One of the biggest names in modern music is that of U2 and frontman Bono. The band, based out of Ireland, broke onto the scene in the 1980s and quickly proved to be different than other pop rock bands of the era.

The group tackled weighty topics in their songs, such as religion and societal ills, rather than resorting to standard and less demanding subjects. Through to the present, the band continues its strong social activism as Bono works to raise awareness about issues of human oppression around the world.

The band’s album sales have been strong over the years and has become one of the world’s top selling acts of all time with more than 50.5 million records scanned. Part of this is thanks to the band’s continued prolific output: 12 studio albums of original material were produced between 1980 and 2009.

The band’s international recognition and widespread popularity makes it one of the hottest touring acts on the road. U2 frequently sells out arenas and stadiums around the globe as fans flock to their high-production quality concerts.