If you weren’t a fan of U2 in the 80s and 90s, you may have gotten your chance in the 2010s when the band foisted an entire album on millions of unsuspecting Apple product owners.
Arguably one of the most successful Irish rock bands, U2’s storied career has allowed them to explore and switch up their sound numerous times in the past few decades.
U2 primarily traffics in post-punk, yet they tap into other genres to complete their comprehensive, one-of-a-kind discography.
U2 musical genres
Post-Punk
Post-punk is like the OG punk, except the philosophy this time was reject tradition, embrace modernity.
This genre hears heavy, sometimes overpowering instrumental take a seat to a focus on even more impassioned lyrics and less aggressive instrumentation.
U2 chief lyricist Bono used post-punk to further explore themes of spirituality and personal longing.
Lyrics like “In my sleep I found the one, but she ran with the morning sun” from “Another Time, Another Place” are highly emotive and convey the raw realness of the post-punk genre.
Pop Rock
“All That’s Left Behind” is an album that’s safely in the pop rock category. Tracks like ”Beautiful Day” and “Wild Honey” are both sweeter tunes that make marked turns from traditional rock’s rigidity and heavy handedness.
U2’s verge into pop rock happened at the turn of the millennium and put their work squarely in the early 2000s category.
Much of U2’s pop rock is more uptempo than previous work and the band managed to make their impression on this genre in a pretty impressive leap from their post-punk roots.
Alternative Rock
U2’s style of alternative rock, like the kind found on the 1991 album “Achtung Baby,” is characterized by disjointed sounds and reliance on synthetic effects.
The song “One” really showcases U2’s talents in alternative rock. The track is a slow-paced ballad with sombering lyrics and a heavy feature of the strings.
Alternative rock is an umbrella term that’s not tightly defined, yet most alternative rock songs share prominent use of the guitar and lyrics that tend to touch on hard-hitting topics or social concerns.
Conclusion
Out of all the rock bands that emerged in the late 70s through the 80s, U2’s just got staying power to them..
U2’s sound has evolved over time, and it really requires a discerning ear to be able to pick up on all the nuanced genres they’ve laid down over the years. The band members may be aging gracefully at this point, but surely they’ll be more to come from one of the most iconic bands of the 21st century.