On Sep. 25, 2026, Irish rock band U2 turns 50 years old — that means it has been a half-century since a group of teenagers gathered in drummer Larry Mullen Jr.'s kitchen.
Little did they know that this rehearsal would launch a band that has stood the test of time. They started in the '80s punk-rock scene created by the likes of The Clash and Joy Division. By their third album, War, they had become a politically charged protest band. Brian Eno brought his signature soundscapes to The Unforgettable Fire, which led to The Joshua Tree, which launched U2 to superstardom.
The '90s were a full reinvention after Rattle and Hum. Achtung Baby, Zooropa, and Pop all brought experimentation (to varying degrees of success). The early 2000s were blissful with U2's return to mainstream rock, and the 2010s were the most introspective period.
Somehow, U2 has withstood the test of time. Plenty of rock bands have come and gone, but U2 has been a fixture of music for 50 years.
Even more impressive, U2 still has the original lineup: Bono on vocals, The Edge on guitar, Adam Clayton on bass, and Mullen on drums. With the exception of Bram van den Berg filling in for Mullen during the band's 40-night residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, the lineup has remained consistent.
More recently, U2 has unfortunately been remembered for placing Songs of Innocence — a phenomenally insightful album — on people's iTunes libraries. The album has garnered an underrated status due to the conversation that surrounds it every September.
However, they have also embarked on high-tech and anniversary tours and released a great sequel to Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience. Not to mention, U2 opened the Sphere with 40 mind-bending shows.
Now, the band is set to release their 16th studio album, Carnaval de Luz, which was preceded by the song of the summer, “Street of Dreams,” and the kick-ass rocker, “Silencio.” U2 is back, and they have been sorely missed since their last proper album, Songs of Experience.
As a longtime U2 fan, it's as good a time as ever to reflect on the band's impact, and what is coming next from the “greatest rock ‘n' roll on the north side of Dublin.”
My U2 origin story
Most in my inner circle already know the story of my U2 fandom. For those new here, my fandom is all thanks to my aunt. She promised to take her Beatles-crazed nephew to a U2 concert at a young age, which was hyped as a life-changing event.
Eventually, it happened in 2015 during U2's first of eight shows at Madison Square Garden. This was the final stop on the North American leg of the Innocence + Experience Tour.
It was aptly life-changing for that 14-year-old. The hits were played, like “Mysterious Ways,” “Where the Streets Have No Name,” and “With or Without You” (with a special “Shine Like Stars” coda), but it was the new songs that left a mark.
The show opened with Bono working the catwalk, following the yellow-illuminated lightbulb that hung across the main stage before the band kicked into Songs of Innocence's opening number, “The Miracle (of Joey Ramone).”
This was as punk-rock an arena show as it gets. The energy continued with performances of “The Electric Co.,” “Vertigo,” and “I Will Follow.”
The middle of the show was unlike anything else I'd seen in a concert: a narrative. Bono took audiences through his childhood in Dublin, from the loss of his mother with “Iris (Hold Me Close)” to his romance with his wife, Ali, with “Song for Someone.” The Troubles were then tackled with piercing performances of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Raised by Wolves.”
The narrative grew looser in the second act of the show, but it introduced my teenage mind to a new form of storytelling. Surely, artists (including U2) have used their concerts to tell a story like this, but the use of a 96-foot-long video screen made it immersive.
This wasn't the first, and it wouldn't be the last time U2 used a giant screen to tell their story. However, this show created a new fan in two hours.
Why U2 still matters
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In music, time catches up to you fast. Oftentimes, the music world leaves you behind when you disappear, even momentarily. However, look at Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones, who have both released late-career masterpieces this year alone.
U2's two EPs and two singles from Carnaval De Luz have shown a reinvigorated band. Their last two proper studio albums, Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, were very introspective. They largely focus on Bono's childhood and later brush with mortality, and include many highlights.
However, 2026 has proven that U2 still has its fastball, especially when writing political songs. Their topical songs released this year are bold, just like they should be.
It's easy to forget how big a live act U2 is. Nowadays, Taylor Swift has taken over the mantle as the standard for live performances. U2 has reinvented the concert-going experience for decades, dating back to the ZooTV Tour in the '90s.
Dinosaurs still walking the earth
My ultimate point here is that U2 is one of the greatest rock-and-roll bands of all time. Their longevity and consistency have helped them withstand the test of time.
On Songs of Experience, Bono opened “The Blackout” by singing, “A dinosaur wonders why it still walks the earth, yeah / A meteor, promises it's not gonna hurt, yeah.” The “dinosaur” in question might've been U2, who had been around for over 40 years at that point.
It hasn't always been easy. The band has reinvented itself several times, and the Songs of Innocence blunder is still talked about ad nauseam. However, things are looking up with the singles for Carnaval De Luz. Even as a biased U2 fan, the album looks great and like a return to form. It could be yet another reinvention if the rest of the album is as good as its lead singles.
Their fan base is passionate, mostly because of Bono's genius songwriting. He writes songs about very specific situations and makes them universal. His best works have infinite meanings that will be debated forever.
Personally, U2 has been the soundtrack to my life. Their songs have “saved my life,” as Bono sings during the band's song for the Sing 2 soundtrack.
Songs like “Iris (Hold Me Close)” helped me navigate my grandmother's death. “So Cruel” and “Acrobat” helped me through a freshman year in college defined by unreciprocated love and two-faced “friends.” I know I am not alone in this feeling. U2's music is healing, and nothing beats hearing it live.
And to think, this all started with a sign that read, “Drummer seeks musicians to form band,” a call that was answered half a century ago.