U2 - Boy to Rattle and Hum

Starting from humble beginnings in Dublin U2 began push there way through the ever changing music scene. The band consisted of Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton and the 5th member Paul McGuiness who was there advisor and manager.

However, the 1980s would see the stock of this band go from nothing to global superstars mainly due to there commercial output and a iconic supremacy that still holds relevant in the 21st century. The band has delivered some of the most sophisticated work and still want to push barriers. The glory days was after the bands appearance at Live Aid in 1985 and the global Zoo TV tour up to 1993.

It was fair to say the early days of U2 were middle ground. There work seemed to not convince the post punk or synth pop audiences. They released albums Boy (1980) and October (1981) although successful it didn't break the mainstream and there was at some point considerations that the band would break up. The band stuck at it and were rewarded with the success of the WAR album in 1983 which spawned the there first UK top 10 hit New Years Day. A UK and smallish America tour help propel the band and U2 had the instinct  to take the right creative and commercial decision which saw a huge transformation of the band musically.

They set to work with Brian Eno and produced the album Unforgettable Fire in 1984 and with a cold wave gloom feel. It was starting to get attention in America mainly due to Pride, MLK, A sort of homecoming which all had references to America. Shortly after that release U2 were playing at Live Aid and they gave one of the most compelling performances of the day, Bono literally conducted the whole band with his mesmeric display and this reflected in the audience spellbound by the display. Melodramatic maybe but it did bring alive the whole day and set up even greater performances by the likes of Queen. They were fast becoming the stadium giants.

Finally, The Joshua Tree in 1987 and America had succumbed. The album was masterfully put together by Eno and his team and the result was some of U2 best work featuring With or without you, where the streets have no name, I still haven't found what i am looking for you, bullet the blue sky and one tree hill. Soon everyone wanted to see and be U2.

The success continued and the band decided to do the whole lot, release an album, a book and a film to document the whole crazy period. IT was of course Rattle and Hum and this saw there first UK number one called Desire. The album represented a change in direction and was a more blues type of album with covers of Beatles, Dylan and playing with American legends such as BB King. The band was very diverse and not afraid to experiment and play different types of music. There was a real mixture on the album from Blues, Gospel, ballads to rock.

The 1980s represented a busy period for the band and this footprint put them onto greater success from the 1980s and beyond. True stadium rock giants.