U2
Irish rock band U2 is one of those musical acts that can fill a person with rage or joy at the mention of their name or at the sound of their music. Whether or not you like the group, it's hard to debate that these four lads are, without a doubt, legends, and rightfully so. Not since the creation of Guinness was an Irish export destined for glory.
The Booming 80s
While U2's first two albums ''Boy'' and ''October'' were released in the US and charted, it was their third record, War, that propelled them into the international spotlight in 1983. The album featured classics such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "New Year's Day", and addressed numerous political issues in Northern Ireland. After receiving commercial and critical success, they put out ''The Unforgettable Fire'' one year later. Unlike the aggressive sounds of ''War'', ''The Unforgettable Fire'' was filled with a cacophony of songs that were unfocused, but somehow flowed. Although warring melodies weren't included on the record, political and social commentary did. In "Pride" (cracked the US Top 50), Bono wails about the dream of peace while he wearily sings "How long to sing this song?" on "40." It was just the beginning. The next two years were spent touring, which included an unforgettable performance at Live Aid in 1985. But it was with the release of 1987's ''The Joshua Tree'' that U2 solidified their place with rock and roll's royalty. With hits such as "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", "With or Without You", and "Where the Streets Have No Name," the band questioned everything from faith to drug addiction. Riding high on their new found rock god status, U2 released another album in 1988 called ''Rattle & Hum''. They covered everyone from Hendrix to The Beatles, sang with BB King, and crooned about Billie Holiday. Critics viewed this as an ego run amok and slammed the band for even thinking they were in the same league.
Techno 90s
When U2 reemerged in the 1990s, fans and critics were shocked by what they heardsynthesized beats and even techno.
Rebirth
After ''POP''s lukewarm reception, U2 released All That You Can't Leave Behind in 2000 with much praise from fans, critics, and even radio stations. The band went back to basics with guitarcritically loved, it wasn't as commercially successful as expected. However, U2 hit the road and their 360 tour quickly became the highest earning tour of 2009.
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