Claim: U2 released an album.

`` With or Without You '' is a song by Irish rock band U2 . It is the third track from their fifth studio album , The Joshua Tree -LRB- 1987 -RRB- , and was released as the album 's lead single on 16 March 1987 . The song was the group 's most successful single at the time , becoming their first number-one hit in both the United States and Canada by topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and the RPM national singles chart for one week , with a further three weeks at number two .   `` With or Without You '' features sustained guitar parts played by guitarist the Edge with a prototype of the Infinite Guitar , along with vocals by lead singer Bono and a bassline by bassist Adam Clayton . The song originated from a demo recorded in late 1985 that the group continued to work on throughout The Joshua Tree sessions . Ostensibly a troubled love song , the track 's lyrics were inspired by Bono 's conflicting feelings about the lives he led as a musician and domestic man .   Critics praised the song upon its release . It is frequently performed on the band 's tours , and it has appeared on many of their compilation albums and concert films . `` With or Without You '' is U2 's second most frequently covered song . In 2010 , Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at number 132 on their list of `` The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time '' .