Song:I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Album:The Best Of 1980-1990
It might surprise fans that in over 30 years, U2 have only had two number one hit singles and both were from the 1987 album The Joshua Tree including I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. I prefer their 80s music so what I'm going to talk about is how they got to be superstars in the late 80s. U2 is from Dublin, Ireland. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. posted a note looking for musicians on the school bulletin board. Among those to respond were lead singer Paul "Bono"Hewson, guitarist David "The Edge" Evans and his older brother Rik Evans and bassist Adam Clayton. They played gigs as Feedback and then The Hype. At the time, they were a punk influenced cover band. Dik Evans left to concentrate on university in Mar. 1977 and the band's name was changed to U2. They won a local talent show in Mar. 1978 and auditioned for CBS Ireland. A couple of unsuccessful singles were released in Ireland. The Stranglers manager Paul McGuiness became U2's manager and he got them a contract with Island Records in 1980. Since their early days, U2 has been known for mixing punk influences and religious imagery. They are probably the most successful contemporary christian band in history. Bobo and The Edge even quit U2 in 1981 because of internal conflict over spirituality. But they worked things out. Sunday Bloody Sunday was a hit and they signed a new contract with Island in 1984. With the 1985 album The Unforgettable Fire, U2 started working with Canadian producer Daniel Lanois. The band was aware that their music was too preachy so this album was more accessible and a big success. They also got a lot of attention for their performance at Live Aid. With The Joshua Tree, U2 decided to make an album that would get them a number one hit single. They got two, With Or Without You and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. They also won two Grammys. U2 were now superstars. But they followed this up with the critically reviled Rattle and Hum. And that has been the pattern since the 80s. They will release one or two great albums and then follow it with something really bad. In the 90s, they got into tape looping, electronica and industrial dance rhythms. Their 1999 album Pop was criticized so harshly, they decided to return to the drawing board with the 2000 CD All That You Can't Leave Behind. Since then their music has been uneven and new music is scheduled for 2013. When they are good, U2 is very good. When they are bad, they are awful. So I recommend their 80s music only and this comp is a good intro for beginners. Here's the video for I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by U2.
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