On this day, February 28, 1983 …
U2 released their third studio album, War, produced by Steve Lillywhite. The album, which is considered the band’s first overtly political record, featured two future U2 classics, “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “New Year’s Day,” which became the band’s first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album became the band’s first U.K. number one, knocking Michael Jackson’s Thriller out of the top spot. In the U.S., it peaked at 12 on the Billboard 200 album chart and went on to become the band’s first album to be certified Gold by the RIAA.
A remastered version of War was released in July 2008, including a deluxe version that featured a bonus CD made up of B-sides, live tracks and rarities.
U2 is set to wrap their Las Vegas residency, U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere, soon. They have two more shows on the schedule, with the 40th and final show set to happen March 2.
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