U2 - Biography - IMDb Biography Jump to: Mini Bio (1) | Trivia (9) Mini Bio (1) U2 has been perhaps the biggest music act in the world since the late 1980s to the current day. They take prominent stands on human rights issues, expressed through their lyrics and other public statements and actions. The band's lead singer, Bono , has become quite prominent in charity movements and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The band consists of Bono , lead singer and songwriter; The Edge , lead guitar, keyboards, vocals; Adam Clayton , bass guitar; Larry Mullen Jr. , drums. Their manager is Paul McGuinness (1978-2013). The band formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 1976. The three members who strongly identified themselves as Christians (all except Clayton) decided to pursue and promote the band's career in a manner that would be consistent with their religious beliefs, which are heavy on social action. Theology professor Eugene Peterson says the band has "little patience with media-driven aspects of the Christian religion and a church and culture that shows little concern for justice and poverty and sickness".

The band's popular 1983 song "Sunday Bloody Sunday" commemorated the slaughter of innocent civilians during the Irish troubles. It called for a renunciation of violence, a sentiment that resonated greatly with the people of Ireland. Throughout the 1980s, the band used this song to campaign against the Irish Republican Army's (IRA) efforts to raise money to fuel continued armed conflict. The IRA sent a threat to U2 that if they continued their campaign, they would be kidnapped. The band continued anyway. The band's 1984 album "Unforgettable Fire" was named after paintings made by the survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs. The album's songs "Pride" and "MLK" were both tributes to the modern-day leader they most admire, Martin Luther King . Another song, "Bad", was about heroin addiction, which was a serious problem in their hometown of Dublin at that time. U2 were major participants in the historic and seminal "Live Aid" concert of 1985, which raised funds for relief from a severe drought in Ethiopia.

The band was seen by many of the 1.5 billion people who viewed the concert on live television, and Bono's unscripted leap into the crowd captured the imagination of all. The more than 75 performing groups raised some $250 million for the charity. In the months following the concert, U2's record sales skyrocketed and have never come back down. In 1986, the band headlined a promotional tour to support Amnesty International, and the effort reportedly tripled the organization's membership. In the 1990s, the band's music and concerts mocked the excesses of commercialism. Some critics failed to understand that Bono's exaggerated on-stage personas during the "Zoo TV" tour were parodies, and thus concluded that the band had given in to what they in fact were criticizing. In the early 2000s, U2 shifted from stadium extravaganzas to performing in smaller arenas where they were closer to their audiences. In 2004, the band teamed up with iPod for an innovative promotional campaign. U2 continues their work for charity and social action.

They promoted the Northern Ireland Peace Accords, raised money for the survivors of the Omagh bombing, played in devastated Sarajevo following the war there, helped bolster the shaky economy of New York City by playing there following the September 11 terrorist attacks, participated in the Live 8 series of concerts to relieve Third World debt, and continue to promote the Make Poverty History campaign. Bono has become prominent in efforts to end poverty and seek relief from AIDS and promote trade for Africa. He has become quite celebrated for these efforts apart from his music and he often finds himself publicly hobnobbing with presidents and finance ministers to promote these charitable ends. U2 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. By that year, they had won 22 Grammy awards, a historic record surpassed only by Stevie Wonder . - IMDb Mini Biography By: Roger Burns <rogerburns@pobox.com> Trivia (9) They were the fourth band to appear on the cover of "Time" magazine. The others were The Beatles , The Band and The Who .

Download U2 MP3 Songs and Albums | music downloads Website: Biography Four teenage musicians - Paul Hewson (Bono), Dave Evans (The Edge), Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton formed rock band U2 in Dublin in 1976. Initially, the band comprised three more members and had the title The Larry Mullen Band, but it changed several names and was left by three members, thus reducing to the quartet called U2. In 1978, on the Saint Patrick's Day, the musicians won in a local talent competition and got the money for the record of a demo. The music by U2 for that period was rather cheerful. Singles Three and Another Day brought moderate fame in Ireland to the band. In 1980, U2 signed a contract with Island Records and created their debut Boy with the hit I Will Follow. After the tours along the UK, the artists recorded their second attempt October, which became the most religiously themed full-length in the whole U2's discography. In 1983, the band already finished its third album War with piercing hits Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day. The tour along Europe and The USA was a sound success.

The next disc The Unforgettable Fire became the real breakthrough of the band, combining the elements of classical rock and daring sound experiments. The group changed not only the sound; the lyrics also became deeper and filled with semitones. The song about Martin Luther King, called Pride (In The Name Of Love) became the hit. Around the same time, U2 and especially its soloist Bono started to take an active part in numerous movements for the civil rights - including The Amnesty International. The follow-up The Joshua Tree featured the fusion of rock and national Irish music, jazz, country and gospels. The album got two Grammies and produced two smash hits - With Or Without You and I Still Haven’t Found What I'm Looking For. The work over the album Achtung Baby took place in Berlin with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, who collaborated with U2 over The Unforgettable Fire. Achtung Baby saw light in 1991, and got darker moods than the previous long-plays (the consequence of The Edge's divorce) and had innovative character. The supporting tour for Achtung Baby became one of the most spectacular multimedia shows in the world's rock history.

On the album Zooropa U2 left rock traditions more bravely - the full-length had elements of techno and electronica, noticeable on the singles Lemon, Numb, Stay (Faraway, So Close!) and Zooropa. After this album, U2 made soundtracks for films Batman Forever, Mission Impossible and wrote the theme song for the picture about James Bond GoldenEye, performed by Tina Turner. The Pop album with rhythmic and memorable single Mofo saw light in 1997 - this time the artists focused on sampling and programming, combining it with techno. In 2000, the disc All That You Can't Leave Behind marked the U2's comeback to the rock of 80's. Such tuneful tracks as Beautiful Day, Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of and Elevation became hits all over the world, while the disc itself presented U2 with six Grammies. The work over the How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb long-play began in 2003, but in the summer of 2004 the material was stolen.

However, the members of U2 managed to preserve control over the situation and the album was released the same year, producing the bright rock hit Vertigo. In 2005, Bruce Springsteen inducted U2 into the US Rock-n-roll Hall Of Fame. In 2006, the band included its best singles on the U218 Singles compilation. The next studio album by U2, No Line on the Horizon, was released in February 2009. It was U2's first album in nearly five years and their best since 1991's Achtung Baby. It was recorded in the Moroccan city of Fez. Despite the playful exhortation of the lead single Get on Your Boots, No Line on the Horizon was mostly reflective. It featured intriguing stylistic experiments like the soul ballad Moment of Surrender; the gang vocals of Unknown Caller; and the Middle Eastern-flavored Fez-Being Born, inspired by Morocco. Studio Albums U2 > Band ' Zoo TV Live From Sydney '.

The Sarajevo connection inspired one of the tracks on Passengers: Original Soundtracks Volume I, the most experimental album the band had collaborated on - unsurprisingly with Brian Eno at the heart of the mix. 'Miss Sarajevo' featured a star turn by Luciano Pavarotti. Crowning this heady period, Pop (1997) cloaked its heavy lyrical payload in state-of-the-art dance rhythms, a creative collusion with DJ Howie B. 'The themes are love, desire and faith in crisis,' explained Edge. 'The usual stuff.' The resulting tour, POPMART - which saw the band become the first major act to perform in Sarajevo after the Bosnian War - was another visual spectacle imagined by Willie Williams introduced the rave-rock of Mofo and Discotheque to a new generation of fans. It was four years before another album, but it was worth the wait: All That You Can't Leave Behind features songs which went on to win 'Record of the Year' Grammy Awards in two consecutive years - ' Beautiful Day ' in 2001 and ' Walk On ' in 2002 - the only time this has ever happened.

Released in 2000, ATYCLB went on to win seven Grammys and sell more than ten million copies worldwide. 'I think it was a very good idea to make a record that actually sounded like U2 again...' explained Paul McGuinness. 'It went to No.1 in 32 countries.' It was followed by the 113-date Elevation Tour, a similarly stripped-back approach, with the focus firmly on the songs. 'It wasn't really minimalist,' says Edge. 'But compared to POP anything would seem back to basics.' It was the design that grabbed Larry: 'The use of the heart as a runway to get out into the audience and the way the heart itself filled with people, was great. It was almost like a club gig within an arena.' How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (2004) was "very much a guitar record," explained Adam. "Vertigo, Love and Peace, City of Blinding Lights, All Because of You, all pretty up , rocky tunes.

A lot of them are a kick-back to our very early days, so it's like with each year we have gathered a little bit more and this is what we are now.' Recorded with both new and old producers - Steve Lillywhite, Chris Thomas, Flood, Jacknife Lee, Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, Nellee Hooper and Carl Glanville worked on the album - U2's eleventh studio record from was released in November 2004, debuted at at Number 1 in 25 countries and the lead single Vertigo won three Grammy awards, including Best Rock Song. The Vertigo tour which followed was the highest grossing tour of the year and with the album confirmed U2 as "the greatest rock and roll band in the world." During 2005 U2 played to more than 3.2 million people.

In March Bruce Springsteen inducted the band into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, describing them as 'the keepers of some of the most beautiful sonic architecture in the rock-and-roll world," said rocker Bruce Springsteen while inducting U2.' And then there was Live 8 , beamed live to half the planet, and opening up with U2 performing Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band with Paul McCartney. At the 2006 Grammy ceremony, U2 took home 5 Awards, including the coveted Album of the Year for HTDAAB. These new wins brought their total number of Grammy Awards to 22, more than any other band. While spending a month recording at Abbey Road Studios London in 2006, U2 collaborated with Green Day to record a cover of the song The Saints Are Coming by The Skids. The recording was a benefit for Music Rising , a charity founded by The Edge which aims to help rebuild the musical heart and culture of New Orleans by replacing instruments that were lost during Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

The band have released three 'Best of' collections: ' The Best of 1980-1990 ', ' The Best of 1990-2000 ', and ' U218 Singles ' in 2006 which also featured the new song 'Windows In the Skies' . Five years after the release of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, in March 2009 the band released No Line on the Horizon. Their 12th studio album was written and recorded in in Fez, Morocco, Dublin, Ireland, New York and Olympic Studios in London. The album calls on the production talents of long-time collaborators Brian Eno and Danny Lanois, with additional production by Steve Lillywhite. In July 2011, two years after opening up in Barcelona , the band played the final show of U2360° . Over 26 months it became the most succesful concert tour of all time, with 110 shows to 7.1million fans in 30 countries on 5 continents.

A revolutionary production, U2360° caught the imagination of its audience, who nicknamed U2's circular stage the Claw, the Spaceship and - in Houston - the Space Station. USA Today described it as 'a four-pronged UFO anchored by a glowing 164-foot pylon and cylindrical LED screens.' But whatever it was called, for the Chicago Tribune, 'The lights, the songs, the audience all synced up. Sometimes size matters.' Just a few weeks from the end of the tour, the band flew out of the US, back across the Atlantic and landed on a farm in the heart of rural Somerset . After all these years it was time to headline the Glastonbury Festival. OK, it rained, but that didn't stop the band setting the Festival alight - 19 songs from eight albums in an electrifying set over an hour and three quarters. Here's what they played - and what people said about a night to remember .

Just a few weeks later the tour came to a close and ahead of the closing night in Moncton, Canada, Ray Waddell of Billboard summed it all up, 'With tonight's final show, U2's 360° tour will go down as the biggest tour ever reported both in terms of box office gross and attendance. This tour is a remarkable feat on a global scale, from its staging and production, to its video elements, all the way to the scaling of the house, routing and execution.

Most importantly, U2 rocked mightily all over the world.' Some other U2360° facts: 10 million watched a live stream of U2360° at the RoseBowl on YouTube; 320,000 Fans saw 360° in Mexico City ; 7,100 miles - approximate distance travelled by space station while talking with U2; 5,200 Years - collective touring experience of U2 tour personnel ; 400 tons - weight of the fully loaded claw; 134 Crew Members ; 126 Truck Drivers; 53 gigs attended by a single fan; 33 Flemish Speaking Crew members; 11 Babies Born To Crew ; 7 Astronauts Attended; 4 Appreciative Irishmen; 1 Singer in Surgery; 1 World Leader Released From House Arrest During Tour. In October 2013, the band revealed they'd written a new song, 'Ordinary Love', for the biopic Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, starring Idris Elba and Naomie Harris.

Produced by Danger Mouse, the song was released in a 10-inch vinyl pressing to mark Record Store Day on November 29th and the single sleeve featured a painting of Nelson Mandela by Irish artist and illustrator Oliver Jeffers. Oliver, along with Mac Premo, directed a lyric video for Ordinary Love. 'We thought it should be a love song, a very human song. ' Edge explained, when asked about how the band approached the request by movie producer Harvey Weinstein to write a song for the movie. 'Not epic, not earnest in dealing with world-changing political shifts but personal in two people trying to hold on to one another in the face of dreadful mistreatment and heartbreak.' The song went on to win the golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in January 2014 and was nominated for an Oscar at the ceremony in February, where the band performed it live. In February 2014, the band released another single, 'Invisible'. Produced by Danger Mouse and mixed by Tom Elmhirst, Invisible marked the launch of a partnership with (RED) and Bank Of America in the campaign to create an AIDS free generation.

For 36 hours, every time the track was downloaded from iTunes, the Bank made a donation of $1 to (RED) for the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. More than $3m was raised and when the track went on sale, all proceeds from 'Invisible' on iTunes continued to go to (RED) for the Global Fund. 'The early lyrics were set on a train coming into London for the first time.' said Bono. ' I remember sleeping in Euston station, being broke... coming out of the subway into the spring of 1979, being 18 years old, it was punk rock in London.' The video for 'Invisible', directed by Mark Romanek, was shot in black and white, in a Santa Monica airport hangar, over three days in January. With a cast of 1200. And flashlights. A sixty second clip premiered on February 2nd during the Super Bowl, to launch the partnership with (RED). Out of the blue, on September 9th 2014 , the band turned up at the Cupertino launch of the new iPhone and Apple Watch.

Apple head Tim Cook explained that a decade previously 'we began a deep collaboration with one of the best bands of all time - and that band is U2.' Taking the stage, the band performed a brand new song, 'The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)' - after which Bono spoke with Cook and revealed some news. The song was the lead single from a new album called 'Songs Of Innocence' and the eleven tracks, finished less than a week ago, were now ready for release. Literally now. As he spoke, iTunes were putting the album automatically into the music libraries of 500million customers in 119 countries around the world. It would, said Cook, be 'the largest album release of all time.' Bono described how it all came together . 'Remember us? Pleased to announce myself, Edge, Adam and Larry have finally given birth to our new baby... Songs of Innocence. It's been a while. We wanted to get it right for you/us. We just finished it last week and thanks to Apple and iTunes it's with you today.

That's already amazing to me as it normally takes a few months to turn this stuff around.' Hailed by critics as a great work of art , Songs Of Innocence was attacked by some for the means of distribution.The band faced critics down: 'It's the job of art to be divisive.' They talked about the groundbreaking release in a video on Facebook . A month later, Songs Of Innocence was released on CD & Vinyl, the striking cover art featuring Larry Mullen Jr protecting his 18 year old son . The image resonated with the band's iconic 1980 debut album Boy and, three years later, the War album. Both featured the face of a child, Peter Rowen, the younger brother of Guggi, Bono's childhood friend growing up on Cedarwood Road. The eleven tracks on Songs Of Innocence, a kind of musical autobiography, chart U2's earliest influences from 70s rock and punk to early 80s electronica and soul... and reveal how music changed everything.

As Bono sings in 'The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)', 'I woke up when the miracle occurred/ Heard a song that made some sense out of the world...' Exploring themes of home and family, relationships and discovery, detailed liner notes fill out the picture with resonant stories, like one of the first gigs the teenage band got into. 'The 4 members of U2 went to see the Ramones playing in the state cinema in Dublin without thinking about how we were going to get in. we had no tickets and no money. My best friend Guggi had a ticket and he snuck us through a side exit he pried open. The world stopped long enough for us to get on it. Even though we only saw half the show, it became one of the great nights of our life....' U2’s Biography — Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and photos at Last.fm Biography This page has been locked by a moderator. U2 is rock band from Ireland which formed in 1976 in Dublin, Ireland.

Since the band’s formation, they have consisted of Bono (real name Paul Hewson) (vocals, guitar, harmonica), The Edge (real name David Evans) (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass) and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums, percussion). The band is the biggest selling alternative rock act of all time, having sold 150 million albums worldwide as of 2008. They have won 22 Grammys and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. As of 2009, they have released 12 albums and 58 singles. Foundation: The band originally formed in 1976 when Larry Mullen posted a bulletin in his school asking for musicians to form a rock band. The band then consisted of the four current members plus three additional guitarists, including The Edge’s brother Dick Evans (later a member of Virgin Prunes ), Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin . According to legend, Bono originally auditioned as a guitarist but couldn’t play. He auditioned as lead vocals, but really couldn’t sing.

He was, however, incredibly enthusiastic about the band, extremely charismatic, a great writer, and was strangely able to reach the audience when the band played, something he is known for still today. Bono will reach out into the crowd and dance or mess with someone in the crowd at every concert. He was kept as a member. The extra guitarists would soon leave the band and the group would go through the names “Feedback ” and “The Hype” before finally settling on U2. The 70s & 80s: 1978 was a jumping point year for the band, finally finding their sound / voice. U2 won a talent contest in 1978: £500 and funds to make a record. Paul McGuinness became the band’s manager and U2 released an EP called Three and the single Another Day, the following year. U2 went on to release their first album, Boy and then more critically acclaimed albums incl.: October , War , Under A Blood Red Sky , and The Unforgettable Fire (featuring the song PlayMLK dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr). Seen by many as a political band with more charisma than others, they were called “a different kind” of band.

After a short break U2 returned with The Joshua Tree & the USA music inspired Rattle And Hum (also a movie of the same name, based on the tour). The 90s: Promising ”to dream it all up again”, they added industrial and dance styles to their music. Trying to drop a goody two shoes image, they went to Berlin (Germany), supposedly to develop new self-expressions. From there they started to make fun of themselves and had a good time of it in albums like Achtung Baby (meaning ”watch out, baby”, artwork feat. make-up artist Nassim Khalifa ) & Zooropa . Bono took on many stage personae such as “The Fly”, “Mirrorball Man” and “Mr. MacPhisto” for the gigantic ZOO TV Tour. Later they continued to make fun of Pop culture and all its extremes with the album Pop and consequent PopMart tour which was announced to be launched at a Kmart store and included a giant golden arch across the stage. The 00s: At the end of the 90’s into 00’s U2 became less image and more reality.

With the death of Bono’s good friend Michael Hutchence, the lead singer of INXS , Bono wrote more songs from the heart surrounding ideas like life and death, children, hope, and the real world past all the pop culture and TV. Some say they’ve returned to a more band-centric sound with albums like All That You Can’t Leave Behind which features a song, Kite, dedicated to Bono’s father who passed away shortly after the album’s conception and 2004’s How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb . The 10s: U2 went on the U2 360° Tour in 2009 and 2010. This tour set records for the highest-grossing concert tour. The group is currently working on an upcoming album produced by Danger Mouse . The Name: There are many theories as to the origin of the name U2. For example, U2 was an intelligence airplane that was in use by the United States during the Cold War. Other obvious candidates include “You too” and “You two”, etc. Nonetheless the official line on the name’s origins remains unknown.

The band has been quoted as saying that they did think of the U2 spy plane, but remain hushed about other reasons… U2 U2 (Music) - TV Tropes Cool Shades : Bono alternates between those and Scandalous Shades . To be fair, he revealed in 2014 that he's had glaucoma for 20 years, making them necessary. Deadpan Snarker : Larry and Adam. But especially Larry. Digital Piracy Is Evil : Played straight after their manager, Paul McGuiness, declared war to illegal downloaders. Also, Bono made stances against digital piracy and illegal downloaders, specially after the leaking of No Line on the Horizon. New Media Are Evil : Speaking of piracy, Bono asked governments to police Internet for copyright infringement. Ladies and gentlemen, the man who declared "We shall continue to abuse our position and fuck up the mainstream!" when Zooropa won the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album. Worth noting that The Edge does not seem to care as much, as he has admitted to downloading bootlegs of their shows.

He also defended Negativland when Island Records sued them for copyright infringement for their U2 EP, and stated that U2 were left out of the loop and the lawsuit was entirely the record company's decision. Subverted when Songs of Innocence was released completely for free on iTunes. '80s Hair : Bono used to have a giant mullet. Nowadays, he prefers not to talk about it. In one interview on Irish TV he addressed detractors who took the mickey out of some of their more ... over the top elements, particularly their political statements. He claimed the only thing they had ever done he felt was ill advised, and that he looked back on with regret, in their entire career was The Mullet (yes, you could hear the capitals) and gave full permission for people to endlessly take the piss out of him for it. Lesser Star : Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. They get a lot of love in the U2 fandom, though. Lampshaded by Larry on "Even my parents ask me: 'Are you Adam or Larry?'" It's not that hard to tell them apart, though: Adam has whitening hair, while Larry doesn't.

Heterosexual Life-Partners : Bono and The Edge, so very much. High School Sweet Hearts : Bono married his high school sweetheart, Ali. Larry Mullen is also still with his high school sweet heart, Ann. Rattle and Hum is an odd example, as it's an Album Title Drop from a lyric in "Bullet The Blue Sky", a song from The Joshua Tree... but is on Rattle and Hum too, as a live track. All That You Can't Leave Behind: A lyric from "Walk On". How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb: Adapted from the bonus track "Fast Cars", the exact line being "They're in the desert to dismantle an atomic bomb". War : While the album's title is fitting, the word is only mentioned in a line in "The Refugee" (the plural form, "wars," is heard in "New Year's Day"). Boy: Another fitting title, having to do with growing up. The singular is heard in "I Will Follow," "Twilight" and "The Electric Co", while the plural is heard in "Out of Control" and "Stories for Boys".

Alternative Dance : Starting on Achtung Baby and continuing through Zooropa and Pop, and on the occasional song from later records as well. Alternative Rock : Arguably one of the genre's key bands. Their Post-Punk albums in the 80s are arguable examples of the genre (depending on whether or not one considers Post-Punk to be part of Alternative Rock ), but they embraced it fully on Achtung Baby. Broken Record : the line "Baby, baby, baby... baby, baby, baby... baby, baby, baby, light my way" from "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)". Even more, the line is repeated numerous times. Bono deliberately did this as he had never previously written a song with "baby" in the lyrics and opted to take Refuge in Audacity , to the point that the album's engineer Mark "Flood" Ellis noticed the other band members wondering if it could be actually pulled off while he was preparing the final mix. Camp : The entire Pop Mart tour is this, pretty much, culminating in the video for Discothèque . May I remind you that the Dalton Brothers play both kinds of music: Country and Western!

Concept Album : How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb No Line On The Horizon could also count as a partial examples, as a few of the songs were written from the viewpoints of fictional characters. Notably, "Moment of Surrender" and "Unknown Caller" are from the viewpoint of a heroin addict. Linear - essentially music from the NLOTH album on shuffle (or rather vice versa, as the movie is telling a story.) Achtung Baby can be interpreted as the conceptual journey of a man from a fight with his wife to a wild night on the town, through to the morning, as detailed in the book "U2: At the End of the World". The Joshua Tree is a concept album about the good and bad sides of the USA. Continuity Nod : The kid from Boy also appears in the covers of War and The Best of 1980-1990. Dan Browned : The lyrics of "Pride (In The Name of Love)" put MLK's assassination in the "early morning". MLK was shot at 6:01 p.m. Bono often changes the lyric to "early evening" in live performances.

Darker and Edgier : Achtung Baby, Zooropa, and Pop. The band themselves described Achtung as "the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree ". "Bullet the Blue Sky" is significantly darker than the rest of The Joshua Tree, and is one of their darkest songs in general. Downer Ending : Very common on U2 albums, with Achtung 's "Love Is Blindness" being probably the best-known example. No Line On The Horizon's "Cedars Of Lebanon" continues the trend. "Grace" and "Yahweh" on ATYCLB and HTDAAB were more like BittersweetEndings , though. "Mothers of The Disappeared" from The Joshua Tree, and "Wake Up Dead Man" from Pop. Epic Instrumental Opener : A new song called " Return of the Stingray Guitar ", used to open the U2 360° Tour in suitably epic fashion several times in 2010 and 2011.

From The Joshua Tree, we have the album opener, "Where the Streets Have No Name", while No Line on the Horizon boasts "Magnificent", which while might not have the same distinction, is just as epic. The extended intro of "Zoo Station" on Achtung Baby counts in a different way: Adam stated that the entire purpose of the song was to cause listeners' first reaction to be that either their stereo was broken, or that they had accidentally purchased something that wasn't the new U2 album. The title song from "Zooropa'' has a haunting piano-based intro, played over jumbled noise not unlike too many TVs playing at once. Epic Rocking : While not particularly common amongst U2's output, the twelve-minute-long version of "Bad" played at Live Aid needs to be mentioned here. In the studio, they have a handful of songs over six minutes long, including the aforementioned "Bad". The only song they've recorded that's over seven minutes long is "Moment of Surrender" (7:24) off of No Line on the Horizon. Fittingly, this song was used as the set closer during the subsequent tour.

The album version of "Lemon" (6:58) off Zooropa also counts. Fake Band : U2 has performed and released music under a number of pseudonyms, most notably as Passengers and The Dalton Brothers. And here's a video of them opening for U2. If you've ever wondered what Bono would sound like with a Southern accent...well, wonder no more. Once on The Tonight Show , U2 and Jimmy Fallon impersonated a band of buskers in a New York subway . Fanservice : The inner sleeve of Achtung Baby includes an image of Adam naked. (His genitals were censored in certain markets, sometimes with a clover.) God-Is-Love Songs : October is a whole album full of these. "Until The End Of The World", "Salome" and "MOFO" also count. Gratuitous Spanish : C'mon, you know the one. Unos, dos, tres, catorce! Grief Song : "Tomorrow", from the October album, was written about Bono's mother's funeral. It's become something of a forgotten classic these days.

There's a black car parked At the side of the road Don't go to the door I'm going outside, mother Won't you be back tomorrow? Won't you be back tomorrow? Will you be back tomorrow? The lyrics to "I Will Follow," from the earlier Boy, were also written by Bono in tribute to his mother, though the song itself is an aversion of this trope. "Kite", from 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind, was originally written about Bono accepting his own mortality and the fact that, one day, his daughters would no longer need him. It became a Grief Song after his father passed away in 2001, while the Elevation Tour was still running. He altered a line in the song to make his tribute clear: "The last of the rock stars" became "The last of the opera stars", referencing his father's love of the genre. His father got a straight example on How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb with "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own", which contrasts with the self-sufficiency Bono espoused for his own children in "Kite".

Hidden Depths : There are actually quite a lot of literary references in their songs. Iconic Outfit : Bono's Cool Shades . Insert Gurren Lagann joke here. Also, Edge and his hat(s). The Immodest Orgasm : Bono does this every now and then, probably most dramatically on the album version of "New Year's Day". Intercourse with You : "But my heart is where it's always been, my head is somewhere in between"... "If You Wear That Velvet Dress" from Pop is a full-on slow jam, with lyrics ranking among U2's most sultry. "Song For Someone" is about Bono falling in love with his wife for the first time and...other things. Subverted at a concert in Glasgow, when during the song's intro, Bono proudly proclaims (in front of 20,000 fans) "I slept with her last night. It was good!" In the Style of... : "Rattle and Hum" features a version of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" where the band is backed by a gospel choir.

Lighter and Softer : All That You Can't Leave Behind sees the band changing from dark, edgy Sarcastic-Pop to being genuinely poppy with melancholic, yet positive, tunes like "Beautiful Day". Large Ham : Bono, often. Taken Up to Eleven in some of the larger concerts...and up to twelve '' on Popmart, which was basically a Stadium Of Ham . Loudness War : How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb was guilty of this. To an extent, so was No Line on the Horizon. Lyrical Dissonance : "Mofo", for example, staples together an awesome techno track which sounds like it belongs in The Matrix with dark lyrics about Bono's dead mother. Man of Wealth and Taste : MacPhisto, a "persona" used by Bono on the Zoo TV tour. He's basically Satan as an aging Vegas crooner. Mohs Scale of Rock and Metal Hardness : Their Post-Punk records in the 80s tended to stay in the 3-4 range, with a few excursions down to a 1 or 2 (Running To Stand Still, for example) and a few that reach 5.

The excursions on both sides become more common on their later albums, which have songs that can be anywhere from 1 to (arguably) 6. Monochrome to Color : The U2 concert rockumentary Rattle and Hum is black-and-white, until the last quarter of the film switches to color for no obvious reason. Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly : U2 in The '90s were futuristic funky-techno-dance-Madchester-industrial-alternative-electronic-pop-rock. And it was awesome. New Sound Album : Practically their entire career revolves around this. It's been intentionally invoked at least twice; Achtung Baby was recorded with the intention of sounding completely different than The Joshua Tree and All That You Can't Leave Behind (and the stripped-down tour that followed it) was meant to be the polar opposite of Pop, bringing back the optimistic, hopeful atmosphere and The Edge's patented soaring guitar work, after having spent a decade writing sarcastic, genre-bending electronic rock where The Edge deliberately distanced himself from his sound and used heavier distortion.

(Essentially, you can say that All That You Can't Leave Behind is more pop than Pop.) Non-Appearing Title : Definitely applies to a minority of their songs, but there is at least one on every album save Achtung Baby (which is ironically a non-appearing album title), All That You Can't Leave Behind, and Songs of Innocence. (another non-appearing album title) Notably, The Unforgettable Fire is almost entirely comprised of these, with "Pride (In the Name of Love)" being the only exception. This was because the lyrics were often heavily improvised in the studio or written on the spot. Songs of Innocence is technically disqualified with the opening track "The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)." While "the miracle" is mentioned in the chorus, the iconic punk rocker's name is absent from the entire song. Not Christian Rock : Bono does incorporate some themes into his songs, but more of the peace, happiness, and brotherhood kind. Christian themes were more explicit in their early albums (Bono, the Edge and Larry all became friends while members of an evangelical students' group in Dublin).

Bono continues to be a Christian to this day and in the early 2000's, he visited many churches to address the congregations as part of his campaign for African debt relief. He has consistently spoken of "Christian musicians" in 1st person plural, so they somewhat blur the line. Ode To Sobriety : "Bad" and "Running To Stand Still" are type 2 lashouts at heroin. Ominous Latin Chanting : This one's inverted on "Gloria", where the climactic point in the song features joyous Latin chanting. And it is awesome. Bono closed "Moment of Surrender" with one of these on the 360° Tour. "Bullet the Blue Sky"'s last verse, at least up to a point. Post-Punk : Their early albums such as Boy, October, and War are this. Later followed by a (partial) genre shift to roots rock on The Joshua Tree, before switching again to Alternative Rock / Alternative Dance on Achtung Baby. Precision F-Strike : "Wake Up Dead Man" from the Pop album, and the only mention of the F word in all of their studio recordings.

Jesus I'm alone in this world And a fucked up world it is too "Mofo" had one too, but it's barely audible - the song's vocals are rendered unintelligible by the loud techno-rock. There's also Bono's infamous "fuck the revolution" speech, delivered during a live performance of Sunday Bloody Sunday at a gig following the IRA bombing of a Remembrance Day parade in Enniskillen. "Cedars of Lebanon" has the line, "This shitty world sometimes produces a rose..." Protest Song : While they're not exactly protest songs, per se, U2 traditionally puts one pro-peace song in each of their albums. Examples include "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" on The Unforgettable Fire, "Van Diemen's Land" (more like a "traditional" protest song than a few of the others) and "God, Part 2" on Rattle and Hum, "Peace on Earth" on All That You Can't Leave Behind, "Love And Peace Or Else" on How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, and, most recently, "Stand Up Comedy" on No Line On The Horizon. "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" on War, "Please" on Pop.

Pretty much all the songs on War count, really. It was probably titled that way for a reason... "Bullet the Blue Sky" and "Mothers of the Disappeared" from The Joshua Tree are protest songs against the USA's backing of right-wing dictatorships in South America during The '80s , the former being inspired by the civil war in El Salvador (Bono actually instructed The Edge to "put El Salvador through the amplifier" for the guitar solo) and the latter by the "disappearances" committed by Augusto Pinochet in Chile and the National Reorganisation Process in Argentina . From the same album, "Red Hill Mining Town" is an indirect protest song, examining the personal difficulties and collapsed relationships of a mining town in the midst of the UK's 1984-1985 mining strike. Reverse Cerebus Syndrome : In the wake of Rattle and Hum's disastrous critical reception, the band dropped the earnest, serious image they'd developed like a hot potato and spent The '90s reminding people that they had a sense of humor and a working knowledge of satire and irony.

Bono did once note that their more Rule of Cool image was meant to distract people from their still-present heavy subject matter: Bono, in 1992: "It's a con, in a way. We call it Achtung Baby, grinning up our sleeves in all the photography. But it's probably the heaviest record we've ever made..." Rock Me, Asmodeus! : MacPhisto. Not as heavy metal-influenced as most appearances of the trope, but definitely an example. Sentenced to Down Under : "Van Diemen's Land," named after the old name for Tasmania, is about the Irish freedom fighters who were transported, and specifically dedicated to the poet and Irish Republican Brotherhood member John Boyle O'Reilly. Serial Escalation : After the Zoo TV tour, you wouldn't think that they could go any more over the top, right? Wrong! They came up with Popmart, which was... well... just take a look. And they went past that with their 2009-2011 tour, U2 360°, which went over the top of Popmart - literally.

As in, the Popmart stage could fit under the stage for 360°. Shout-Out : Achtung Baby is a reference to a line in The Producers , which engineer Joe O'Herlihy had frequently said while recording. Bono admitted later that the title was chosen on purpose to play up the band's new, more humorous image, stating that "the press would have killed us if we'd called it anything else" and that other working titles like Man (a Call Back to their debut Boy), 69 (obvious), Zoo Station (the Berlin Zoologischer Garten railway station, which lent its name to the song "Zoo Station" and coincidentally served the U2 underground line ), Adam (a reference to the fact that the inner sleeve includes an image of Adam naked), Fear of Women (a reference to the darker lyrics) and Cruise Down Main Street (a reference to the then-ongoing Gulf War), were rejected because they would've been seen as "another pretentious, Big Statement from U2". At almost every live show, the band embeds "snippets" into some of their songs - short lyrical or melodic Shout Outs to other songs.

These can be anything from references to Beatles songs to callbacks to more obscure songs in U2's own discography. When Bono's run over at the end of the video for "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me", he's reading The Screwtape Letters . Live performances of Hold Me Thrill Me (a song off of the Batman Forever soundtrack) on the 360 tour have Bono menacingly asking during the song's intro, " Why So Serious ?" Not to mention the numerous allusions to William Butler Yeats that the lads chuck into their songs and performances rather frequently. Article on the subject here . The "sad astronaut" face on the cover of Zooropa was apparently meant to represent a hoax story about a Soviet cosmonaut who had been left floating in orbit for weeks after the USSR collapsed , and the back cover includes images of Lenin, Mussolini and Nicolae Ceaușescu.

Starting around the Joshua Tree period, the band became prone to making unsubtle Shout Outs to various moments in popular music history, from the rooftop concert in the video for "Where The Streets Have No Name" through actually playing back a snippet of Jimi Hendrix 's version of "The Star Spangled Banner" on Rattle and Hum to Bono in 1998 getting Northern Ireland politicians John Hume and David Trimble on stage and holding up their hands, which was highly reminiscent of Bob Marley doing a similar thing with Jamaican politicians Michael Manley and Edward Seaga at the One Love Peace Concert in 1978.note The difference was that Hume and Trimble were, at the time, both endorsing the then-impending Good Friday Agreement to defuse the Northern Irish Troubles, whereas Manley and Seaga at the time of the One Love concert were bitter rivals who were barely restraining their own party members from civil war. As the band has shifted imperceptibly into genuine legend status, they've stopped doing this.

The title of "A Sort of Homecoming" is a Shout Out to the German Jewish poet Paul Celan (1920—1970), whose parents were killed during the Holocaust, and who once remarked "Poetry is a sort of homecoming." Something Something Leonard Bernstein : U2 fans have never managed to agree on what Bono's mumbling at the start of "Last Night on Earth". "Boomerang II", an extra track from The Unforgettable Fire. The Edge is singing something that sounds like "So wind blows", and Bono is singing something that sounds like "And the driftweed come / and the driftweed go". Other than that... Step Up to the Microphone : Beyond his usual backing vocal duties, The Edge has sung lead vocals on "Van Diemen's Land" (from Rattle and Hum), "Numb" (from Zooropa) and "Corpse (These Chains Are Way Too Long)" (from the Passengers album), the first two verses of "Seconds" (from War ), and shares lead vocals with Bono on the verses of "Discothèque" (from Pop).

Adam Clayton sang lead vocals on "Endless Deep", the B-side to "Sunday Bloody Sunday", and also performed a Spoken Word verse on "Your Blue Room" (from the Passengers album), making Larry the only U2 member to never have done lead vocals, although he does sing the occasional backing vocals. Take That : A classic one at the beginning of Rattle and Hum. Bono introduces U2's cover of "Helter Skelter" by shouting at the audience, "This is a song Charles Manson stole from The Beatles . We're stealing it back!" Title Track : October, Zooropa, No Line on the Horizon and The Unforgettable Fire, the only times they've had an actual title track, as opposed to an Album Title Drop . Wide-Eyed Idealist : Just look at the opening section up there. With or Without You : Guess which one of their songs provides an example. Go ahead, guess. Music Videos Animated Music Video : "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" and "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight". The Cameo : American football color commentator John Madden in the US video for "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of".

William S. Burroughs in the video for "Last Night on Earth", which became his last filmed performance as he died only a month after the video was filmed. The video itself ends with a closeup of his eyes. Rooftop Concert : The band's Music Video for "Where The Streets Have No Name" sees the band draw a large crowd on the streets of Los Angeles while performing live on a rooftop. Meanwhile, the LAPD aims to shut them down. Actually, the LAPD did shut them down, and the band stopped the moment the LAPD made it very clear that they didn't have a choice. The video, however, is very carefully edited to make it look like the band defied the police and only began playing after being told to shut down. "All Because of You" is a variant, filmed atop a moving flat bed truck. Surreal Music Video : Most of their nineties videos have this and Performance Video : "Even Better Than the Real Thing", "The Fly", "Mysterious Ways", "Numb", "Lemon", "Staring at the Sun", "Last Night on Earth", "Please", and so on.

U2 | Biography, News, Photos and Videos | Contactmusic.com Biography U2 (formed 1976) U2 are an Irish rock band, consisting of Bono (vocals), Larry Mullen Jr. (drums), Adam Clayton (bass) and The Edge (guitar, keyboards and vocals). The Early Years: The members of U2 formed the band when Larry Mullen Jr., aged 14, posted a note on the notice board at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, looking for people to form a band with. All four members off the band attended the initial practice, in Mullen's kitchen and chose the name Feedback. There were three other boys at the rehearsal, none of whom made the final grade. Dick Evans lasted the longest, eventually walking offstage at a farewell gig at Howth Presbyterian Church. It was at this moment that the band changed their name to U2. The band won a talent show in 1978, winning £500 and the chance to record a demo tape. Paul McGuiness agreed to be their manager and their first EP was released in Ireland only. Entitled Three, the EP was their first success in the Irish charts.

The Mainstream: In 1980, U2 were signed to Island Records. '11 O'Clock Tick Tock' was the band's debut internationally released single. Steve Lillywhite was drafted in to produce their debut album, Boy, which was well received by music critics. October was the band's second album. It did not sell well outside of the UK and Island records put pressure on the band to improve. U2's answer to this pressure was the album, War. The album's artwork featured the photography of Anton Corbijn. War went straight to number one in the UK charts and the debut single was 'New Year's Day' became their first overseas hit single. The live album, Under a Blood Red Sky was recorded on the promotional tour for War, which saw the band playing to sold-out venues across Europe and the States. In 1984, the band released The Unforgettable Fire. Produced by Brian Eno, the album saw a more experimental change in direction.

The debut single from the album, 'Pride (In The Name of Love)', written about Martin Luther King was the band's best-selling single at that point in their career, including an entry in the US charts, which had eluded them until that point. The live tour for the album saw the band playing in indoor arenas and their performance at Wembley Stadium's Live Aid concert is still considered one of their most memorable gigs ever. Acting on criticism that The Unforgettable Fire was somewhat fuzzy and unfocused, the band's next album featured more conventional song structures. In March 1987,The Joshua Tree was released. The album was number one in the US for nine weeks and was their fastest-selling album in the UK. The band were rewarded with two Grammy Awards and the first two singles 'With or Without You' and 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' both went to number one in the US. The accompanying tour became the subject of the documentary Rattle and Hum. The double album of the same name featured live tracks of the tour and nine studio tracks. The film featured tracks recorded with B.B. King and Bob Dylan. Achtung Baby was U2's seventh studio album.

Released in 1991, the album was influenced by dance, industrial and alternative music. Recorded initially in East Berlin, this album was again produced by Brian Eno and his engineer, Daniel Lanois. In 1992/3, the band embarked on the Zoo TV tour. The tour was an ambitious multimedia event, with hundreds of video screens, flying cars and mock transmissions towers. The Zooropa album was originally intended as an EP and incorporated techno music influences and electronic music. The final track on the album, 'The Wanderer', was sung by Johnny Cash. Original Soundtracks 1 was an experimental album released in 1995. Brian Eno was this time not just a producer, but contributed to the writing and performing of the songs. It was released under the name Passengers, to distinguish it from U2's conventional releases. One track, 'Miss Sarajevo' featured Luciano Pavarotti was a hit, though the album performed poorly compared to other U2 albums. Pop, released in 1997 saw U2 continue with their experimentation, involving tape loops, sampling and sequencing. The album debuted at number one in 35 countries and was a critical success.

A month after the PopMart tour - which saw U2 being the first rock band to play in Sarajevo following the Bosnian war - the band appeared on an episode of The Simpsons entitled 'Trash of the Titans'. In October 2000, the band released All That You Can't Leave Behind. The album was number one in 22 countries and spawned the singles 'Beautiful Day', 'Walk On', 'Stuck in a Moment You can't Get Out Of', and 'Elevation', all of which won Grammy awards. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb hit the stores in 2004 and the single 'Vertigo' was the soundtrack to a widely publicised advert for Apple's iPod. Apple also manufactured a limited edition U2 iPod and an iTunes U2 box set. The tour saw the band playing songs that they had not played since the 1980s. The next year, U2 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Bruce Springsteen. Biography by Contactmusic.com The Lads From Ireland - U2 in pictures - Pictures - CBS News Next The Lads From Ireland It's been four years since U2 last toured together.

Four years since Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., conquered the world, selling more than seven million tickets and earning more than $700 million - leading Rolling Stone magazine to label them "the biggest band on Earth." Their new show, the "Innocence + Experience Tour," is still big, though they've left the huge outdoor stadiums and moved indoors. "They're club gigs," Bono told CBS News' Anthony Mason. By CBS News senior producer David Morgan Credit: Paolo Pellegrin Interview U2's latest tour had already been postponed once, after Bono crashed a bicycle in New York's Central Park in November, fracturing his cheek, shoulder and hand. Then, on opening night in Vancouver, The Edge fell off the edge of the stage. "Somebody on German radio said, 'It's official now: the most dangerous job in the world is with U2,'" Bono laughed.

Credit: CBS News Covers Since forming nearly 40 years ago, they've sold 170 million records, and have won more Grammy Awards - 22 - than any other group, including Best Album twice, for "The Joshua Tree" (1988), and "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" (2006). But there's still a driving insecurity behind this band -- a desire to remain relevant. Next year will mark 40 years since the four band members first came together. They're all in their 50s now, so why do they keep coming back for this? "I think there's something in the jeopardy," Clayton told Anthony Mason. "If you let go of that aspect of the culture of popular music and you choose to be less popular, you're sort of in a different game." Credit: CBS News Trophy Shot Bono, lead singer of the group U2, holds up his Grammy Award March 1, 1994, in New York City.

U2 won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album for "Zooropa." Born Paul David Hewison in Dublin in 1960, Bono is also recognizable as a philanthropist and activist, advocating for such causes as AIDS awareness, humanitarian aid for Africa, and third-world debt relief. In 2005 Bono, along with Bill and Melinda Gates, was named Person of the Year by Time Magazine for his activism and for helping to organize anti-poverty benefit concerts. Credit: TIM CLARY/AFP/Getty Images The Edge Guitarist and keyboardist David Evans, a.k.a. The Edge, performs on stage on the first London night of U2's "Vertigo/2005" World Tour at Twickenham Rugby Stadium on June 18, 2005 in London, England. Evans was born in Essex, England, in 1961. He has also co-founded the charity Music Rising, to aid musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina. Credit: Jim Dyson/Getty Images Larry Mullen Drummer Larry Mullen of the Irish band U2 performs on July 8, 2011 in Montreal, Canada, during their "360" tour.

Born in Dublin in 1961, Mullen also played drums with the group Automatic Baby alongside REM's Michael Stipe and Mike Mills. In addition to philanthropic causes, Mullen has also appeared as an actor in the films "Man on the Train" and "1,000 Times Good Night." Credit: ROGERIO BARBOSA/AFP/Getty Images World AIDS Day Bassist Adam Clayton of U2 performs on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2014, in New York City. Born in Oxfordshire, England, in 1960, Clayton was a childhood friend of David Evans (The Edge). After meeting Paul Hewison and Larry Mullen Jr., they formed a band with several others, including The Edge's brother, Dik Evans. Once a five-part band, originally dubbed Feedback and later The Hype, it became U2 after Dik left. Credit: Slaven Vlasic, Getty Images for (RED) "PopMart Tour" The Irish rock band U2 performs as they launch their worldwide "PopMart" tour at a K-Mart Store in New York City February 12, 1997.

The "PopMart" tour, staged on a giant, science fiction, disco supermarket set, opened in Las Vegas and played in 62 cities in 20 countries. Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images "PopMart Tour" Bono, lead singer of the rock band U2, sings to a sellout crowd May 31, 1997, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Credit: JON LEVY/AFP/Getty Images Mike Jagger and Bono Singers Mike Jagger and Bono pose for photographers during the MTV Europe Awards at The Point in Dublin November 11, 1999. Credit: JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images Kofi Annan and Bono United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and Bono, of the band U2, embrace at the United Nations Millennium Summit September 7, 2000. Bono and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo presented at the summit a petition signed by 21 million people around the world, urging G8 leaders to cancel the global debt.

Credit: HENNY RAY ABRAMS/AFP/Getty Images Bon and The Edge Singer Bono (left) and guitarist The Edge of U2 perform May 7, 2001 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Shaun Heasley/Getty Images MTV Video Music Awards U2 singer Bono performs at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in New York City, Sept. 6, 2001. Credit: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Grammy Awards U2 singer Bono and guitarist The Edge performing at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., February 26, 2002. Credit: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Grammy Awards The Irish rock group U2 poses with their four Grammy awards at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, February 27, 2002. Credit: LEE CELANO/AFP/Getty Images Bono and Bush U.S. President George W.

Bush waves while Bono, lead singer of the Irish rock group U2, makes a V sign as they walk toward the Oval Office of the White House March 14, 2002 in Washington, D.C. Bono returned to the White House after they attended an Inter-American Development Bank event on global development in Washington. Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images Bono and Chirac Irish pop star Bono, his wife Alison, and French President Jacques Chirac pose in the courtyard of the Elysee Palace February 28, 2003 in Paris. Bono received an order of the Legion of Honor from Chirac. Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Bono and Beyonce Singers Beyonce Knowles and Bono visit the Indawo Yokobelekisa maternity unit prior to the "46664 Give One Minute Of Your Life To AIDS" concert on November 29, 2003 in Khayelitsha township, 20 kilometers southeast of Cape Town, South Africa.

The concert (which also featured Queen, Peter Gabriel, The Eurythmics and Youssou N'Dour) benefited the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the fight against AIDS in Africa. Credit: Getty Images U2 and Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela appears with singer Dave Stewart, guitarist The Edge, and singer Bono at the "46664 - Give One Minute of Your Life to AIDS" concert at Greenpoint Stadium on November 29, 2003 in Cape Town, South Africa. Credit: Getty Images Bono and Coretta Scott King U2 singer Bono kisses Coretta Scott King, widow of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., during a news conference January 17, 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia. Bono was honored by the King Center during their annual Salute to Greatness awards dinner as part of the 36th King Holiday Observance. Credit: Erik S.

Lesser/Getty Images U2 and Steve Jobs Steve Jobs (second from right) of Apple poses with Interscope Geffen A&M Records Chairman Jimmy Iovine (left), Bono (2nd left) and The Edge of U2, at a celebration of the release of a new Apple iPod family of products, at the California Theatre on October 26, 2004 in San Jose, Calif. Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images Bono and The Boss Bruce Springsteen and Bono perform during the Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in New York, March 14, 2005. U2 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is located in Cleveland, Ohio. Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images Amsterdam U2 performs at the Amsterdam Arena, July 13, 2005, in the Netherlands during their "Vertigo 2005" Tour. Credit: ROBIN UTRECHT/AFP/Getty Images Rome Irish singer Bono of the band U2 performs during a concert at Olympic Stadium in Rome July 23, 2005.

Credit: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images Super Bowl XXXVI U2 performs during halftime of Super Bowl XXXVI February 3, 2002 at the Superdome in New Orleans, La. Credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images Super Bowl XXXVI Bono, singer with the Irish rock group U2, opens his jacket exposing an American flag as he performs during halftime at Super Bowl XXXVI, February 3, 2002, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Credit: JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images Bono and Gore Bono speaks as former U.S. Vice President Al Gore listens at the Clinton Global Initiative September 24, 2008 in New York. The three-day event brought together global leaders to develop implement workable solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. Credit: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images B.B. King and Bono Musicians B.B. King and Bono perform onstage during the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz honoring B.B. King event held at the Kodak Theatre on October 26, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.

Credit: Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images "We Are One" Bono performs at the "We Are One" Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, January 18, 2009 in Washington, D.C. Stars including Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Stevie Wonder helped celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation's first African-American president. Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images Barcelona The Edge, Larry Mullen, Bono and Adam Clayton of U2 perform onstage on the first night of their 360 tour, held at Camp Nou on June 30, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain.

Credit: Getty Images Paris The crowd waves as the Irish rock band U2 performs at the Stade de France stadium in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, July 11, 2009, during the group's "360 degrees" world tour, tied to their album, "No Line on the Horizon." Credit: MEHDI FEDOUACH/AFP/Getty Images Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert Bono of U2 (second from left) performs with Taboo, Fergie and will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas, at the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert at Madison Square Garden on October 30, 2009 in New York City. Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images Berlin Bono of U2 performs during a concert in front of the Brandenburg Gate the on November 5, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. U2 performed a free concert in collaboration with MTV Europe to help the city celebrate 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images Soweto The Edge and Bono perform on stage on February 13, 2011 at Soccer City Stadium in Soweto, South Africa. Credit: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images Glastonbury Festival Bono of U2 performs live on the pyramid stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 24, 2011 in Glastonbury, England. Credit: Ian Gavan/Getty Images Bono and Aung San Suu Kyi Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi (second from left) and Irish singer Bono (left) meet with Irish Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore, as she is presented with flowers by Sophia Kelly upon her arrival at Dublin Airport in Dublin, Ireland on June 18, 2012. Aung San Suu Kyi landed in Ireland with Bono by her side for a visit on her European tour that was to see her pick up a prize honoring her unwavering commitment to human rights. Credit: PETER MUHLY/AFP/GettyImages Clinton Global Initiative Former U.S.

President Bill Clinton, Bono, and Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund attend the Clinton Global Initiative on September 24, 2013 in New York. Credit: MEHDI TAAMALLAH/AFP/Getty Images Academy Awards Musicians The Edge, Bono, Larry Mullen Jr., and Adam Clayton of U2 perform onstage during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. The band members were nominated for an Academy Award for their song, "Ordinary Love," from the film, "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom." Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Berlin Bono of the band U2 performs live on stage during the 2014 Bambi Awards show on November 13, 2014 in Berlin, Germany. For more info: BBC - Music - 7 Ages of Rock - U2 7 Ages of Rock The Edge, Bono, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jnr. U2 Larry Mullen Jr. Biography U2 are a rock band from Dublin, Ireland.

Formed in 1976, U2 have consistently been one of the most popular acts in the world since the mid-1980s. The band has sold upwards of 170 million albums worldwide. With six #1 albums in the U.S. and nine #1 albums in the UK, U2 are one of the most successful bands of all time. They have won 22 Grammy awards. The band was formed when Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards and vocals) and Adam Clayton (bass guitar) answered an advert placed by Larry Mullen Jr. (drums, percussion and vocals); they were teenagers at the time with limited musical proficiency... Wikipedia This entry is from Wikipedia , the user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors ( more info ) and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License . Any changes made to the Wikipedia article will not be immediately reflected here.

Artist Timeline 1976 Formed in Dublin, initially as 'Feedback' and then 'The Hype' 1978 Win a talent show and make a demo 1979 First recording is issued by CBS and tops the Irish charts 1980 Sign to Island Records 1981 Make their first appearance on American TV 1984 Begin collaborating with Brian Eno 1984 Start to play indoor arenas in the US 1000+ images about U2 Bono on Pinterest | Adam clayton, Larry mullen jr and The edge "Everyone is here with me tonight, every one but you..."- Crystal Ballroom #U2 #Bono #TheEdge #AdamClayton #LarryMullenJr #U2ieTour See More U2 | Punknews.org Recent Stories U2 are a rock band from Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar) and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion). The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency.

By the mid–1980s, however, the band had become a top international act, noted for their anthemic sound, Bono's impassioned vocals, and The Edge's textural guitar playing. Their success as a live act was greater than their success at selling records until their 1987 album The Joshua Tree[1] increased the band's stature "from heroes to superstars," according to Rolling Stone.[2] U2 responded to the dance and alternative rock revolutions, and their own sense of musical stagnation by reinventing themselves with their 1991 album Achtung Baby and the accompanying Zoo TV Tour. Similar experimentation continued for the rest of the 1990s. Since 2000, U2 have pursued a more traditional sound that retains the influence of their previous musical explorations. U2 have sold more than 140 million albums worldwide[3] and have won 22 Grammy Awards,[4] more than any other band.[5] In 2005, the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

Rolling Stone magazine listed U2 at #22 in its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.[6] Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and social justice causes, including Amnesty International, the ONE Campaign, and Bono's DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa) campaign.

Question: Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr are three members of which band formed in 1976?
Answer: U2