/news/42644/elevation-u2-tops-2001-tours|url-status=live}}|{{cite news|title=By scaling down, U2 rises to the top of 2001 concert circuit|newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|first=Dean|last=Goodman|date=31 December 2001|page=D6}}}}</ref> Globally, it grossed {{USD|143.5&nbsp;million}} from 2.18&nbsp;million tickets sold,<ref name="kissfuture"/> making it the year's highest-grossing tour overall.<ref>{{cite news|title=U2 elevates itself to top-grossing tour of the year|newspaper=[[The Post-Crescent]]|first=Steven|last=Hyden|author-link=Steven Hyden|date=27 December 2001|at=sec. Encore, p. 2}}</ref> ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' named U2 the "Band of the Year" for 2001, saying they had "schooled bands half their age about what a rock show could really accomplish".<ref name="spin-band01">{{cite magazine|title=Rock's Unbreakable Heart |magazine=Spin |first=Alan |last=Light |date=January 2002 |volume=18|issue=1|pages=56–62}}</ref>

On 3 February 2002, U2 performed during the [[Super Bowl XXXVI halftime show]]. In a tribute to those who died in the 11 September attacks, the victims' names were projected onto a backdrop, and at the end, Bono opened his jacket to reveal an American flag in the lining.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/04/sports/critic-s-notebook-singers-smoothly-merge-politics-with-patriotism.html|title=Critic's Notebook; Singers Smoothly Merge Politics With Patriotism|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|first=Caryn|last=James|date=4 February 2002|at=sec. D, p. 9|edition=National|access-date=8 January 2017|archive-date=16 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116182801/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/04/sports/critic-s-notebook-singers-smoothly-merge-politics-with-patriotism.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', ''Rolling Stone'', and ''[[USA Today]]'' ranked the band's performance as the best halftime show in Super Bowl history.<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/photos/2013/02/03-3the-10-best-super-bowl-halftime-shows|title=Top 10 Super Bowl Halftime shows|website=[[SI.com]]|date=3 February 2013|access-date=23 March 2016|archive-date=3 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403083710/http://www.si.com/nfl/photos/2013/02/03-3the-10-best-super-bowl-halftime-shows|url-status=live}}|{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/super-bowl-halftime-shows-ranked-from-worst-to-best-14201/u2-2002-2-228005/|title=Super Bowl Halftime Shows Ranked: From Worst to Best|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Rob|last=Sheffield|author-link=Rob Sheffield|date=17 January 2020|access-date=28 May 2020|archive-date=9 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809131720/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/super-bowl-halftime-shows-ranked-from-worst-to-best-14201/u2-2002-2-228005/|url-status=live}}|{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/01/28/super-bowl-halftime-shows-five-best-ranked-u2-prince/22331535/|title=Ranking the 5 best Super Bowl halftime shows|website=[[USA Today]]|first=Brian|last=Mansfield|date=28 January 2015|access-date=8 January 2017|archive-date=15 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161215111019/http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/01/28/super-bowl-halftime-shows-five-best-ranked-u2-prince/22331535/|url-status=live}}}}</ref> Later that month, U2 received four additional Grammy Awards; ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'' won [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Album|Best Rock Album]], while "Walk On" was named Record of the Year, the first time an artist had won the award in consecutive years for songs from the same album.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Grammys: U2 and sharp keys; Soul star, Bono tops with 'O Bro'|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Phil|last=Gallo|date=28 February 2002}}</ref> In November 2002, the band released their second compilation, ''[[The Best of 1990–2000]]'', which featured several remixed 1990s songs and two new tracks, including the single "[[Electrical Storm (song)|Electrical Storm]]".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.hotpress.com/U2/music/reviews/albums/The-Best--The-BSides-Of-19902000/2618378.html|title=Review: The Best & the B-Sides of 1990–2000|magazine=Hot Press|first=Peter|last=Murphy|date=24 October 2002|access-date=11 January 2017|archive-date=8 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108151043/http://www.hotpress.com/U2/music/reviews/albums/The-Best--The-BSides-Of-19902000/2618378.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== ''How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb'' and Vertigo Tour (2003–2006) ===
Looking for a harder-hitting rock sound than that of ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'',<ref name="mccorm317">McCormick (2006), pp. 317–321</ref> U2 began recording their eleventh studio album, ''[[How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb]]'', in February 2003 with producer [[Chris Thomas (record producer)|Chris Thomas]].<ref name="u2dropsbomb">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-drops-bomb-240810/|title=U2 Drops Bomb|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=David|last=Fricke|author-link=David Fricke|date=30 December 2004|issue=964/965|pages=56–58, 62|access-date=2 July 2018|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204747/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-drops-bomb-240810/|url-status=live}}</ref> After nine months of work, the band had an album's worth of material ready for release, but they were not satisfied with the results; Mullen said that the songs "had no magic".<ref name="mccorm317"/> The group subsequently enlisted Steve Lillywhite to take over as producer in Dublin in January 2004.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 266</ref> Lillywhite, along with his assistant [[Jacknife Lee]], spent six months with the band reworking songs and encouraging better performances.<ref name="mccorm317"/> Several other producers received credits on the album, including Lanois, Eno, Flood, Carl Glanville, and Nellee Hooper;<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Bombs Away! U2 Sets Sights on Top of Charts|magazine=Billboard|first=Melinda|last=Newman|date=27 November 2004|volume=116|issue=48|pages=1, 64}}</ref> Bono acknowledged that the involvement of multiple producers affected the record's "sonic cohesion".<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 329</ref>

{{listen
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 | title = "Vertigo" (2004)
 | help = no
 | description = "[[Vertigo (U2 song)|Vertigo]]", which the Edge described as "visceral rock 'n' roll",<ref name="mccorm317"/> became a hit worldwide and was used in a cross-promotion with [[Apple Inc.|Apple]].
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Released in November 2004, ''How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb'' received favourable reviews from critics.<ref name="mcg276">McGee (2008), p. 276–277</ref> The album featured lyrics touching on life, death, love, war, faith, and family.<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-nov-21-ca-u221-story.html|title=U2's spirit is still on an upward drive|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|first=Robert|last=Hilburn|author-link=Robert Hilburn|date=21 November 2004|page=E43|access-date=23 January 2017|archive-date=27 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227152548/http://articles.latimes.com/2004/nov/21/entertainment/ca-u221|url-status=live}}|{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2004/11/24/atomic-bomb-u2-achieves-maximum-yield/acf694db-29aa-4be6-ae96-a2e78cd3ae6b/|title='Atomic Bomb': U2 Achieves Maximum Yield|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Allison|last=Stewart|date=24 November 2004|access-date=30 November 2019|archive-date=18 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818113527/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2004/11/24/atomic-bomb-u2-achieves-maximum-yield/acf694db-29aa-4be6-ae96-a2e78cd3ae6b/|url-status=live}}}}</ref> It reached number one in 30 countries,<ref name="mcg276"/> including the US, where first-week sales of 840,000 copies nearly doubled those of ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'', setting a personal best for the band.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=U2 Lands Seventh No. 1; Kelly Clarkson Up Next|magazine=Billboard|page=41|volume=121|issue=11|date=21 March 2009}}</ref> Overall, it sold 9&nbsp;million copies globally.<ref name="totalsales">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u-idUSTRE51Q1WR20090303|title=New York City honors U2 by renaming street|newspaper=Reuters|first=Michelle|last=Nichols|date=3 March 2009|access-date=9 August 2011|archive-date=30 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030201359/http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/03/03/us-u-idUSTRE51Q1WR20090303|url-status=live}}</ref> For the album's release, U2 partnered with [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] for several cross-promotions: the first single, "[[Vertigo (U2 song)|Vertigo]]", was featured in a television advertisement for the company's [[iPod]] music player, while a U2-branded iPod and [[The Complete U2|digital box set]] exclusive to the [[iTunes Store]] were released.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bono and the Edge launch U2 special edition iPod digital music player|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Jamie|last=Smyth|date=27 October 2004}}</ref> "Vertigo" was an international hit, topping the charts in Ireland and the UK,<ref>McGee (2008), p. 275</ref> and reaching number two in Canada and number five in Australia.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Billboard Hits of the World|magazine=Billboard|date=27 November 2004|pages=46–47|volume=116|issue=48}}</ref> The song won three Grammy Awards, including one for [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Song|Best Rock Song]].<ref>{{cite news|title=The Grammy Winners|newspaper=The Washington Post|agency=Associated Press|date=14 February 2005|page=C03}}</ref> Other singles from the album were also hits; "[[Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own]]", written as a tribute to Bono's late father, went to number one in the UK and Canada, while "[[City of Blinding Lights]]" reached number two in both regions.<ref>{{bulleted list|McGee (2008), pp. 281, 287–288|{{cite magazine|title=Billboard Hits of the World|magazine=Billboard|date=23 April 2005|volume=117|issue=17|page=40}}}}</ref> In March 2005, U2 were inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] by [[Bruce Springsteen]] in their first year of eligibility.<ref name="RRHOF">{{cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/03/15/u2_leads_newest_members_into_rocks_hall_of_fame/|title=U2 leads newest members into rock's hall of fame|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|first=Steve|last=Morse|date=15 March 2005|page=C2|access-date=6 January 2017|archive-date=5 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205101302/http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/03/15/u2_leads_newest_members_into_rocks_hall_of_fame/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/14/arts/arts-briefly-u2-others-to-join-rock-hall-of-fame.html|title=Arts, Briefly; U2, Others to Join Rock Hall of Fame|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|first=Jeff|last=Leeds|date=14 December 2004|at=sec. E, p. 2|edition=National|access-date=6 January 2017|archive-date=23 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023234314/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/14/arts/arts-briefly-u2-others-to-join-rock-hall-of-fame.html|url-status=live}}</ref> During his speech, Springsteen said the band had "beaten [the odds] by continuing to do their finest work and remaining at the top of their game and the charts for 25 years".<ref name="mcg282">McGee (2008), pp. 282–283</ref>

[[File:U2 brussels fly 2005-10-06.jpg|thumb|left|The outdoor stage of the [[Vertigo Tour]], pictured in June 2005, featured a massive LED screen.]]
U2's 2005–2006 [[Vertigo Tour]] was preceded by several complications. A sudden illness afflicting the Edge's daughter nearly resulted in the tour's cancellation, before the group decided to adjust the tour schedule to accommodate her treatment.<ref>McCormick (2006), pp. 332–335</ref> Additionally, ticket presales on the band's website were plagued with issues, as subscribing members encountered technical glitches and limited ticket availability, partially due to [[scalper]]s exploiting the system.<ref>McGee (2008), pp. 280–281</ref> Commencing in March 2005,<ref name="mcg282"/> the Vertigo Tour consisted of arena shows in North America and stadium shows internationally across five legs.<ref>{{bulleted list|Snow (2014), p. 201|{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/468753/u2-set-to-wrap-biggest-concert-tour-ever|title=U2 Set to Wrap Biggest Concert Tour Ever|magazine=Billboard|first=Ray|last=Waddell|date=29 July 2011|access-date=3 February 2017|archive-date=18 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118100345/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/468753/u2-set-to-wrap-biggest-concert-tour-ever|url-status=live}}}}</ref> The indoor stage replaced the heart-shaped ramp of the Elevation Tour with an elliptical one and featured retractable video curtains around the stage,<ref>{{cite news|title=Feeling of Vertigo U2 Adds Technology, Intimacy to Music Old and New|newspaper=Los Angeles Daily News|first=Simone|last=Schramm|date=1 April 2005}}</ref> while the stadium stage used a massive LED video screen.<ref name="joshua-to-palm">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1063493/from-joshua-trees-to-palm-trees|title=From Joshua Trees To Palm Trees|magazine=Billboard|first=Jonathan|last=Cohen|date=6 January 2007|volume=119|issue=1|pages=16–17|access-date=16 December 2016|archive-date=20 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920173258/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1063493/from-joshua-trees-to-palm-trees|url-status=live}}</ref> Setlists on tour varied more than in the group's past and included songs they had not played in decades.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mixing It Up U2 Blends Old, New, In No Particular Order|newspaper=[[Rocky Mountain News]]|first=Mark|last=Brown|date=20 April 2005}}</ref> Like its predecessor, the Vertigo Tour was a commercial success, ranking as the top-earning tour of 2005 with {{USD|260&nbsp;million}} grossed.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/60363/u2s-vertigo-leads-years-top-tours|title=U2's Vertigo Leads Year's Top Tours|magazine=Billboard|first=Ray|last=Waddell|date=13 December 2005|access-date=27 February 2013|archive-date=3 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603043322/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/60363/u2s-vertigo-leads-years-top-tours|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:2005-11-21_U2_%40_MSG_by_ZG.JPG|thumb|U2 performing at [[Madison Square Garden]] on 21 October 2005]]
In February 2006, U2 received five additional Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own", and Best Rock Album and Album of the Year for ''How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb'';<ref name="mcg307">McGee (2008), pp. 307–309</ref> the awards made the album and its singles winners in all eight categories in which U2 were nominated, spanning two separate Grammy ceremonies.<ref>Snow (2014), p. 205</ref> The group resumed the Vertigo Tour that month with a Latin American leg,<ref name="mcg307"/> on which several shows were filmed for the concert film ''[[U2 3D]]''.<ref name="u23d-pr">{{cite press release
|url=https://nationalgeographicpartners.com/press/?pageID=pressReleases_detail&siteID=1&cid=1235579034124
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 |archive-date=19 May 2012
|url-status=live
}}</ref> It was released in theatres nearly two years later,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/Sundance-Stars,-snow,-and-social-cyborgs/2100-1026_3-6226475.html|title=Sundance: Stars, snow, and social cyborgs|first=Michelle|last=Myers|date=17 January 2008|access-date=14 April 2015|website=[[CNET]]}}</ref> and was the world's first live-action digital [[3D film]].<ref name="u23d-pr"/> In March, the band postponed the tour's remaining shows until the end of the year due to the health of the Edge's daughter.<ref name="mcg307"/> On 25 September 2006, U2 and [[Green Day]] performed at the [[Louisiana Superdome]] prior to an [[National Football League|NFL]] football game, the [[New Orleans Saints]]' first home game in the city since [[Hurricane Katrina]]. The two bands covered the [[Skids (band)|Skids]]' song "[[The Saints Are Coming]]" during the performance and for a [[benefit single]],<ref name="mg314">McGee (2008), pp. 314–316</ref> which reached number one in Australia and throughout Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=U2+and+Green+Day&titel=The+Saints+Are+Coming&cat=s|title=U2 and Green Day – The Saints Are Coming|website=lescharts.com|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=12 January 2017|archive-date=3 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603211131/http://www.lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=U2+and+Green+Day&titel=The+Saints+Are+Coming&cat=s|url-status=live}}</ref> U2 issued an official autobiography, ''[[U2 by U2]]'', that month,<ref name="mg314"/> followed in November by their third compilation album, ''[[U218 Singles]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bono Keeps the Magic Alive|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)]]|first=Kathy|last=McCabe|date=10 November 2006}}</ref> The Vertigo Tour concluded in December, having sold 4.6&nbsp;million tickets and having earned {{USD|389&nbsp;million}}, the second-highest gross ever at the time.<ref name="joshua-to-palm"/>

In August 2006, the band incorporated its [[Music publisher|publishing]] business in the Netherlands following the capping of Irish artists' tax exemption at {{Euro|250,000}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/u2-move-their-rock-empire-out-of-ireland-26415082.html|title=U2 move their rock empire out of Ireland|date=6 August 2006|access-date=23 March 2016|last=McConnell|first=Daniel|website=Irish Independent|archive-date=16 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516165448/http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/u2-move-their-rock-empire-out-of-ireland-26415082.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Edge stated that businesses often seek to minimise their tax burdens.<ref name="bloomberg"/> The move was criticised in the [[Oireachtas|Irish parliament]].<ref name="bloomberg">{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&refer=home&sid=aef6sR60oDgM|title=Bono, Preacher on Poverty, Tarnishes Halo With Irish Tax Move|first=Fergal|last=O'Brien|date=15 October 2006|website=Bloomberg|access-date=19 August 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805043350/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&refer=home&sid=aef6sR60oDgM|archive-date=5 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=They live like aristocrats. Now they think like them |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2006/dec/09/comment.music |newspaper=The Guardian |first=Marina |last=Hyde |date=9 December 2006 |access-date=23 March 2016 |archive-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306071422/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2006/dec/09/comment.music |url-status=live }}</ref> The band defended themselves, saying approximately 95% of their business took place outside Ireland, that they were taxed globally because of this, and that they were all "personal investors and employers in the country".<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/news/u2-reject-tax-avoidance-claims-28469190.html |title=U2 reject tax avoidance claims |website=The Belfast Telegraph |date=26 February 2009 |access-date=27 February 2013 |archive-date=26 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426211613/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/news/u2-reject-tax-avoidance-claims-28469190.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Bono later said, "I think U2's tax business is our own business and I think it is not just to the letter of the law but to the spirit of the law."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/u2-tax-switch-in-spirit-of-the-law-says-bono-29372504.html|title=U2 tax switch 'in spirit of the law' says Bono|website=Irish Independent|first=Louise|last=Hogan|date=26 June 2013|access-date=23 March 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304213349/http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/u2-tax-switch-in-spirit-of-the-law-says-bono-29372504.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== ''No Line on the Horizon'' and U2 360° Tour (2006–2011) ===
Recording for U2's twelfth album, ''[[No Line on the Horizon]]'', began with producer [[Rick Rubin]] in 2006, but the sessions were short-lived and the material was shelved.<ref name="All areas">{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/u2-access-all-areas-26545329.html|title=U2: Access all areas |website=Irish Independent |first=Brendan |last=O'Conner |date=21 June 2009 |access-date=5 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828031251/http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/u2-access-all-areas-1782416.html |archive-date=28 August 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2007, the group began new sessions with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois in [[Fez, Morocco]], involving the producers as full songwriting partners.<ref>{{bulleted list|McGee (2008), pp. 327–328|{{cite news |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/futuristic-spirituals-daniel-lanois-talks-about-recording-the-new-u2-album/wcm/ab8c217e-cb3c-4435-a48c-71b21cb12d38 |title=U2's No Line on the Horizon: A track-by-track exclusive with producer/co-writer Daniel Lanois |website=[[National Post]] |first=Brad |last=Frenette |date=10 March 2009 |access-date=31 March 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20091020204444/http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/theampersand/archive/2009/03/10/behind-the-scenes-on-u2-s-no-line-on-the-horizon-a-track-by-track-exclusive-with-producer-co-writer-daniel-lanois.aspx |archive-date=20 October 2009 |url-status=live }} }}</ref> Intending to write "future hymns"—songs that would be played forever—the group spent two weeks recording in a [[Moroccan Riad|riad]] and exploring local music.<ref name="wanderers">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/feb/15/u2-no-line-on-the-horizon |title=The Wanderers |website=[[The Guardian]] |first=Sean |last=O'Hagan |date=15 February 2009 |access-date=15 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100424052201/http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/15/u2-no-line-on-the-horizon |archive-date=24 April 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/woman/celeb-news/-26526961.html |title=Taking care of business |website=Irish Independent |first=Brian |last=Hiatt |date=5 April 2009 |access-date=2 May 2017 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5kjAvxiXo?url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/news-gossip/taking-care-of-business--the-u2-interview-1698937.html |archive-date=23 October 2009 |url-status=live}}|{{cite magazine|url=http://www.telquel-online.com/277/arts1_277.shtml |title=Exclusive: Bono's Pilgrimage |magazine=[[TelQuel]] |first=Jean |last=Barry |date=18 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331111427/http://www.telquel-online.com/277/arts1_277.shtml |archive-date=31 March 2008 |language=fr |url-status=dead}}}}</ref> The Edge called it "a very freeing experience" that "reminded [him] in many ways of early on and why [they] got into a band in the first place. Just that joy of playing."<ref name="betweenline">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.hotpress.com/U2/music/interviews/Reading-between-the-line-part-1/5294628.html|title=Reading Between the Line|magazine=[[Hot Press]]|first=Olaf|last=Tyaransen|date=11 March 2009|volume=33|issue=4|access-date=14 January 2017|archive-date=7 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107213047/http://www.hotpress.com/U2/music/interviews/Reading-between-the-line-part-1/5294628.html|url-status=live}}</ref> As recording on the album continued in New York, London, and Dublin, the band scaled back their experimental pursuits, which Eno said "sounded kind of synthetic" and were not easily married with the group's sound.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brian Eno |first=Joshua |last=Klein |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/7723-brian-eno/ |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=2 November 2009 |access-date=10 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105012414/http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/7723-brian-eno |archive-date=5 November 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

''No Line on the Horizon'' was released in February 2009, more than four years after ''How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb'', the longest gap between albums of the band's career to that point.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=The Superleague of Extraordinary Gentlemen |magazine=[[NME]] |date=23 February 2009}}</ref> It received generally positive reviews, including their first five-star ''Rolling Stone'' review, but critics found it was not as experimental as originally billed.<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12730-no-line-on-the-horizon/ |title=No Line on the Horizon |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |first=Ryan |last=Dombal |date=2 March 2009 |access-date=5 May 2018 |archive-date=6 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091006112523/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12730-no-line-on-the-horizon/ |url-status=live }} |{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1482512/u2-albums-from-worst-to-best/franchises/counting-down/attachment/no-line-on-the-horizon/|title=No Line On The Horizon (2009)|website=[[Stereogum]]|first=Ryan|last=Leas|date=1 October 2013|access-date=5 May 2018|archive-date=20 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520124048/https://www.stereogum.com/1482512/u2-albums-from-worst-to-best/franchises/counting-down/attachment/no-line-on-the-horizon/|url-status=live}}}}</ref> The album debuted at number one in over 30 countries,<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news|title=New U2 album is No. 1 in 30 countries |work=Reuters |date=11 March 2009 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/music-u-idUSN1054376520090311 |access-date=5 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090820011703/http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSN1054376520090311 |archive-date=20 August 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> but its sales of 5&nbsp;million were seen as a disappointment by U2 standards and it did not contain a hit single.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/u2-the-band-who-fell-to-earth/news-story/44bc1101daad4ab41c4b1516503f027d|title=U2: The Band who fell to Earth |newspaper=[[Herald Sun]]|first=Neala |last=Johnson |date=9 September 2010 |access-date=5 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615004928/http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/u2-the-band-who-fell-to-earth/story-e6frf96f-1225916526194 |archive-date=15 June 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="guard-sales">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/26/u2-bono-disappointed-album-sales |title=U2's Bono disappointed with latest album sales |last=Michaels |first=Sean |newspaper=The Guardian|date=26 October 2009 |access-date=27 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002165223/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/26/u2-bono-disappointed-album-sales |archive-date=2 October 2013 |url-status=live | location=London}}</ref> Following the album's release, the band discussed tentative plans for a follow-up record entitled ''Songs of Ascent''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-talk-horizon-follow-up-spider-man-musical-in-rolling-stone-cover-story-113047/|title=U2 Talk 'Horizon' Follow Up, Spider-Man Musical in Rolling Stone Cover Story |first=Brian |last=Hiatt |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=4 March 2009 |access-date=5 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512194434/http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/03/04/u2-talk-horizon-follow-up-spider-man-musical-in-rolling-stone-cover-story/ |archive-date=12 May 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> Bono described the project as "a more meditative album on the theme of pilgrimage".<ref name="wanderers"/>

[[File:U2 360 Tour Croke Park 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|alt=A concert stage; four large legs curve up above the stage and hold a video screen which is extended down to the band. The legs are lit up in green. The video screen has multi-coloured lights flashing on it. The audience surrounds the stage on all sides.|At 164 feet tall, the stage structure from the [[U2 360° Tour]] was the largest ever constructed. The tour became the highest-grossing in history, having earned {{USD|736&nbsp;million}}.]]
The group embarked on the [[U2 360° Tour]] in June 2009. It was their first live venture for [[Live Nation Entertainment|Live Nation]] under a 12-year, {{USD|100&nbsp;million}} ({{GBP|50 million}}) contract signed the year prior.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/269275/exclusive-u2-readies-360-global-tour|title=Exclusive: U2 Readies '360' Global Tour|magazine=Billboard|first=Ray|last=Waddell|date=6 March 2009|access-date=27 February 2013|archive-date=6 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106015856/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/exclusive-u2-to-kiss-the-future-on-global-1003948418.story|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-livenation-u-idUSN3040810420080331|title=Live Nation agrees to 12-year pact with U2|website=[[Reuters]]|date=31 March 2008|access-date=23 March 2016|archive-date=4 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404130457/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-livenation-u-idUSN3040810420080331|url-status=live}}</ref> As part of the deal, the company assumed control over U2's touring, merchandising, and official website.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/2787228/U2-ties-the-knot-with-Live-Nation-deal.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/2787228/U2-ties-the-knot-with-Live-Nation-deal.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=U2 ties knot with Live Nation deal|website=The Daily Telegraph |first=Emma|last=Thelwell|date=31 March 2008|access-date=17 August 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The 360° Tour concerts featured the band playing stadiums "[[Theatre in the round|in the round]]", allowing the audience to surround them on all sides.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hotpress.com/archive/5293385.html |title=Exclusive: Paul McGuinness on U2's World Tour |website=Hot Press |date=4 March 2009 |access-date=29 October 2009 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=17 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717205833/http://www.hotpress.com/archive/5293385.html |url-status=live }}</ref> To accommodate the stage configuration, a large four-legged structure nicknamed "The Claw" was built above the stage, with the sound system and a cylindrical, expanding video screen on top of it. At {{convert|164|ft|m}} tall, it was the largest stage ever constructed.<ref name="rs032309">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/26841404/inside_u2s_plans_to_rock_stadiums_around_the_globe |title=Inside U2's Plans to Rock Stadiums Around the Globe |last=Hiatt |first=Brian |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=2 April 2009 |access-date=21 July 2009 |issue=1075|page=14|archive-date=26 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426031859/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/26841404/inside_u2s_plans_to_rock_stadiums_around_the_globe |url-status=dead}}</ref> The tour visited Europe and North America in 2009. On 25 October 2009, U2 set a new US record for single concert attendance for one headline act, performing to 97,014 people at the [[Rose Bowl (stadium)|Rose Bowl]] in Pasadena.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/266855/u2s-rose-bowl-show-breaks-attendance-record |title=U2's Rose Bowl Show Breaks Attendance Record |magazine=Billboard |first=Bob |last=Allen |date=30 October 2009 |access-date=30 October 2009 |archive-date=4 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104050605/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/266855/u2s-rose-bowl-show-breaks-attendance-record |url-status=live }}</ref> In May 2010, while rehearsing for the next leg of the tour, Bono suffered a [[Spinal disc herniation|herniated disk]] and severe compression of the [[sciatic nerve]], requiring emergency back surgery.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2010/05/25/u2s-north-american-tour-including-chicago-date-postponed-while-bono-recovers-from-surgery/|title=U2's North American tour, including Chicago date, postponed while Bono recovers from surgery|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=25 May 2010|access-date=5 May 2018|archive-date=20 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520192604/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-05-25/entertainment/chi-100521-bono-u2-emergency-surgery_1_u2-com-u2-s-north-american-live-nation|url-status=live}}</ref> The band were forced to postpone the North American leg of the tour and a headlining performance at the [[Glastonbury Festival 2010]] until the following year.<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-announce-return-to-the-stage-in-homemade-video-2-245662/ |title=U2 announce return to the stage in homemade video |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=13 July 2010 |access-date=5 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716004334/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/180384 |archive-date=16 July 2010 |url-status=dead }} |{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/feb/24/u2-glastonbury|title=U2 confirm Glastonbury headline spot|website=[[The Guardian]]|first1=Ben|last1=Quinn|first2=Alexandra|last2=Topping|date=23 February 2011|access-date=5 May 2018|archive-date=20 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520124447/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/feb/24/u2-glastonbury|url-status=live}}}}</ref> After Bono's recovery, U2 resumed the 360° Tour in August 2010 with legs in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, during which they began to play new, unreleased songs live.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-debut-another-new-song-on-european-tour-238937/|title=U2 Debut Another New Song on European Tour|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Daniel|last=Kreps|date=23 August 2010|access-date=5 July 2018|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204740/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-debut-another-new-song-on-european-tour-238937/|url-status=live}}</ref> By its conclusion in July 2011, U2 360° had set records for the [[List of highest-grossing concert tours|highest-grossing concert tour]] ({{USD|736&nbsp;million}}) and [[List of most-attended concert tours|most tickets sold for a tour]] (7.3&nbsp;million).<ref name="360-records">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1099191/billboard-power-100-u2-paul-mcguinness |title=Billboard Power 100: 27&nbsp;– U2 & Paul McGuinness |first=Ray |last=Waddell |magazine=Billboard |date=4 February 2012 |pages=18–19 |volume=124 |issue=4 |access-date=3 February 2017 |archive-date=1 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201055212/http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1099191/billboard-power-100-u2-paul-mcguinness |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== ''Songs of Innocence'' and Innocence + Experience Tour (2011–2015) ===
[[File:U2 at Apple keynote event 9-9-14.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|U2 performing at the Apple product launch at which ''[[Songs of Innocence (U2 album)|Songs of Innocence]]'' was announced in September 2014]]
Throughout the 360° Tour, the band worked on multiple projects, including a rock album produced by [[Danger Mouse (musician)|Danger Mouse]], a dance record produced by [[RedOne]] and [[will.i.am]], and ''Songs of Ascent''.<ref name="guard-trio-11">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/13/new-u2-album-delayed-2012|title=New U2 album delayed until 2012|website=The Guardian|first=Sean|last=Michaels|date=13 June 2011|access-date=11 September 2014|archive-date=12 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812072545/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/13/new-u2-album-delayed-2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The latter was not completed to their satisfaction, and by December 2011, Clayton admitted it would not come to fruition.<ref>MacDonald (2014), pp. 232–235</ref> The sessions with Danger Mouse formed the foundation of U2's next album, and they worked with him until May 2013 before enlisting the help of producers [[Paul Epworth]], [[Ryan Tedder]], Declan Gaffney, and Flood. The band suspended work on the album late in 2013 to contribute a new song, "[[Ordinary Love (U2 song)|Ordinary Love]]", to the film ''[[Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom]]''.<ref name="thr-ol">{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/u2-interview-oscar-hopes-unfinished-679321|title=U2 Interview: Oscar Hopes, That Unfinished Album, Anxiety About Staying Relevant|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|first=Hal|last=Espen|date=12 February 2014|access-date=18 February 2014|archive-date=21 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221132736/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/u2-interview-oscar-hopes-unfinished-679321|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/10/17/mandela-long-walk-to-freedom-trailer-features-new-u2-song-ordinary-love/|title='Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' Trailer Features New U2 Song 'Ordinary Love'|website=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|first=Christopher John|last=Farley|date=17 October 2013|access-date=18 October 2013|archive-date=17 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017234920/http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/10/17/mandela-long-walk-to-freedom-trailer-features-new-u2-song-ordinary-love/|url-status=live}}</ref> The track, written in honour of [[Nelson Mandela]], won the 2014 [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song]].<ref name="thr-ol"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goldenglobes.com/song/ordinary-love|title=Ordinary Love|website=[[Golden Globes|GoldenGlobes.com]]|access-date=23 March 2016|archive-date=6 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406032106/http://www.goldenglobes.com/song/ordinary-love|url-status=dead}}</ref> In November 2013, U2's manager Paul McGuinness stepped down as part of a deal with Live Nation to acquire his management firm, Principle Management. McGuinness, who had managed the group for over 30 years, was succeeded by [[Guy Oseary]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-u2-manager-paul-mcguinness-guy-oseary-live-nation-20131115-story.html|title=U2 manager steps down|website=Los Angeles Times|first=Randy|last=Lewis|date=16 November 2013|page=B3|access-date=18 February 2014|archive-date=4 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304064154/http://articles.latimes.com/2013/nov/15/entertainment/la-et-ms-u2-manager-paul-mcguinness-guy-oseary-live-nation-20131115|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2014, the single "[[Invisible (U2 song)|Invisible]]", debuted in a [[Super Bowl commercials|Super Bowl television advertisement]] and was made available in the iTunes Store at no cost to launch a partnership with [[Product Red]] and [[Bank of America]] to fight [[AIDS]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Download U2 song, fight global disease|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|first=Elysa|last=Gardner|date=1 February 2014|page=16}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-offer-free-downloads-of-new-track-invisible-to-help-fight-aids-183743/|title=U2 Offer Free Downloads of New Track 'Invisible' to Help Fight AIDS|first=Kory|last=Grow|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=2 February 2014|access-date=5 July 2018|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204829/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-offer-free-downloads-of-new-track-invisible-to-help-fight-aids-183743/|url-status=live}}</ref> Bono called the track a "sneak preview" of their pending record.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-say-invisible-is-a-sneak-preview-of-new-album-190785/|title=U2 Say 'Invisible' Is a 'Sneak Preview' of New Album|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Jason|last=Newman|date=31 January 2014|access-date=5 July 2018|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204905/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/u2-say-invisible-is-a-sneak-preview-of-new-album-190785/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 9 September 2014, U2 appeared at an Apple product launch event to make a [[Surprise album|surprise announcement]] of their thirteenth studio album, ''[[Songs of Innocence (U2 album)|Songs of Innocence]]''. They released it digitally the same day to all iTunes Store customers at no cost,<ref name="verge">{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/9/6126711/u2-releases-its-new-album-for-free-today-exclusively-on-itunes|title=U2 releases its new album for free today exclusively on iTunes|website=[[The Verge]]|first=Nathan|last=Ingraham|date=9 September 2014|access-date=9 September 2014|archive-date=19 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519030515/http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/9/6126711/u2-releases-its-new-album-for-free-today-exclusively-on-itunes|url-status=live}}</ref> making it available to over 500&nbsp;million people in what Apple CEO [[Tim Cook]] called "the largest album release of all time".<ref name="nyt-soi-deal">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/10/business/media/u2-appears-at-apple-event-and-songs-of-innocence-appears-free-on-itunes.html|title=U2 Appears at Apple Event, and 'Songs of Innocence' Appears Free on iTunes|website=[[The New York Times]]|first=Ben|last=Sisario|date=9 September 2014|access-date=10 September 2014|archive-date=10 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910200108/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/10/business/media/u2-appears-at-apple-event-and-songs-of-innocence-appears-free-on-itunes.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Apple reportedly paid [[Universal Music Group]] and U2 a lump sum for a five-week exclusivity period in which to distribute the album<ref>{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/09/09/u2-apple-and-the-deal-behind-getting-songs-of-innocence-free-of-charge/|title=U2, Apple and the Deal Behind Getting 'Songs of Innocence' Free of Charge|website=The Wall Street Journal|first=John|last=Jurgensen|date=9 September 2014|access-date=10 September 2014|archive-date=10 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910200314/http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/09/09/u2-apple-and-the-deal-behind-getting-songs-of-innocence-free-of-charge/|url-status=live}}</ref> and spent {{USD|100&nbsp;million}} on a promotional campaign.<ref name="nyt-soi-deal"/> ''Songs of Innocence'' recalls the group members' youth in Ireland, touching on childhood experiences, loves and losses, while paying tribute to their musical inspirations.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pareles|first=Jon|author-link=Jon Pareles|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/arts/music/with-songs-of-innocence-u2-recasts-its-youth.html?_r=1|title=On New Album, Rock Veterans Revisit Youth|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=15 July 2015|date=10 September 2014|archive-date=7 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907215126/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/arts/music/with-songs-of-innocence-u2-recasts-its-youth.html?_r=1|url-status=live}}</ref> Bono described it as "the most personal album we've written".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29132508|title=New U2 album given away for free to iTunes users|website=[[BBC News]]|date=9 September 2014|access-date=10 September 2014|archive-date=10 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910160615/http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29132508|url-status=live}}</ref> The record received mixed reviews and was criticised for its digital release strategy; it was automatically added to users' iTunes accounts, which for many, triggered an unprompted download to their electronic devices.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/11086403/Why-is-the-new-U2-album-in-your-iTunes-library.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/11086403/Why-is-the-new-U2-album-in-your-iTunes-library.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Why is the new U2 album in your iTunes library?|website=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|first=Rupert|last=Hawksley|date=10 September 2014|access-date=10 September 2014|location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/09/everyone-mad-at-apple-for-u2-stunt.html|title=Everyone Is Mad at Apple for Forcing Them to Download a U2 Album|website=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|first=Kevin|last=Roose|date=11 September 2014|access-date=11 September 2014|archive-date=11 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911210822/http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/09/everyone-mad-at-apple-for-u2-stunt.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-apples-free-u2-gift-a-sign-of-things-to-come/|title=Apple's free U2 "gift" angers many customers|website=[[CBS MoneyWatch]]|first=Kim|last=Peterson|date=12 September 2014|access-date=12 September 2014|archive-date=12 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912205415/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-apples-free-u2-gift-a-sign-of-things-to-come/|url-status=live}}</ref> Chris Richards of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' called the release "rock-and-roll as dystopian junk mail".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/09/10/u2-apple-and-rock-and-roll-as-dystopian-junk-mail/|title=U2, Apple and rock-and-roll as dystopian junk mail|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Chris|last=Richards|date=10 September 2014|access-date=10 May 2016|archive-date=4 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604024345/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/09/10/u2-apple-and-rock-and-roll-as-dystopian-junk-mail/|url-status=live}}</ref> The group's press tour for the album was interrupted after Bono was seriously injured in a bicycle accident in [[Central Park]] on 16 November 2014. He suffered fractures of his shoulder blade, [[humerus]], [[orbit (anatomy)|orbit]], and pinky finger,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bono-treated-with-metal-plates-intensive-therapy-after-bike-injury-203099/ |title=Bono Treated With Metal Plates, 'Intensive Therapy' After Bike Injury |magazine=Rolling Stone |first=Jason |last=Newman |date=19 November 2014 |access-date=5 July 2018 |archive-date=2 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702180154/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bono-treated-with-metal-plates-intensive-therapy-after-bike-injury-203099/ |url-status=live }}</ref> leading to uncertainty that he would ever be able to play guitar again.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jan/02/bono-reveals-he-may-never-play-guitar-again-after-bike-accident|title=Bono says he may never play guitar again after cycling accident|website=The Guardian|first=Tim|last=Jonze|date=2 January 2015|access-date=6 February 2015|archive-date=6 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106190405/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jan/02/bono-reveals-he-may-never-play-guitar-again-after-bike-accident|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:U2 in Paris, Dec 7 2015 (22980117714).jpg|thumb|left|U2 performing in Paris on 7 December 2015, the final date of the Innocence + Experience Tour. It was filmed for [[Innocence + Experience: Live in Paris|an HBO-broadcast concert video]].]]
Following Bono's recuperation, U2 embarked on the [[Innocence + Experience Tour]] in May 2015,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/u2-guitarist-the-edge-falls-off-edge-of-stage-in-vancouver-1.3075493|title=U2 guitarist The Edge falls off edge of stage in Vancouver|website=[[CBC News]]|date=15 May 2015|access-date=15 May 2015|archive-date=17 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150517004106/http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/u2-guitarist-the-edge-falls-off-edge-of-stage-in-vancouver-1.3075493|url-status=live}}</ref> visiting arenas in North America and Europe from May to December.<ref name="bb-tour-announce">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6334847/u2-innocence-experience-tour-dates-2015|title=U2 Announces 'Innocence + Experience' Tour|magazine=Billboard|first=Ray|last=Waddell|date=3 December 2014|access-date=14 December 2014|archive-date=9 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209121652/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6334847/u2-innocence-experience-tour-dates-2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The group structured their concerts around a loose autobiographical narrative of "innocence" passing into "experience", with a fixed set of songs for the first half of each show and a varying second half, separated by an intermission—a first for U2 concerts.<ref name="flighttonow">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/03/arts/music/u2s-flight-to-now-turbulence-included.html|title=U2's Flight to Now (Turbulence Included)|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|first=Jon|last=Pareles|author-link=Jon Pareles|date=3 May 2015|page=AR1|edition=New York}}</ref> The stage spanned the length of the venue floor and had three sections: a rectangular main stage, a smaller circular [[B-stage]], and a connecting walkway.<ref name="flighttonow"/> The centrepiece of the set was a {{convert|96|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} double-sided video screen that featured an interior catwalk, allowing the band members to perform amidst the video projections.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-live-reviews/u2-reinvent-the-arena-show-at-triumphant-innocence-tour-opener-44684/|title=U2 Reinvent the Arena Show at Triumphant 'Innocence' Tour Opener|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Andy|last=Greene|date=15 May 2015|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2015/05/15/u2-tour-opener-vancouver/|title=At U2's Tour Opener in Vancouver, Bono Sucks His Thumb, the Edge Falls off the Edge|website=The Wall Street Journal|first=Chris |last=Kornelis |date=15 May 2015|access-date=15 May 2015}}</ref> U2's sound system was moved to the venue ceilings and arranged in an oval array to improve the sound.<ref name="flighttonow"/> The tour grossed {{USD|152.2&nbsp;million}} from 1.29&nbsp;million tickets sold.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.pollstarpro.com/files/charts2016/011816Top20WorldwideTours.pdf|title=2015 Pollstar Year End Top 20 Worldwide Tours|magazine=[[Pollstar]]|access-date=30 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803052549/http://www.pollstarpro.com/files/charts2016/011816Top20WorldwideTours.pdf|archive-date=3 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The final date of the tour, one of two Paris shows rescheduled due to the [[November 2015 Paris attacks|13 November 2015 attacks]] in the city, was filmed for the video ''[[Innocence + Experience: Live in Paris]]'' and broadcast on the American television network [[HBO]].<ref name="parisattacks">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/11/13/u2-postpones-its-paris-concert-that-was-to-air-live-on-hbo-saturday-night/|title=U2 postpones its Paris concert that was to air live on HBO Saturday night|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Bethonie|last=Butler|date=13 November 2015 |access-date=15 November 2015}}</ref><ref name="paris-reschedule">{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-u2-paris-shows-rescheduled-20151123-story.html|title=U2 reschedules Paris concerts, HBO will air Dec. 7 show|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=23 November 2015|access-date=23 November 2015}}</ref>

===''The Joshua Tree'' anniversary tours and ''Songs of Experience'' (2016–2019)===
In 2016, U2 worked on their next studio album, ''[[Songs of Experience (U2 album)|Songs of Experience]]'', a [[companion piece]] to ''Songs of Innocence''.<ref name="mojo-apr17">{{cite magazine|title=American Dreams|magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|first=Tom|last=Doyle|date=April 2017|issue=281|pages=72–86}}</ref> The group had mostly completed the album and planned to release it that year, but after the shift of global politics in a [[conservatism|conservative]] direction, highlighted by the UK's [[Brexit]] [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|referendum]] and the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 US presidential election]], they put the record on hold to reassess its tone.<ref>{{cite episode|url=http://www.edge.ca/2017/09/06/u2-speaks-with-the-edge-about-new-single-youre-the-best-thing-about-me/|title=U2 speaks with The Edge about new single, 'You're The Best Thing About Me'|series=Carly Meyers|network=[[CFNY-FM]]|date=6 September 2017|type=Radio broadcast|author=[[The Edge]] (interviewee)|access-date=6 September 2017}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The group spent the extra time rewriting lyrics, [[Arrangement|rearranging]] and remixing songs, and pursuing different production styles.<ref name="mojo-apr17"/><ref name="edge-rs-mortality">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/the-edge-on-u2s-songs-of-experience-bonos-brush-with-mortality-253290/|title=The Edge on U2's 'Songs of Experience,' Bono's 'Brush With Mortality'|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Andy|last=Greene|date=18 September 2017|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref> Further impacting the lyrical direction of the album was a "brush with mortality" that Bono experienced;<ref name="edge-rs-mortality"/><ref name="bono-rs-soe-evolve">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/bono-on-how-u2s-songs-of-experience-evolved-taking-on-donald-trump-253312/|title=Bono on How U2's 'Songs of Experience' Evolved, Taking on Donald Trump|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Andy|last=Greene|date=20 September 2017|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref> in December 2016, he underwent [[open-heart surgery]] due to an [[aortic aneurysm]] that formed over time as a result of having a [[bicuspid aortic valve]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/u2-frontman-bono-reveals-he-had-heart-surgery-in-2016-in-new-memoir-surrender-3342136|title=Bono had heart surgery in 2016 to repair 'blister' on his aorta|website=[[NME]]|first=Tom|last=Skinner|date=3 November 2022|access-date=16 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Bono |date=2022 |title=Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story |chapter=Lights of Home |publisher=Knopf |isbn=978-0593663691}}</ref>

[[File:U2 on tree stage on Joshua Tree Tour 2017 in Kansas City 9-12-17.jpg|thumb|[[The Joshua Tree Tour 2017]] commemorated the 30th anniversary of the eponymous record. It was the highest-grossing tour of the year, earning {{USD|316&nbsp;million}}.]]
U2 [[The Joshua Tree Tour 2017|toured in 2017]] to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ''The Joshua Tree'', with each show featuring a performance of the entire album.<ref name="edge-breakdown">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/the-edge-breaks-down-u2s-upcoming-joshua-tree-tour-111050/|title=The Edge Breaks Down U2's Upcoming 'Joshua Tree' Tour|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Andy|last=Greene|date=9 January 2017|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref> It was the first time the group toured in promotion of an album from their back catalogue.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/u2-to-outline-tour-dates-for-the-joshua-tree-on-monday-1.2929263|title=U2 to outline tour dates for The Joshua Tree on Monday|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Brian|last=Boyd|date=8 January 2017|access-date=5 March 2017}}</ref> The Edge cited the same world events that caused the group to delay ''Songs of Experience'' for what he judged to be renewed resonance of ''The Joshua Tree''{{'}}s subject matter and a reason to revisit it.<ref name="edge-breakdown"/> The tour's stage featured a [[8K resolution|7.6K]] video screen measuring {{convert|200|x|45|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ohio.com/akron/entertainment/pop-music/u2-brings-massive-joshua-tree-tour-to-cleveland-s-firstenergy-stadium|title=U2 brings massive Joshua Tree Tour to Cleveland's FirstEnergy Stadium|website=[[Akron Beacon Journal|Ohio.com]]|first=Malcolm X|last=Abram|date=28 June 2017|access-date=6 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701000332/http://www.ohio.com/entertainment/pop-music/u2-brings-massive-joshua-tree-tour-to-cleveland-s-firstenergy-stadium-1.777300|archive-date=1 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> that was, according to ''[[The Guardian]]'', the largest and highest resolution screen used on a concert tour.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2017/may/15/u2-joshua-tree-tour-anton-corbijn-america-trump|title=U2's Joshua Tree tour: stuck in the past, or a new sense of purpose?|website=[[The Guardian]]|first=Barry|last=Nicolson|date=15 May 2017|access-date=8 June 2017}}</ref> The tour included a headlining appearance at the [[Bonnaroo Music Festival]] in June.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nashvillescene.com/music/spin/article/20864286/u2-turns-great-stage-park-into-joshua-tree-friday-night-at-bonnaroo|title=U2 Turns Great Stage Park Into Joshua Tree Friday Night at Bonnaroo|website=[[Nashville Scene]]|author=The Spin|date=10 June 2017|access-date=6 July 2017}}</ref> The tour grossed more than {{USD|316&nbsp;million}} from over 2.7&nbsp;million tickets sold,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8022273/u2-the-joshua-tree-2017-tour-earnings|title=U2's Joshua Tree 2017 Tour Wraps With $316 Million Earned|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Bob|last=Allen|date=1 November 2017|access-date=14 December 2017}}</ref> making it the highest-grossing tour of the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/u2-tops-pollstars-year-end-touring-chart-with-316-million-gross-veteran-male-acts-dominate-top-20-1202649383/|title=U2 Tops Pollstar's Year-End Touring Chart With $316 Million Gross, Veteran Male Acts Dominate Top 20|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Jem|last=Aswad|date=28 December 2017|access-date=29 December 2017}}</ref>

''Songs of Experience'' was released on 1 December 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/arts/music/u2-songs-of-experience-interview.html|title=U2 Offer 'Songs of Experience' to a World That's on Fire|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|first=Jon|last=Pareles|author-link=Jon Pareles|date=10 September 2017|at=sec. AR, p. 109|edition=New York|access-date=6 September 2017}}</ref> Lyrically, the album reflects the "political and personal apocalypse" that Bono felt in 2016.<ref name="q-hardwon">{{cite magazine|title=Hard-Won Experience|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|first=Tom|last=Doyle|date=December 2017|pages=10–13|issue=379}}</ref> The first single, "[[You're the Best Thing About Me]]",<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-u2s-lustrous-new-single-youre-the-best-thing-about-me-204832/|title=Hear U2's Lustrous New Single 'You're the Best Thing About Me'|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Elias|last=Leight|date=6 September 2017|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref> is one of several songs from the record for which Bono wrote the lyrics as letters addressed to people and places closest to his heart.<ref name="edge-rs-mortality"/><ref name="bono-rs-soe-evolve"/> ''Songs of Experience'' received mixed reviews from critics;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inquisitr.com/4669220/u2-songs-of-innocence-mediocre-reviews-high-sales/|title=U2's 'Songs of Experience' Receives Mediocre Reviews, But Concert Ticket Album Bundle Disguises Poor Sales|work=[[The Inquisitr]]|first=Daryl|last=Deino|date=7 December 2017|access-date=8 December 2017|archive-date=8 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208041332/https://www.inquisitr.com/4669220/u2-songs-of-innocence-mediocre-reviews-high-sales/|url-status=live}}</ref> it was the sixth-best-selling album globally in 2017 with 1.3&nbsp;million copies sold.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2018/04/24/these-were-the-10-bestselling-albums-in-the-world-in-2017/#921e944608d2|title=These Were The 10 Bestselling Albums In The World In 2017|work=[[Forbes (magazine)|Forbes]]|first=Hugh|last=McIntyre|date=24 April 2018|access-date=24 April 2018|archive-date=24 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424191855/https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2018/04/24/these-were-the-10-bestselling-albums-in-the-world-in-2017/#921e944608d2|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:U2 performing on Experience and Innocence Tour in London 10-24-18 (3).jpg|thumb|left|U2 performing in London in October 2018 during the [[Experience + Innocence Tour]], a sequel to their 2015 tour]]
In May 2018, the band embarked on the Experience + Innocence Tour, which consisted of arena shows across North America and Europe.<ref name="ei-bb-wrapup">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8486083/u2-experience-innocence-tour-wrap|title=U2 Wraps Experience + Innocence Tour With $125 Million Earned|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Eric|last=Frankenberg|date=20 November 2018|access-date=21 November 2018}}</ref> 
It was a sequel to their 2015 Innocence + Experience Tour, reprising its loose narrative and using a similar stage set. Several enhancements were made, such as a higher resolution and more transparent video screen and the addition of LED panels to the B-stage floor.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://plsn.com/articles/video-production/u2s-2018-experience-innocence-tour/|title=U2's 2018 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour|magazine=Projection Lights and Staging News|first=Nook|last=Schoenfeld|date=July 2018|volume=19|issue=6|pages=54–56|access-date=29 August 2018}}</ref> The band incorporated [[augmented reality]] into the shows, releasing a mobile app for concertgoers to use and reviving Bono's demonic stage character MacPhisto from the 1993 Zoo TV Tour with the help of a camera [[Filter (social media)|filter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dezeen.com/2018/05/09/es-devlin-augmented-reality-avatar-bono-u2-set-design/|title=Giant augmented reality avatar of Bono appears on Es Devlin's U2 stage set|website=[[Dezeen]]|first=Natashah|last=Hitti|date=9 May 2018|access-date=31 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avinteractive.com/features/case-studies/storytelling-tech-07-12-2018/|title=Storytelling tech|website=[[Metropolis International|AV Magazine]]|first=Zoe|last=Mutter|date=7 December 2018|access-date=27 September 2023|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221060039/https://www.avinteractive.com/features/case-studies/storytelling-tech-07-12-2018/|archive-date=21 February 2020}}</ref> The tour concluded in Berlin in November with total revenues of {{USD|126.2 million}} from 924,000 tickets sold, according to ''Billboard''.<ref name="ei-bb-wrapup"/>

U2's ''Joshua Tree'' anniversary concert tour [[The Joshua Tree Tour 2019|visited Oceania and Asia in 2019]], their first time playing Australia and New Zealand since the 360° Tour in 2010,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8514077/u2-sets-joshua-tree-tour-australia-nz-asia|title=U2 Sets 'Joshua Tree' Tour of Australia, NZ and Asia|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Lars|last=Brandle|date=3 June 2019|access-date=5 June 2019}}</ref> and their first time performing in South Korea, Singapore, India, and the Philippines.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radio.com/music/classic-rock/u2-to-finish-2019-joshua-treetour-with-first-trip-to-india|title=U2 to Finish 2019 'The Joshua Tree' Tour With First Trip to India|website=[[Radio.com]]|first=Bob|last=Diehl|date=18 September 2019|access-date=13 November 2019}}</ref> The band released the single "Ahimsa" with Indian musician [[A.R. Rahman]] to promote their December concert in India.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://rollingstoneindia.com/exclusive-a-r-rahman-and-u2-collaborate-on-new-single-ahimsa/ |title=Exclusive: A.R. Rahman and U2 Collaborate on New Single 'Ahimsa'|last=Chakraborty |first=Riddhi |date=22 November 2019 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] India |access-date=22 November 2019}}</ref> The group's 2019 shows grossed {{USD|73.8&nbsp;million}} and sold 567,000 tickets, bringing the cumulative totals for their ''Joshua Tree'' anniversary tours to {{USD|390.8&nbsp;million}} grossed and 3.3&nbsp;million tickets sold.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8548371/u2-joshua-tree-anniversary-show-earnings|title=U2 Earn $73 Million From Just 15 'Joshua Tree' Anniversary Shows in 2019|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Eric|last=Frankenberg|date=17 January 2020|access-date=18 January 2020}}</ref>

===''Songs of Surrender'' and concert residency at Sphere (2020–current)===
Over a two-year period during [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdowns]] for the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the group worked on ''[[Songs of Surrender]]'', an album of re-recorded and reinterpreted versions of 40 songs from their back catalogue.<ref name="billboard-sos-announce">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/u2-songs-of-surrender-new-album-1235197073/|title=U2 to Revisit 40 Classic Tracks on 'Songs of Surrender' Collection|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Gil|last=Kaufman|date=11 January 2023|access-date=17 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/music/news/u2-songs-of-surrender-album-march-40-tracks-remakes-1235484056/|title=U2 Set to Release 'Songs of Surrender' Album in March, With 40 Remakes of Older Songs|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Chris|last=Willman|date=10 January 2023|access-date=10 January 2023}}</ref> Largely the effort of the Edge and Bono,<ref>{{cite magazine|title='We are turning the amps on.'|magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|first=Tom|last=Doyle|date=April 2023|issue=353|page=84}}</ref> the album was recorded with collaborators that included [[Bob Ezrin]], Duncan Stewart, Declan Gaffney, and [[Stjepan Hauser]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/u2-new-album-las-vegas-achtung-baby-1234689183/|title=U2 at the Crossroads: Inside the Band's Ambitious Reinvention for 2023|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Andy|last=Greene|date=6 March 2023|access-date=10 March 2023}}</ref> The reimagined songs feature stripped-down and acoustic [[arrangement]]s,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a43328454/u2-songs-of-surrender-review/|title=''Songs of Surrender'' Puts U2's Songwriting Legacy on the Line|website=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]|first=Alan|last=Light|author-link=Alan Light|date=17 March 2023|access-date=4 July 2023}}</ref> in different keys and tempos and often with re-written lyrics.<ref name="edge-telegraph">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/interviews/edge-going-difficult-break-u2/|title='Bono gets too much for me sometimes...'|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|first=Neil|last=McCormick|author-link=Neil McCormick|date=4 March 2023|at=sec. Review, pp. 4–5|access-date=5 March 2023|url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="apnews-release">{{cite web|url=https://fortune.com/2023/03/14/u2-songs-of-surrender-40-old-songs-the-edge-no-guitar-lockdown/|title=U2 is recording new versions of 40 old songs because The Edge started experimenting with keyboards during lockdown|website=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]|first=David|last=Bauder|agency=Associated Press|date=14 March 2023|access-date=14 March 2023}}</ref> The project was conceived as a companion to Bono's memoir ''Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story''.<ref name="billboard-sos-announce"/>

In October 2022, several media outlets reported that U2 were in discussions to sign with [[Irving Azoff]] and his son Jeffrey of Full Stop Management, following the end of Guy Oseary's nine-year tenure as the band's manager.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/u2-manager-irving-jeffrey-azoff-split-guy-oseary/|title=U2 in Talks With Azoffs for Management — But Deal's Not Done|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Dave|last=Brooks|date=6 October 2022|access-date=13 February 2023}}</ref>

After releasing his memoir in November 2022, Bono embarked on a [[book tour]] that month called "Stories of Surrender", initially consisting of 14 dates across North America and Europe.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/bono-stories-of-surrender-book-tour-1235149619/|title=Bono Sets 'Stories of Surrender' Book Tour|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Lars|last=Brandle|date=4 October 2022|access-date=1 April 2023}}</ref> During the shows, Bono performed U2 songs in stripped-down arrangements mirroring those from ''Songs of Surrender''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/live/bono-live-in-london-u2-stories-of-surrender-memoir-3350844|title=Bono live in London: U2 frontman brings his memoir to life with songs and fascinating stories|website=[[NME]]|first=Damian|last=Jones|date=17 November 2022|access-date=1 April 2023}}</ref> The record was released in March 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/13585/U2-Songs-Of-Surrender.aspx |title=Songs Of Surrender by U2 reviews|website=AnyDecentMusic?|access-date=31 March 2023}}</ref> It was the group's first number-one album in the UK since 2009,<ref name="uk-debut">{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/u2-secure-11th-uk-number-1-album-with-songs-of-surrender__38864/|title=U2 secure 11th UK Number 1 album with Songs of Surrender|website=[[Official Charts Company]]|first=Carl|last=Smith|date=24 March 2023|access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref> but sales quickly tapered off; it charted in the UK for three weeks, and in the US for one week after reaching number five.<ref name="ukcharts"/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/u2/chart-history/tlp/|title=U2: Chart History – Billboard 200|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=4 July 2023}}</ref> The album's release coincided with a television documentary film, ''Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming, With Dave Letterman'', that premiered on [[Disney+]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/bono-the-edge-special-david-letterman-disney-plus-1235488878/|title='Bono & The Edge' Documentary Special With David Letterman Greenlit at Disney+ Ahead of Upcoming U2 Album|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Selome|last=Hailu|date=13 January 2023|access-date=17 January 2023}}</ref> In April, Bono resumed his "Stories of Surrender" book tour with an 11-show [[Concert residency|residency]] at the [[Beacon Theatre (New York City)|Beacon Theatre]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/bono-adds-shows-to-stories-of-surrender-run-at-beacon-theatre/|title=Bono adds shows to 'Stories of Surrender' run at Beacon Theatre|website=[[BrooklynVegan]]|first=Amanda|last=Hatfield|date=5 January 2023|access-date=1 April 2023}}</ref>

[[File:U2 performing at Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept 30 2023 by Paul White (37).jpg|thumb|U2 during a September 2023 show at [[Sphere (venue)|Sphere]], as part of [[U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere|a 40-date concert residency]] to inaugurate the venue]]
From September 2023 to March 2024, U2 staged a 40-date concert residency<ref name="hp-sphere-40shows">{{cite web|url=https://www.hotpress.com/music/u2-add-4-new-dates-to-their-sphere-run-due-to-high-demand-22999000|title=U2 add 4 new dates to their Sphere run due to high demand|website=[[Hot Press]]|first=Riley|last=Glaister-Ryder|date=5 December 2023|access-date=5 December 2023}}</ref> called [[U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere|U2:UV ''Achtung Baby'' Live]] to inaugurate [[Sphere (venue)|Sphere]] in the Las Vegas Valley. The residency was announced during a [[Super Bowl LVII]] television advertisement. Performances were focused on the group's 1991 album ''Achtung Baby'' and leveraged the venue's immersive video and sound capabilities, which include a [[16K resolution]] wraparound LED screen and speakers with [[beamforming]] and [[wave field synthesis]] technologies. Mullen did not participate in the concerts in order to recuperate from surgery,<ref name="variety-sb-u2uv">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/music/news/u2-achtung-baby-concerts-without-larry-mullen-1235520643/|title=U2 Announces 'Achtung Baby' Concerts at New Las Vegas Venue — Without Drummer Larry Mullen Jr.|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Jem|last=Aswad|date=12 February 2023|access-date=12 February 2023}}</ref> marking the first time since 1978 that U2 performed without him;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/the-edge-bono-concerts-las-vegas-d1b80ac30f309c05b30b1982c48cfd3d|title=U2 returning to stage in Las Vegas, minus one of quartet|work=[[Associated Press]]|first=David|last=Bauder|date=13 February 2023|access-date=13 February 2023}}</ref> Dutch drummer [[Bram van&nbsp;den&nbsp;Berg]] from the band [[Krezip]] filled in.<ref name="variety-sb-u2uv"/> Coinciding with the beginning of the residency, the group released the Las Vegas-inspired single "[[Atomic City (U2 song)|Atomic City]]".<ref name="atomic">{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/u2-share-new-song-atomic-city-ahead-of-las-vegas-concerts-listen/ |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |title=U2 Share New Song 'Atomic City' Ahead of Las Vegas Concerts: Listen |last=Minsker |first=Evan |date=29 September 2023 |access-date=29 September 2023}}</ref>

U2:UV ''Achtung Baby'' Live was highly acclaimed by critics;<ref name="hp-sphere-40shows"/><ref name="irishtimes">{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2023/09/30/u2uv-achtung-baby-live-at-sphere-in-las-vegas-what-the-first-reviews-say/|title=U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere in Las Vegas: What the first reviews say|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] | date=30 September 2023|access-date=30 September 2023}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s Andy Greene called it "a quantum leap forward for concerts",<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-live-reviews/u2-sphere-opening-concert-las-vegas-1234836122/|title=U2 Launch New Era of Live Music at Stunning Sphere Opening Concert in Las Vegas|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Andy|last=Greene|date=30 September 2023|access-date=30 September 2023}}</ref> and [[Neil McCormick]] of ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'' said it would "change live entertainment forever".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/concerts/u2-sphere-las-vegas-review/|title=U2, Sphere review: this spectacular concert will change live entertainment forever|website=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|first=Neil|last=McCormick|author-link=Neil McCormick|date=30 September 2023|access-date=1 October 2023}}</ref> The residency grossed {{USD|244.5&nbsp;million}} from 663,000 tickets sold,<ref name="pollstar-final-boxoff">{{cite web|url=https://news.pollstar.com/2024/03/14/auf-wiedersehen-baby-u2-wraps-sphere-run/|title=Auf Wiedersehen, Baby: U2 Wraps Sphere Run|website=[[Pollstar]]|first=J. R.|last=Lind|date=14 March 2024|access-date=14 March 2024}}</ref> making it the [[Concert residency#Highest-grossing concert residencies|fourth-highest-grossing concert residency]] of all time.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/top-grossing-concert-residencies-all-time/u2-u2-uv-achtung-baby-live-at-sphere-2023-24/|title=25 Biggest Concert Residencies of All Time|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Eric|last=Frankenberg|date=5 April 2024|access-date=5 April 2024}}</ref> It was filmed for the immersive concert film ''V-U2'', which began screening exclusively at Sphere in September 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.pollstar.com/2024/08/21/spheres-next-attraction-u2-concert-film/|title=Sphere's Next Attraction: Immersive U2 Concert Film|website=[[Pollstar]]|first=J. R.|last=Kind|date=21 August 2024|access-date=21 August 2024}}</ref>