In the fall of 1976, 14-year-old drummer Larry Mullen Jr. posted a flyer on a bulletin board at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, Ireland. He was looking for musicians. He found them. Within four years, Larry’s young band had a record deal and released their first album. U2 was taking off. We’re going with them in this installment of the Throwback Threesome.

What are the odds that Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. would have all been students at the same school at the same time? It must have been part of a divine plan to give the world decades of great music. And they were good from the beginning. U2’s 1980 debut album, Boy, charted in Europe, North America, and Australia. Their fan base grew steadily with each subsequent album: October (1981), War (1983), and The Unforgettable Fire (1984). Then, in 1987, U2 released The Joshua Tree. The landmark album topped the charts in nine countries and reached the top ten in six more. U2 were officially global megastars.

While remaining true to their Irish roots, U2 have long felt a deep love and appreciation for America. They also appear to have held a particular affinity for the city of Las Vegas, having played there many times over the years. In 1987, after performing in the city for the first time, U2 filmed their video for “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (below) on the old Vegas Strip. Thirty-six years later, the band is back in Sin City for a residency. U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere is a limited 25-concert engagement that runs through December 16, 2023 at The Venetian Resort. Las Vegas also serves as backdrop in the video for U2’s latest single, “Atomic City.”

Throwback Threesome: U2

• I Will Follow (1980)

  U2’s lead singer Bono wrote the lyrics for “I Will Follow” in honor of his mother, who died when he was 14 years old. Released as the second single from their 1980 debut album, Boy, it’s the only song the band has performed on every tour since then. It was also the first video they ever made.

• Pride (In The Name Of Love) (1984)

  Written as a tribute to late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” was released as its lead single from U2’s fourth studio album, The Unforgettable Fire, in 1984. The song was technically the band’s first number 1 hit, topping the singles chart in New Zealand. It only made it to number 2 in their native Ireland, where the video was filmed.

• I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (1987)

  U2 began to explore American musical styles during the recording of their 1987 masterpiece, The Joshua Tree. Released as the album’s second single, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” draws heavily on gospel influences. It clearly resonated with the U.S. audience as it became the band’s second #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Following their April 1987 Joshua Tree Tour concert in Las Vegas, U2 shot the video on historic Fremont Street.

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