The band was formed when Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards and vocals) and Adam Clayton (bass guitar) answered an advert placed by Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion); they were teenagers at the time with limited musical proficiency. By the mid 1980s, however, they had released four albums and developed a devoted international following, largely from extensive touring and from forging a trademark sound based upon The Edge's distinctively innovative and echoing guitar and Bono's impassioned vocals and deeply introspective lyrics. They reached a level of mega-stardom with their highly praised 1987 release The Joshua Tree. In the early 1990s, they replied to the dance and alternative music revolutions, criticism of their image, and their own sense of musical stagnation, with the critically-acclaimed Achtung Baby and the groundbreaking Zoo TV Tour. Although U2 had already developed a reputation for pursuing new musical paths with each new album, this time the band had ostensibly re-invented themselves; this experimentation was to continue for the rest of the 1990s.
In the early years of the 21st century, U2 have pursued a more traditional sound while maintaining some influence of their previous musical explorations, and continue to enjoy the highest level of commercial and critical success. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked U2 number 22 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.In 2005, U2 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the first year they were eligible. The band is known for being politically active in human rights and social justice causes, such as Amnesty International, Make Poverty History, the ONE Campaign, Live Aid, Live 8, Bono's DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa) campaign, and The Edge's Music Rising.
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