U2
U2 is a rock band from Ireland. 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 | |
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| 300x200px U2 performing in August 2017, from left to right: Larry Mullen Jr.; The Edge; Bono; Adam Clayton | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Origin | Dublin, Ireland |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | Virgin Prunes, Passengers |
| Website | u2 |
| Members | |
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.
Musical style
U2 has been described as alternative rock,[3] arena rock,[4] art rock,[5] pop rock[6] and post-punk.[4]
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
- MountTempleClock.jpg
The band formed in 1976 while attending Mount Temple Comprehensive School (pictured in 2007) in Dublin.
- U2 plaque in Limerick commemorating Pop Group 78 contest win (cropped).jpeg
A plaque commemorating U2's victory in the 1978 Limerick Civic Week "Pop Group" music talent contest
- Steve Lillywhite during interview.jpg
Steve Lillywhite produced the band's first three studio albums: Boy, October, and War.
- Bono and Edge of U2 in Toronto 5-19-81.jpg
Bono and the Edge performing on the Boy Tour in May 1981
- Dave and U2 in studio, 1982.jpg
U2 with radio host Dave Fanning (centre) in February 1982
- U2 War Tour-1983-05-30 - Devore.jpg
U2 performing at the US Festival in May 1983
- U2 on Unforgettable Fire Tour 09-09-1984.jpg
U2 performing in Sydney in September 1984 on the Unforgettable Fire Tour
- U2 (1987 Island Records Publicity Photo).jpg
A promotional image of the band for their 1987 album The Joshua Tree
- Bono as The Fly Cleveland 1992.jpg
Bono in March 1992 on the Zoo TV Tour portraying his persona "The Fly", a leather-clad egomaniac meant to parody rock stardom
- U2 performing in Lisbon on Zoo TV Tour on May 15 1993 (3).jpg
The Zoo TV Tour (pictured in May 1993) was a multimedia spectacle, featuring a stage that used dozens of video screens and a lighting system with Trabant cars.
References
- ↑ Vallely, Paul. "Bono: The Missionary Archived 2008-10-10 at the Wayback Machine". The Independent, May 2006. Retrieved October 15 2006.
- ↑ GRAMMY Winners List Archived 2007-09-21 at the Wayback Machine grammy.com. Retrieved October 15 2006.
- ↑ Quinn, Rick (February 28, 2022). "'Pop' at 25: Revisiting U2's Dark Night of the Soul". Pop Matters. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ray, Benjamin. "Let Me In The Sound: U2 Albums Ranked Worst to Best". The Daily Vault. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ↑ Klein, Joshua (6 May 2005). To know the band is to know how they got here. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-05-06-0505060413-story.html. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ↑ "Barcelona, an unmissable stop for international music". CatalanNews. November 30, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2025.