Anthemic rock quartet U2 formed in Ireland in 1976. Today, they are among the elite bands in the history of rock music. Their classic albums are 1983's charged and visceral War, the expansive Americana of 1987's Joshua Tree, and 1991's gritty and Electronica-infused Achtung Baby. U2 are also legendary for their electrifying live performances. Often a political band, lead singer Bono has become a renowned humanitarian. Thirty years on, the group are still quite active, releasing two successful albums in the 2000s thus far, along with a definitive singles collection in 2006. U2 show no signs of slowing down.
Formed in 1976 in Dublin, U2 began as a cover band. Originally a quintet, the line-up of singer Bono (Paul Hewson), guitarist The Edge (David Evans), bassist Adam Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. once featured The Edge's brother, Dick Evans. This five-piece changed their name to The Hype in 1977. Soon after, Dick Evans left. The remaining four christened themselves U2. In 1978, the band won a talent contest and enlisted manager Paul McGuinness. In 1979, the Irish CBS released their debut, the U2 Three EP, which topped the national charts. With U2's 1980 hit, "Another Day," they signed with Island Records.
U2's first album, Boy, released in 1980, was produced by Steve Lillywhite, as were their next two discs. Like contemporary post-punk records from Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen, Boy was dark and seething, but it also showcased the anthemic sound and hopeful spirit underscoring all of U2's music. Selling fairly well, the album broke the Top 100 in the US and UK. Their sonically similar 1981 follow-up, October, hit number 11 in the UK but failed to chart stateside. Success in the US would come two years later, with War, a UK chart-topper that peaked at 12 in the US with the single "New Year's Day."
A live mini-LP, Under a Blood Red Sky, came out in in 1983 and U2's Red Rocks, Colorado concert got heavy play on MTV. The single off their fourth album, The Unforgettable Fire, "Pride (In the Name of Love)," reached the Top 10 in the UK and Top 40 in the US. The group's dynamic performance at Live Aid in 1985 furthered their renown. They became superstars, however, with 1987's Joshua Tree. Produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, it hit #1 on both sides of the Atlantic. The album's rootsy American sound was expanded upon with 1988's Rattle and Hum, a scattered collection of live cuts and new songs.
Three years on, U2 emerged transformed with the darker Achtung Baby. Recorded in Berlin, the album featured a foray into electronica. Another huge success, it proved the adaptable U2 were ready for the Alt Rock generation. The Zoo TV Tour of '92 also found U2 embracing video and pyrotechnics. Their '93 follow-up, Zooropa, received mixed reviews and sold sluggishly. Still, U2 issued the heavily electronica-influenced Pop in 1997. The album generated poor reviews. Despite climbing to #1, the disc is viewed by fans and band alike as a mistake. 1998 saw released of a retrospective, The Best of 1980-1990.
U2 kicked off the new millennium with 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind. Eno and Lanois returned, successfully blending the sounds of U2's most successful era, 1984 to 1991. With strong sales and filled concert venues, U2 were back on top. A second retrospective, The Best of 1990-2000, came out in '02. Two years later, U2 teamed with Steve Lillywhite on How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Though a little harder hitting, the album showed U2 still sticking with their known strengths, and to great success. In November '06, the band released their first singles compilation, U218 Singles.
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