U2: A look at the legendary rock band's career 🎸
They've been going nearly 50 years!
U2 are one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Formed in Dublin in 1976, U2 have gone on to achieve immense success with hits like 'With Or Without You', 'Beautiful Day' and 'Where The Streets Have No Name'.
One of the best-selling music acts in the world, U2 have released 15 studio albums - arguably their most popular being 'The Joshua Tree' released in 1987. Read on to learn more about U2, who have just released an EP called 'ZOO TV – Live In Dublin 1993'.
Who are U2 and how did they form?
U2 are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1976. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. pinned an ad to his school's notice board asking for musicians, attracting singer Paul Hewson AKA Bono, guitarist David "The Edge" Evans and bassist Adam Clayton.
What was their original band name?
Initially called Feedback and then The Hype, the band continued to perform around their local area and built a good reputation. The band changed their name to in March 1978 and thus U2 as we know it was born.
Are U2 still together?
U2 are still together and now have a residency in Las Vegas.
Are they on tour?
They aren't on tour, however they had a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas called 'U2:UV Achtung Baby Live'. The Sphere is at the Venetian in the desert city. This started on the same day that they released their song 'Atomic City'.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 open their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday 29th September 2023.
U2 at the Grammy Awards 2024
U2 have been announced to perform at the Grammy Awards in 2024. The band will make history by performing at the Sphere, while the main Grammy event takes place in Los Angeles.
The band's segment during the awards show will also feature a Special Awards presentation.
Bono and The Edge perform in Kyiv
Bono and The Edge were invited by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to perform a concert in Kyiv. The pair played to a crowd of 100 people in a subway station in a surprise concert on 8th May 2022.
They played some of their biggest songs including ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’, ‘Vertigo’, ‘Desire’, ‘With or Without You’, ‘Pride (In the Name of Love)’ and closer ‘One’.
Bono addressed the crowd during the performance to say: "The people in Ukraine are not just fighting for your own freedom, you are fighting for all of us who love freedom. We pray that you will enjoy some of that peace soon."
Watch Bono and The Edge perform in Kyiv:
What are their biggest songs?
U2 have had some huge international hits during their career of nearly half a century!
'With Or Without You'
Released in March 1987, 'With Or Without You' is the lead single from U2's seminal fifth studio album 'The Joshua Tree'.
'Where The Streets Have No Name'
Also on 'The Joshua Tree', 'Where The Streets Have No Name' was written by lead vocalist Bono and was produced by legendary producer, composer and musician Brian Eno.
'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'
Another huge tune from 'The Joshua Tree', 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' scored the band their second consecutive Number 1 single in the US. It was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the Grammys.
'Beautiful Day'
'Beautiful Day' is the first track on U2's 10th studio album 'All That You Can't Leave Behind', released in 2000. The song earned U2 three Grammy Awards, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
How many albums have U2 released?
There have been 14 studio albums: 'Boy' (1980), 'October' (1981), 'War' (1983), 'The Unforgettable Fire' (1984), 'The Joshua Tree' (1987), 'Rattle and Hum' (1988), 'Achtung Baby' (1991), 'Zooropa' (1993), 'Pop' (1997), 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' (2000), 'How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb' (2004)', 'No Line on the Horizon' (2009), 'Songs of Innocence' (2014)' and 'Songs of Experience' (2017).
'Songs Of Surrender'
In January 2023, U2 revealed that they would be releasing rerecorded versions of 40 of their biggest songs in a compilation album called 'Songs Of Surrender'.
The album was released on 17th March. Ahead of the release, the band shared a teaser video along with the announcement with a montage of photos from their time together to the soundtrack of a new version of their 2000 track 'Beautiful Day'.
'Songs of Surrender', according to the Official Charts Company, was outselling the rest of the Top 5 combined during its first week of release, and it’s a dead cert for the top spot on Friday.
Has Bono written a memoir?
Bono announced in May 2022 that he would be releasing a memoir called Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story on 1st November. The book will explore the origins of 40 U2 songs, with each chapter named after the song it covers.
Stories about Bono's life will be included throughout the book, from his early days in Dublin through to U2 becoming one of the world's most influential rock bands. In October 2022, he announced three UK dates to promote the book, saying: "I miss being on stage and the closeness of U2’s audience.
"In these shows I’ve got some stories to sing, and some songs to tell... Plus I want to have some fun presenting my ME-moir, SURRENDER, which is really more of a WE-moir if I think of all the people who helped me get from there to here."
Are U2 the biggest band in the world?
U2's incredible success and longevity have led many to regard them as one of the biggest bands in the world. They have sold in excess of 170 million records and continue to play to huge, packed-out stadiums.
Did U2 perform at Live Aid?
Yes! U2 played a 12-minute rendition of their song 'Bad'. Live Aid is often heralded as making stars of the Irish band, with every U2 album available at the time returning to the chart after their performance at Live Aid.
Check out these incredible photos from Live Aid:
Live Aid
The UK edition of Live Aid took place on Saturday 13th July 1985 at London's Wembley Stadium. It was a baking hot summer's day with barely a cloud in the sky.
Live Aid
A complete sell-out, 72,000 people bought tickets for the Wembley Stadium raising funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine.
Status Quo at Live Aid
After the Coldstream Guards band opened with the Royal Salute and a brief version of God Save the Queen', Status Quo were the first band to take to the stage at Live Aid bright and early at midday. Francis Rossi and the late-great Rick Parfitt belted out three songs during their 14-minute set – 'Rockin' All Over The World', 'Caroline' and 'Don't Waste My Time'.
The Style Council at Live Aid
Second up at Live Aid were The Style Council, who had released their second album 'Our Favourite Shop' the previous month. Paul Weller, Martin Talbot and co. played 'You're The Best Thing', 'Big Boss Groove', 'Internationalists' and 'Walls Come Tumbling Down'.
The Boomtown Rats at Live Aid
Shortly before 1pm, Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof and his Boomtown Rats arrived on stage to a rapturous reception. Following the three-track set of 'I Don't Like Mondays', 'Drag Me Down' and 'Rat Trap', the 72,000 strong Wembley crowd broke out into an impromptu chorus of 'For He's A Jolly Good Fellow' in homage to Geldof. Earlier, another poignant moment came when Geldof halted 'I Don't Like Mondays' just after the pertinent line "The lesson today is how to die" to rapturous applause.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles at Live Aid
Princess Diana and Prince Charles were among those in attendance at Live Aid. Appropriately, here they are sat in front of rock royalty, Queen. They left shortly after Boomtown Rats missing many of the iconic moments that would happen on stage later.
Adam Ant at Live Aid
Prince Charming himself Adam Ant – aka Stuart Leslie Goddard – played just one song at Live Aid; his recent single 'Vive Le Rock'.
Ultravox at Live Aid
Live Aid co-organiser Midge Ure was rightfully met with a hero's welcome at the start of Ultravox's set. The synth-pop band played 'Reap The Wild Wind', 'Dancing With Tears In My Eyes' and 'One Small Day' before culminating with a euphoric 'Vienna'.
Spandau Ballet at Live Aid
Bedecked in kaleidoscopic suits and sporting glorious eighties hair, pop chart-conquerers Spandau Ballet treated the crowd to three songs – 'Only When You Leave', 'Virgin' and 'True'.
Elvis Costello at Live Aid
With just a four-minute slot on stage at Live Aid, Elvis Costello opted to cover The Beatles classic 'All You Needs Is Love' and duly sparked a huge crowd singalong.
Nik Kershaw at Live Aid
One of the most successful solo artists in the UK at the time of Live Aid, Nik Kershaw was granted a whopping 18 minutes on stage. He performed 'Wide Boy', 'Don Quixote', 'The Riddle' and 'Wouldn't It Be Good.'
Sade at Live Aid
Soul icon Sade performed a flawless 16-minute set at Live Aid of 'Why Can't We live Together', 'Your Love Is King' and 'Is It a Crime.'
Sting and Phil Collins at Live Aid
Introduced on stage by Noel Edmonds, Sting and Phil Collins alternated songs at Live Aid. Sting played 'Roxanne', 'Driven To Tears' and 'Message In A Bottle', while Phil Collins performed 'Against All Odds' and 'In the Air Tonight'. The pair then united for a finale of 'Long Long Way To Go' and 'Every Breath You Take'. Immediately afterwards, Phil Collins jetted off to Philadelphia via Concorde to perform with Led Zeppelin at the US Live Aid.
Phil Collins prepares to board a Concorde
Minutes after playing Wembley, Phil Collins and his then wife Jill Travelman prepare to board a Concorde to fly to Philadelphia's JFK Stadium for his second Live Aid performance of the day.
Howard Jones at Live Aid
Serial chart-denter Howard Jones played a poignant acoustic version of his 1984 single 'Hide and Seek' at Live Aid.
Bryan Ferry and David Gilmour at Live Aid
Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry was joined by fellow music legend David Gilmour on guitar for his four-song set at Live Aid. It consisted of 'Sensation', 'Boys and Girls', 'Slave to Love' and Bryan's trademark cover of 'Jealous Guy'.
Paul Young and Alison Moyet at Live Aid
Eighties teen idol Paul Young started his Live Aid set with a snippet of 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' before launching into his cover of Jack Lee's 'Come Back and Stay'. He was joined by Alison Moyet for 'That's The Way Love Is' before closing with 'Everytime You Go Away'.
U2 at Live Aid
While Queen were rightfully crowned the standout act at Live Aid, U2 were also rapturously received and the phenomenal performance helped propel them into international superstars. Opening with 'Sunday Bloody Sunday', they then played a sprawling 11-minute version of 'Bad' (extended as Bono went into the crowd midway through) that included snippets of 'Satellite of Love', 'Ruby Tuesday', 'Sympathy for the Devil' and 'Walk on the Wild Side'.
U2 at Live Aid
During U2's performance, Bono saved a teenage girl from being crushed by plucking her from the crowd. In an interview two decades later, she credited him with saving her life.
Dire Straits at Live Aid
Also extremely well-received at Live Aid were Dire Straits, who performed 'Money For Nothing' with Sting and 'Sultans of Swing'.
Live Aid audience
The Live Aid crowd who braved intense heat throughout the day.
Backstage at Live Aid
Comedians Mel Smith, Gryff Rhys Jones, Pamela Stephenson and Billy Connolly backstage at Live Aid.
Queen at Live Aid
Firmly entrenched in music folklore, Queen's 21-minute set at Live Aid on 13th July 1985 is rightfully regarded as one of the finest live performances of all time. Freddie Mercury was imperious throughout and – to use a cliché – he had the entire 72,000 strong audience in the palm of his hands.
Queen at Live Aid
The setlist of Queen's historic set at Live Aid was 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Radio Ga Ga', 'Hammer To Fall', 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love', 'We Will Rock You' and 'We Are The Champions'. Freddie Mercury also led a now iconic "day-oh!" crowd singalong during the performance.
Freddie Mercury
An incredible photo of Freddie Mercury during Queen's fabled Live Aid set.
David Bowie at Live Aid
Queen, of course, were a tough act to follow but fortunately David Bowie was up next and he performed a sublime 17-minute set consisting of 'TVC15', 'Rebel Rebel', 'Modern Love' and a spine-tingling 'Heroes'.
David Bowie at Live Aid
Another photo of the legendary David Bowie in his imperious live glory at Live Aid in 1985.
The Who at Live Aid
Sadly for The Who, their performance at Live Aid was blighted by technical difficulties. First, John Entwistle's bass wouldn't work and then the TV broadcast cut out (somewhat ironically) as Roger Daltrey was singing "why don't you fade away' during 'My Generation'. The performance returned to TV during the final verse of 'Pinball Wizard'. The Who closed with 'Love, Reign O'er Me' and 'Won't Get Fooled Again'.
Paul McCartney and David Bowie at Live Aid
Fellow music legends Paul McCartney and David Bowie backstage at Live Aid, 13th July 1985.
Live Aid at Wembley Stadium
The view from the crowd at Live Aid, 13th July 1985.
Live Aid at Wembley Stadium
The crowd at are hosed down with water at Wembley Stadium to cool down in the intense heat.
Elton John at Live Aid
Sir Elton John had one of the longest sets of the day at Live Aid, and he kicked it off with 'I'm Still Standing', 'Bennie and the Jets' and 'Rocket Man'.
Elton John at Live Aid
Elton was then joined by Kiki Dee for their huge collaboration 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' and WHAM!'s George Michael and Andrew Ridgley for 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me'. The set climaxed with 'Can I Get A Witness'.
Freddie Mercury and Brian May at Live Aid
Less than three hours after their massive triumph with Queen, Freddie Mercury and Brian May returned to the Live Aid stage at Wembley for an encore rendition of 'Is This The World We Created?'.
Paul McCartney at Live Aid
At 9.51pm, Beatles legend Paul McCartney took to the stage for a rendition of 'Let It Be'. Sadly, Macca's performance was blighted by technical woes and the stadium couldn't hear him for the first two minutes due the microphone on his piano failing - the TV audience could hear him slightly better as a nearby mic picked him up. When the mic was eventually fixed, the crowd duly sang along in unison and Alison Moyet, Pete Townshend, David Bowie and Bob Geldof joined Paul on backing vocals.
Live Aid finale
Live Aid came to a rousing and emotion conclusion with a performance of 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'. Among the performers on stage were Harvey Goldsmith, Bob Geldof, David Bowie, George Michael, Sting, Andrew Ridgeley, Howard Jones, Elton John, Roger Daltrey, Midge Ure, Paul Weller, Freddie Mercury, Rick Parfitt, Adam Ant and Bono.
Live Aid finale
The two Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia raised more than $127 million for famine relief in Africa.
Live Aid finale
Organiser Bob Geldof waves to the 72,000 strong crowd at the conclusion of 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' at Live Aid.
Live Aid ticket stub
A coveted ticket to Live Aid at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 13th July 1985. Tickets cost £5 plus an obligatory £20 donation.
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