U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday

U2 are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1976. The group consists of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion).
U2's early sound was indebted to post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music. Throughout the group's musical pursuits, they have maintained a recognisable sound built on melodic instrumentals, highlighted by The Edge's textural guitar playing and Bono's expressive vocals. Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal themes and sociopolitical concerns.

The band formed while the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency. Within four years, they signed to Island Records and released their debut album Boy. By the mid-1980s, they became a top international act. They were more successful as live performers than they were at selling records, until their 1987 breakthrough album The Joshua Tree which, according to Rolling Stone, elevated the band's stature "from heroes to superstars".

U2 have released 12 studio albums and are among the best-selling groups in popular music. They have won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band, and they have sold more than 150 million records. Rolling Stone ranked U2 at number 22 in its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes, including Amnesty International, the ONE/DATA campaigns, Product Red, and The Edge's Music Rising.

"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is the opening track from U2's 1983 album, War. The song is noted for its militaristic drumbeat, harsh guitar, and melodic harmonies. One of U2's most overtly political songs, its lyrics describe the horror felt by an observer of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, mainly focusing on the Bloody Sunday incident in Derry where British troops shot and killed civil rights marchers.

Critics rate it among the best political protest songs and it has been covered by over a dozen artists. It was named the 268th greatest song by Rolling Stone on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2006, Q named "Sunday Bloody Sunday" the 18th-greatest song of the 1980s. The staff of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame selected "Sunday Bloody Sunday" as one of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The New Statesman listed it as one of the Top 20 Political Songs.
Along with "New Year's Day", the song helped U2 reach a wider listening audience.

It has been performed more than 600 times by U2. Bono was always introducing the song with the statement "This is not a rebel song, highlighting the non-partisan intentions of the lyrics.