Claim: U2 made an album called War that was a cry against The Troubles.

`` Sunday Bloody Sunday '' is a song by Irish rock band U2 . It is the opening track from their 1983 album War and was released as the album 's third single on 11 March 1983 in Germany and the Netherlands . `` Sunday Bloody Sunday '' is noted for its militaristic drumbeat , harsh guitar , and melodic harmonies . One of U2 's most overtly political songs , its lyrics describe the horror felt by an observer of the Troubles in Northern Ireland , mainly focusing on the Bloody Sunday incident in Derry where British troops shot and killed unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders who were there to rally against Operation Demetrius-related internment -LRB- imprisonment without trial -RRB- , while at the same time rejecting hate and revenge as a response noted in the lyrics , `` There 's many lost , but tell me who has won . '' Along with `` New Year 's Day , '' the song helped U2 reach a wider listening audience . It was generally well received by critics on the album 's release .   The song has remained a staple of U2 's live concerts . During its earliest performances , the song created controversy . Lead singer Bono reasserted the song 's anti-sectarian-violence message to his audience for many years . Today , it is considered one of U2 's signature songs , and is one of the band 's most performed tracks . Critics rate it among the best political protest songs , and it has been covered by over a dozen artists . It was named the 272nd-greatest song by Rolling Stone on their list of `` The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time . ''