U2

U2
U2
	U2 performing in August 2017, from left to right: Larry Mullen Jr.; The Edge; Bono; Adam Clayton
Background information
Also known as	Feedback (1976–77); The Hype (1977–78);
Origin	Dublin, Ireland
Genres	Rock; alternative rock; pop rock; punk rock; post-punk;
Years active	1976–present
Labels	Island; Interscope; Mercury;
Associated acts	Virgin Prunes, Passengers
Website	u2.com
Members	Bono; The Edge; Adam Clayton; Larry Mullen Jr.;

U2 are an Irish rock band. The four members of the band are lead singer Bono (born Paul David Hewson), lead guitarist The Edge (born David Howell Evans), bassist Adam Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and formerly dik Evans U2 are a very popular band all over the world and have been since the 1980s. They have sold more than 170 million albums and have won 22 Grammy Awards. This is more than any other rock band.^[1]^[2]

U2 formed in Dublin in 1976, when none of the members were very good musicians. However, they got better as they got older. They were more popular for playing live shows than for releasing albums. This changed with their hit record in 1987, The Joshua Tree. In 1991, U2 released a new album called Achtung Baby. This album sounded very different from their other albums because it was inspired by alternative rock and dance music. Achtung Baby and its worldwide Zoo TV Tour were both very popular. U2 experimented for the rest of the 1990s, making two other very different albums, Zooropa and Pop.

In the 21st century, U2 returned to a more traditional sound, but they continue to be very popular and successful. They are involved in charities and helping people with groups such as Amnesty International, Make Poverty History, the ONE Campaign, Live Aid, Live 8, Bono's DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa) campaign, and Music Rising.

In 2014, the group won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for their song Ordinary Love which was used in the movie Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

History

Formation (1976-1979)

U2 was formed in the city of Dublin, Ireland on September 25, 1976. It was founded by 14-year-old drummer Larry Mullen Jr. He posted a note on his school's notice board, asking for musicians to create a new band. There were seven teenage boys who went to their first practice. At first, the band called themselves "Feedback" but later changed their name to "The Hype". The band became smaller over time, eventually becoming just four people, and they finally changed their name to "U2" once Bono, The Edge, Clayton, and Mullen were left.

Influences

U2's influences include Brian Eno, Joy Division, Television, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Roxy Music, The Beatles, The Undertones, Roy Obison, Marc Bolan, David Bowie, Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Who, Thin Lizzy, Patti Smith, The Jam, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison and Lee Clayton.

Albums

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)

U2 Media

The band formed in 1976 while attending Mount Temple Comprehensive School (pictured in 2007) in Dublin.
A plaque commemorating U2's victory in the 1978 Limerick Civic Week "Pop Group" music talent contest
Steve Lillywhite produced the band's first three studio albums: Boy, October, and War.
Bono and the Edge performing on the Boy Tour in May 1981
U2 with radio host Dave Fanning (center) in February 1982
U2 performing at the US Festival in May 1983
U2 performing in Sydney in September 1984 on the Unforgettable Fire Tour
The tree pictured on The Joshua Tree album sleeve. Adam Clayton said, "The desert was immensely inspirational to us as a mental image for this record."
Bono in March 1992 on the Zoo TV Tour portraying his persona "The Fly", a leather-clad egomaniac meant to parody rock stardom.
The outdoor stage of the Vertigo Tour, pictured in June 2005, featured a massive LED screen.