According to abbreviationfinder, U2 is an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed on September 25, 1976, the group consists of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass) and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion). U2’s early sound was rooted in the post-punk genre, but eventually began to incorporate influences from various genres of popular music.
It is one of the most popular bands in the world since the mid- 1980s. They have been awarded 22 Grammy Awards, the most for a rock band or artist. Throughout their musical activity, they have maintained a sound built on the basis of melodic instrumentals, marked by the variety of guitar sounds added by The Edge and the expressive voice of Bono. His lyrics, often adorned with spiritual imagery, focus on personal and sociopolitical issues.
History
The band was formed when Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (lead guitar, keyboard and vocals) and Adam Clayton (bass) responded to an ad placed by Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion). At that time, the band members were teenagers with limited musical knowledge.
By the mid-1980s, however, they had released four albums and had international acclaim, largely due to extensive touring and as a result of The Edge’s distinctive guitar-driven sound and passionate vocals and introspective lyrics. of bonus. They reached high levels of popularity with the release in 1987 of their album The Joshua Tree.
In the early 1990s, they responded to the dance and alternative music revolution with the successful Achtung Baby and the newer Zoo TV Tour, which brought criticism of their image, as well as expert opinion suggesting a certain musical stagnation.
In the early years of the 21st century, U2 have continued their career with a more traditional sound, while maintaining some influences from their earlier musical explorations and continuing to enjoy a high level of critical and commercial success. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed U2 22nd on its 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 inducted. The gang is known for being politically active in various human rights and social justice causes.
Political activism
In addition to being known for their music, the band has stood out for its social work, especially Bono, who, in 2008, has already been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times. Their activism has also led them to collaborate with different organizations. such as Amnesty International, Greenpeace, DATA, ONE and with causes that support mainly less developed countries, such as their participation in events such as Live Aid (1985) and twenty years later, Live 8 (2005), both massive concerts organized by Bob Geldof for the G-8 countries (the seven richest countries in the world and Russia) to help African countries.
Since the early 1980s, the members of U2, as a group and individually, have collaborated with other musicians, artists, celebrities, and politicians to address issues of poverty, disease, and social injustice. In 1984, Bono and Adam Clayton participated in Band Aid to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.
In 1986, U2 participated in A Conspiracy of Hope and in Self Aid for Unemployment in Ireland. The same year, Bono and Ali Hewson also visited Nicaragua and El Salvador at the invitation of the Sanctuary movement and saw the effects of El Salvador ‘s civil war. These events were heavily influenced by The Joshua Tree album, which was being recorded at the time.
In 1992, the band participated in the “Stop Sellafield” concert with Greenpeace during their Zoo TV tour. In 1998 at the end of the PopMart Tour in Santiago de Chile in full concert, in the middle of the interpretation of the song “One” and “Mothers of the Disappeared”, it is performed on stage with the mothers of the Family Association of Detained and Disappeared, as a way of protesting the incorporation of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet into the Senate, as senator for life, while Bono asks for the clarification of where the bodies of the disappeared are. This fact is one of the most remembered of the PopMart tour.
In late 2005, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, The Edge helped introduce Music Rising, an initiative to raise funds for musicians who lost their instruments in the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast.
Discography
See U2 Discography
The band’s discography consists of twelve studio albums, nine live albums, nine compilation albums, fifty-six singles, and eight EPs.
- Boy(October 20, 1980)
- October(October 12, 1981)
- War(February 28, 1983)
- The Unforgettable Fire(October 1, 1984)
- The Joshua Tree(March 9, 1987)
- Rattle and Hum(October 10, 1988)
- Achtung Baby(November 19, 1991)
- Zooropa(July 6, 1993)
- Pop(March 4, 1997)
- All That You Can’t Leave Behind(October 30, 2000)
- How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb(November 19, 2004)
- No Line on the Horizon(February 27, 2009)
- Songs of Innocence(September 9, 2014)
Awards and honours
In their career the band has achieved several awards and nominations, such as:
22 Grammys
- 1987 – Best Instrumental Rock Group and Album of the Year (The Joshua Tree)
- 1988 – Best Instrumental Rock Group (“Desire”), Best Music Video Performance (“Where The Streets Have No Name”)
- 1992 – Best Instrumental Rock Group (Achtung Baby)
- 1993 – Best Alternative Music Album (Zooropa)
- 1994 – Best Concert Music Video (Zoo TV: Live From Sydney)
- 2000 – Best Album, Song of the Year and Best Instrumental Rock Group (“Beautiful Day”)
- 2001 – Best Album (“Walk On”), Best Pop Instrumental Group (“Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get out of”), Best Rock Instrumental Group (“Elevation”), Best Rock Album (All That You Can’t Leave Behind)
- 2004 – Best Instrumental Rock Group, Best Rock Song and Best Music Video (“Vertigo”)
- 2005 – Best Instrumental Rock Group and Best Song of the Year (“Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own”), Best Rock Song (“City Of Blinding Lights”), Best Rock Album of the Year and Album of the Year (How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb)
7 British Awards
- 1988, 1989 and 1990 (International Group)
- 1993 (Largest live performance)
- 1998 (International Group)
- 2001 (International Group, Outstanding Contribution)
Golden Globe Awards
- 2003 Best Original Song (“The Hands That Built America”) (Win)
- 2010 Best Original Song (“Winter”) (Nominated)
- 2014 Best Original Song (“Ordinary Love”) (Winner)
5 MTV Video Music Awards
- 1987 (Viewer’s Choice – “With Or Without You”),
- 1988 (Best Video from a Motion Picture – “When Love Comes to Town”),
- 1992 (Best Video – “Even Better Than the Real Thing”),
- 1995 (Viewer’s Choice Europe – “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me”),
- 2001 (Video Vanguard Award)
MTV Europe Music Awards
- 1995 (Best Group),
- 1997 and 2009 (Best Live Act)
14th Meteor Ireland Music Awards
- 2001 (3)
- 2002 (7)
- 2003 (1)
- 2006 (3)
Amadeus Awards (Austria)
- 2001
- Nominations in 2004, 2005, 2006.
Oscar award
- Nomination in the Music category – Original Song for “The Hands That Built America”, from the film Gangs of New York (2003)
- Nomination in the Music category – Original Song for “Ordinary Love”, from the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- 2005
Recognition by Amnesty International
- 2005
