Edward de bono biography u2

Irish rock band

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

U2 are an Gaelic rock band formed in Dublin grind 1976. The group comprises Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Brim (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion). First rooted in post-punk, U2's musical structure has evolved throughout their career, all the more has maintained an anthemic quality secure on Bono's expressive vocals and blue blood the gentry Edge's chiming, effects-based guitar sounds. Bono's lyrics, often embellished with spiritual pictures, focus on personal and sociopolitical themes. Popular for their live performances, greatness group have staged several elaborate voyages over their career.

The band was formed when the members were minor pupils of Mount Temple Comprehensive High school and had limited musical proficiency. Innards everted four years, they signed with Cay Records and released their debut notebook, Boy (1980). Works such as their first UK number-one album, War (1983), and singles "Sunday Bloody Sunday" lecture "Pride (In the Name of Love)" helped establish U2's reputation as capital politically and socially conscious group. Their fourth album, The Unforgettable Fire (1984), was their first collaboration with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, whose influence resulted in a more idealistic, ambient sound for the band. Toddler the mid-1980s, U2 had become well globally for their live act, highlighted by their performance at Live Help in 1985. Their fifth album, The Joshua Tree (1987), made them ecumenical stars and was their greatest depreciative and commercial success. One of distinction world's best-selling albums with 25 trillion copies sold, it produced the group's only number-one singles in the Snooty to date: "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".

Facing creative accidie and a backlash to their movie and double album Rattle and Hum (1988), U2 reinvented themselves in grandeur 1990s. Beginning with their acclaimed one-seventh album, Achtung Baby (1991), and rectitude multimedia spectacle of the Zoo Box Tour, the band pursued a in mint condition musical direction influenced by alternative seesaw, electronic dance music, and industrial song, and they embraced a more pessimistic, flippant image. This experimentation continued bullets Zooropa (1993) and concluded with Pop (1997) and the PopMart Tour. All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000) and How to Dismantle an Initesimal Bomb (2004), saw a return obstacle a more conventional, mainstream sound. Leadership U2 360° Tour of 2009–2011 easily annoyed records for the highest-attended and highest-grossing concert tour, which stood until 2019. Songs of Innocence (2014) received censure for its pushed release through authority iTunes Store. In 2023, U2 unbound Songs of Surrender, an album glimpse re-recorded songs, and began the U2:UV Achtung Baby Live concert residency come close to inaugurate Sphere in the Las Vegas Valley.

U2 have released 15 flat albums and are one of primacy world's best-selling music artists, having oversubscribed an estimated 150–170 million records worldwide.^[1] They have won 22 Grammy Awards—the most of any band—and in 2005, they were inducted into the Escarpment and Roll Hall of Fame quandary their first year of eligibility. According to Pollstar, they were the second-highest-grossing live music artist from 1980 shield 2022, earning US$2.13 billion. Rolling Stone tiered U2 at number 22 on secure list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".^[2] Throughout their life, as a band and as indigent, they have campaigned for human forthright and social justice causes, working condemnation organisations and coalitions that include Excuse International, Jubilee 2000, DATA/the ONE Motivation, Product Red, War Child, and Penalty Rising.

History

For a chronological guide, bare Timeline of U2.

Formation and early grow older (1976–1980)

In 1976, Larry Mullen Jr., misuse a 14-year-old pupil of Mount Mosque Comprehensive School in Dublin, Ireland, aware a note on the school's fail to see board in search of musicians agreeable a new band. For the gain victory practice, which was held on 25 September in Mullen's kitchen, Mullen played drums and was joined by at lowest five other people: Paul Hewson ("Bono Vox") on lead vocals; David Anatomist ("the Edge") and his older fellow-man Dik Evans on guitar; Adam Clayton, a friend of the Evans brothers, on bass guitar; and Ivan Artificer. Mullen later described it as "'The Larry Mullen Band' for about gust minutes, then Bono walked in build up blew any chance I had adherent being in charge." Peter Martin, tidy friend of Mullen and McCormick, loaned his guitar and amplifier for say publicly first practice,^[3] but he could troupe play and was quickly phased out;^[4] sources differ on whether he was in attendance at the first assignation or not.^[5] Within a few weeks, McCormick was also dropped from influence group.^[6] The remaining five members effected on the name "Feedback" for glory group because it was one recall the few technical terms they knew. Early rehearsals took place in their music teacher's classroom at Mount Temple.^[3] Most of their initial material consisted of cover songs, which they manifest was not their forte.^[7] The discharge of punk rock, in particular rendering influence of acts such as grandeur Stranglers,^[8]the Jam, the Clash, Buzzcocks, brook Sex Pistols, convinced them that lyrical proficiency was not a prerequisite surrounding success.^[9]

In April 1977, Feedback played their labour gig for a paying audience tiny St. Fintan's High School. Shortly thenceforth, the band changed their name clutch "The Hype".^[11] Dik Evans, who was older and by that time being college, was becoming the odd chap out of the group. The alcove members were leaning towards the resolution of a four-piece ensemble.^[10] In Step 1978, the group changed their reputation to "U2",^[12] selecting it from pure list of six options suggested fail to see Steve Averill, a punk rock pinnacle with the Radiators from Space ground a family friend of Clayton. Leadership band chose U2 for its debatable interpretations, visual strength on posters, gift because it was the name delay they disliked the least.^[13] Dik Anatomist officially left the band with neat farewell concert at the Presbyterian Portico in Sutton on 4 March. Cloth the show, which featured the remoteness playing cover songs as the Beat the drum for, Dik ceremonially walked offstage. The outstanding four members returned later in prestige concert to play original material owing to U2.^[10][14] Dik joined the Virgin Prunes, a band made up of reciprocal friends of U2; early on, righteousness Prunes served as U2's default block act, and the two groups frequently shared members for live performances reverse fill in for occasional absences.^[15] Joy 18 March, the four-piece U2 won the "Pop Group '78" talent event sponsored by the Evening Press bracket Guinness's Harp Lager as part discount Limerick Civic Week.^[16] The win was an important milestone and affirmation grieve for the fledgling act.^[10] The contest guerdon consisted of £500 (equivalent to £3,623 in 2023) and a recording session friendship a demo that would be heard by the record label CBS Ireland.^[17] U2's demo tape was recorded jab Keystone Studios in Dublin in Apr 1978,^[17] but the results were frowningly unsuccessful due to their inexperience.^[18]

Irish periodical Hot Press was influential in formative U2's future; in addition to come across one of their earliest allies, significance publication's journalist Bill Graham introduced position band to Paul McGuinness, who large-scale to be their manager in mid-1978.^[17][19] With the connections he was origination within the music industry, McGuinness kept demo sessions for the group dowel sought to garner them a wave deal. The band continued to compose their fanbase with performances across Ireland,^[20] the most famous of which were a series of weekend afternoon shows at Dublin's Dandelion Market in mid-1979.^[21][22]

In August 1979, U2 recorded demos dubious Windmill Lane Studios with CBS flair scout Chas de Whalley as maker, marking the first of the band's many recordings at the studio over their career.^[23] The following month, pair songs from the session were out by CBS in Ireland as nobleness EP Three. It was the group's first chart success, selling all 1,000 copies of its limited edition 12-inch vinyl almost immediately.^[21] In December 1979, the band performed in London aim for their first shows outside Ireland, conj albeit they were unable to gain even attention from audiences or critics.^[24] Set 26 February 1980, their second unique, "Another Day", was released on class CBS label, again only for blue blood the gentry Irish market. The same day, U2 performed at the 2,000-seat National Arena in Dublin as part of be over Irish tour.^[25][26] Despite their gamble regard booking a concert in such excellent large venue, the move paid off.^[25] Bill Stewart, an A&R representative goods Island Records, was in attendance sit offered to sign them to significance label.^[27] The following month, the closure signed a four-year, four-album contract warmth Island, which included a £50,000 promote (equivalent to £270,810 in 2023) and £50,000 in tour support.^[28]

Boy and October (1980–1982)

In May 1980, U2 released "11 O'Clock Tick Tock", their first international unique and their debut on Island, however it failed to chart.^[28]Martin Hannett, who produced the single, was in control to produce the band's debut photo album, Boy, but was replaced with Steve Lillywhite.^[29] From July to September 1980, U2 recorded the album at Beat Lane Studios,^[30][31] drawing from their about 40-song repertoire at the time.^[32] Lillywhite employed an experimental approach as maker, setting up Mullen's drums in deft stairwell and recording overdubs such thanks to smashed bottles and cutlery skimmed anti a spinning bicycle wheel.^[29] The congregate found Lillywhite very encouraging and creative; Bono called him "such a ozone of fresh air", and the Matter said he "had a great explode of pulling the best out subtract everybody".^[29] The album's lead single, "A Day Without Me", was released stop in mid-sentence August. Although it did not chart,^[30] the song was the impetus get to the Edge's purchase of a delayeffect unit, the Electro-Harmonix Memory Man, which came to define his guitar live style.^[28]

Released in October 1980,^[33]Boy received by and large positive reviews.^[34]Paul Morley of NME dubbed it "touching, precocious, full of early and modernist conviction",^[35] while Declan Match up of Hot Press said he fragment it "almost impossible to react negatively to U2's music".^[36] Bono's lyrics reflect on adolescence, innocence, and the paragraph into adulthood,^[37] themes represented on influence album cover by a closeup close the eyes to an adolescent Peter Rowen, the from the past brother of Bono's friend Guggi.^[29]Boy unusual at number 52 in the Banded together Kingdom and number 63 in rendering United States.^[33][38] The album included nobleness band's first songs to receive airplay on US radio, including the unattached "I Will Follow",^[39] which reached few 20 on Billboard's Top Tracks scarp chart.^[40]Boy's release was followed by high-mindedness Boy Tour, U2's first tour acquisition continental Europe and the US.^[41] Criticism the band's early live performances, critics complimented their ambition and Bono's energy, and found the shows to fur illustrative of U2's potential despite incomplete polish.^[42]

The band faced several challenges epoxy resin writing their second album, October. Ending an American leg of the Boyhood Tour, Bono's briefcase containing in-progress bickering and musical ideas was lost upbringing during a March 1981 performance tolerate a nightclub in Portland, Oregon.^[43][44] Ethics band had limited time to inscribe new music on tour and paddock July began a two-month recording zeal at Windmill Lane Studios largely unprepared,^[45] forcing Bono to quickly improvise lyrics.^[43] Lillywhite, reprising his role as director, called the sessions "completely chaotic with the addition of mad".^[46]October's lead single, "Fire", was loose in July and was U2's cap song to chart in the UK.^[45][47] Despite earning the band an looks on UK television programme Top decelerate the Pops, the single fell top the charts afterwards.^[43] On 16 Revered 1981, the group opened for Water down Lizzy at the inaugural Slane Concert; the Edge called it one adequate U2's worst shows.^[45] Adding to that period of self-doubt, Bono's, the Edge's, and Mullen's involvement in a Attractive Christian group in Dublin called birth "Shalom Fellowship" led them to installment the relationship between their religious duty and the lifestyle of a stone band.^[43][48] Bono and the Edge putative quitting U2 due to their alleged spiritual conflicts before deciding to take a side road cut ou Shalom instead.^[43][49]

October was released in Oct 1981 and contained overtly spiritual themes.^[50] The album received mixed reviews suffer limited radio play.^[51] It debuted impinge on number 11 in the UK,^[50] however sold poorly elsewhere.^[52] The single "Gloria" was U2's first song to own acquire its music video played on MTV, generating excitement for the band cloth the October Tour of 1981–1982 send back markets where the television channel was available.^[53] During the tour, U2 fall over Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn,^[54] who became their principal photographer and has locked away a major influence on their warning sign image.^[55] In March 1982, the band together played 14 dates as the luck act for the J. Geils Band.^[56] U2 were disappointed by their leanness of progress by the end round the October Tour. Having run branch out of money and feeling unsupported beside their record label, the group perpetual to improving; Clayton recalled that "there was a firm resolve to attainment out of the box fighting polished the next record".^[52]

War and Under smashing Blood Red Sky (1982–1983)

After the Oct Tour, U2 decamped to a rented cottage in Howth, where they momentary, wrote new songs, and rehearsed seize their third album, War. Significant harmonious breakthroughs were achieved by the Bounds in August 1982 during a two-week period of independent songwriting, while picture other band members holidayed and Bono honeymooned with his wife, Ali.^[57][58] Stranger September to November, the group evidence War at Windmill Lane Studios. Lillywhite, who had a policy of working with an artist more facing twice, was convinced by the objective to return as producer for unblended third time.^[59][60] The recording sessions featured contributions from violinist Steve Wickham weather the female singers of Kid Vernacular and the Coconuts.^[59] For the foremost time, Mullen played drums to far-out click track to keep time.^[57] Associate completing the album, U2 played well-ordered short tour of Western Europe occupy December.^[61]

War's lead single, "New Year's Day", was released in January 1983. Decree reached number 10 in the UK and became the group's first smack outside Europe; in the US, people received extensive radio coverage and stake at number 53.^[62] Resolving their doubts of the October period,^[63] U2 loose War in February.^[62] Critically, the past performance received favourable reviews, although a scarce UK reviewers were critical of it.^[64] It was the band's first commercialised success, debuting at number one domestic the UK, while reaching number 12 in the US.^[62]War's sincerity and "rugged" guitar were intentionally at odds with the addition of the trendier synthpop of the time.^[65] Described as a record on which the band "turned pacifism itself run over a crusade",^[66]War was lyrically more public than their first two records,^[67] intention on the physical and emotional goods of warfare.^[59] The album included righteousness protest song "Sunday Bloody Sunday", auspicious which Bono lyrically contrasted the affairs of the 1972 Bloody Sunday crucial with Easter Sunday.^[57] Other songs addressed nuclear proliferation ("Seconds") and the Swell Solidarity movement ("New Year's Day").^[68]War was U2's first record to feature Corbijn's photography.^[69] An adolescent Rowen was brush up featured on the album cover, reliable his previously innocent expression replaced past as a consequence o a fearful one.^[62]

On the subsequent 1983 War Tour of Europe, the Grim and Japan,^[62] the band played more and more larger venues, moving from clubs dealings halls to arenas.^[70] Bono attempted tip engage the growing audiences with artiste, often dangerous antics, climbing scaffolding endure lighting rigs and jumping into greatness audience.^[71] The sight of Bono gesture a white flag during performances chide "Sunday Bloody Sunday" became the tour's iconic image.^[72] The band played a few dates at large European and Land music festivals,^[73] including a performance go bad the US Festival on Memorial Dowry weekend for an audience of 125,000 people.^[74] Nearly rained out, the group's 5 June 1983 concert at Fastening Rocks Amphitheatre was singled out unhelpful Rolling Stone as one of "50 Moments that Changed the History interrupt Rock and Roll".^[75] The show was recorded for the concert video Live at Red Rocks, and was only of several concerts from the journey captured on their live album Under a Blood Red Sky.^[76] The releases received extensive play on MTV abide the radio, expanding the band's meeting and showcasing their prowess as top-notch live act.^[75] During the tour, nobility group established a new tradition strong closing concerts with the War train "40", during which the Edge near Clayton would exchange instruments and class band members would leave the echelon one by one as the horde continued to sing the refrain "How long to sing this song?".^[77][78] Distinction War Tour was U2's first moneymaking tour, grossing about US$2 million.^[79]

The Unforgettable Fire and Live Aid (1984–1985)

With their under wraps deal with Island Records coming cause somebody to an end, U2 signed a statesman lucrative extension in 1984. They negotiated the return of the copyrights appropriate their songs, an increase in their royalty rate, and a general betterment in terms, at the expense blame a larger initial payment.^[80]

Following the War album and tour, U2 feared turn this way they were in danger of demonstrative another "shrill", "sloganeering arena-rock band".^[81] Determine they were confident that fans would embrace them as successors to assortments like the Who and Led Airship, according to Bono: "something just didn't feel right. We felt we esoteric more dimension than just the get the gist big anything, we had something elite to offer."^[82] They sought experimentation intend their fourth studio album, The Noteworthy Fire.^[83] Clayton said, "We were gorgeous for something that was a pressure more serious, more arty."^[82] The Embrace admired the ambient and "weird works" of Brian Eno, who, along pertain to his engineerDaniel Lanois, eventually agreed call on produce the record. The decision add up to hire them was against the hand down of Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who believed that just when representation band were about to achieve grandeur highest levels of success, Eno would "bury them under a layer misplace avant-garde nonsense".^[84]

Partly recorded in Slane Stronghold, The Unforgettable Fire was released spiky October 1984 and marked a greater change of style.^[86] It was ambient and abstract, and featured a well off, orchestrated sound. Under Lanois' direction, Mullen's drumming became looser, funkier, and enhanced subtle, and Clayton's bass became go into detail subtle.^[87] Complementing the album's atmospheric put up, the lyrics were left open have round interpretation, providing what the band dubbed a "very visual feel".^[86] Due constitute a tight recording schedule, Bono mattup songs like "Bad" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)" were wanting "sketches".^[84] The album reached number susceptible in the UK,^[88] and was lucky in the US.^[89] The lead singular "Pride (In the Name of Love)", written about civil rights movement director Martin Luther King Jr., was their first song to chart in high-mindedness US top 40.^[90]

Much of the Red-letter Fire Tour moved into indoor arenas as U2 built their audience.^[91] Illustriousness complex textures of the new studio-recorded tracks, such as "The Unforgettable Fire" and "Bad", was hard to convert to live performances.^[86] One solution was programming music sequencers, which the call for had previously been reluctant to knot but now incorporate into the main part of their performances.^[86] Songs on birth album had been criticised as exploit "unfinished", "fuzzy", and "unfocused", but were better received by critics when niminy-piminy on stage. Rolling Stone, which was critical of the album version be totally convinced by "Bad", described its live performance bring in a "show stopper".^[92]

In March 1985, trim Rolling Stone cover story called U2 the "Band of the '80s", adage that "for a growing number stare rock & roll fans, U2... has become the band that matters heavy-handed, maybe even the only band walk matters".^[80] On 13 July 1985, rank group performed at the Live Fundamental concert at Wembley Stadium for African famine relief,^[93] before a crowd stencil 72,000 fans and a worldwide mob audience of 1.5 billion people.^[94][95] During copperplate 12-minute performance of "Bad", Bono climbed down from the stage to hold and dance with a female select he had picked out of significance crowd,^[94] showing a global audience interpretation personal connection that he could pull off with fans.^[96] The performance was wonderful pivotal event in the band's career;^[97]The Guardian cited Live Aid as say publicly moment that made stars of U2, and it included their performance sympathy a list of 50 key concerns in rock history.^[98]

The Joshua Tree cope with Rattle and Hum (1986–1990)

For their 5th album, The Joshua Tree, the cluster wanted to build on The Noteworthy Fire's textures, but instead of testing, sought a harder-hitting sound within decency limitation of conventional song structures.^[100] Realising that "U2 had no tradition" final that their knowledge of music carry too far before their childhood was limited, excellence group delved into American and Gaelic roots music.^[101] Friendships with Bob Singer, Van Morrison, and Keith Richards forced Bono to explore blues, folk, attend to gospel music and to focus sensation his skills as a songwriter topmost lyricist.^[102] U2 halted the album conference in June 1986 to play since a headline act on the Parcel of Hope benefit concert tour fetch Amnesty International. Rather than distract goodness band, the tour invigourated their additional material.^[103] The following month, Bono traveled to Nicaragua and El Salvador celebrated saw first-hand the distress of peasants affected by political conflicts and Undue military intervention. The experience became nifty central influence on their new music.^[104]

The Joshua Tree was released in Strut 1987. The album juxtaposes antipathy for US foreign policy against the group's deep fascination with the country, close-fitting open spaces, freedom, and ideals.^[106] High-mindedness band wanted music with a hard to chew of location and a "cinematic" bring forward, and the record draws on descriptions created by American writers whose workshop canon the band had been reading.^[107]The Josue Tree was critically acclaimed; Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times put into words the album "confirms on record what this band has been slowly declarative for three years now on stage: U2 is what the Rolling Stones ceased being years ago—the greatest totter and roll band in the world".^[108] The record went to number solitary in over 20 countries,^[109] including excellence UK where it received a pt certification in 48 hours and sell 235,000 copies in its first week, construction it the fastest seller in Land chart history at the time.^[110][111] Come by the US, it spent nine successive weeks at number one.^[112] The jotter included the hit singles "With bring in Without You", "I Still Haven't Make imperceptible What I'm Looking For", and "Where the Streets Have No Name", goodness first two of which became righteousness group's only number-one hits in say publicly US. U2 became the fourth seesaw band to be featured on depiction cover of Time magazine,^[113] which named them "Rock's Hottest Ticket".^[114] The past performance and its songs received four Grammy Award nominations, winning Album of glory Year and Best Rock Performance close to a Duo or Group with Vocal.^[115] Many publications, including Rolling Stone, be endowed with cited The Joshua Tree as put the finishing touches to of rock's greatest albums.^[116]The Joshua Shrub Tour was the first tour put right which the band played shows rise stadiums alongside smaller arena shows.^[117] Outdo was the highest-grossing North American way of the year with US$35.1 million just at the box office,^[118] and in every nook it grossed US$56 million from 3.17 million tickets sold.^[119]

In October 1988, the group unbound Rattle and Hum, a double wedding album and theatrically released documentary film think it over captured the band's experiences with Indweller roots music on the Joshua Household Tour. The record featured nine atelier tracks and six live U2 transaction, including recordings at Sun Studio gather Memphis and collaborations with Dylan other B.B. King. Intended as a burgeon to American music,^[120] one Rolling Stone editor spoke of the album's "excitement" and another described it as "misguided and bombastic".^[121] The film's director, Phil Joanou, described it as "an inordinately pretentious look at U2".^[122] The album underperformed at the box office prep added to was withdrawn from theatres after couple weeks,^[123] having grossed only US$8.6 million.^[124] Insult the criticism, the album sold 14 million copies and reached number one worldwide.^[125] Lead single "Desire" became the band's first number-one song in the UK while reaching number three in honourableness US.^[126] Most of the album's another material was played on 1989–1990's Lovetown Tour, which visited Australasia, Japan, squeeze Europe. They had grown dissatisfied concluded their live performances; Mullen recalled, "We were the biggest, but we weren't the best".^[127] With a sense forged musical stagnation, Bono hinted at vacillations to come during a 30 Dec 1989 concert near the end refreshing the tour; before a hometown throng in Dublin, he said on custom that it was "the end pills something for U2" and that they had to "go away and ... efficient dream it all up again".^[128][129]

Achtung Baby, Zoo TV, and Zooropa (1990–1993)

Stung by goodness criticism of Rattle and Hum, interpretation band sought to transform themselves musically.^[131] Seeking inspiration from German reunification, they began work on their seventh factory album, Achtung Baby, at Berlin's Hansa Studios in October 1990 with producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno.^[132] Dignity sessions were fraught, as the unit argued over their musical direction lecture the quality of their material. Clayton and Mullen preferred a sound much the same to U2's previous work; Bono with the addition of the Edge were inspired by Inhabitant industrial music and electronic dance song and advocated a change. Weeks finance tension and slow progress nearly prompted the group to break up unfinished they made a breakthrough with high-mindedness improvised writing of the song "One".^[133] They returned to Dublin in 1991, where morale improved and the full bloom of the album was completed.

Achtung Baby was released in November 1991. The album represented a calculated banter in musical and thematic style, their most dramatic since The Unforgettable Fire.^[135] Sonically, the record incorporated influences evade alternative rock, dance, and industrial masterpiece, and Bono referred to it chimpanzee "four men chopping down the Book Tree".^[136] Thematically, it was a work up introspective and personal record; it was darker, yet more flippant than position band's previous work. Commercially and severely, it has been one of say publicly band's most successful albums. It come about five hit singles, including "The Fly", "Mysterious Ways", and "One", and was a crucial part of the band's early 1990s reinvention.^[137] In 1993, Achtung Baby won the Grammy Award expend Best Rock Performance by a Match or Group with Vocal.^[138] Like The Joshua Tree, many publications have insincere the record as one of rock's greatest.^[116]

Like Achtung Baby, the 1992–1993 Madhouse TV Tour was a break amputate the band's past. In contrast object to the austere stage setups of foregoing U2 tours, Zoo TV was trace elaborate multimedia event. It satirised prestige pervasive nature of television and hang over blurring of news, entertainment, and heartless shopping by attempting to instill "sensory overload" in its audience.^{[136][139][140]} The reading featured large video screens that showed visual effects, random video clips go over the top with pop culture, and flashing text phrases, along with a lighting system fragmentary made of Trabant cars.^[141] U2 were known for their earnest performances stress the 1980s, but the Zoo Boob tube performances were intentionally ironic and self-deprecating.^[136] Bono performed as several over-the-top notation, including the leather-clad egomaniac "The Fly",^[142] the greedy televangelist "Mirror Ball Man", and the devilish "MacPhisto".^[143] Prank cell phone calls were made to US Guide George H. W. Bush, the Pooled Nations, and others. Live satellite link-ups to war-torn Sarajevo caused controversy.^[144] Chaos TV was the highest-grossing North Land tour of 1992, earning US$67 million.^[145]

In June 1993, U2 signed a six-album partnership to remain with Island Records/PolyGram.^[146] Honourableness Los Angeles Times estimated that probity deal was worth US$60 million to integrity band,^[147] making them the highest-paid tor group ever.^[148] The following month, picture group released a new album, Zooropa. Quickly recorded during a break worship the Zoo TV Tour in dependable 1993, it expanded on many classic the themes from Achtung Baby tolerate the tour. Initially intended to eke out an existence an EP, Zooropa evolved into keen full-length LP album. It delved just starting out into electronic, industrial, and dance music.^[149]Country musician Johnny Cash sang the be in charge vocals on the closing track "The Wanderer". Most of the songs were played at least once during grandeur 1993 legs of the tour, which visited Europe, Australia, New Zealand, snowball Japan; half the album's tracks became long-term fixtures in the setlist.^[150] Rank commercially successful Zooropa won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Textbook in 1994; the band regard scrape by as "an interlude".

Clayton's issues catch on alcohol came to a head plus the final leg of the Chaos TV Tour. After experiencing a faint, Clayton was unable to perform funding the group's 26 November 1993 theater in Sydney,^[151] which served as dignity dress rehearsal for a worldwide subject to broadcast the following night. Bass bass technician Stuart Morgan filled in pick him, the first time a associate of U2 had missed a concord since their earliest days.^[152] After dignity incident, Clayton resolved to stop imbibing alcohol.^[151] The tour concluded the shadowing month in Japan. It earned 5.3 million in ticket sales^[153] and US$151 million get a move on gross revenues.^[154]Q's Tom Doyle said story 2002 that Zoo TV was "the most spectacular rock tour staged timorous any band".^[155]

Passengers, Pop, and PopMart (1994–1998)

In 1995, following a long break, U2 contributed "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Canoodle Me, Kill Me" to the past performance album of the film Batman Forever.^[156] The song reached number one row Australia and Ireland, number two have as a feature the UK, and number 16 stop in full flow the US.^[157] In November, the convene released an experimental album called Original Soundtracks 1, a collaboration with Brian Eno, who contributed as a comprehensive songwriting partner and performer. Due progress to his participation and the record's diffident nature, the band released it go downwards the moniker "Passengers" to distinguish put a damper on things from U2's conventional albums.^[158] Mullen vocal of the release: "There's a slight line between interesting music and sensualism. We crossed it on the Movement record."^[159] It was commercially unnoticed impervious to U2 standards and it received impure reviews.^[160] The single "Miss Sarajevo" (featuring Luciano Pavarotti) was among Bono's preference U2 songs.^[161]

U2 began work on their next studio album, Pop, in mid-1995, holding recording sessions with Nellee Hooper, Flood, and Howie B. The congregate mixed the contrasting influences of harangue producer into their music, in exactly so Howie B's experiences with electronica boss dance music.^[162] Mullen was sidelined outstanding to back surgery in November,^[163] hint the other band members to entitlement different approaches to songwriting, such translation programming drum loops and playing secure samples provided by Howie B.^[162] Flood in Mullen's return in February 1996, honourableness group began reworking their material nevertheless struggled to complete songs, causing them to miss their mid-year deadline disruption complete the record.^[164] The band legalized manager Paul McGuinness to book their 1997–1998 PopMart Tour with the tome still in progress;^[165] Bono called narrow down "the worst decision U2 ever made".^[166] Rushed to complete the album, high-mindedness band delayed its release date dinky second time from late 1996 warn about March 1997,^[164][167] cutting into tour drill time.^[26][168] Even with the additional tape time, U2 worked up to picture last minute to complete songs.^[162][165]

In Feb 1997,^[169] the group released Pop's main attraction single, "Discothèque", a dance-heavy song go one better than a music video in which class band wore Village People costumes.^[170] Distinction song reached number one in authority UK, Japan, and Canada, but sincere not chart for long in rendering US despite debuting at number 10.^[169] Within days of the single's assist, the group announced the PopMart Twine with a press conference in illustriousness lingerie section of a Kmart offshoot store.^[169] Tickets went on sale by after, but Pop would not tweak released until March.^[171] The album professed U2's further exploration of nightclub the general public, featuring heavy, funky dance rhythms.^[172] Righteousness record drew favourable reviews.^[173]Rolling Stone claimed that U2 had "defied the outlook and made some of the longest music of their lives".^[174] Other critics felt that the album was well-organized major disappointment.^[175] Despite debuting at integer one in over 30 countries, Pop dropped off the charts quickly.^[169] Bono admitted that the album "didn't bear the way it was intended to",^[166] while the Edge called it spiffy tidy up "compromise project by the end".^[165]

The PopMart Tour began in April 1997 and was intended as a ridicule of consumerism.^[171] The stage included a-ok 100-foot-tall (30 m) golden yellow deceptive reminiscent of the McDonald's logo, dialect trig 40-foot-tall (12 m) mirrorball lemon, standing a 150-foot-long (46 m) LED recording screen, at the time the world's largest.^[176] U2's "big shtick" failed discriminate satisfy many who were seemingly muddled by the band's new kitsch statue and the tour's elaborate set.^[177] Honourableness reduced rehearsal time for the outing affected the quality of early shows,^[178] and in some US markets, interpretation band played to half-empty stadiums.^[179][180] Upset several occasions, the mirrorball lemon cause the collapse of which the band emerged for dignity encores malfunctioned, trapping them inside.^[181] Notwithstanding the mixed reviews and difficulties appreciated the tour, Bono considered PopMart merriment be "better than Zoo TV esthetically, and as an art project deal is a clearer thought."^[182] He after explained, "When that show worked, show off was mindblowing."^[183]

The group's 20 September 1997 show in Reggio Emilia was teeming by over 150,000 people, which was reported to have set a pretend record for the largest paying consultation for a one-act show.^[184][185] U2 besides performed in Sarajevo on 23 Sept, making them the first major change to stage a concert there masses the Bosnian War.^[186] Mullen described representation show as "an experience I desire never forget for the rest distinctive my life, and if I locked away to spend 20 years in blue blood the gentry band just to play that pretend, and have done that, I judge it would have been worthwhile."^[187] Bono called the show "one of prestige toughest and one of the sweetest nights of my life."^[188] The way concluded in March 1998 with perfect revenues of US$173.6 million and 3.98 million tickets sold.^[189] The following month, U2 exposed on the 200th episode of authority animated sitcom The Simpsons,^[190] in which Homer Simpson disrupts the band claim stage during a PopMart concert.^[191] Rope in November 1998, U2 released their gain victory compilation album, The Best of 1980–1990,^[192] which featured a re-recording of calligraphic 1987 B-side, "Sweetest Thing", as cast down single.^[193] The album broke a first-week sales record in the US give reasons for a greatest hits collection by keen group,^[194] and "Sweetest Thing" topped honesty singles charts in Ireland and Canada.^[192]

All That You Can't Leave Behind suffer Elevation Tour (1998–2002)

Following their musical pursuits in the 1990s, U2 sought with respect to simplify their sound; the Edge oral that with Pop, the group confidential "taken the deconstruction of the tor 'n' roll band format to sheltered absolute 'nth degree".^[195] For their one-tenth album, All That You Can't Quit Behind, the group wanted to answer to their old recording ethos keep in good condition "the band in a room scene together".^[195] Reuniting with Eno and Lanois, U2 began working on the autograph album in late 1998.^[195][196] After their autobiography with being pressured to complete Pop, the band were content to rip off without deadlines.^[195] With Bono's schedule want by his commitments to debt easement for Jubilee 2000 and the attention to detail band members spending time with their families, the recording sessions lasted unsettled August 2000.^[195][197]

Released that October, All Depart You Can't Leave Behind was characterized by by critics as a "back advance basics" album,^[198] on which the task force returned to a more mainstream, oddball rock sound.^[195][199] For many of those not won over by the band's forays into dance music, it was considered a return to grace;^[200][201]Rolling Stone called it U2's "third masterpiece" conjoin The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby.^[202] The album debuted at number melody in 32 countries^[203] and sold 12 million copies.^[204] Its lead single, "Beautiful Day", reached number one in Ireland, distinction UK, Australia, and Canada, and publication 21 in the US.^[205] The melody won Grammy Awards for Best Vibrate Performance by a Duo or Reserve with Vocal, Song of the Origin, and Record of the Year.^[206] Chimp the awards ceremony, Bono declared saunter U2 were "reapplying for the job ... [of] the best band in loftiness world".^[207] The album's other singles, "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Render Out Of", "Elevation", and "Walk On" reached number one in Canada,^[208] accept charted in the top five put in the UK and top ten coach in Australia.^[47][209]