U2

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Essential Albums

  • War

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About U2

No band has embodied the fundamental belief that rock ’n’ roll can change the world quite like U2. As their late-’70s post-punk peers were intent on deconstructing rock music into shards of rhythm and discord, the Dublin quartet of Bono (vocals), The Edge (guitars), Adam Clayton (bass), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums) redirected that wiry energy to more impassioned, altruistic use, transforming themselves into a generation-defining band that combined the idealistic fervor of The Clash with the game-changing pop-cultural omnipotence of The Beatles. On their 1983 breakthrough album, War, Bono emerged as alt-rock’s preeminent preacher man, his wailing voice embodying the futility of The Troubles on the raging “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” But upon enlisting producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois on 1984’s The Unforgettable Fire, U2 traded in punk-schooled fury for celebratory civil rights anthems (“Pride (In the Name of Love)”) and slow-burn rapture (“Bad”), a transition that reached its apex on 1987’s The Joshua Tree (also produced by Eno and Lanois). With The Edge’s slashing style giving way to rippling textures, the album’s heart-racing hymns (“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “Where the Streets Have No Name”) imbued U2’s arena-sized ardor with a spiritual grace, lending The Joshua Tree a universal appeal that made it one of the top-selling albums of the decade. Comfortably nestled on their perch as the most popular rock band in the world, U2 only seemed to get bigger and bolder: 1991’s Achtung Baby incorporated Bowie-esque character shape-shifting and influences from dark alternative rock and jagged industrial, while 1993’s Zooropa was a daring exploration of post-rave rhythms and electronic textures. Both albums bookended the groundbreaking Zoo TV tour, which redefined the stadium spectacle as a sensory-overloading, multimedia extravaganza—and presaged U2’s subsequent larger-than-life concerts, including the irony-laden PopMart Tour and the dazzling, cutting-edge visuals at the Sphere in Las Vegas. But no matter where their musical curiosities have led them and no matter how elaborate their stage shows have gotten, the members of U2 have never lost sight of their inspirational mission. Post-millennial highlights like 2000’s All That You Can't Leave Behind—an album that spawned classic anthems like “Beautiful Day” and “Walk On”—and 2017’s “You’re the Best Thing About Me” soundly reasserted U2’s power to unify and elevate, while 2023’s strident “Atomic City” celebrated bright futures by nodding to the band’s youthful punk roots.

ORIGIN
Dublin, Ireland
FORMED
1976
GENRE
Rock
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