U2 marked five decades since their formation as teenagers gathered in a Dublin kitchen, cementing a legacy that spans 21 Irish number-one singles. The band’s milestone anniversary is also being commemorated across Ireland with the launch of an official €2 commemorative coin.
Origins in an Artane Kitchen
The band trace their official beginning to Saturday, September 25, 1976, when a group of teenagers assembled at the Mullen family home in Artane, Dublin. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr., who was just 14 years old at the time, had placed a notice on the board at Mount Temple Comprehensive School looking for musicians to form a group. The initial advertisement simply read, “Drummer Seeks Musicians To Join Band.” Seven young hopefuls attended that first gathering, including Paul Hewson, Adam Clayton, and brothers Dave and Dik Evans alongside Mullen. Peter Martin and Ivan McCormick also attended but did not remain with the group.
Before settling on the name U2, the lineup cycled through several monikers. For a brief period, they were known as the Larry Mullen Band before switching to Feedback and later The Hype. Steve Averill, then a member of the Dublin band The Radiators From Space, suggested the name U2 when the group sought a fresh identity that was short, memorable, and open to interpretation.
Early Breakthroughs and Television Debut
U2 made their television debut on the RTÉ youth programme Youngline on March 2, 1978, performing the track “Street Mission.” Later that month, the band secured an early breakthrough by winning a talent competition at the Stella Ballroom in Limerick. The victory brought a £500 prize and an opportunity to audition for a recording contract.
Paul McGuinness first saw the group perform at Dublin’s Project Arts Centre in 1978. While he was not immediately convinced by their raw musicianship, McGuinness was impressed by their drive and commitment, leading him to manage the band for decades. In 1979, the group released their first three-track record, U2-3, with an initial print run of just 1,000 individually hand-numbered copies in Ireland. RTÉ Radio 2 broadcaster Dave Fanning played “Out of Control,” “Stories for Boys,” and “Boy/Girl” on his show, prompting listeners to vote on the A-side. Listeners chose “Out of Control,” a track Bono had written the previous year on his 18th birthday.
Global Success and Landmark Albums
After navigating early rejections, U2 signed a major record deal with Island Records in 1980. Their debut studio album, Boy, was released in October 1980 and produced by Steve Lillywhite, who also produced the subsequent albums October (1981) and War (1983). The distinctive face on the cover of Boy belongs to Peter Rowen, the younger brother of Bono’s childhood friend Guggi. Rowen also appeared on the sleeves for War and the 1998 compilation The Best of 1980–1990.
During the recording sessions for October, Bono lost a briefcase containing lyric sheets while on an American tour, forcing him to improvise and reconstruct material for the band’s second album. In 1983, the release of War delivered U2 their first UK number-one album, temporarily displacing Michael Jackson’s Thriller at the top of the chart.