U2 was formed in 1976 in Dublin, Ireland by high school classmates Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. The band released their debut album Boy in 1980 and found international success with their album The Joshua Tree in 1987, which combined pop rock with lyrical themes examining spiritual and political ideas. U2 has since sold over 170 million records worldwide and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, establishing themselves as one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in history.
