U2

U2

This article is about the Irish rock band. For other uses, see U2 (disambiguation).

U2 is a rock band from Dublin, Ireland. Formed in 1976, U2 have consistently remained one of the most popular acts in the world since the mid 1980s. The band has sold upwards of 170 million albums worldwide. With six #1 albums in the U.S. and nine #1 albums in the UK, U2 are one of the most successful rock bands of all time. They have won 22 Grammy awards, more than any other recording artist.

Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen, Jr. formed the band as teenagers at a time when they had limited musical proficiency. However, by the mid 1980s, they had released four albums and developed a devoted international following from frequent touring. They reached a level of mega-stardom with their 1987 release The Joshua Tree. Although U2 had already developed a reputation of pursuing new musical paths with each new album, in the early 1990s, they replied to the dance music revolution, their own sense of musical stagnation, and criticism of their image with the critically acclaimed Achtung Baby and the groundbreaking Zoo TV Tour. The band had ostensibly re-invented themselves and during the 1990s, their recording and live shows continued this experimentation and boundary pushing.

In the early years of the 21st century, U2 have pursued a more traditional sound and continue to enjoy the highest level of commercial success. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked U2 #22 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2005, U2 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the first year they were eligible. In addition to being musically acclaimed, the band is politically active in human rights and social justice causes, such as Make Poverty History, the ONE Campaign, Live Aid, Live 8, Bono's DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa) campaign, and The Edge's Music Rising.

History

Formation and breakthrough (1976–1979)

U2 formed in Dublin, Ireland on 25 September 1976. Larry Mullen, Jr., then fourteen, posted a notice on his secondary school notice board (Mount Temple Comprehensive School) seeking musicians for a new band. Seven boys responded; attending the initial practice in Mullen's kitchen. Known for about a day as "The Larry Mullen Band," the group featured Mullen on drums, Adam Clayton on bass guitar, Paul Hewson (Bono) on lead vocals, Dave Evans (The Edge) and his brother Dik Evans on guitar, and Mullen's friends Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin. Soon after, the group settled on the name 'Feedback' because it was one of the few musical terms they knew. Martin only came to the first practice, and McCormick was out of the group within a few weeks.

After 18 months of rehearsals, Feedback changed its name to 'The Hype'. The band performed under their new name at a talent show in Limerick, Ireland on 17 March 1978. One of the judges for the show happened to be CBS Records' Jackie Hayden. The band won the contest, earning a £500 prize. Hayden was impressed enough that he gave them studio time to record their first demo. Dik Evans announced his departure in March 1978. The Hype performed a farewell show for Dik at the Community Centre in Howth. Dik ceremoniously walked offstage halfway through the set, later joining the Virgin Prunes, a fellow Dublin band, and the remaining four members finished their performance as 'U2'. In May, Paul McGuinness, who had earlier been introduced to the band by Hot Press journalist Bill Graham, agreed to be U2's manager.

The origin of the name 'U2' is not clear. It is the name of a famous 1960s surveillance plane, the Lockheed U-2; however, the Dublin punk rock guru Steve Averill (better known as Steve Rapid of The Radiators From Space) claimed it was chosen by the band from a list of ten names created by him and Adam Clayton. In an interview with Larry King, Bono said "I don't actually like the name U2," and "I honestly never thought of it as 'you too'."

U2's first release, the Three EP.

Influenced by Television and Joy Division, U2's early sound had a sense of exhilaration that resulted from The Edge's "radiant chords" and Bono's "ardent vocals", according to one author. U2's first release came in September 1979; an Ireland-only EP entitled Three. The first 1,000 12 inch copies were individually hand numbered, and the EP went on to top the Irish charts. In December 1979, U2 performed in London, their first shows outside Ireland, although they failed to get much attention from audiences or critics. In February 1980, their second single "Another Day" was released on the CBS label but again only for the Irish market

Boy and October (1980-1982)

Island Records signed U2 in March 1980, and "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" was the band's first internationally released single in May 1980. The band released its first album, Boy the following October. It was praised as one of the better debuts in rock history. Despite Bono’s unfocused, seemingly improvised lyrics, the hopes and frustrations of adolescence ran through the album as a lyrical theme which touched on fear over sex, identity confusion, death and uncontrollable mood swings. The album gave the band their first hit single, "I Will Follow,". Boy's release was followed by U2's first tour beyond Ireland and the United Kingdom. Despite their unpolished nature, these early live performances nevertheless helped demonstrate U2's potential, as critics noted that Bono was a very "charismatic" and "passionate" showman. U2 made their first appearance on US television on the Tomorrow show, on 4 June, 1981, performing "I Will Follow" and "Twilight".

The band's second album, October, was released in 1981. The album contained spiritual lyrics; Bono, The Edge and Larry made little effort to hide their committed Christian outlooks. The three band members had joined a religious group in Dublin called "Shalom," which led them to question the relationship between the Christian faith and the rock and roll lifestyle. Although the Bible has remained a major source of inspiration for Bono’s lyric writing, October is U2's only overtly religious album. it is generally considered as being among their less successful work.

Anton Corbijn has been the principal photographer for U2, having a major influence on their public image. Since their first encounter in February 1982 in New Orleans, they have had a longstanding friendship, mutual inspiration, and shared interest of rock history.

War (1983)

In 1983, U2 returned with a newfound sense of direction and the release of their third album, War. The album included the song "Sunday Bloody Sunday," which dealt with the troubles in Northern Ireland, including the IRA, using religious imagery. Rolling Stone magazine wrote that the ability to use a range of powerful images, taking a song initially about sectarian anger, and turn it into a call for Christians to unite and claim victory over death and evil, showed that the band was capable of deep and meaningful songwriting. The album's first single, "New Year's Day", was U2's first international hit, reaching the #10 position on the UK charts and nearly cracking the Top 50 on the US charts. MTV put the "New Year's Day" video, directed by Meiert Avis, into heavy rotation, which immediately launched U2 to an American mass audience.

For the first time, the band began performing to sold-out concerts in mainland Europe and the U.S. on their subsequent War Tour. The image of Bono waving a white flag during performances of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" became a familiar sight. U2 recorded the Under a Blood Red Sky EP on this tour and a live video was released, both of which received radio and MTV play and helped expand the band's audience.

The Unforgettable Fire and Live Aid (1984-1985)

The band released their fourth album, The Unforgettable Fire, in 1984. Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois received producing credits. The album took the name of, and was partly inspired by, an exhibition of paintings and drawings by survivors of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It had a significant experimental aspect with the band striving to achieve a more atmospheric sound. Critics and fans alike found Bono's lyrics to be more subtle and poetic. The Edge's guitar was more effects-driven and his sound more symphonic, and the rhythm section demonstrated its versatility.

Critics, such as Rolling Stone's Kurt Loder, however, found that The Unforgettable Fire lacked the "fire" of U2's previous albums Although a new U2 sound had emerged, like War, the album was still political in parts, but to a lesser extent. "Pride (In the Name of Love)", a song about civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., and arguably the song most like the conventional U2 sound, was the first single, cracking the UK Top 5 and the US Top 40. The six-minute long "Bad" was to become a live favourite although it was never released as a single.

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U2's performance at Live Aid was a turning point in their career.

The associated Unforgettable Fire Tour saw U2 playing indoor arenas for the first time. U2 participated in the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium for Ethiopian famine relief in July 1985, which was seen by more than a billion people worldwide. U2 were not expected to be one of the main draws for the event, but the band provided the show with one of its most memorable moments, a relentless 12-minute version of "Bad" in which Bono hurdled off the stage to dance with a fan. The other band members were upset with Bono for spending the time they had planned for playing "Pride (In the Name of Love)," and Bono was convinced he had squandered a chance for promoting the band to a greater audience. Larry Mullen Jr. admitted that the rest of the band had considered leaving the stage as he was performing. The Live Aid version of "Bad" has however become one of U2's most renowned performances, and was an indication of the personal connection that Bono could make with audiences.

In 1985, Rolling Stone magazine called U2 the "Band of the 80's," saying that "for a growing number of rock-and-roll fans, U2 have become the band that matters most, maybe even the only band that matters." Interrupting writing for what was to become The Joshua Tree, the band headlined 1986's A Conspiracy of Hope Tour for Amnesty International. This 6-show tour across the U.S. performed to sold-out arenas and stadiums, and helped Amnesty International triple its membership in the process. In May 1986, U2 headlined Self Aid, a benefit concert held in Dublin to highlight the chronic unemployment problem in Ireland at the time. The 14 hour concert was the largest that had ever been staged in Ireland and it was broadcast live in its entirety on Irish Television. U2's performance included spirited cover versions of "C'mon Everybody" and "Maggie's Farm". Other acts who performed at the event included Van Morrison, The Boomtown Rats and Christy Moore.

The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum (1986–1989)

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U2's The Joshua Tree

In March 1987, U2 released The Joshua Tree. The album debuted at #1 in the UK, quickly reached #1 in the U.S. It won the Grammy Award for "Album of the Year" and a Grammy for the "Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal". The singles "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" quickly went to #1 in the U.S., with "Where the Streets Have No Name" being another heavily played track. U2 was the fourth rock band to be featured on the cover of Time magazine (following The Beatles, The Band, and The Who), who declared that U2 was "Rock's Hottest Ticket". The album, partly inspired by the band's fascination with America, contains country, blues and folk music influences, and is often cited as one of rock's great albums. The Joshua Tree Tour sold out stadiums around the world, the first time the band had consistently played venues of that size.

The documentary Rattle and Hum featured footage recorded from The Joshua Tree Tour shows and the accompanying double album of the same name included nine studio tracks and six live U2 performances. A total of seventeen songs are on the album, including two non-U2 tracks. "Freedom For My People" is a live except by Adam Gussow and Sterling Magee, and "The Star-Spangled Banner" features Jimi Hendrix. Released in record stores and cinemas in October 1988, the album and film were intended as a tribute to American music. Recorded, in part, at Sun Studios in Memphis (along with The Point Depot, Dublin, Ireland), with tracks performed with Bob Dylan and B.B. King, and a song about jazz legend Billie Holiday. Among the live recordings on the album were the Beatles' "Helter Skelter" and a cover version of Bob Dylan's famous song "All Along The Watchtower". Despite a positive reception from fans, Rattle and Hum received mixed-to-negative reviews from both film and music critics.

U2 commenced the Lovetown Tour in August 1989 with special guest B.B. King, visiting Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Europe which they thought they had underplayed on the Joshua Tree Tour. Perhaps feeling that U2 was somewhat stagnating, Bono announced during a 30 December 1989 concert in Dublin that it was time "to go away and just dream it all up again", prompting much speculation from both public and media that U2 would split up after the tour ended.

Achtung Baby, Zoo TV, Zooropa and "Passengers" (1990–1995)

The band began work on Achtung Baby in East Berlin with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois producing. The initial sessions did not go well, with conflict within the band over the direction of the album. Bono and Edge were listening to European dance music in contrast to Adam and Larry's "if it isn't broke, don't fix it" mentality. Weeks of slow progress, argument, and frustration ended when Edge came up with a chord progression that the band quickly worked up into the song "One". In November 1991, U2 released the often experimental and distorted, alternative music-influenced Achtung Baby. It was a more inward and personal record (Edge going through a divorce), and as a result, darker than the band's previous work. The band often referred to the new sound as "four men chopping down the Joshua Tree". Commercially and critically it was one of the band's most successful albums, and like The Joshua Tree, is often cited as one of rock's greatest. It played a crucial part in the band's early 1990s reinvention.

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The Zoo TV stage

The band's Zoo TV Tour, which spanned 1992 and 1993 was a multimedia event, showcasing an extravagant but intentionally bewildering array of hundreds of video screens, upside-down flying Trabant cars, mock transmission towers, satellite TV links, subliminal text messages, and over-the-top stage characters "The Fly", "Mirror-Ball Man" and "(Mister) MacPhisto". U2 used the show to mock the excesses of rock and roll by appearing to embrace these very excesses. Live prank phone calls to President Bush caused controversy, as did satellite uplinks to war-torn Sarajevo.

Recorded in 1993 during a break in the Zoo TV tour, the Zooropa album followed many of the themes from Achtung Baby album and Zoo TV tour. Initially intended as an EP, Zooropa expanded into a full-fledged LP and was released in July of 1993. It was a further greater departure from the style of their earlier recordings, incorporating techno style and other electronic effects. Most of the songs were played at least once in the 1993 leg of the tour through Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, with half the album's tracks becoming fixtures in the set.

After time off—and side projects including the Batman Forever and Mission: Impossible soundtracks—the band released an experimental album in 1995 called Original Soundtracks No. 1. Brian Eno, producer of three previous U2 albums, this time contributed as a full partner including writing and performing. For this reason, and due to its highly experimental nature, the band chose to release it under the moniker "Passengers" rather than "U2" to distinguish it from their conventional albums. Commercially, it was a relatively unnoticed album by U2 standards, although the single "Miss Sarajevo" featuring Luciano Pavarotti, and which Bono cites as one his favourite U2 songs, was a hit.

Pop and Popmart (1996–1999)

With the recording of their 1997 album Pop, U2 were once again experimenting, this time utilizing tape loops, programming, rhythm sequencing and sampling giving much of the album a techno/disco feel. However, the diversity of material on the album is as broad as other U2 releases, with the experimental aspects alongside the more traditional anthems and ballads. Released in March 1997, the album debuted at #1 in 35 countries, and earned U2 mainly positive reviews. Rolling Stone even went so far as claiming U2 had "defied the odds and made some of the greatest music of their lives." Although highly regarded by some, others, particularly American fans, felt that the album was a disappointment. Frontman Bono later admitted that the band was hurried into completing the album before the impending tour and that the album "didn't communicate the way it was intended to".

For the subsequent Popmart Tour, U2 continued the Zoo TV theme of decadence. The tour started in April 1997; the set included a 100-foot tall golden yellow arch, a large 150-foot long video screen, and a 40-foot tall mirrorball lemon. Both the Popmart Tour and the Zoo TV Tour were intended to send a sarcastic message to those accusing U2 of commercialism. The shows were also intended to be shining a mirror back onto the world, taking subtle advertising and messages we are exposed to every day and blowing them up. Although the shows left some concert-goers wanting more, U2's "big shtick" failed to entertain others, who were confused by the band's new image and elaborate sets. In fact, one NME critic later recalled a "ludicrous hullabaloo" that was a departure from "Planet Reality".

Aside from the mixed reactions to both the music and the shows, Popmart itself was something of an up-and-down ride for U2 as well. Although it was the second-highest grossing tour of 1997 (behind the Rolling Stones' Bridges to Babylon Tour) with revenues of just under $80 million, Popmart cost more than $100 million to produce. Also, having been booked before the release of Pop, the tour's early shows were negatively impacted by the band's choice to sacrifice rehearsal time in order to complete recording of their four-month-overdue album. Popmart was not without its highlight however; U2 was the first major group to perform in Sarajevo after the war. Bono later called the Sarajevo show "one of the toughest and one of the sweetest nights of my life." Larry Mullen, Jr. called it "an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life, and if I had to spend 20 years in the band just to play that show, and have done that, I think it would have been worthwhile."

Following the Popmart Tour, the band played a brief concert to an audience of 2,000 in Belfast's Waterfront Hall in May 1998, three days before the public voted in favour of the Northern Ireland Peace Accord. Later that year, U2 performed on an Irish TV fundraiser for victims of the Omagh, Northern Ireland bombing which killed 29 and injured about 220 people earlier in the year. In late 1998, "The Sweetest Thing" previously a b-side from a The Joshua Tree single, was re-recorded and re-released as a single, and the band's first compilation record, The Best of 1980-1990.

All That You Can't Leave Behind and Elevation Tour (2000–2002)

All That You Can't Leave Behind, was released in October 2000, and was considered by many of those not won over by the band's 1990s experimentation, as a return to grace. The sound of the album was in part reminiscent of their 1980s sound. Regarded by many, including Rolling Stone magazine, as U2's "third masterpiece" alongside The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby, it was once again produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. It debuted at #1 in 22 countries and spawned a world-wide smash hit single, "Beautiful Day," which also earned three of a total of six Grammy Awards associated with the album. "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of", "Elevation" and "Walk On" were also successful singles. The album also won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 2002 and garnered two Record of the Year awards in consecutive years.

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U2 performs at Super Bowl XXXVI Halftime Show, 3 February 2002

The Elevation Tour saw the band performing in a scaled-down setting, returning to arenas after nearly a decade of stadium productions, with a heart-shaped stage and ramp permitting greater proximity to the audience. The September 11, 2001 attacks nearly led U2 to cancel the last third of the tour but they decided to continue nonetheless; the new album's "Walk On" and "New York" gained added resonance. The tour ended up as the top concert draw in North America in 2001, grossing more than $143 million in ticket sales. Following the Elevation Tour, the band performed during halftime of Super Bowl XXXVI. "Beautiful Day", "MLK" and "Where the Streets Have No Name" were played.

In 2002, U2 released their second greatest hits compilation, The Best of 1990-2000. Four tracks were reworked in studio, most of them from Pop, which the band said had been rushed to complete because of the pre-booked Popmart Tour. Two new songs were recorded - "The Hands That Built America", which was written for the film Gangs of New York, and "Electrical Storm".

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and Vertigo Tour (2003–2006)

Recording sessions for a new album began in late 2003. A rough cut of the band's follow-up album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, was stolen in Nice, France, in July 2004. In response, Bono stated that should the album appear on peer-to-peer networks, it would be released immediately via iTunes and be in stores within a month, although no such pre-release transpired.

The first single from the album, "Vertigo", was released for airplay on 24 September 2004. The song received extensive airplay in the first week after its release and became an international hit. It was featured on a widely-aired television commercial for the Apple iPod. Apple, in a partnership with the band, released a special edition iPod bearing their namesake. The Complete U2, an iTunes-exclusive box set featuring previously unreleased content was released. Proceeds from the iPod and iTunes partnerships were donated to charity.

The album was released on 22 November worldwide. debuting at #1 in 32 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. It sold 840,000 units in the United States in its first week. This was a personal record for the band, nearly doubling the first-week sales of All That You Can't Leave Behind in the US. In 2005, U2 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in their first year of eligibility.

Using a similar setup and stage design as the previous tour, the band began the first leg of the Vertigo Tour in the United States in March 2005, followed by a European leg starting in June, before returning to North America between September and December. February and March 2006 saw the band play shows in Latin America. The tour featured a setlist that varied more across dates than any U2 tour since the Lovetown Tour, and a greater diversity of songs played each night including songs that had not been played since the early 1980s, including "The Electric Co." and "An Cat Dubh/Into the Heart". Sold out shows for March 2006 in New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Hawaii were postponed due to a severe illness of an immediate family member of the band. The dates were rescheduled for November and December 2006. Much like the Elevation Tour, the Vertigo Tour was a large commercial success.

On 8 February 2006, U2 won Grammy Awards for each of the five categories they were nominated: Album of the Year for How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, Song of the Year for "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own," Best Rock Album for Atomic Bomb, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Sometimes..." and Best Rock Song for "City of Blinding Lights". "If you think this is going to go to our head, it's too late," said Bono as he accepted the award for "Song of the Year".

The band released an autobiography on 25 September 2006 entitled U2 by U2, pieced together from over 150 hours of interviews with contributing author/editor Neil McCormick. In continuing with the retrospective theme, the compilation album U218 Singles was released on 21 November 2006, containing 16 of the band's best-known songs, as well as two new recordings: "The Saints are Coming" with Green Day and "Window in the Skies". A single and double disc version of the album were released. The latter is limited edition and includes a bonus ten track live DVD filmed on the band's stop in Milan on the Vertigo Tour.

Next studio album recordings (2006–2007)

Template:Future album As of July 2006, U2 were reportedly recording a new album, although it is unknown at what point in the process the sessions are. According to Bono there are 24 songs that came out of the last album sessions, of which the band took 11 for their subsequent record. Amateur recordings from the band's sessions in Èze, France suggest that the band are indeed preparing their next album. Producer Rick Rubin has reportedly been working with U2 on new material for their next album in the south of France. On 12 September, it was reported on the official U2 website that the band was working on a new album in Abbey Road Studios. Bono has also claimed that the new U2 material will be a reinvention of U2's sound. We're gonna continue to be a band, but maybe the rock will have to go; maybe the rock has to get a lot harder. But whatever it is, it's not gonna stay where it is.

In October 2006 the band switched to Mercury Records after 26 years signed to Island Records, both of which are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group.

Other projects and influences

U2 have worked as a band and as individual members have with outsiders. Bono recorded the song "In a Lifetime" with the Irish band Clannad, with a video co-directed by The Edge. Together with Edge, Bono wrote the song "Goldeneye" for the James Bond movie of the same name, which was performed by Tina Turner. In 1987, the pair wrote the song "She's A Mystery To Me" for Roy Orbison, which was released on his album Mystery Girl, and Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. did a rework of the title track of the movie Mission: Impossible in 1996. Green Day and U2 have recorded a cover version of the song "The Saints Are Coming" by The Skids to benefit the Music Rising charity.

Aside from musicians, U2 have worked together with authors, including the U.S. author William S. Burroughs, who had a guest appearance in their video of "Last Night on Earth" shortly before he died. His poem "A Thanksgiving Prayer" was used as video footage during the band's Zoo TV Tour. Other collaborators included William Gibson and Allen Ginsberg. In early 2000, with the release of the film The Million Dollar Hotel, the band recorded two songs for its soundtrack, including "The Ground Beneath Her Feet", co-written by Salman Rushdie and motivated by his book of the same name. Another huge influence on Bono is Charles Bukowski.

The band cites The Who (As Bono says: "More than any other band, The Who are our role models."), The Clash, The Ramones and The Beatles as their major influences. Other musicians have in turn been influenced by the work of U2. Cover versions of U2 songs have been made by performers such as the Pet Shop Boys, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, The Smashing Pumpkins and The Chimes, Joe Cocker, and Johnny Cash. U2 have enjoyed reciprocal influential relationships with artists including Bruce Springsteen and Anton Corbijn, as well as exerting influences on others.

Campaigning

U2 are almost as well-known for their humanitarian work as they are for their music. Bono is one of the best-known advocates for the fight against poverty and AIDS in Africa. Charity organisations supported by U2 include:

• Support for Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi
• Amnesty International
• African Well Fund
• Chernobyl Children's Project
• DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa)

• 46664
• Greenpeace
• Jubilee Debt Campaign
• Live Aid / Live 8

• Make Poverty History
• Music Rising
• The ONE Campaign
• Product Red
• War Child

Bono continued his campaigns for debt and HIV/AIDS relief into the summer of 2002. Bono has teamed up with Yahoo! to promote the ONE Campaign, which Yahoo! has helped to re-develop. In doing so, Bono has also joined in the "Ask the Planet" campaign of Yahoo! Answers, in which celebrities pose questions to users.

Discography

Main article: U2 discography

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)
• Original Soundtracks 1 (1995) (released under the pseudonym "Passengers")
• Pop (1997)
• All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)
• How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004)

Grammy awards

1988 -- Album of the Year-- The Joshua Tree

1988 -- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal -- The Joshua Tree

1989 -- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal-- Desire

1989 -- Best Performance Music Video-- Where The Streets Have No Name

1993 -- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal-- Achtung Baby

1993 -- Best Alternative Music Performance-- Zooropa

1995 -- Best Music Video, Long Form-- Zoo TV - Live From Sydney

2001 -- [[Record of the Year-- Beautiful Day

2001 -- [[Song of the Year-- Beautiful Day

2001 -- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal-- Beautiful Day

2002 -- Record of the Year-- Walk On

2002 -- Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal-- Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of

2002 -- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal-- Elevation

2002 -- Best Rock Album-- All That You Can't Leave Behind

2004 -- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal- Vertigo

2004 -- Best Short Form Music Video-- Vertigo

2004 -- Best Rock Song-- Vertigo

2005 -- Album of the Year-- How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

2005 -- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal-- Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

2005 -- Song of the Year-- Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

2005 -- Best Rock Song-- City of Blinding Lights

2005 –- Best Rock Album -- How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

References

• Chatterton, Mark (2001). U2: The Complete Encyclopedia. Firefly Publishing. ISBN 0-946719-41-1.
• Flanagan, Bill (1995). U2 at the End of the World. Delacorte Press. ISBN 0-385-31154-0.
• Parra, Pimm Jal de la (2003). U2 Live: A Concert Documentary. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-9198-7.
• U2 Limited (2006). U2 by U2. London: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-719668-7. {{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

See also

• Best selling music artists
• List of number-one hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of people on stamps of Ireland

External links

• U2.com - Official site
• @U2 - A comprehensive unofficial U2 site
• Interference.com - U2 news, articles and community