U2
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Featured article Template:Use Hiberno-English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox musical artist
U2 are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1976. The group comprises Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion). Initially rooted in post-punk, U2's musical style has evolved throughout their career, yet has maintained an anthemic quality built on Bono's expressive vocals and the Edge's chiming, effects-based guitar sounds. Bono's lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal and sociopolitical themes. Popular for their live performances, the group have staged several elaborate tours over their career.
The band was formed when the members were teenaged pupils of Mount Temple Comprehensive School and had limited musical proficiency. Within four years, they signed with Island Records and released their debut album, Boy (1980). Works such as their first UK number-one album, War (1983), and singles "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)" helped establish U2's reputation as a politically and socially conscious group. Their fourth album, The Unforgettable Fire (1984), was their first collaboration with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, whose influence resulted in a more abstract, ambient sound for the band. By the mid-1980s, U2 had become renowned globally for their live act, highlighted by their performance at Live Aid in 1985. Their fifth album, The Joshua Tree (1987), made them international stars and was their greatest critical and commercial success. One of the world's best-selling albums with 25 million copies sold, it yielded the group's only number-one singles in the US: "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".
Facing creative stagnation and a backlash to their documentary and double album Rattle and Hum (1988), U2 reinvented themselves in the 1990s. Beginning with their acclaimed seventh album, Achtung Baby (1991), and the multimedia spectacle of the Zoo TV Tour, the band pursued a new musical direction influenced by alternative, industrial, and electronic dance music, and they embraced a more ironic, flippant image. This experimentation continued on Zooropa (1993) and concluded after Pop (1997) and the PopMart Tour, which polarized audiences and critics. The group re-established a more conventional, mainstream sound on All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004), which were critical and commercial successes. Sales of subsequent albums declined, but the group remained a popular live act. The U2 360° Tour of 2009–2011 held records for the most-attended and highest-grossing concert tour until 2019. Songs of Innocence (2014), the first of two companion albums in the 2010s, was criticised for its pervasive release through the iTunes Store. In 2023, U2 released Songs of Surrender, an album of re-recorded songs, and began the U2:UV Achtung Baby Live concert residency to inaugurate Sphere in the Las Vegas Valley.
U2 have released 15 studio albums and are one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold an estimated 150–170 million records worldwide.<ref name="170sales">Template:Bulleted list</ref> Their accolades include 22 Grammy Awards, eight Brit Awards, four Ivor Novello Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. They were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. According to Pollstar, they were the second-highest-grossing live music artist from 1980 to 2022, earning US$2.13 billion. Rolling Stone ranked U2 at number 22 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".<ref name="rs100greatest"/> Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and social justice causes, working with organisations and coalitions that include Amnesty International, Jubilee 2000, DATA/the ONE Campaign, Product Red, War Child, and Music Rising. Template:TOC limit
History
[edit]Formation and early years (1976–1980)
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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. For the first practice, which was held on 25 September in Mullen's kitchen, Mullen played drums and was joined by at least five other people: Paul Hewson ("Bono Vox") on lead vocals; 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>Template:Cite magazine</ref> sources differ on whether he was in attendance at the first meeting or not.<ref>Sources stating that Martin attended the first practice: Template:Bulleted list Sources disputing Martin's attendance: Template:Bulleted list</ref> Within a few weeks, McCormick was also dropped from the group.<ref>Template:Cite web</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 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'>Template:Cite magazine</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>
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 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>Template:Cite podcast</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>Template:Bulleted list</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 Template:GBP (Template:Inflation) and a recording session for a demo that would be heard by the record label 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>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
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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 introduced the band to Paul McGuinness, who agreed to be their 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>Template:Cite web</ref> the most famous of which were a series of weekend afternoon shows at Dublin's Dandelion Market in mid-1979.<ref name="mcg21">McGee (2008), pp. 21–24</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</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. 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", was released on the CBS label, again only for the Irish market. The same day, U2 performed at the 2,000-seat National Stadium in Dublin as part of an Irish tour.<ref name="mcg27">McGee (2008), p. 27</ref><ref name="legends">Template:Cite episode</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">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The following month, the band signed a four-year, four-album contract with Island, which included a Template:GBP advance (Template:Inflation) and Template:GBP in tour support.<ref name="mcg29">McGee (2008), pp. 29–31</ref>
Boy and October (1980–1982)
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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, 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">Template:Cite magazine</ref> drawing from their nearly 40-song repertoire at the time.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Lillywhite employed an experimental approach as producer, setting up Mullen's drums in a stairwell and recording overdubs 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 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>Template:Cite magazine</ref> while Declan Lynch of Hot Press said he found it "almost impossible to react negatively to U2's music".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</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>Template:Cite magazine</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 BillboardTemplate:'s Top Tracks rock chart.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> BoyTemplate:'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>Template:Bulleted list</ref>
The band faced several challenges in writing their second 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>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite web</ref> OctoberTemplate:'s lead single, "Fire", was released in July and was U2's first song to chart in the UK.<ref name="mcg46"/><ref name="ukcharts">Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>
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" 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)
[edit]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. 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.<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">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</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>
Template:Listen WarTemplate:'s lead single, "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"/> WarTemplate:'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 1972 Bloody Sunday shooting with Easter Sunday.<ref name="mcc135"/> Other songs addressed nuclear proliferation ("Seconds") and the Polish Solidarity movement ("New Year's Day").<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 98</ref> War was U2's first record to feature Corbijn's photography.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> An adolescent Rowen was again featured on the album cover, with his previously innocent expression replaced by a fearful one.<ref name="mcg63"/>
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>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The band played several dates at large European and American music festivals,<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">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The show was recorded for the concert video 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", 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 Template:USD.<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 112</ref>
The Unforgettable Fire and Live Aid (1984–1985)
[edit]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">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Following the War album and tour, U2 feared that they were in danger of becoming another "shrill", "sloganeering arena-rock band".<ref name="RS_JT">Template:Cite magazine</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 and "weird works" of Brian Eno, who, along with his 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 nonsense".<ref name="U2byU2_151"/>
Template:Listen 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" 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>Template:Cite web</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>
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" and "Bad", was hard to translate to live performances.<ref name="PARRA_52-56"/> One solution was programming music sequencers, 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>Template:Cite magazine</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, U2Template: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 for Ethiopian famine relief,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> before a crowd of 72,000 fans and a worldwide television audience of 1.5 billion people.<ref name="rs-liveaid-bad">Template:Cite magazine</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>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum (1986–1990)
[edit]For their fifth album, The Joshua Tree, the band wanted to build on The Unforgettable FireTemplate:'s textures, but instead of experimentation, sought a harder-hitting sound within the limitation of conventional song structures.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Realising that "U2 had no tradition" and that their knowledge of music from before their childhood was limited, the group delved into American and 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, 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 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>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
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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">Template:Cite news</ref> The record went to number one in over 20 countries,<ref name="10things">Template:Cite magazine</ref> including the UK where it received a platinum certification in 48 hours and sold 235,000 copies in its first week, making it the fastest seller in British chart history at the time.<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 170</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the US, it spent nine consecutive weeks at number one.<ref>Template:Cite AV media; 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,<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 177</ref> which called them "Rock's Hottest Ticket".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The album and its songs received four Grammy Award nominations, winning Album of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.<ref name="grammy-wins-noms">Template:Cite web</ref> Many publications, including Rolling Stone, have cited The Joshua Tree as one of rock's greatest albums.<ref name="500Greatest">Template:Cite magazine</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 Template:USD earned at the box office,<ref name="U287">Template:Cite news</ref> and globally it grossed Template:USD from 3.17 million tickets sold.<ref>Template:Cite news</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 Studio in 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">Template:Cite magazine</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 Template:USD.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite the criticism, the album sold 14 million copies and reached number one worldwide.<ref>Stokes (2005), p. 78</ref> Lead single "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">Template:Cite magazine</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 ... just dream it all up again".<ref>McGee (2008), p. 129</ref><ref>McCormick (2006), p. 213</ref> Template:Clear
Achtung Baby, Zoo TV, and Zooropa (1990–1993)
[edit]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".<ref>Flanagan (1995), pp. 6–11</ref> They returned to Dublin in 1991, where morale improved and the majority of the album was completed.
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">Template:Cite magazine</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", "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>Template:Cite news</ref> Like The Joshua Tree, many publications have cited the record as one of rock's greatest.<ref name="500Greatest"/>
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">Template:Cite magazine</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>Template:Cite magazine</ref> the greedy televangelist "Mirror Ball Man", and the devilish "MacPhisto".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Prank phone calls were made to US President George H. W. Bush, the United Nations, and others. Live satellite link-ups to 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 Template:USD.<ref name="wapo010693">Template:Cite news</ref>
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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 Template:USD to the band,<ref name="latimesdeal">Template:Cite news</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 EP, Zooropa evolved into a full-length LP album. It delved further into electronic, industrial, and dance music.<ref>Graham (2004), p. 51</ref> Country musician Johnny Cash sang the lead vocals on the closing track "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>Template:Cite magazine</ref> sold 7 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, 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 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 million in ticket sales<ref>Cogan (2008), p. 154</ref> and Template:USD in gross revenues.<ref>Template:Bulleted list</ref> QTemplate:'s Tom Doyle said in 2002 that Zoo TV was "the most spectacular rock tour staged by any band".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Passengers, Pop, and PopMart (1994–1998)
[edit]In 1995, following a long break, U2 contributed "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" to the soundtrack album of the film Batman Forever.<ref>Template:Cite news</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 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>Template:Cite news</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>Template:Cite magazine</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, in mid-1995, holding recording sessions with Nellee Hooper, 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">Template:Cite magazine</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 drum loops and playing to 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">Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite news</ref> cutting into tour rehearsal time.<ref name="legends"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</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 PopTemplate:'s lead single, "Discothèque", a dance-heavy song with a music video in which the band wore Village People costumes.<ref>Template:Cite news</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 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>Template:Bulleted list</ref> Rolling Stone stated that U2 had "defied the odds and made some of the greatest music of their lives".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Other critics felt that the album was a major disappointment.<ref>Template:Bulleted list</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"/>
Template:Multiple image 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">Template:Cite press release</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>Template:Bulleted list</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>Template:Cite news</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>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite web</ref> He later explained, "When that show worked, it was mindblowing."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</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 world record for the largest paying audience for a one-act show.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>McGee (2008), p. 198</ref> U2 also 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>Template:Cite episode</ref> Bono called the show "one of the toughest and one of the sweetest nights of my life."<ref name="Mueller2">Template:Cite news</ref> The tour concluded in March 1998 with gross revenues of Template:USD and 3.98 million tickets sold.<ref name="kissfuture">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The following month, U2 appeared on the 200th episode of the animated sitcom The Simpsons,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in which Homer Simpson disrupts the band on stage during a PopMart concert.<ref>Template:Cite news</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>Template:Cite web</ref> The album broke a first-week sales record in the US for a greatest hits collection by a group,<ref>Template:Cite press release</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)
[edit]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>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Released that October, All That You Can't Leave Behind was seen by critics as a "back to basics" album,<ref>Template:Bulleted list</ref> on which the group returned to a more mainstream, conventional rock sound.<ref name="mccorm289">McCormick (2006), pp. 289–296</ref><ref>Template:Bulleted list</ref> For many of those not won over by the band's forays into dance music, it was considered a return to grace;<ref>Template:Bulleted list</ref><ref name="spin-band01"/> Rolling Stone called it U2's "third masterpiece" alongside The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The album debuted at number one in 32 countries<ref>McGee (2008), p. 221</ref> and sold 12 million copies.<ref>Template:Cite web</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, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the awards ceremony, Bono declared that U2 were "reapplying for the job ... [of] the best band in the world".<ref name=bonomission>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The album's other singles, "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of", "Elevation", and "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>Template:Cite book</ref>
Template:Multiple image 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>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and festival seating was offered in the US for the first time in the group's history.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> During the tour, U2 headlined two Slane Concerts in Ireland, playing to crowds of 80,000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</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" 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>Template:Cite AV media</ref> The Elevation Tour was the top-earning North American tour of 2001 with a gross of Template:USD, the second-highest amount ever at the time for a North American tour.<ref>Template:Bulleted list</ref> Globally, it grossed Template:USD from 2.18 million tickets sold,<ref name="kissfuture"/> making it the year's highest-grossing tour overall.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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">Template:Cite magazine</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>Template:Cite news</ref> Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, and USA Today ranked the band's performance as the best halftime show in Super Bowl history.<ref>Template:Bulleted list</ref> Later that month, U2 received four additional Grammy Awards; All That You Can't Leave Behind won 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>Template:Cite magazine</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".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and Vertigo Tour (2003–2006)
[edit]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.<ref name="u2dropsbomb">Template:Cite magazine</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>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bono acknowledged that the involvement of multiple producers affected the record's "sonic cohesion".<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 329</ref>
Template:Listen 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>Template:Bulleted list</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>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Overall, it sold 9 million copies globally.<ref name="totalsales">Template:Cite news</ref> For the album's release, U2 partnered with Apple for several cross-promotions: the first single, "Vertigo", was featured in a television advertisement for the company's iPod music player, while a U2-branded iPod and digital box set exclusive to the iTunes Store were released.<ref>Template:Cite news</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>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The song won three Grammy Awards, including one for Best Rock Song.<ref>Template:Cite news</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>Template:Bulleted list</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">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</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>
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 scalpers 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>Template:Bulleted list</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>Template:Cite news</ref> while the stadium stage used a massive LED video screen.<ref name="joshua-to-palm">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Setlists on tour varied more than in the group's past and included songs they had not played in decades.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Like its predecessor, the Vertigo Tour was a commercial success, ranking as the top-earning tour of 2005 with Template:USD grossed.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
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">Template:Cite press release</ref> It was released in theatres nearly two years later,<ref>Template:Cite web</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 NFL football game, the New Orleans Saints' first home game in the city since Hurricane Katrina. The two bands covered the 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>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite news</ref> The Vertigo Tour concluded in December, having sold 4.6 million tickets and having earned Template:USD, the second-highest gross ever at the time.<ref name="joshua-to-palm"/>
In August 2006, the band incorporated its publishing business in the Netherlands following the capping of Irish artists' tax exemption at Template:Euro.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Edge stated that businesses often seek to minimise their tax burdens.<ref name="bloomberg"/> The move was criticised in the Irish parliament.<ref name="bloomberg">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</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>Template:Cite news</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>Template:Cite news</ref>
No Line on the Horizon and U2 360° Tour (2006–2011)
[edit]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">Template:Cite web</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>Template:Bulleted list</ref> Intending to write "future hymns"—songs that would be played forever—the group spent two weeks recording in a riad and exploring local music.<ref name="wanderers">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Bulleted list</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">Template:Cite magazine</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>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite magazine</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>Template:Bulleted list</ref> The album debuted at number one in over 30 countries,<ref name="Reuters">Template:Cite news</ref> but its sales of 5 million were seen as a disappointment by U2 standards and it did not contain a hit single.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="guard-sales">Template:Cite news</ref> Following the album's release, the band discussed tentative plans for a follow-up record entitled Songs of Ascent.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bono described the project as "a more meditative album on the theme of pilgrimage".<ref name="wanderers"/>
The group embarked on the U2 360° Tour in June 2009. It was their first live venture for Live Nation under a 12-year, Template:USD (Template:GBP) contract signed the year prior.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As part of the deal, the company assumed control over U2's touring, merchandising, and official website.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> The 360° Tour concerts featured the band playing stadiums "in the round", allowing the audience to surround them on all sides.<ref>Template:Cite web</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 Template:Convert tall, it was the largest stage ever constructed.<ref name="rs032309">Template:Cite magazine</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 in Pasadena.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In May 2010, while rehearsing for the next leg of the tour, Bono suffered a herniated disk and severe compression of the sciatic nerve, requiring emergency back surgery.<ref>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Bulleted list</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>Template:Cite magazine</ref> By its conclusion in July 2011, U2 360° had set records for the highest-grossing concert tour (Template:USD) and most tickets sold for a tour (7.3 million).<ref name="360-records">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Songs of Innocence and Innocence + Experience Tour (2011–2015)
[edit]
Throughout the 360° Tour, the band worked on multiple projects, including a rock album produced by Danger Mouse, a dance record produced by RedOne and will.i.am, and Songs of Ascent.<ref name="guard-trio-11">Template:Cite web</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", to the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.<ref name="thr-ol">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The track, written in honour of Nelson Mandela, won the 2014 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.<ref name="thr-ol"/><ref>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite news</ref> In February 2014, the single "Invisible", debuted in a 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>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bono called the track a "sneak preview" of their pending record.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
On 9 September 2014, U2 appeared at an Apple product launch event to make a surprise announcement of their thirteenth studio album, Songs of Innocence. They released it digitally the same day to all iTunes Store customers at no cost,<ref name="verge">Template:Cite web</ref> making it available to over 500 million people in what Apple CEO Tim Cook called "the largest album release of all time".<ref name="nyt-soi-deal">Template:Cite news</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>Template:Cite news</ref> and spent Template:USD 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>Template:Cite news</ref> Bono described it as "the most personal album we've written".<ref>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Chris Richards of The Washington Post called the release "rock-and-roll as dystopian junk mail".<ref>Template:Cite news</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, and pinky finger,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> leading to uncertainty that he would ever be able to play guitar again.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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Following Bono's recuperation, U2 embarked on the Innocence + Experience Tour in May 2015,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> visiting arenas in North America and Europe from May to December.<ref name="bb-tour-announce">Template:Cite magazine</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">Template:Cite news</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 Template:Convert double-sided video screen that featured an interior catwalk, allowing the band members to perform amidst the video projections.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</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 Template:USD from 1.29 million tickets sold.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The final date of the tour, one of two Paris shows rescheduled due to the 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">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="paris-reschedule">Template:Cite web</ref>
The Joshua Tree anniversary tours and Songs of Experience (2016–2019)
[edit]In 2016, U2 worked on their next studio album, Songs of Experience, a companion piece to Songs of Innocence.<ref name="mojo-apr17">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The group had mostly completed the album and planned to release it that year, but after the shift of global politics in a conservative direction, highlighted by the UK's Brexit referendum and the 2016 US presidential election, they put the record on hold to reassess its tone.<ref>Template:Cite episodeTemplate:Dead link</ref> The group spent the extra time rewriting lyrics, rearranging and remixing songs, and pursuing different production styles.<ref name="mojo-apr17"/><ref name="edge-rs-mortality">Template:Cite magazine</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">Template:Cite magazine</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>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
U2 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">Template:Cite magazine</ref> It was the first time the group toured in promotion of an album from their back catalogue.<ref>Template:Cite news</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 TreeTemplate:'s subject matter and a reason to revisit it.<ref name="edge-breakdown"/> The tour's stage featured a 7.6K video screen measuring Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> that was, according to The Guardian, the largest and highest resolution screen used on a concert tour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The tour included a headlining appearance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in June.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The tour grossed more than Template:USD from over 2.7 million tickets sold,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> making it the highest-grossing tour of the year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Songs of Experience was released on 1 December 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lyrically, the album reflects the "political and personal apocalypse" that Bono felt in 2016.<ref name="q-hardwon">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The first single, "You're the Best Thing About Me",<ref>Template:Cite magazine</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>Template:Cite web</ref> it was the sixth-best-selling album globally in 2017 with 1.3 million copies sold.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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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">Template:Cite magazine</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>Template:Cite magazine</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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The tour concluded in Berlin in November with total revenues of Template:USD from 924,000 tickets sold, according to Billboard.<ref name="ei-bb-wrapup"/>
U2's Joshua Tree anniversary concert tour visited Oceania and Asia in 2019, their first time playing Australia and New Zealand since the 360° Tour in 2010,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and their first time performing in South Korea, Singapore, India, and the Philippines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band released the single "Ahimsa" with Indian musician A.R. Rahman to promote their December concert in India.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The group's 2019 shows grossed Template:USD and sold 567,000 tickets, bringing the cumulative totals for their Joshua Tree anniversary tours to Template:USD grossed and 3.3 million tickets sold.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Songs of Surrender and concert residency at Sphere (2020–current)
[edit]Over a two-year period during 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">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Largely the effort of the Edge and Bono,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> the album was recorded with collaborators that included Bob Ezrin, Duncan Stewart, Declan Gaffney, and Stjepan Hauser.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The reimagined songs feature stripped-down and acoustic arrangements,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in different keys and tempos and often with re-written lyrics.<ref name="edge-telegraph">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="apnews-release">Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite magazine</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>Template:Cite magazine</ref> During the shows, Bono performed U2 songs in stripped-down arrangements mirroring those from Songs of Surrender.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The record was released in March 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was the group's first number-one album in the UK since 2009,<ref name="uk-debut">Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite magazine</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>Template:Cite web</ref> In April, Bono resumed his "Stories of Surrender" book tour with an 11-show residency at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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From September 2023 to March 2024, U2 staged a 40-date concert residency<ref name="hp-sphere-40shows">Template:Cite web</ref> called U2:UV Achtung Baby Live to inaugurate 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">Template:Cite web</ref> marking the first time since 1978 that U2 performed without him;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Dutch drummer Bram van den 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".<ref name="atomic">Template:Cite web</ref>
U2:UV Achtung Baby Live was highly acclaimed by critics;<ref name="hp-sphere-40shows"/><ref name="irishtimes">Template:Cite news</ref> Rolling StoneTemplate:'s Andy Greene called it "a quantum leap forward for concerts",<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and Neil McCormick of The Telegraph said it would "change live entertainment forever".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The residency grossed Template:USD from 663,000 tickets sold,<ref name="pollstar-final-boxoff">Template:Cite web</ref> making it the fourth-highest-grossing concert residency of all time.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It was filmed for the immersive concert film V-U2, which began screening exclusively at Sphere in September 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Musical style
[edit]Bono's songwriting exhibits a penchant for social, political, and personal subject matter, while maintaining a grandiosity. The Edge has described U2 as a fundamentally live band.<ref name="edge-musician86">Template:Cite magazine</ref> U2's early sound was punk-influenced alternative rock,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and the group were associated with the post-punk movement.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Their influences included acts such as Television, Siouxsie and the Banshees,<ref>Morley, Paul. Boy remastered 2008 Liner Notes, Mercury Records Ltd (London), ASIN: B0013LPS6Q</ref> and Joy Division, and their resulting sound was described as containing a "sense of exhilaration" that resulted from the Edge's "radiant chords" and Bono's "ardent vocals".<ref>Reynolds (2006), p. 368</ref> According to Bob Stanley, "U2 rejected post-punk's own rejection of pop as lingua franca, its hunkering down in regional particularity, and its raised finger to populist communication."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> U2 developed a melodic sound under the early influence of record producer Steve Lillywhite at a time when they were not known for musical proficiency.<ref name="u2dropsbomb"/> Their songs began as minimalistic and uncomplicated instrumentals heard on Boy and October, before evolving with War to include aspects of rock anthem, funk, and dance rhythms to become more versatile and aggressive.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Boy and War were labelled "muscular and assertive" by Rolling Stone,<ref name="RS_JT"/> influenced in large part by Lillywhite's production. The Unforgettable Fire, which began with the Edge playing more keyboards than guitars, as well as follow-up The Joshua Tree, were produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. With their influence, both albums achieved a "diverse texture".<ref name="RS_JT"/> The songs from The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum placed more emphasis on Lanois-inspired rhythm as they mixed distinct and varied styles of gospel and blues music, which stemmed from the band's fascination with America.
In the 1990s, U2 began using synthesisers, distortion, and electronic beats derived from noise music, dance, and hip-hop on Achtung Baby,<ref name="rs-achtung-review"/> Zooropa, and Pop.<ref name="NYT_POP">Template:Cite news</ref> According to Stephen Thomas Erlewine, "U2 was able to sustain their popularity in the '90s by reinventing themselves as a post-modern, self-consciously ironic dance-inflected pop-rock act, owing equally to the experimentalism of late '70s Bowie and '90s electronic dance and techno".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> They have also been called a pop-rock band by biographer Michael Heatley<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and musicologist Gerry Smyth.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The band's 1990s output has been regarded as an art rock phase in commentaries by biographer John Jobling,<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 300.</ref> Salon journalist Nico Lang,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and music critic Jim DeRogatis,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as well as in an interview by Bono.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Time magazine's Josh Tyrangiel went further in saying that, "In the towering period that spanned The Joshua Tree to Zooropa, U2 made stadium-size art rock with huge melodies that allowed Bono to throw his arms around the world while bending its ear about social justice."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In the 2000s, U2 returned to more stripped-down rock and pop sounds,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> with more conventional rhythms and reduced usage of synthesisers and effects,<ref name="mcc289">McCormick (2006), p. 289</ref> "reinvent[ing] themselves as a quality pop band", according to music journalist Chris Charlesworth.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> U2's music has been regarded as pop in analyses by writers David Hawke,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Robert Christgau,<ref name="CG">Template:Cite web</ref> and Niall Stokes.<ref name="Stokes">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In an interview with Stokes for Hot Press, Bono explained the band's struggles in the 1980s among highbrow circles who patronised them for being a successful pop group, leading to their embrace of the term "pop" by the 1990s.<ref name="Stokes"/> Reviewing their 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind, Christgau remarked that, "since they'd been calling themselves pop for half of their two-decade run, maybe they'd better sit down and write some catchy songs. So they did."<ref name="CG"/> Summing up U2's stylistic evolution since Boy, Guitar journalist Owen Bailey said that they "have gone on to conquer the world's airwaves and arenas in a number of different incarnations, ranging from earnest, politically charged new-wave flagbearers to wide-eyed art-rock musicologists to purveyors of irony-laden alt-rock and ever onward", with the Edge remaining "at the heart of their sound".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Vocals
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Bono is known for his impassioned vocal style, often delivered in a high register through open-throated belting.<ref name="latimes-joshua"/><ref>Fast (2000), pp. 33–53</ref><ref name="nzherald">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Rooksby (2001), pp. 122–123</ref> He has been classified as a tenor,<ref name="nyt-achtung">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and according to him has a three-octave vocal range;<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> one analysis found it to span from CTemplate:MusicTemplate:Sub to GTemplate:MusicTemplate:Sub on studio recordings over the course of his career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He frequently employs "whoa-oh-oh" vocalisations in his singing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rock musician Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day said: "He's a physical singer, like the leader of a gospel choir, and he gets lost in the melodic moment. He goes to a place outside himself, especially in front of an audience, when he hits those high notes." He added that Bono is "not afraid to go beyond what he's capable of".<ref name="Lethem 67–108">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In the early days of U2, Bono unintentionally developed an English vocal accent as a result of him mimicking his musical influences such as Siouxsie and the Banshees.<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 58</ref> He said that he found his own singing voice after attending a Ramones concert and hearing Joey Ramone sing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bono's vocal style evolved during the band's exploration of roots music for The Joshua Tree; Spin said that he learned to command "the full whisper-to-shout range of blues mannerisms".<ref name="spin">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bono attributed this maturation to "loosening up", "discover[ing] other voices", and employing more restraint in his singing.<ref name="worldabout">Template:Cite magazine</ref> For "Where the Streets Have No Name", he varied the timbre of his voice extensively and used rubato to vary its timing,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> while author Susan Fast found "With or Without You" to be the first track on which he "extended his vocal range downward in an appreciable way".<ref>Fast (2000), p. 48</ref>
Bono continued to explore a lower range in the 1990s, using what Fast described as "breathy and subdued colors" for Achtung Baby.<ref name="exp">Fast (2000), pp. 45–48</ref> One technique used on the album is octave doubling, in which his vocals are sung in two different octaves, either simultaneously or alternating between verses and choruses. According to Fast, this technique introduces "a contrasting lyrical idea and vocal character to deliver it", leading to both literal and ironic interpretations of Bono's vocals.<ref>Fast (2000), pp. 49–50</ref> On tracks such as "Zoo Station" and "The Fly", his vocals were highly processed,<ref name="nyt-achtung"/><ref name="globe">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="ew">Template:Cite magazine</ref> giving them a different emotional feel from his previous work.<ref name="stokes96">Stokes (2005), p. 96</ref> Bono said that lowering his voice helped him find a new vocal vocabulary, which he felt was limited to "certain words and tones" by his tenor voice.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His singing on Zooropa was an even further departure from U2's previous style; throughout the record, Bono "underplay[ed] his lung power", according to Jon Pareles,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and he also used an operatic falsetto he calls the "Fat Lady" voice on the tracks "Lemon" and "Numb".<ref name="u2byu2-248"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> As he has aged, Bono has continued to evolve his singing, relying more on "the croon than the belt", according to Rolling StoneTemplate:'s Joe Gross.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Guitar
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The Edge's style of playing guitar is distinguished by his chiming timbres,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="guitargods">Gulla (2009), pp. 57–65</ref> echoing notes,<ref name="edgeofu2">Template:Cite magazine</ref> sparse voicings,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and extensive use of effects units.<ref name="10things-edge">Template:Cite magazine</ref> He favours the perfect fifth interval and often plays power chords, which are chords consisting of just the fifth and root notes without the third.<ref name="edgestyle-u2byu2">McCormick (2006), pp. 72–75</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This style is not explicitly in a minor or major key, but implies both, creating a musical ambiguity.<ref name="edgestyle-u2byu2"/><ref name="edgeofu2"/> For these chords, he often plays the same notes on multiple strings, some of which are left open, creating an Irish-influenced drone.<ref name="edge-musician86"/><ref name="guitargods"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Against this drone, he changes other notes to imply a harmony.<ref name="playlikeedge">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Calhoun (2018), p. 17</ref> Among the Edge's signature techniques are playing arpeggios,<ref name="pluckirish"/><ref name="playlikeedge"/> sixteenth note percussive strumming,<ref>Template:Bulleted list</ref> and harmonics,<ref name="edgestyle-u2byu2"/> the latter of which he described as "so pure and finely-focused that [they have] the incredible ability to pierce through [their] environment of sound, just like lightning".<ref name="edge-musician86"/> His approach to guitar playing is relatively understated and eschews virtuosity in favour of "atmospherics, subtlety, minimalism, and clever signal processing".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rather than emulate common playing styles, the Edge is interested in "tearing up the rule book" and finding new ways to approach the instrument.<ref name="edgeofu2"/> He cited guitarists such as Tom Verlaine of Television, John McGeoch,<ref name="worldabout"/> Rory Gallagher, and Patti Smith as some of his strongest influences.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="edge-musician86"/>
The Edge's guitar sound is frequently modulated with a delay set to a dotted eighth note for rhythmic effect.<ref name="guitargods"/><ref name="bosso">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Bulleted list</ref> After acquiring his first delay pedal, the Electro-Harmonix Memory Man,<ref name="mcg29"/> he became fascinated with how to use its return echo to "fill in notes that [he's] not playing, like two guitar players rather than one".<ref name="imgl">Template:Cite video</ref> The effect unit became a mainstay in his guitar rig and had a significant impact on the band's creative output.<ref name="mcg29"/> The Edge became known for his extensive use of effects units, and for his meticulous nature in crafting specific sounds and guitar tones from his equipment choices.<ref name="10things-edge"/><ref name="musicradar-360">Template:Cite web</ref> Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page called him a "sonic architect",<ref name="imgl"/> while Neil McCormick described him as an "effects maestro".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Critics have variously referred to the Edge's guitar sounds as evoking the image of fighter planes on "Bullet the Blue Sky",<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> resembling a "dentist's drill" on "Love Is Blindness",<ref name="ew"/> and resembling an "airplane turbine" on "Mofo".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Edge said that rather than using effects merely to modify his sound, he uses them to spark ideas during his songwriting process.<ref name="bosso"/>
The Edge developed his playing style during his teenage years, partially as a result of him and Mullen trying to accommodate the "eccentric" bass playing of Clayton by being the timekeepers of the band.<ref name="edgestyle-u2byu2"/> In their early days, the Edge's only guitar was his 1976 Gibson Explorer Limited Edition,<ref name="bosso"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which became a signature of the group.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 18</ref> He found the sound of the Explorer's bass strings unsatisfactory and avoided them in his playing early on, resulting in a trebly sound. He said by focusing "on one area of the fretboard [he] was developing a very stylized way of doing something that someone else would play in a normal way".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> His 1964 Vox AC30 "Top Boost" amplifier (housed in a 1970s cabinet) is favoured for its "sparkle" tone, and is the basis for his sound both in the studio and live.<ref name="musicradar-360"/> Rather than hold his plectrum with a standard grip, the Edge turns it sideways or upside down to use the dimpled edge against the strings, producing a "rasping top end" to his tone.<ref name="edgeofu2"/>
Rhythm section
[edit]As a rhythm section, Mullen and Clayton often play the same patterns, giving U2's music a driving,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="jan84-mod-drum">Template:Cite magazine</ref> pulsating beat<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> that serves as a foundation for the Edge's guitar work.<ref name="jan84-mod-drum"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For his drumming, Mullen locks into the Edge's guitar playing, while Clayton locks his bass playing into Mullen's drumming.<ref name="bp-groundcontrol"/> Author Bill Flanagan said that their playing styles perfectly reflected their personalities: "Larry is right on top of the beat, a bit ahead—as you'd expect from a man who's so ordered and punctual in his life. Adam plays a little behind the beat, waiting till the last moment to slip in, which fits Adam's casual, don't-sweat-it personality."<ref name="flan208"/>
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Mullen's drumming style is influenced by his experience in marching bands during his adolescence,<ref name="larry-prop22-int">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="larry85-mod-drum">Template:Cite magazine</ref> which helped contribute to the militaristic beats of songs such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday".<ref name="mcc135"/> Flanagan said that he plays "with a martial rigidity but uses his kit in a way a properly trained drummer would not"; he tends to transition from the snare drum onto tom-toms positioned on either side of him, contrasting with how they are traditionally used.<ref name="flan208">Flanagan (1996), pp. 208–209</ref> Mullen occasionally rides a tom-tom the way other drummers would play a cymbal, or rides the hi-hat how others would play a snare.<ref name="larry85-mod-drum"/> He admitted his bass drum technique is not a strength, as he mostly played the snare in marching bands and did not learn to properly combine the separate drumming elements together on a full kit. As a result, he uses a floor tom to his left to create the effect of a bass drum. He said, "I couldn't do what most people would consider a normal beat for the song, so I chose alternatives." He was heavily influenced by glam rock acts of the 1970s when first learning to play.<ref name="larry-prop22-int" /> In the early days of U2, Mullen had what Bono called a "florid" drumming style, before he pared down his rhythms.<ref name="larry85-mod-drum"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His drumming leaves open space, owing to what Modern Drummer described as his understanding of "when to hit and when not to hit".<ref name="larry85-mod-drum"/> As he matured as a timekeeper, he developed an excellent sense of rhythm; Eno recounted one occasion when Mullen noticed that his click track had been set incorrectly by six milliseconds.<ref name="eno">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Under the tutelage of Lanois, Mullen learned more about his musical role as the drummer in filling out the band's sound, while Flood helped him learn to play along with electronic elements such as drum machines and samples.<ref name="larry-prop22-int"/> His kit has a tambourine mounted on a cymbal stand,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which he uses as an accent on certain beats for songs such as "With or Without You".<ref name="larry85-mod-drum"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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Clayton's style of bass guitar playing is noted for what instructor Patrick Pfeiffer called "harmonic syncopation". With this technique, Clayton plays a consistent rhythm that stresses the eighth note of each bar, but he "anticipates the harmony by shifting the tonality" before the guitar chords do. This gives the music a feeling of "forward motion".<ref>Jobling (2014), p. 243</ref> In the band's early years, Clayton had no formal musical training,<ref>McCormick (2006), pp. 30, 34</ref> and he generally played simple bass parts in [[4/4 time|Template:Music time]] consisting of steady eighth notes emphasising the roots of chords.<ref name="bassplayer-dec00">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Over time, he incorporated influences from Motown and reggae into his playing style, and as he became a better timekeeper, his playing became more melodic.<ref name="bassplayer-dec00"/> Flanagan said that he "often plays with the swollen, vibrating bottom sound of a Jamaican dub bassist, covering the most sonic space with the smallest number of notes".<ref name="flan208"/> Clayton relies on his own instincts when developing basslines, deciding whether to follow the chord progressions of the guitars or play a counter-melody, and when to play an octave higher or lower.<ref name="bp-groundcontrol">Template:Cite magazine</ref> He cites bassists such as Paul Simonon, Bruce Foxton, Peter Hook, Jean-Jacques Burnel,<ref name="bassplayer-dec00"/> and James Jamerson as major influences on him.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Describing his role in the rhythm section, Clayton said, "Larry's drums have always told me what to play, and then the chords tell me where to go".<ref name="bassplayer-dec00"/>
Lyrics and themes
[edit]
U2's lyrics are known for their social and political themes, and often contain Christian and spiritual imagery.<ref name="lyrics">Template:Cite news</ref> Songs such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "Silver and Gold", and "Mothers of the Disappeared" were motivated by current events. The first was written about the Troubles in Northern Ireland,<ref>McCormick (2006), pp. 135, 139</ref> while the last was a tribute to COMADRES, the women whose children were killed or forcibly disappeared at the hands of the Salvadoran government during the country's civil war.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 98</ref> The song "Running to Stand Still" from The Joshua Tree was inspired by the heroin addiction that was sweeping through Dublin—the lyric "I see seven towers, but I only see one way out" references the Ballymun Towers of Dublin's Northside and the imagery throughout the song personifies the struggles of addiction.<ref>Stokes (1995), pp. 62–77</ref>
Bono's personal conflicts and turmoil inspired songs like "Mofo", "Tomorrow" and "Kite". An emotional yearning or pleading frequently appears as a lyrical theme,<ref name="ABOUT_TOP10">Template:Cite web</ref> in tracks such as "Yahweh",<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> "Peace on Earth", and "Please". Much of U2's songwriting and music is motivated by contemplations of loss and anguish, along with hopefulness and resilience, themes that are central to The Joshua Tree.<ref name="RS_JT"/> Some of these lyrical ideas have been amplified by Bono and the band's personal experiences during their youth in Ireland, as well as Bono's campaigning and activism later in his life. U2 have used tours such as Zoo TV and PopMart to caricature social trends, such as media overload and consumerism, respectively.<ref name="NYT_POP"/>
While the band and its fans often affirm the political nature of their songs, U2's lyrics and music were criticised as apolitical by Slate in 2002 for their perceived vagueness and "fuzzy imagery", and a lack of any specific references to people.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Influences
[edit]The band cite the Who,<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 113</ref> the Clash,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Television,<ref name="RStone397"/> Ramones,<ref name="Walker">Template:Cite news</ref> the Beatles,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Joy Division,<ref>NewOrderStory [DVD]. Warner Bros., 2005.</ref> Siouxsie and the Banshees,<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 56, 58, 96</ref> Elvis Presley,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Patti Smith,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and Kraftwerk<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> as influences. Van Morrison has been cited by Bono as an influence,<ref>Bayles (1994), p. 321</ref> and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame mentioned his influence on U2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> U2 have also worked with or had influential relationships with artists including Johnny Cash, Green Day, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, B.B. King, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan and Luciano Pavarotti.<ref>McCormick (2006), pp. 39, 113, 343</ref> Bono said that David Bowie helped him discover the works of Bertolt Brecht, William Burroughs, Springsteen, and Brian Eno.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Fellow Irish rock band the Script have also been influenced by U2.<ref name="TheScript">Template:Cite web</ref>
Activism and philanthropy
[edit]
Since the early 1980s, the members of U2—as a band and individually—have collaborated with other musicians, artists, celebrities, and politicians to address issues concerning poverty, disease, and social injustice.
In 1984, Bono and Clayton participated in Band Aid to raise money for the 1983–85 famine in Ethiopia. This initiative produced the hit charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", the first of several collaborations between U2 and Bob Geldof. In July 1985, U2 performed at Live Aid, a follow-up to Band Aid's efforts. Bono and his wife Ali, invited by World Vision, visited Ethiopia that year where they witnessed the famine first-hand. Bono later said that this laid the groundwork for his Africa campaigning and some of his songwriting.<ref name=bonomission/><ref name="mcc289"/> In 1986, U2 participated in the Self Aid benefit concert for unemployment in Ireland and the Conspiracy of Hope benefit concert tour in support of Amnesty International. The same year, Bono and Ali also visited Nicaragua and El Salvador at the invitation of the Sanctuary movement and saw the effects of the Salvadoran Civil War. These 1986 events greatly influenced The Joshua Tree album, which was being recorded at the time.<ref name="McCormick 2006, p. 174"/><ref name=westwon/>
During their Zoo TV Tour in 1992, U2 participated in the "Stop Sellafield" concert with Greenpeace to protest a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant.<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 238</ref> Events in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War inspired their song with Brian Eno called "Miss Sarajevo", which they debuted at a September 1995 Pavarotti & Friends concert to benefit the War Child charity.<ref name="McCormick 2006, p. 262"/> U2 fulfilled a 1993 promise to play in Sarajevo during the PopMart Tour in 1997.<ref name="McCormick 2006, p. 277"/> In May 1998, they performed in Belfast to promote Northern Ireland's referendum over the Good Friday Agreement, which ended the Troubles. During the show, Bono brought Northern Irish political leaders David Trimble and John Hume on stage to shake hands; the referendum ultimately was passed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Later that year, all proceeds from the release of the "Sweetest Thing" single went towards supporting the Chernobyl Children's Project.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The band dedicated their 2000 song "Walk On" to Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who had been under house arrest since 1989.<ref>McCormick (2006), pp. 295–296</ref> In late 2003, Bono and the Edge participated in the South Africa HIV/AIDS awareness 46664 series of concerts hosted by Nelson Mandela.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2005, the band played the Live 8 concert in London, which Geldof helped stage on the 20th anniversary of Live Aid to support the Make Poverty History campaign. The band and manager Paul McGuinness were awarded Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award for their work in promoting human rights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Since 2000, Bono's campaigning has included Jubilee 2000 with Geldof, Muhammad Ali, and others to promote the cancellation of third-world debt during the Great Jubilee. In January 2002, Bono co-founded the multinational NGO DATA, with the aim of improving the social, political, and financial state of Africa. He continued his campaigns for debt and HIV/AIDS relief into June 2002 by making high-profile visits to Africa.<ref>Template:Bulleted list</ref> Product Red, a for-profit licensed brand seeking to raise money for the Global Fund, was co-founded by Bono in 2006.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The ONE Campaign, originally the US counterpart of Make Poverty History, was shaped by his efforts and vision.
In November 2005, the Edge and producer Bob Ezrin helped introduce Music Rising, an initiative to replace instruments for musicians in the New Orleans area impacted by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2006, U2 collaborated with Green Day to record a remake of the song "The Saints Are Coming" by the Skids to benefit Music Rising.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A live version of the song recorded at the Louisiana Superdome was released on the single.
U2 have provided funding for music education on several occasions. In 2010,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> an education programme for children called Music Generation was established from funds provided by U2 and the Ireland Funds.<ref name="hp-music-gen-2017">Template:Cite web</ref> The band initially gave Template:Euro for the programme's creation, followed by donations of Template:Euro in 2015<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and some of their earnings from their Joshua Tree Tour 2017.<ref name="hp-music-gen-2017"/> The programme provided tuition to 116,000 children in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following U2's residency at Sphere in the Las Vegas Valley, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas's College of Fine Arts announced in January 2025 that the band had made a donation of $300,000 to the U2:UV Music Scholarship and Experiential Fund for music education.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In April 2020, the group donated Template:Euro to purchase personal protective equipment for Irish healthcare workers working during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band also donated Template:USD to ease the impact of the pandemic on the music industry, including a Template:Euro donation to the Songs from an Empty Room fundraiser.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In January 2025, U2 donated $1 million to FireAid to benefit those affected by the Southern California wildfires.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
U2 were honoured with the Innovator Award at the 3rd iHeartRadio Music Awards in April 2016 for their "impact on popular culture and commitment to social causes".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bono has received many awards for his music and activism, including the Legion of Honour from the French Government in 2003,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> TimeTemplate:'s Person of the Year for 2005 (along with Bill Gates and Melinda Gates),<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and an honorary British knighthood in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Some news sources have questioned the efficacy of Bono's campaign to relieve debt and provide assistance to Africa.<ref>Template:Bulleted list</ref>
Other projects and collaborations
[edit]The members of U2 have undertaken side projects, sometimes in collaboration with some of their bandmates. In 1985, Bono recorded the song "In a Lifetime" with the Irish band Clannad. The Edge recorded a solo soundtrack album for the film Captive, which was released in 1986<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 169</ref> and included a vocal performance by Sinéad O'Connor on the song "Heroine" that predates her own debut album by a year. For Robbie Robertson's 1987 self-titled solo album, U2 performed on the songs "Sweet Fire of Love" and "Testimony".<ref name="10things"/> Bono and the Edge wrote the song "She's a Mystery to Me" for Roy Orbison, which was featured on his 1989 album Mystery Girl.<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 211</ref> In 1990, Bono and the Edge provided the original score to the Royal Shakespeare Company London's stage adaptation of A Clockwork Orange. One track, "Alex Descends into Hell for a Bottle of Milk/Korova 1", was on the B-side to "The Fly" single.<ref name="m215">McCormick (2006), p. 215</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> That same year, Mullen produced and played drums on "Put 'Em Under Pressure", a song for the Ireland national team for the 1990 FIFA World Cup; the song topped the Irish charts for 13 weeks.<ref>Template:Bulleted list</ref> For the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, Bono and the Edge wrote the title song "GoldenEye", which was performed by Tina Turner.<ref>de la Parra (2003), p. 141</ref> Clayton and Mullen reworked the "Theme from Mission: Impossible" for the franchise's 1996 film.<ref>de la Parra (2003), p. 132</ref> Bono and the Edge ventured into theatre again by writing the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which opened in June 2011.<ref name="opening">Template:Cite web</ref> Bono and the Edge collaborated with Dutch DJ Martin Garrix on the 2021 track "We Are the People", which served as the official song of the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In addition to collaborating with fellow musicians, U2 have worked with several authors. American author William S. Burroughs had a guest appearance in U2's video for "Last Night on Earth" shortly before he died.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Video footage of him reading his poem "Thanksgiving Prayer" was used during a Zoo TV Tour television special.<ref>Flanagan (1996), pp. 110–111</ref> Other collaborators include Allen Ginsberg<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Salman Rushdie. Lyrics from Rushdie's 1999 book The Ground Beneath Her Feet were adapted by U2 into the song "The Ground Beneath Her Feet",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which was one of three tracks the group contributed to The Million Dollar Hotel movie soundtrack in 2000.
In April 2017, U2 were featured on a Kendrick Lamar song, "XXX", from his album DAMN.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Legacy
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U2 have sold an estimated 150–170 million records worldwide, placing them among the best-selling music artists in history.<ref name="170sales"/> The group's fifth studio album, The Joshua Tree, is one of the best-selling albums in the US (10 million copies shipped) and worldwide (25 million copies sold).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> With 52 million certified units by the RIAA, U2 rank as the 24th-highest-selling music artist in the US.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> U2 have eight albums that have reached number one in the US, the third-most of any group. They were the first group to attain number-one albums in the US in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In the UK, the group have had seven number-one singles, tied for the 17th-most of any artist, and eleven number-one albums, tied for the 8th-most of any artist.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band's 1,468 weeks spent on the UK music charts ranks 18th all-time.<ref name="ukcharts"/> In their native Ireland, U2 hold the record for most number-one singles with 21,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and they have 10 number-one albums.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the 1980s, U2 "dominated the alternative rock scene", according to cultural critic Kevin J. H. Dettmar.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Similarly, in the next decade, they were one of the most famous alternative rock bands worldwide and among the highest-selling rock bands.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In the 35-year history of BillboardTemplate:'s Alternative Airplay chart, U2 holds records for most songs charted (42), most number ones in the 1980s (2, tied), and most number ones in the 1990s (6).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Record sales declined in the 2000s and the music industry entered an age of often illegal digital downloading, but according to author Mat Snow, U2 prospered more than younger acts because of a loyal following that held an attachment to the album format. Snow said, "Children of the album era as they were, U2 would never stop regarding the album as the core statement of their creativity", despite progressively decreasing sales, while he noted that live shows consequently became the group's greatest source of revenue.<ref>Snow (2014), p. 186</ref>
Based on data from Pollstar, U2 were the second-highest-grossing musical act from 1980 to 2022, earning Template:USD in revenue from 26.178 million tickets sold.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to Billboard Boxscore, the band grossed Template:USD in ticket sales from 1990 to 2016, second only to the Rolling Stones.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> U2 were the only group in the top 25 touring acts from 2000 to 2009 to sell out every show they played.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> According to Pollstar, the band grossed Template:USD and sold 9,300,500 tickets from 255 shows played between 2010 and November 2019, earning the publication's title of touring artist of the 2010s decade; U2 were the only artist to surpass Template:USD grossed during that span.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Forbes has named U2 the world's annual highest-earning music artist a record five times.<ref>U2 were the world's highest-earning music artist in five different years:
- 2002: Template:Cite web
- 2006: Template:Cite web
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- 2018: Template:Cite web</ref> The Sunday TimesTemplate:' 2020 Irish Rich List estimated the group's collective wealth at Template:Euro.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
U2 are regarded as one of the greatest pop-rock acts of all time.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rolling Stone placed U2 at number 22 on its list of "The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time",<ref name="rs100greatest">Template:Cite magazine</ref> while ranking Bono the 32nd-greatest singer,<ref name="Lethem 67–108"/> the Edge the 38th-greatest guitarist,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and Mullen the 96th-greatest drummer.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The magazine placed Bono and the Edge at number 35 on its list of the "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2004, Q ranked U2 as the fourth-biggest band in a list compiled based on album sales, time spent on the UK charts, and largest audience for a headlining show.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> VH1 placed U2 at number 19 on its 2010 list of "The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2010, eight of U2's songs appeared on Rolling StoneTemplate:'s updated list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", with "One" ranking the highest at number 36.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Five of the group's twelve studio albums were ranked on the magazine's 2012 list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"—The Joshua Tree placed the highest at number 27.<ref name="500Greatest" /> Reflecting on the band's popularity and worldwide impact, Jeff Pollack for The Huffington Post said, "like the Who before them, U2 wrote songs about things that were important and resonated with their audience".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Houston Press journalist John Seaborn Gray attributed U2's pioneering impact on pop-rock music largely to the Edge's unique guitar style.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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U2 received their first Grammy Award in 1988 for The Joshua Tree, and they have won 22 in total out of 46 nominations,<ref name="grammy-wins-noms"/> more than any other group.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> These include Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Rock Album. In the UK, U2 have received 8 Brit Awards out of 20 nominations from the British Phonographic Industry, including five wins for International Group of the Year. They were the first international group to win the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Ireland, U2 have won 14 Meteor Music Awards since they began in 2001. Other awards won by the band and their members include one American Music Award, four Ivor Novello Awards, six MTV Video Music Awards, eleven Q Awards, two Juno Awards, five NME Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2005.<ref name="RRHOF"/> In 2006, all four members of the band received ASCAP awards for writing the songs "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "Vertigo".<ref name="ASCAP1">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2022, the group received Kennedy Center Honors for their contributions in the performing arts,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> making them only the fifth musical group to be so honoured.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2025, the members of U2 will receive the Ivors Academy Fellowship for their songwriting, making them the first Irish songwriters to be so honoured.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Members
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Current members
[edit]- Bono (Paul Hewson) – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1976–present)
- The Edge (David Evans) – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1976–present)
- Adam Clayton – bass guitar (1976–present)
- Larry Mullen Jr. – drums, percussion (1976–present)
Touring musicians
[edit]- Terry Lawless – keyboards (2001–present)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Bram van den Berg – drums, percussion (2023–2024)<ref name="variety-sb-u2uv"/>
Former members
[edit]- Dik Evans – guitar (1976–1978)
- Ivan McCormick – guitar (1976)
Timeline
[edit]<timeline>ImageSize = width:850 height:auto barincrement:30 PlotArea = left:90 bottom:110 top:5 right:0 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:25/09/1976 till:31/12/2024 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3 ScaleMajor = increment:5 start:1977 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1977 Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3
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</timeline>
Discography
[edit]Template:Main Template:Div col
- Boy (1980)
- October (1981)
- War (1983)
- The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
- The Joshua Tree (1987)
- Rattle and Hum (1988)
- Achtung Baby (1991)
- Zooropa (1993)
- Pop (1997)
- All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)
- How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004)
- No Line on the Horizon (2009)
- Songs of Innocence (2014)
- Songs of Experience (2017)
- Songs of Surrender (2023)
Live performances
[edit]
Concert tours
[edit]- U2-3 Tour (1979–1980)
- 11 O'Clock Tick Tock Tour (1980)
- Boy Tour (1980–1981)
- October Tour (1981–1982)
- War Tour (1982–1983)
- The Unforgettable Fire Tour (1984–1985)
- The Joshua Tree Tour (1987)
- Lovetown Tour (1989–1990)
- Zoo TV Tour (1992–1993)
- PopMart Tour (1997–1998)
- Elevation Tour (2001)
- Vertigo Tour (2005–2006)
- U2 360° Tour (2009–2011)
- Innocence + Experience Tour (2015)
- The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 (2017)
- Experience + Innocence Tour (2018)
- The Joshua Tree Tour 2019 (2019)
Concert residencies
[edit]- U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere (2023–2024)
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]General and cited references
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External links
[edit]Template:Sister project links Template:Stack
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- U2
- 1976 establishments in Ireland
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- Irish alternative rock groups
- Irish musical quartets
- Irish pop rock music groups
- Irish post-punk music groups
- Island Records artists
- Ivor Novello Award winners
- Juno Award for International Entertainer of the Year winners
- Kennedy Center honorees
- MTV Europe Music Award winners
- Mercury Records artists
- Musical groups established in 1976
- Musical groups from Dublin (city)
- Postmodern musicians
- Sports Emmy Award winners
- World Music Awards winners
- 1970s in Irish music
- 1980s in Irish music
- 1990s in Irish music
- 2000s in Irish music
- 2010s in Irish music
- 2020s in Irish music