U2, 100 Greatest Artists of All Time

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FEMUSINDO.com - Formed in 1976, U2 is an Irish rock band consisting of Bono (Paul David Hewson; vocals, harmonica and guitar), The Edge (David Howell Evans; guitar, piano, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass) and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums).

Their music was initially inspired by post-punk, U2's style has evolved throughout their career, but still maintains an anthemic quality built on Bono's expressive vocals and the Edge's guitar style, an effects-based guitar sound.

Their lyrics, often peppered with spiritual imagery, focus on personal and socio-political themes. U2 is renowned for their live shows, the group has embarked on several ambitious and elaborate tours throughout their career.

Starting as a Teenage Student Band

The band was formed when its members were teenage students at Mount Temple Comprehensive School and had limited musical abilities. Within four years, they signed with Island Records and released their debut album, Boy (album) (1980).

Subsequent work, such as their first UK number one album, War album (1983), and the singles "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)" helped establish U2's reputation as a politically and socially conscious group.

By the mid-1980s, they had become known worldwide for their live performances, highlighted by their performance at Live Aid in 1985.

International Superstars

The group's fifth album, The Joshua Tree (1987), made them international superstars and was their biggest critical and commercial success.

Topping the charts worldwide, it produced their only US number one singles to date: "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".

Facing creative stagnation and poor critical reception for their documentary/double album, Rattle and Hum (1988), U2 reinvented themselves in the 1990s.

Beginning with their acclaimed seventh album, Achtung Baby (1991), and the multimedia-intensive Zoo TV Tour, their new musical direction drew on alternative rock, electronic dance music, and industrial music, and they produced more ironic music.

This experimentation continued with their ninth album, Pop (1997), and the PopMart Tour, which met with mixed success, unlike their previous albums.

Overwhelming Success

U2 regained critical favor and overwhelming success with All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004), while embracing more conventional mainstream music.

Their 2009–2011 U2 360° tour set the record for the highest-grossing and highest-attended concert tour, but was surpassed in 2019 by Ed Sheeran.

The group released the companion albums Songs of Innocence (2014) and Songs of Experience (2017), the former receiving criticism for its no-fee release that seeped through the iTunes Store.

U2 have released 14 studio albums and are one of the world's best-selling musicians, having sold an estimated 150–170 million records worldwide.

They have won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band, and in 2005, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

Rolling Stone ranked U2 at number 22 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and social justice. (*)