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Early days -

It all started in 1976, when drummer Larry Mullen Jr. posted a "musicians wanted" ad on a school notice board. A few people responded, and they later met in his kitchen.

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"A band before we could play" -

They were "a band before we could play," said Bono in early interviews. The four teenagers originally called themselves "Feedback," and were inspired by punk music.

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Who does what -

Bono was the singer, The Edge played guitar, while Adam Clayton and Mullen played bass and drums, respectively.

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Name changes - The band changed their name to "The Hype," and then "U2," causing quite a stir in Dublin’s music scene.

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Meeting the manager - Clayton was the original manager of the band, before they met Paul McGuinness. He helped them release their first material in 1979, an EP called 'Three'.

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First releases -

In 1980, the band signed a deal with Island Records. Their first single, '11 O’Clock Tick Tock,' hit the shelves in May 1980. Their debut album, 'Boy,' came five months later.

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'War' - Three years later, the band scored their first number one album with 'War.' The record featured hit singles such as 'New Year’s Day.'

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Experimentation - Post-'War,' U2 teamed up with Brian Eno (left) and Daniel Lanois (right). They started experimenting more, and released the hit 'Pride (In the Name of Love).' The single featured on their 1984 album, 'The Unforgettable Fire.'

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Live Aid -

The band followed the album with a 54-date tour in America, as well as an iconic performance at Live Aid in July 1985.

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U2 and the US -

U2 became somewhat infatuated with the US, and released their 'The Joshua Tree' album in 1987. Singles 'With or Without You' and 'I Still Haven’t Found What I'm Looking For' went number one in America.

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'The Joshua Tree' - 'The Joshua Tree' sold 20 million copies, and won Album of the Year at the 1987 Grammy Awards.

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Time - In April 1987, the band appeared on the cover of Time Magazine. At that point, they were the fourth band to appear on a Time cover, after The Beatles, The Band, and The Who.

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More success - A year later, U2 topped the UK single charts, and released a concert movie. They also released the double album 'Rattle and Hum.' In 1989, Bono told a Dublin crowd that "this is the end of something for U2 [...] we have to go away and [...] dream it all up again."

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'Achtung Baby' - U2 journeyed to Berlin, working with Eno and Lanois to produce 'Achtung Baby.' The band sparked a new sound, with hit singles like 'One' and 'The Fly.'

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Zoo TV - U2 followed 'Achtung Baby' with the Zoo TV Tour. They performed around the world, with big-budget production values. Guests included Lou Reed and ABBA, who performed 'Dancing Queen' with the band.

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Guest stars - During this tour, the band recorded 'Zooropa,' which featured Johnny Cash on the final track. They also collaborated with Luciano Pavarotti on 'Original Soundtracks 1.'

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U2 head to Sarajevo - U2 followed that side project with 'Pop,' a dance-inspired album which led to the PopMart Tour. They even performed in Sarajevo after the Bosnian War.

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'All That You Can’t Leave Behind' - In 2000, U2 released 'All That You Can't Leave Behind,' featuring hit singles like 'Beautiful Day.'

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Major success - It was another hit record, selling more than ten million copies and scoring seven Grammy Awards. Manager Paul McGuinness claimed the album went number one in 32 countries.

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113 dates - After that, the band set out on a 113-date tour, performing around the world with a more minimalist stage setup.

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'How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb' - 2004 saw the release of 'How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.' It's said the album debuted at number one in 25 different countries. Lead single 'Vertigo' would bring home three Grammy Awards.

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - The next year, U2 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Bruce Springsteen. He described the band as "keepers of some of the most beautiful sonic architecture in the rock-and-roll world."

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Live 8 - The same year, in July 2005, the band opened a Live 8 concert in London. They performed 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' with Paul McCartney.

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Record breakers - U2 claimed five prizes at the 2006 Grammy Awards, bringing their grand total to 22, more than any other band.

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U2 360° - The band were back in 2009, with the release of 'No Line on the Horizon.' This came with the 110-date U2 360° Tour, a modern marvel of live music.

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Headlining Glastonbury - Before the tour came to a close, the band headlined the Glastonbury Festival. They performed 19 songs from eight different records.

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Back again - Out of nowhere, the band popped up in September 2014, with an appearance at the launch of the new iPhone and Apple Watch. There, they performed a new single, 'The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone).'

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'Songs of Innocence' - Their 13th album, 'Songs of Innocence,' was released that night. The record was installed onto the Apple devices of 500 million users worldwide.

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'Songs of Experience' - U2 released the sister album, 'Songs of Experience,' in December 2017. The same year, the band celebrated the 30th anniversary of 'The Joshua Tree' with a new stadium tour.

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Bono's embarrassment! -

In a 2022 interview, Bono shared his true thoughts on the band he's been part of for over four decades. He revealed that there are only a few U2 songs he can listen to without feeling embarrassed! "The other ones make me cringe a little bit." He also revealed he still doesn't like the band name. Their first manager had convinced them it would "look good on a T-shirt—a letter and a number," the singer explained. He continued to criticize his own singing abilities, saying "I only became a singer, like, recently," and then returned his focus to the legendary band. “I do think U2 pushes out the boat on embarrassment quite a lot, and maybe that’s the place to be as an artist—you know, right at the edge of your level of embarrassment.” 

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Las Vegas residency -

In 2023, the band will reportedly help launch the MSG Sphere at The Venetian, a globe-shaped performance center that holds 17,500 people and boasts 4D technology, with their show called “U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere.” The band themselves said in a statement, “We’re the right band, ‘Achtung Baby’ the right album and the Sphere the right venue to take the live experience to the next level." They're set to play a 17-show residency starting in September. 

See also: Music to fight for: political singers around the world

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