U2 celebrates their 50th anniversary
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Why is U2’s 50th anniversary considered a milestone in Irish music history?
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The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk.
And you are listening to The Pat Kenny Show with me, Ciara Doherty. Well, iconic Irish band U2 turned 50 on the 25th of September. And over the last five decades, they've released 15 studio albums, another one to come, 12 EPs, three compilations, two live albums and no less than 85 singles. I'm now joined by arts journalist Pat Carty to look back on their hits and their highlights. You're very welcome to
the studio. 85
singles? Eighty five singles. And, you know, I had the joy of listening to quite a few of them last night when I knew I was doing this on the programme today. And you know what? I was reminded they were damn bloody good.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's the secret, really, I suppose. It's not a secret, but they've just got good songs. And that's what the great bands have. They've got good songs. And they've been, in my opinion, and a lot of other opinions are available, as we know, it's kind of a national pastime to hand Bono a kick, and sometimes it seems to be anyway. I think they've been remarkably... consistent since 1980 the first album was 1980 so yeah I mean like has there been dips in you know are there ones I prefer over others yeah of course but I think you know can you point at one and go that is really terrible not I don't think so.
No, I'd say there's been a banger in every single album.
Yes, I would agree with that.
How did U2’s early singles like “I Will Follow” shape their sound and reputation?
Yeah, at least one. And
I never have to say tired of the story of Larry Mullen putting the sign up in Mount Temple looking for people to join a band and them all rehearsing in the kitchen. And it is quite extraordinary. I was reflecting on this last night that over five decades of playing together, we are still left with the four original permanent members.
Yeah, yeah, that is strange. And that's almost unique, I think, in bands. I was thinking of maybe ZZ Top, but unfortunately a couple of those guys have granted a reward at this stage. So for a band to be together that long, obviously they trust each other, they love each other. Do they fight? Of course they do. I think Bono has said a few times that they've broken up a hundred times. They just haven't told us about it and got back together. One famous one, I suppose, is... The Acton Baby recording sessions weren't going swimmingly, really, in Berlin. And they came close to knocking it on the head. And then a song called One just popped up out of nowhere. And the aides joked that, well, that's the summer house taken care of anyway.
And, you know, so...
Joshua Tree had bought the winter house. Spring house and the autumn house had it.
Exactly. Well, you work with people, I work with people, you know. I mean, you wouldn't want to be around them all the time, really, you know. But 50 years, it's remarkable.
Let's talk about, I suppose, the 1980s. That's where we're going to start, because there was what I thought was a proliferation of albums, six albums across that decade in contrast to three in the 90s and I think three then in the noughties. And when I think of the 80s, I always think of Joshua Tree. I think most people do. But way before that, we had Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day, Bad, and your first choice today, the song that I think really launched them, I Will Follow.
What kept the original four members together for five decades?
I
will follow, I will follow. They opened both sets with that song. So it still obviously means an awful lot to them. I was there, luckily, for both of them, and you can see the reaction of the crowd. I've seen it many, many times as I've been to see them for the last 40-something years. It's a song that's of its time, and yet it's kind of timeless. It introduces the edge, first of all, at the start of a great riff. Larry comes in, Larry's such a great drummer and underrated, I think.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why is U2’s 50th anniversary considered a milestone in Irish music history?
0:00–1:53
2
How did U2’s early singles like “I Will Follow” shape their sound and reputation?
1:53–3:48
3
What kept the original four members together for five decades?
3:48–6:16
4
Which 1980s albums defined U2’s breakthrough and why were they so prolific?
6:16–9:21
5
How did the live‑aided performance of “Bad” catapult U2 to global fame?
9:21–11:15
6
Why is The Joshua Tree hailed as a cinematic masterpiece and what songs stand out?
11:15–12:44
7
How did U2 reinvent themselves in the 1990s‑2000s and what were the missteps?
12:44–14:16
8
What can fans expect from U2’s upcoming tour formats and the new track “Silencio”?
14:16–15:36