Me Pedia

What a shame, U2 is not american, instead, Irish rock music band.

U2, Irish rock music band, which achieved worldwide popularity during the 1980s and 1990s. The group was formed in 1976 at a high school in Dublin, Ireland, by four students: vocalist Paul Hewson, known as Bono; guitarist David Evans, known as The Edge; bassist Adam Clayton; and drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. The band won a school talent contest in 1978, began playing in local clubs, and in 1980 released its debut album, Boy. The group began touring internationally the following year and earned a small, underground following in Britain and the United States. Their third album, War, was released in 1983 and became internationally successful.

With the albums The Unforgettable Fire (1984) and, especially, The Joshua Tree (1987), U2 became one of the most popular and respected bands in rock music. Such songs as “Where the Streets Have No Name” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” established a style both grand and introspective, colored by Bono’s yearning vocals and The Edge’s innovative, ringing guitar. U2 subsequently grew famous for its commitment to political causes, including prominent support for international human rights. The band’s 1988 release, Rattle and Hum (also the title of a documentary film about the band), was marked by uncharacteristic explorations of folk music and blues.

U2 reinvented itself with the albums Achtung Baby (1991) and Zooropa (1993), sparking renewed popular and critical excitement, while returning to its underground roots with good-humored self-mockery and a dark, intricate sound. In 1997 the group released Pop, an album influenced by electronic and dance music. The band proved its continuing popularity and relevance with All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000), a critical and commercial hit that echoed their 1980s work, and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004), which featured the top single “Vertigo.”

U2 has won numerous Grammy Awards. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.