On 25 September 1976, a teenage drummer named Larry Mullen Jr. pinned a note to the noticeboard at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, looking for musicians to form a band. That afternoon, in the kitchen of his family home, six boys gathered. From that meeting, one of the world’s most successful rock bands was born: U2.
Early days and members
The original line-up included Larry Mullen Jr. (drums), Adam Clayton (bass), Paul Hewson – soon to be known as Bono (vocals), Dave Evans – aka The Edge (guitar, keyboards), his brother Dik Evans (guitar), and Ivan McCormick. Within months, the line-up was whittled down to four: Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr., the quartet that remains intact to this day.
Few could have predicted that this small Dublin gathering would mark the start of a career spanning nearly five decades. In their early years, the band went through names such as Feedback and The Hype, before settling on U2 in 1978.
Unknown stories and struggles
Behind the mythos of U2’s rise lies a story of persistence. At first, they were raw and unpolished. A key turning point came when they won a talent show in Limerick in 1978, judged by CBS Records’ Jackie Hayden, which led to their first demo recording session. Another lesser-known fact: Bono once admitted he could barely sing when the band started, while The Edge was already experimenting with effects pedals that would later define their signature sound.
Their shared faith also shaped their early years. Three members joined a Christian fellowship group called Shalom, which almost caused the band to split in the early 1980s as they debated whether music or ministry was their true calling.
Career highlights
U2’s breakthrough came with their 1980 debut album Boy, featuring “I Will Follow”. By the mid-1980s, albums such as War (1983), with anthems like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “New Year’s Day”, and The Joshua Tree (1987), cemented their global fame. The latter reached number one in over 20 countries and gave the world “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”.
Through the 1990s, U2 reinvented themselves with the experimental Achtung Baby (1991) and the Zoo TV tour, blending irony, media overload, and rock spectacle. Later albums such as All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004) returned them to arena-filling rock with hits like “Beautiful Day”, “Elevation”, and “Vertigo”.
Collaborations and activism
U2 have collaborated with a wide range of artists, from B.B. King (“When Love Comes to Town”) to Johnny Cash (“The Wanderer”) and Luciano Pavarotti (“Miss Sarajevo”). Bono’s activism – from campaigning against global poverty and AIDS to founding the ONE Campaign – has become as well-known as the band’s music.
Legacy and fans today
Over nearly 50 years, U2 have sold more than 150 million records and won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band. They remain one of the highest-grossing live acts in history, famed for ambitious stage designs like the 360° Tour’s “Claw” stage.
Today, U2 continue to attract both lifelong and younger fans. In 2023–24, they performed a residency at the cutting-edge Sphere venue in Las Vegas, showcasing their 1991 album Achtung Baby with groundbreaking visuals. Their music – equal parts political, spiritual, and personal – continues to resonate worldwide.
What began in a Dublin kitchen on this day in 1976 has grown into one of the most enduring and influential stories in modern music.
Also read: ON THIS DAY: Kapodistrias establishes the first Greek postal service (1828)
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