U2

Artist Image: U2
Attribution
Image Credit: Remy (http://u2start.com/photos/view/26987), CC BY 4.0

Biography

U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono (vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion). U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music. Throughout the group's musical pursuits, they have maintained a sound built on melodic instrumentals. Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal themes and sociopolitical concerns. The band formed at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency. Within four years, they signed with Island Records and released their debut album Boy. By the mid-1980s, U2 had become a top international act. They were more successful as a touring act than they were at selling records until their 1987 album The Joshua Tree which, according to Rolling Stone, elevated the band's stature "from heroes to superstars". Reacting to musical stagnation and criticism of their earnest image and musical direction in the late 1980s, U2 reinvented themselves with their 1991 album, Achtung Baby, and the accompanying Zoo TV Tour; they integrated dance, industrial, and alternative rock influences into their sound, and embraced a more ironic and self-deprecating image. They embraced similar experimentation for the remainder of the 1990s with varying levels of success. U2 regained critical and commercial favour in the 2000s with the records All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004), which established a more conventional, mainstream sound for the group. Their U2 360° Tour of 2009–2011 is the highest-attended and highest-grossing concert tour in history. U2 have released 13 studio albums and are one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 170 million records worldwide. They have won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band; and, in 2005, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone ranked U2 at number 22 in its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time", and labelled them the "Biggest Band in the World". Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes, including Amnesty International, the ONE/DATA campaigns, Product Red, War Child and the Edge's Music Rising.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1976
Number of Albums 79
Record Label Island
Website
Wikipedia U2 on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

Who told Jay Cocks of Time that the original band consisted of one fellow who meant to play the guitar but couldn't play very well?

Mullen

..., although some could play, technical merit wasn't the decisive factor. Mullen told Jay Cocks of Time that the original band consisted of one fellow w...
Who is the lead vocalist of U2?

Bono

...re an Irish rock band from Dublin, formed in 1976. The group consists of Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and b...
What is Larry Mullen Jr.'s job?

drums and percussion

...cking vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. ( drums and percussion ). Initially rooted in postpunk, U2's musical style has evolved t...
Who plays drums and percussion for U2?

Larry Mullen Jr

...ar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr . (drums and percussion). Initially rooted in postpunk, U2's musica...
Along with Bono's vocals and Edge's effects based guitar sounds, what is U2's musical style rooted in?

postpunk

...tar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion). Initially rooted in postpunk , U2's musical style has evolved throughout their career, yet has maint...
What was U2's first UK number one album?

War

...lbum, Boy (1980). Subsequent work such as their first UK numberone album, War (1983), and the singles Sunday Bloody Sunday and Pride (In the Name of L...
In what year was War released?

1983

...Boy (1980). Subsequent work such as their first UK numberone album, War ( 1983 ), and the singles Sunday Bloody Sunday and Pride (In the Name of Love) h...
Along with Sunday Bloody Sunday, what song was released in the name of love?

Pride

...UK numberone album, War (1983), and the singles Sunday Bloody Sunday and Pride (In the Name of Love) helped establish U2's reputation as a politically...
In what year did U2 perform at Live Aid?

1985

...socially conscious group. By the mid1980s, they had become renowned globally for their live act, highlighted by their performance at Live Aid in 1985 ....
What was U2's grandiose sound?

a merger of the Edges minimal, reverbdrenched guitar and Bonos quasioperatic vocals

...dentity with its grandiose sound, a merger of the Edges minimal, reverbdrenched guitar and Bonos quasioperatic vocals . The band members were attending...
What was a characteristic of the band's early records?

intense spirituality

...ical expertise. The bands early records were characterized by an intense spirituality , and they commented on social and political issues, such as the ...
What was the name of the album released in 1987?

The Joshua Tree

...act on the pop charts. But, with the multimillionselling success of The Joshua Tree album (1987) and the number one hits With or Without You and I Sti...
On what album was U2 able to explore American roots music blues, country, gospel, and folkwith typical earnestness?

Rattle and Hum

...d I Still Havent Found What Im Looking For, U2 became pop stars. On Rattle and Hum (1988), a double album and documentary movie, the band explored Ame...
What was the name of the 1980s music quiz?

Britannica Quiz

...s but were pilloried by some critics who found the project pompous. Britannica Quiz 80s Music Quiz The 1980s were a groundbreaking era in rock and pop...
When was MTV founded?

1981

...roundbreaking era in rock and pop music. And with the founding of MTV in 1981 , music videos became a much more popular and creative form of musical me...
When did U2 reemerge with the album Achtung Baby?

1991

...ng to its artist? U2 reinvented itself for the new decade, reemerging in 1991 with the album Achtung Baby and a sound heavily influenced by European e...
What was U2's sound heavily influenced by?

European experimental, electronic, and disco music

...r the new decade, reemerging in 1991 with the album Achtung Baby and a sound heavily influenced by European experimental, electronic, and disco music ....
What was the name of the album that The Beatles released in 2009?

No Line on the Horizon

...ow To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, in March 2009 the band released No Line on the Horizon . The album calls on the production talents of longtime collabor...
What was the name of the most successful concert tour of all time?

U2360

...o 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, ...
How many fans attended the tour?

7.1million

...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, U23...
What was the nickname given to U2's circular stage?

the Claw

...ght the imagination of its audience, who nicknamed U2's circular stage the Claw , the Spaceship and in Houston the Space Station. Just a few weeks from...
What was the name of the festival that the band headlined?

Glastonbury Festival

...ural 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 Festiv...
How many songs did the band play over an hour and three quarters?

19

... 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 qua...
What was the name of the new song the band wrote in October 2013?

Ordinary Love

...mber. 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...
What did U2 channel their yen for?

moody, experimental aural textures

... emerge from the postpunk era, U2 channeled their yen for moody, experimental aural textures into clearly defined rock anthems and ballads the kind of...
U2's yen for moody, experimental aural textures turned into what kind of songs?

rock anthems and ballads

...en for moody, experimental aural textures into clearly defined rock anthems and ballads the kind of songs that fill arenas yet still seem personal. Mu...
What does Bono gravitate toward?

grand gestures

...macy can be attributed to Bono, a lead singer who gravitates toward grand gestures yet remains grounded by his belief in humanity and the revolutionar...
What album was released in 1991 that set the pace for a decade of risktaking?

Achtung Baby

...ical reinvention arrived in 1991, with the dense, electronicdrenched Achtung Baby , a left turn that set the pace for a decade of risktaking that culmi...
When did U2 form?

1976

...undeniably indebted to postpunk, so it's mildly ironic that U2 formed in 1976 , before punk had even reached their hometown of Dublin, Ireland. Larry M...
Who left the band in 1977?

Dick Evans

... They then changed their name to the Hype in 1977. Shortly afterward, Dick Evans left the band to form the Virgin Prunes, and the group changed names ...
What was the name of the company that sponsored the talent contest?

Guinness

...niker of U2. U2's first big break arrived in 1978, during the members' final year of high school when they won a talent contest sponsored by Guinness ....
Who is the drummer for U2?

Larry Mullen Jr.

...rmed 1976) U2 are an Irish rock band, consisting of Bono (vocals), Larry Mullen Jr. (drums), Adam Clayton (bass) and The Edge (guitar, keyboards and v...
How old was Jr. when he posted a note on the notice board at Mount Temple Comprehensive School?

14

...arly 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, ...
How many members of the band attended the initial practice in Mullen's kitchen?

All four

...t Temple Comprehensive School, looking for people to form a band with. All four members off the band attended the initial practice, in Mullen's kitche...
How many other boys were at the rehearsal?

three

...al 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 Ev...
When did U2 win a talent show?

1978

...nt 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...
Who was U2's manager?

Paul McGuiness

...ent 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 Irela...
When were U2 signed to Island Records?

1980

...ager and their first EP was released in Ireland only. The Mainstream: In 1980 , U2 were signed to Island Records. '11 O'Clock Tick Tock' was the band's...
What is the name of the drummer who pinned an ad on U2's 1976 notice?

Larry Mullen

...s page for a history of the band as a whole. In autumn 1976, drummer Larry Mullen pinned an ad on the notice board at Mount Temple Comprehensive Schoo...
What was Larry Mullen's job title?

drummer

...or read this page for a history of the band as a whole. In autumn 1976, drummer Larry Mullen pinned an ad on the notice board at Mount Temple Comprehe...
What was the name of the band that Dik left to join in 1978?

Virgin Prunes

...Neil in The McCormick Brothers and then Dik left in 1978 to join the Virgin Prunes . In the meantime, their name had changed again to 'The Hype' before...
Where was the contest held?

Limerick

...ning 500 in a talent contest on St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) 1978 in Limerick . Bono later recalled that they had beaten off many technically better ...
What has Bono been nominated for?

Nobel Peace Prize

...uite prominent in charity movements and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize . The band consists of Bono, lead singer and songwriter; The Edge,...
Where did the band form in 1976?

Dublin, Ireland

...m Clayton, bass guitar; Larry Mullen Jr., drums. The band formed in Dublin, Ireland , in 1976. The three members who strongly identified themselves as ...
What song called for a renunciation of violence?

Sunday Bloody Sunday

...r justice and poverty and sickness. The band's popular 1983 song Sunday Bloody Sunday commemorated the slaughter of innocent civilians during the Iris...
Who sent a threat to U2 that they would be kidnapped if they continued their campaign?

The IRA

...n 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 ...