U2

The Irish band U2 is one of the most beloved rock and roll groups of all time. The band formed as a collaboration among high school friends in October of 1976. Originally called Feedback, the band consisted of Dave Evans, otherwise known as The Edge, Adam Clayton on bass, Larry Mullen Jr. on drums, and Paul Hewson as the lead singer. During their first few years, the band also relied on Dave Evan's brother Dik to play guitar.

Curiously, although U2 is through and through an Irish band, two of its members--Adam and the Edge--were actually born in Britain. Paul Hewson's voice and onstage charisma soon helped vault Feedback into the limelight. Hewson earned the nickname Bono Vox, a Latin translation for the term "good voice," and soon changed his stage name simply to Bono.

The group Feedback changed its name to The Hype and then re-named itself U2, following the suggestion of a radio interviewer. Dick Evans left the band in 1978, and U2 recorded its first major single in 1979. One year later, U2 signed with Island Records and released Boy, a critically and publicly acclaimed album. The next year, U2 released October and garnered lots of support throughout Ireland and the U.K.

Thanks to subsequent albums War and The Joshua Tree, U2 solidified itself as one of the most prominent and enduring rock groups of the 1980s. Bono, a devout Christian, became extremely involved in political activities, campaigning for peace in Ireland and, more recently, debt relief in the poorest corners of Africa. The group continues to produce relevant and energetic rock albums, even today.