This list shows cover versions of songs originally by the Irish rock band U2 that have been recorded and released.
"40" is the tenth and final track from U2's 1983 album, War. It is the final single from the album, released solely in Germany in 1983.[1] The song was recorded right at the end of the recording sessions for War. Bassist Adam Clayton had already left the studio, and the three remaining band members decided they did not have a good song to end the album.[2] Bono noted that "We spent ten minutes writing this song, ten minutes recording it, ten minutes mixing it, ten minutes playing it back, and that's got nothing to do with why it's called '40'."[3]
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Charlie Hall | Joel's Window | |
| 2000 | The Section | Strung out on U2[4] | |
| 2001 | dc Talk | Solo[5] | |
| 2002 | Michael W. Smith | Worship DVD | |
| 2003 | Paul Meany | Elevator Music (Live Worship From Victory Fellowship) | |
| 2004 | Starfield | ||
| 2005 | The Frames | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3[6] | |
| 2006 | Ginny Owens | If You Want Me To: The Best of Ginny Owens [7] |
"Acrobat" is the eleventh track from U2's 1991 album Achtung Baby.
"All I Want Is You" is the 17th song on U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum and was released in 1989 as the album's fourth and final single. It is the closing song from the movie Rattle and Hum.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2[8] | |
| Mission UK | [9] | ||
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | [10] | ||
| Tufts Beelzebubs | Infinity[11] | ||
| 2000 | Kane | With or Without You[12] | |
| Stereofeed | Strung Out on U2 | ||
| 2002 | Bellefire | After the Rain | |
| "All I Want Is You"[13] | |||
| 2004 | Jars of Clay | ||
| 2005 | Les Paul and Johnny Rzeznik | American Made World Played | |
| Mark Geary | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 | ||
| 2007 | Rockabye Baby! | Lullaby Renditions of U2[14] | |
| 2008 | Glen Campbell | Meet Glen Campbell | |
| 2009 | Aslan | UNCASE'd | |
| 2011 | Mary Byrne | Mine & Yours | |
| 2013 | Brian McFadden featuring Ronan Keating | The Irish Connection |
"An Cat Dubh" is the third track from U2's debut album, Boy. It is frequently paired with the following song from the same album, "Into the Heart".
"Angel of Harlem" is the second single from U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. It peaked at #9 on the UK singles chart. It is an homage to Billie Holiday.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 | |
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | |||
| 2004 | David Keen, Claire Stanacrone, and Michael Goetz | Still Strung Out on U2[16] | |
| 2005 | The Persuasions | The Persuasions Sing U2 | |
| 2006 | 10,000 Maniacs | Live Twenty-Five | |
| 2007 | Rockabye Baby! | Lullaby Renditions of U2 |
"Bad" is the seventh track from U2's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire. Often considered a fan favorite, it is U2's tenth most frequently performed song in concert.[17] The song is about a heroin addiction.[18]
| Year | Covered by | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Dream Theater | Once in a LIVEtime Outtakes[19] |
| 2000 | The Section | Strung out on U2 |
| 2001 | Luka Bloom | Keeper of the Flame |
| 2005 | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 |
"Beautiful Day" is the lead single from U2's 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind. It was a huge commercial success, helping to launch the album to multi-platinum status, and is one of U2's biggest hits to date.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Hiro Goto and Adrienne Woods | Still Strung out on U2 | |
| Kurt Nilsen | World Idol | ||
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | Symphonic Rock[20] | ||
| Sanctus Real | |||
| 2007 | Axel Rudi Pell | Diamonds Unlocked[21] | |
| Rockabye Baby! | Lullaby Renditions of U2 | ||
| 2010 | Lee DeWyze | "Beautiful Day"[22] | |
| 2010 | Altiyan Childs | Altiyan Childs | |
| 2012 | Il Volo | We Are Love[23] | |
| 2017 | Nicole Nordeman | Every Mile Mattered | |
| TBA | Cyrille Aimée | Unknown (soundtrack used During the cirque du soleil's "Crystal" show)[24] [25] |
"Breathe" is the tenth track from U2's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon. Longtime U2 collaborator and producer Brian Eno cited Breathe as "the best thing (U2) have ever recorded" during an interview with Q magazine.
"Bullet the Blue Sky" is the fourth track from U2's 1987 album, The Joshua Tree. The song was originally written about the United States' military intervention during the 1980s in the El Salvador Civil War.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | P.O.D. | The Fundamental Elements of Southtown | |
| 2000 | Kane | With or Without You | |
| Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine | Lounge Against the Machine[27] | ||
| 2003 | Sepultura | Revolusongs and Roorback[28] | |
| 2007 | Queensrÿche | Take Cover[29] | |
| 2008 | Vieux Farka Touré | In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2[30] |
"City of Blinding Lights" is the fifth track and third single from the group's 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. The song tells the story of U2's first arrival in New York City in 1980, with Bono remarking it was an "amazing, magical time in our life, when we didn't know how powerful it was not to know."
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Tufts Beelzebubs | Pandæmonium | |
| 2010 | Dashboard Confessional | By the People: For the People[31] | |
| 2021 | Charlie Benante | Silver Linings |
"Desire" is the lead single from U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. It was their first #1 single in the UK and their first #1 on the newly instated Modern Rock Tracks chart.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 | |
| The Polecats | |||
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | |||
| 2000 | Savitri String Quartet | Strung Out on U2 | |
| 2007 | Rockabye Baby! | Lullaby Renditions of U2 |
"Drowning Man" is the fifth track on U2's 1983 album, War. Its sound is a departure from the other tracks in War.
"The Electric Co." is the tenth track from U2's debut album, Boy. When performed live it is frequently preceded by the unrecorded song, "The Cry".
"Elevation" is the third track and third single release from U2's 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind. Featuring a thunderous beat, a variety of sound effects on the central guitar riff, and an easy rhyming lyric for the audience to shout along with, it was highly effective in that concert-starting role and became a hit in the United States and the United Kingdom.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Tufts Beelzebubs | Punch[33] | |
| 2010 | Sherie Rene Scott, Lindsay Mendez, Betsy Wolfe | Everyday Rapture |
"Even Better Than the Real Thing" is the second song from U2's 1991 album, Achtung Baby and was released in 1992 as the fourth single from the album.
| Year | Covered by | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 |
| Bang Tango | ||
| Dead or Alive | ||
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | ||
| 2005 | Jack L | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 |
| The Persuasions | The Persuasions Sing U2[34] |
Exit is the 10th track of U2's Joshua Tree, released in 1987.
"The Fly" is the seventh song on U2's 1991 album, Achtung Baby and was released as the album's first single. It has been described as "the sound of four men chopping down the Joshua Tree."[35] The song's subject is that of a phone call from someone in Hell who enjoys being there and telling the person on the other line what he has learned.[36] "The Fly" was an introduction to the sonic and electronic experimentation that would dominate U2's 1990s work.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 | |
| 2006 | Peter Mulvey | The Knuckleball Suite | |
| 2011 | Gavin Friday | AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered |
"Get on Your Boots" is the lead single and sixth track from No Line on the Horizon.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Vitamin String Quartet | The Vitamin String Quartet Performs U2's No Line on the Horizon | |
| 2009 | The Wrecking | A New Abolition (Special Edition) |
"Gloria" was the second single and opening track from U2's 1981 album, October.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Audio Adrenaline | ||
| David Keen | Still Strung Out on U2 | ||
| 2012 | Kenna | Non-album track |
"God Part II" is the fourteenth track from U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. The song is a departure from the sound of the album's other studio recordings, and is an introduction to the darker sound the band would adopt for the release of their next album, Achtung Baby.
"Grace" is the final track from U2's 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind.
"Heartland" is the thirteenth track from U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. Unlike the other studio tracks from the album, "Heartland" was left over from The Joshua Tree sessions.
"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" is a single by U2 from the Batman Forever soundtrack album, released in 1995. It was also included on the compilation album, The Best of 1990-2000. As well as all the covers, "Weird Al" Yankovic parodied the song as "Cavity Search" for his 1996 album Bad Hair Day.
| Year | Covered by | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The Countdown Singers | Best of Today's Movie Hits |
| 2002 | The Brown Derbies | Hybrid |
| Cactus Jack | DisCover | |
| 2004 | Natur all |
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is the second track from U2's 1987 album The Joshua Tree, and was released as the album's second single. The song grew from another song called "Under the Weather Girls", from which Larry Mullen Jr.'s drum track was used as a foundation. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is the most frequently covered U2 song.[37]
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Chimes | I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For | |
| Phil Coulter | Recollections | ||
| 1991 | Badesalz | I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For | |
| Big Daddy | Cutting Their Own Groove | ||
| Negativland | U2 | ||
| 1992 | Cecilio & Kapono | Summerlust | |
| 1993 | The Brown Derbies | Hat Trick | |
| Tufts Beelzebubs | Vince | ||
| 1994 | Booker T. & The M.G.s | That's The Way It Should Be | |
| 1997 | Seal and Steve Winwood[38] | Songs & Visions Spectacular: Live in London 1997[39] | |
| 1998 | James McNally | Everybreath | |
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 | |
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | |||
| 2000 | The Countdown Singers | 80's Chartbusters | |
| Savitri String Quartet | Strung Out on U2 | ||
| 2001 | Brendan Bowyer | Follow On | |
| 2003 | Bonnie Tyler | Heart Strings | |
| Cher | Live! The Farewell Tour | ||
| 2005 | Juliet Turner | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 | |
| The Persuasions | The Persuasions Sing U2 | ||
| 2006 | Journey South | Journey South | |
| Buena Vista Social Club (with the vocals of U2) | Rhythms del Mundo | ||
| 2007 | Rockabye Baby! | Lullaby Renditions of U2 | |
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Performs #1 Hits[40] | ||
| 2008 | Cheikh Lô | In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 | |
| David Cook | David Cook - American Idol Studio Recording Single | ||
| 2009 | Cast of NBC's The Sing-Off | I Still Haven't Found What I'm Searching For | |
| 2010 | Disturbed | Asylum | |
| Will Martin | Inspirations | ||
| Celtic Thunder | It's Entertainment | ||
| 2014 | Cast of Glee | Glee: The Music, City of Angels and the episode "City of Angels" | |
| Peter Hollens and Sabrina Carpenter | Peter Hollens (album) | ||
| 2020 | Dan Avidan and Super Guitar Bros | Dan Avidan & Super Guitar Bros | |
| 2021 | Bono and Scarlett Johansson | Sing 2 |
"I Will Follow" is the opening track from U2's debut album, Boy. It was written by Bono about the death of his mother, who died of a brain hemorrhage at the funeral of her father.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Breakfast with Amy | Live at the Hawleywould Bowl! | |
| 1998 | Doug Pinnick | The Mother of all Tribute Albums | |
| 1999 | Spahn Ranch | ||
| 2000 | Kane | With or Without You | |
| Savitri String Quartet | Strung Out on U2 | ||
| 2005 | Fear Factory | Transgression | |
| 2006 | The Upper Room | Other People's Problems (Japanese Edition) | |
| 2007 | The Chaser | The Chaser's War on Everything: Season 2 | |
| 2009 | MxPx | On the Cover II[41] |
"I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" is the third single and fifth track from the 2009 album No Line on the Horizon. The track underwent several name changes during the album sessions, known first as "Diorama" and then "Crazy Tonight" before the final selection.[43] [44] [45] Several of the song's lyrics were influenced by Barack Obama's presidential campaign.[46] The song was used in television commercials for a new Blackberry application, called the "U2 Mobile App", which was developed as part of Research in Motion's sponsorship of the U2 360° Tour.[47]
"In a Little While" is the sixth track from U2's 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind. While originally about a hangover, Bono later stated that the song's connection to Joey Ramone—being the last song he heard before his death in 2001—has given it a deeper religious meaning, and he now refers to it as a Gospel song".[48] "In a Little While" was played often throughout the Elevation Tour, and was frequently snippeted inside "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" during the Vertigo Tour.[49]
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Hanson | ||
| 2011 | William Shatner | Seeking Major Tom |
"In God's Country" is the seventh track and fourth single from U2's 1987 album, The Joshua Tree. A live version of the song appears in the U2 rockumentary, Rattle and Hum.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Caedmon's Call | The Guild Collection Vol. 2 | |
| 2004 | Hiro Goto and Adrienne Woods | Still Strung Out on U2 | |
| 2005 | Tribe of Heaven (Dave Matthews and Mark Roebuck) | Imagine We Were[50] | |
| 2010 | Infamous Stringdusters | Things That Fly |
"Like a Song..." is the fourth track from U2's 1983 album, War. It was only played live once, on 26 February 1983 in Dundee, Scotland.
"Love Is Blindness" is the twelfth and final song from U2's 1991 album, Achtung Baby. Much of the album relates to love gone wrong, in one form or another; the lyrics to "Love Is Blindness" reflect this theme, juxtaposing love and violent imagery.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Cassandra Wilson | New Moon Daughter[52] | |
| 2000 | Kane | With or Without You | |
| 2001 | Trespassers William | Even Better than the Real Thing[53] | |
| 2004 | Sixpence None the Richer | ||
| 2005 | The Devlins, featuring Sharon Corr | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 | |
| 2006 | The Devlins | Rescue Me | |
| 2008 | Waldemar Bastos | In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 | |
| 2011 | Jack White | AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered |
"Love Rescue Me" is the eleventh track from U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. It is a collaboration between the band and Bob Dylan, who also provides vocals to the recording.
"Magnificent" is the second track and single from No Line on the Horizon. The track was originally titled "French Disco", but was renamed during the recording process.[54]
"Miss Sarajevo" is the only single from the 1995 album Original Soundtracks 1 by U2, under the pseudonym Passengers. Luciano Pavarotti makes a guest vocal appearance, singing the opera solo. It also appears on the compilation album, The Best of 1990–2000.
"MLK" is the tenth and final track of U2's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire. A lullaby to honor Martin Luther King Jr., it is a short, pensive piece with simple lyrics.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Joan Baez | Recently and Brothers in Arms | |
| 1993 | Kings Singers | Good Vibrations | |
| 2011 | Vocal Spectrum | Vocal Spectrum III |
"Moment of Surrender" is the third track from No Line on the Horizon. The song tells the story of a heroin addict's spiritual awakening at an automated teller machine.[55]
"Mothers of the Disappeared" is the eleventh and final track from U2's 1987 album, The Joshua Tree.
"Mysterious Ways" is the eighth track on U2's 1991 album, Achtung Baby, and was released as the album's second single.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | KMFDM | Shut Up Kitty and Agogo | |
| Paul Shaffer and The Party Boys of Rock 'n' Roll | The World's Most Dangerous Party | ||
| 2000 | Stereofeed | Strung Out on U2 | |
| 2004 | tobyMac and Sarah Kelly | [56] | |
| 2005 | The Persuasions | The Persuasions Sing U2 | |
| 2008 | Angélique Kidjo | In The Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 | |
| 2011 | Snow Patrol | AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered |
"New Year's Day" is the third song and lead single from U2's 1983 album, War. The song is driven by Adam Clayton's distinctive bassline and The Edge's keyboard. It was the band's first hit single, breaking the top ten in the UK and charting on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in their career. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed the single at number 427 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Gigi D'Agostino | New Year's Day | |
| 1999 | Frontline Assembly with Tiffany | ||
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | |||
| Ferry Corsten | |||
| 2000 | Savitri String Quartet | Strung out on U2 | |
| 2004 | Zeraphine | single only (later released on compilation album Years in Black (2007) | |
| 2005 | To/Die/For | IV | |
| Aslan | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 | ||
| 2007 | Rockabye Baby! | Lullaby Renditions of U2 | |
| 2009 | Steve Morse with Billy Sherwood | An All-Star Salute to Christmas[57] | |
| 2010 | Inverse Phase | Retrocovered[58] | |
| 2023 | Pop Noir | New Year's Day - Single[59] |
"No Line on the Horizon" is the opening and title track from the 2009 album No Line on the Horizon.
"North and South of the River" is a B-side to the 1997 single "Staring at the Sun".
"Numb" is the third track from U2's 1993 album, Zooropa, and was released as the album's first single.
"October" is the seventh and title track from U2's 1981 album, October. It is a departure from U2's classic sound, as it is a quiet, almost instrumental piece. It was included as a hidden track on The Best of 1980–1990.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Rosetta Stone | ||
| 2005 | The Divine Comedy | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 |
"One" is the third song from U2's 1991 album, Achtung Baby, and was released as a single in 1992. Tensions during the recording of the album almost prompted U2 to break-up until the band rallied around the writing of "One".[60] It is widely considered to be one of the band's greatest songs and is consistently featured in lists of the greatest songs of all time, including Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, where it placed #36, and #1 on Q Magazine's list of the 1001 Greatest Songs of All-Time.[61]
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Automatic Baby | Live X II - One Life | |
| Mica Paris | "One" | ||
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 | |
| Information Society | |||
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | |||
| 2000 | Johnny Cash | [62] | |
| Kane | With or Without You | ||
| 2001 | Lighthouse Family | Whatever Gets You Through the Day | |
| 2003 | Jarvis Church | Peace Songs | |
| 2004 | Joe Cocker | Heart & Soul[63] | |
| David Keen | Still Strung out on U2 | ||
| Jimmy Little | Life's What You Make It | ||
| Tait | |||
| Warren Haynes | Live at Bonnaroo | ||
| Wendy Matthews | Café Naturale | ||
| 2005 | Cowboy Junkies | Early 21st Century Blues | |
| Shinedown | Stripped Raw and Real | ||
| Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 | ||
| The Persuasions | The Persuasions Sing U2 | ||
| 2006 | Mary J. Blige | The Breakthrough[64] | |
| 2007 | Rockabye Baby! | Lullaby Renditions of U2 | |
| 2008 | Keziah Jones | In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 | |
| Jacques Stotzem | Catch the Spirit[65] | ||
| Young@Heart | Mostly Live | ||
| 2009 | Adam Lambert | One (American Idol Studio Version)[66] | |
| Jason and deMarco | Safe | ||
| Idina Menzel | N/A[67] | ||
| 2010 | Glee Cast | ||
| Treyc Cohen | X Factor 2010 | ||
| 2011 | Overload | Overload Live at the Apartment Sessions | |
| Damien Rice | AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered | ||
| 2012 | Anastacia | It's a Man's World[68] | |
| James Arthur | The X Factor UK 2012 | ||
| 2013 | Billy Simpson | The Voice Indonesia 2013 | |
| Dami Im | Dami Im (album) | ||
| 2014 | Mango | L'amore è invisibile | |
| 2019 | Jan Rot in Dutch as 'Eén' | O ja! | |
| 2022 | Fontaines D.C | Skinty Fia go deo |
"One Tree Hill" is the ninth track and final single from U2's 1987 album, The Joshua Tree. The single was released as a single exclusively in New Zealand in 1988, where it reached number one. The title of the song refers to One Tree Hill, a volcanic peak in Auckland, New Zealand.
"Pride (In the Name of Love)" is the second song on U2's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire and was released as the album's first single. Written about Martin Luther King Jr., it is one of the band's most recognized songs.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Barbara Dickson | After Dark | |
| 1991 | C&C Music Factory | Pride (In the Name of Love) | |
| 1992 | Clivilles & Cole | Gladiator: Music From The Motion Picture (1992 Film) | |
| 1994 | Tufts Beelzebubs | House | |
| 1997 | The Brown Derbies | Nightcap | |
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 | |
| Razed in Black | |||
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | |||
| 2000 | Kane | With or Without You | |
| 2004 | Tabby Callaghan | The X Factor | |
| Delirious? | |||
| David Keen | Still Strung Out on U2 | ||
| 2005 | The Persuasions | The Persuasions Sing U2 | |
| 2006 | Flyleaf with Richard Patrick | Family Values Tour 2006 | |
| Nouvelle Vague | Bande à Part | ||
| Shawn Colvin | These Four Walls | ||
| 2008 | Soweto Gospel Choir | In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 | |
| John Legend | History Channel: King | ||
| 2010 | Dierks Bentley | Up on the Ridge | |
| 2011 | Michael Bolton feat. Anne Akiko Meyers | Gems | |
| 2012 | David Archuleta | Begin | |
| 2014 | Dierks Bentley and OneRepublic | CMT Crossroads | |
| 2018 | Lxandra | Pride (In The Name of Love) | |
| 2021 | Garbage | Beautiful Garbage: 20th Anniversary Edition |
"Promenade" is the fifth track on U2's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire.
"Red Hill Mining Town" is the sixth track from U2's 1987 album, The Joshua Tree.
"Running to Stand Still" is the fifth track from U2's 1987 album, The Joshua Tree. It is a soft, slow, keyboard-based song about a heroin-addicted woman from the Ballymun Seven Towers area of Dublin.[69]
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Mortal | Gray Dot Records - Summer 95 - Prerelease Sampler | |
| 2000 | Kane | With or Without You | |
| 2003 | Braddigan | Dirt Level Demos | |
| 2005 | Mickey Harte | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 | |
| 2009 | Elbow | War Child: Heroes[70] |
"Seconds" is the second track on U2's 1983 album, War. The track contains a clip from the 1982 documentary Soldier Girls, and is the first song by the band not sung solely by Bono; The Edge sings the first two stanzas.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Mundy | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 | |
| Rogue Wave | iTunes Exclusive EP | ||
| 2008 | Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars | In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 |
"So Cruel" is the sixth track from U2's 1991 album, Achtung Baby.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Erin McKeown | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 | |
| 2011 | Depeche Mode | AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered |
"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" is the second single from U2's 2004 album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. It was released in the United Kingdom in February 2005, and debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart. The song won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Song of the Year at the 2006 Grammy Awards.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Persuasions | The Persuasions Sing U2 | |
| 2008 | Vusi Mahlasela | In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 |
"Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" is the fifth track from U2's 1993 album, Zooropa, and was released as the album's third single on November 22, 1993. It was released on the soundtrack for the Wim Wenders film, Faraway, So Close!. While speaking with Rolling Stone, Bono noted that "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" is one of his personal favourite, and one of their most underrated, U2 songs.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Craig Armstrong and Bono | As If to Nothing | |
| 2009 | Flyleaf | Memento Mori |
"Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" is a single release from U2's 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind. It won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 2002.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Joe Dolan | Home Grown[71] | |
| 2004 | Hiro Goto and Adrienne Woods | Still Strung out on U2 | |
| 2005 | The Persuasions | The Persuasions Sing U2 | |
| 2010 | K'naan | Live on iHeartRadio[72] |
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is the opening track and third single from U2's 1983 album, War. The song is noted for its militaristic drumbeat, simple but harsh guitar, and melodic harmonies.[73] One of U2's most overtly political songs, its lyrics describe the horror felt by an observer of The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Phil Coulter | Recollections[74] | |
| 1998 | Echo Hollow | The Mother of all Tribute Albums[75] | |
| 1999 | Electric Hellfire Club | ||
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | |||
| 2000 | The Section | Strung out on U2 | |
| 2001 | Evergreen Terrace | Losing All Hope Is Freedom | |
| 2004 | The Living End | From Here On In | |
| Pillar | |||
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | Live in Hyde Park | ||
| Evergreen Terrace | Writer's Block | ||
| 2005 | Damien Dempsey | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 | |
| Funeral for a Friend | Monsters | ||
| Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine | Aperitif for Destruction | ||
| 2006 | Daughtry | Napster Live Acoustic[76] | |
| Massiv In Mensch | Clubber Lang | ||
| Ignite | Our Darkest Days[77] | ||
| 2007 | Paramore | Misery Business | |
| The Roots | Live[78] | ||
| Rockabye Baby! | Lullaby Renditions of U2 | ||
| Saul Williams | The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! | ||
| 2008 | Ba Cissoko | In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 | |
| 2010 | Nolwenn Leroy | Bretonne | |
| 2011 | Veil of Maya | Homefront Original Soundtrack | |
| 2012 | Porcelain Black (Feat. 7 Lions) | - | |
| 2014 | William Control | Skeleton Strings 2 |
"Sweetest Thing", sometimes titled "The Sweetest Thing", is a B-side to the "Where the Streets Have No Name" single. It was re-recorded and released as a single for the 1998 compilation album The Best of 1980-1990. The song was written by Bono as an apology to his wife for forgetting her birthday during the creation of The Joshua Tree.[79]
"Tomorrow" is the sixth track on 1981's October album.
"Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World" is the ninth track on the 1991 album, Achtung Baby. The song is a lighthearted account of a drunken journey home.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Persuasions | The Persuasions Sing U2 | |
| 2011 | The Fray | AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered |
"Two Hearts Beat as One" is the seventh track on U2's 1983 album, War. It was released as the album's second single but only in the US, UK and Australia.
"Ultraviolet (Light My Way)" is the tenth track from U2's 1991 album Achtung Baby.
"The Unforgettable Fire" is the fourth track from the 1984 album of the same name, and was released in 1985 as the album's second and last single. The title is a reference to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan in World War II.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 | |
| 2000 | Kane | With or Without You |
"Unknown Caller" is the fourth track from the 2009 album No Line on the Horizon. According to The Edge, "the idea is that the narrator is in an altered state, and his phone starts talking to him".[81]
"Until the End of the World" is the fourth track from U2's 1991 album, Achtung Baby. The song is reputed to describe a conversation between Jesus Christ and Judas Iscariot.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 | |
| 2011 | Patti Smith | AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered |
"Vertigo" is the lead single and opening track for the 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. The track was an international hit, winning three Grammy awards at the 2005 event and being featured in an iPod commercial.[82]
"The Wanderer" is the tenth and final track on the 1993 album Zooropa. The song features Johnny Cash on lead vocals and tells the story of a man searching for God in the ruins of a post-apocalyptic world. The song has only been performed live once, as a posthumous tribute to Johnny Cash, with Bono singing lead vocals.
"Wake Up Dead Man" is the closing track from the 1997 album Pop. The title was first revealed in 1993, as part of it was superimposed on the cover of the album Zooropa.[83]
"Walk On" is the fourth single and track from the album All That You Can't Leave Behind. Written about and dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi, the track is banned in Burma, and anyone who has possession of either the single of the song or the album could face a prison sentence lasting between three and twenty years.[85] The title for All That You Can't Leave Behind stems from lyrics in the song.
"When Love Comes to Town" was a collaboration between U2 and B.B. King, released as a single for the album Rattle and Hum.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 | |
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | |||
| 2000 | Bryan Sutton | Ready to Go | |
| 2004 | Todd Agnew | ||
| 2005 | Declan O'Rourke | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 | |
| The Persuasions | The Persuasions Sing U2 | ||
| Herbie Hancock featuring Jonny Lang and Joss Stone | Possibilities | ||
| 2009 | Third Day featuring Jars of Clay, Switchfoot, and Robert Randolph | Live Revelations[86] |
"Where the Streets Have No Name" is the third single from the 1987 album The Joshua Tree. The track's signature is a repeating guitar arpeggio utilizing a delay effect that is played at the beginning and end of the song. The song's frequent chord and time changes caused problems in playing the song correctly; the difficulty was so great that producer Brian Eno attempted to erase the track.[87] [88] Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. later said of the song, "It took so long to get that song right, it was difficult for us to make any sense of it. It only became a truly great song through playing live. On the record, musically, it's not half the song it is live."
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Pet Shop Boys | Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes off You) | |
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 | |
| 2000 | Kane | With or Without You | |
| The Section | Strung out on U2 | ||
| 2004 | Chris Tomlin | ||
| Vanessa Carlton | Harmonium | ||
| MercyMe | Live[89] | ||
| 2005 | Avalanch | Mother Earth | |
| 2006 | Neal Morse | Cover to Cover | |
| 2007 | Rockabye Baby! | Lullaby Renditions of U2 | |
| 2009 | Térez Montcalm | Connection | |
| 2011 | Thirty Seconds to Mars | MTV Unplugged | |
| 2Cellos | 2Cellos | ||
| 2013 | Gregorian | ||
| 2015 | Kurt Elling | Passion World[90] | |
| 2021 | Sing 2 |
"Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" was released in 1992 as the fifth and final single for the 1991 album Achtung Baby.
| Year | Covered by | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 | |
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | |||
| 2005 | Picturehouse | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 | |
| Tom Baxter | |||
| 2006 | Apoptygma Berzerk | Sonic Diary | |
| 2008 | ThouShaltNot | New World EP | |
| 2011 | Garbage | AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered[91] |
"With or Without You" is the lead single from U2's 1987 album, The Joshua Tree. It has since become highly acclaimed as one of the band's most popular songs. Released as a single in March 1987, it became the group's first American #1 hit.
| Year | Covered by | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Jawbreaker | Jawbreaker / Jawbox Split "7 |
| 1996 | Zhi-Vago | With or Without You (Single only) |
| 1997 | Mary Kiani | Long Hard Funky Dreams |
| Third Day | Live at The Strand | |
| 1998 | Ikon | This Quiet Earth (Limited Edition Version)[92] |
| 1999 | Absolute Rock | A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 |
| Heaven 17 | ||
| 2000 | Kane | With or Without You |
| The Section | Strung out on U2 | |
| 2001 | Hikaru Utada | Utada Hikaru Unplugged |
| 2003 | Gregorian | Masters of Chant Chapter IV |
| 2004 | LMC | Take Me to the Clouds Above |
| GRITS & Jadyn Maria | ||
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | Legends[93] | |
| Scala & Kolacny Brothers | Dream On | |
| 2005 | Loona | Wind of Time |
| The Walls | Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 | |
| Ben Broussard | Oh Say Can You Sing? Music Recordings by Major League Baseball Players | |
| 2006 | Keane | Hopes and Fears (Special Edition) |
| 2007 | Rockabye Baby! | Lullaby Renditions of U2 |
| Sitti Navarro | My Bossa Nova | |
| Glay | Verb | |
| Breathe Carolina | With or Without You (Single only) | |
| 2008 | Jacques Stotzem | Catch the Spirit |
| Les Nubians | In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 | |
| No Justice | Live at Billy Bob's | |
| Wayne Hussey | Bare | |
| Diana Vickers | The X Factor Final 12 | |
| 2009 | Espen Lind, Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes & Askil Holm | Hallelujah vol. 2 |
| Blake (band) | Together | |
| Rachel Adedeji | The X Factor Final 12 | |
| 2010 | We Are the Fallen | Billboard.com: Mashup Mondays |
| 2011 | Sarah Darling | Angels & Devils |
| 2Cellos | 2Cellos | |
| Jai McDowall | Believe | |
| 2014 | Jackie Evancho | Awakening |
| Imagine Dragons | Live at Bud Light Hotel | |
| Daughtry | 18 Years | |
| Amy Lee | Covers on YouTube: Amy Lee/ Recover Vol. 1 [EP] | |
| 2015 | Daniel Cavanagh | Memory & Meaning |
| 2017 | Thompson Square | With or Without You |
| April Meservy | With or Without You | |
| Linkin Park and Ryan Key of Yellowcard |
"Zoo Station" is the first track on U2's 1991 album Achtung Baby.
1. On this release, the title of "Drowning Man" was changed to "Drowning Man (Drowning)".
2. This cover of "Even Better Than the Real Thing" was released as the "Julian Beeston Mix".
3. This cover was in Serbian language and entitled "Model donjeg veša" (transl. "Lingerie Model").[94]
4. The songs "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" were combined on this track.[95]
5. Live version recorded in a 2005 BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge; track was not released until November 2009.
6. This cover of "Discothèque" was released as the "Suspiria Mix".