10 Bands Who Were Justified In Changing Sounds
5. U2
Love 'em, or hate 'em, U2 possess a record within the music industry that any group would be proud of. Having burst onto the scene as Ireland's most exciting rock band in the late 1970s, U2's popularity reached astronomical heights following their Band Aid performance in 1985 and the release of the Joshua Tree, with the singles I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' and With or Without You, in 1987.
After another strong release with Achtung Baby in 1991, U2 hit a string of poor releases as the decade rolled on. Hoping to capture the emerging popularity of the LSD-fuelled disco days of the '90s, Zooropa and Pop were albums that could have been the death of any band, U2 were in desperate need of a new identity for the incoming 2000s.
Thankfully for them they hit back with a return-to-basics, stripped back approach with All That You Can't Leave Behind in 2000, featuring the singles Beautiful Day, Walk On and Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of. Not only did this reunite the band with its core following once again, it opened up the doors to a whole new generation of music lovers from out of the cold.