"New Year's Day" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by U2 | ||||
from the album War | ||||
B-side | "Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop)" | |||
Released | 10 January 1983 [1] | |||
Recorded | September–November 1982 | |||
Studio | Windmill Lane Studios (Dublin) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
| |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | U2 | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Lillywhite | |||
U2 singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"New Year's Day" on YouTube | ||||
Audio sample | ||||
"New Year's Day" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track on their 1983 album War and was released as the album's lead single in January 1983. With lyrics written about the Polish Solidarity movement,"New Year's Day" is driven by Adam Clayton's distinctive bassline and the Edge's piano and guitar playing. It was the band's first UK hit single,peaking at number 10,and was also their first international hit,reaching for number 9 in Norway,number 11 on the Dutch Top 40,number 17 in Sweden,and number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States,becoming the band's first single to chart in the US.
In 2004,the song was ranked 427th on Rolling Stone 's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". It was also included in the Pitchfork 500.
The UK cover features a photograph of Peter Rowen,who grew up near the group's lead vocalist Bono in Ireland. [4]
The lyric had its origins in a love song from Bono to his wife, [5] but was subsequently reshaped and inspired by the Polish Solidarity movement. [6] The bassline stemmed from bassist Adam Clayton trying to figure out the chords to the Visage song "Fade to Grey" [7] during a soundcheck. [8]
In 1983,Bono said of the song,"It would be stupid to start drawing up battle lines,but I think the fact that 'New Year's Day' made the Top Ten indicated a disillusionment among record buyers. I don't think 'New Year's Day' was a pop single,certainly not in the way that Mickie Most might define a pop single as something that lasts three minutes and three weeks in the chart. I don't think we could have written that kind of song." [9]
The video was one of their first to see heavy rotation on MTV. It was filmed in Sälen and Mora,Sweden in December 1982 and directed by Meiert Avis. The band only appeared in the performance scenes of the video as it was filmed in the dead of the Swedish winter. U2 guitarist Edge said in the official U2 biography that the four people riding on horseback in the video that appeared to be the four U2 members were in fact four Swedish teenage girls disguised as the members of U2 riding on horseback with masks over their faces,because the band were frozen from shooting the video in sub-freezing temperatures the day before. Their biography states that Bono refused to wear any headgear despite the cold weather and had a lot of trouble mouthing the lyrics. [10] The video also features footage of Soviet troops advancing in winter during World War II.
U2 allowed free-of-charge use of this song in a spot prepared by the European Commission. This clip published on YouTube shows a transformation of Poland in the last 20 years mixed with short scenes from today's Warsaw seen from a perspective of a 20-year-old woman. [11]
"New Year's Day",U2's seventh-most frequently performed live song, [12] has been a standard on every U2 tour since its debut on 1 December 1982 at the first show of the War Tour's Pre-Tour. However,the Innocence + Experience tour only featured three performances of the song.[ citation needed ]
In concert,the Edge switches between piano and guitar during the song. In 1980s performances,he used a Fender Stratocaster and a Yamaha CP70 electric grand piano. During the 1990s and 2000s,he has alternated between a Gibson Les Paul Custom and Les Paul Standard. The Les Paul the Edge used to write this song was sold for charity. Until the Elevation Tour,Clayton normally used a chorus effect on his bass guitar for this song live. In the Top of the Pops performance,Bono is seen playing guitar.[ citation needed ]
"New Year's Day" has appeared on many of U2's concert video releases including 1983's U2 Live at Red Rocks:Under a Blood Red Sky , Zoo TV:Live from Sydney , PopMart:Live from Mexico City , U2 Go Home:Live from Slane Castle , Vertigo 2005:Live from Chicago , Live from Paris ,and U2 3D .[ citation needed ]
U2 has never performed in concert the B-side of "New Year's Day","Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop?)",although they played an early version known simply as "Pete the Chop" at some concerts in 1980. [13]
When the band played "New Year's Day" during the Vertigo Tour performance at Silesian Stadium in Poland,the crowd surprised the band when the lower sections waved red-coloured items while other sections waved white,creating the Polish flag. [14] This was repeated during the U2 360°Tour at the same venue. [15] [16] [17]
In 2004,Rolling Stone placed the song at number 427 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"; [18] the song was re-ranked to 435th on the magazine's 2010 version of the list. [19] The song was also included in the Pitchfork 500. [20]
Cash Box said in its contemporary review of the single that "an agitated yet steady rhythm lays the foundation for this stark,AOR-slanted single by a thinking man’s rock 'n' roll band." [21]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "New Year's Day" (Short version) | 3:53 |
2. | "Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop)" | 3:24 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "New Year's Day" (Edit) | 3:40 |
2. | "Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop)" | 3:24 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "New Year's Day" (Special version) | 4:16 |
2. | "Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop)" | 3:24 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "New Year's Day" (Short version) | 3:53 |
2. | "Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop)" | 3:24 |
3. | "Fire" (Live from Werchter, 4 July 1982) | 3:45 |
4. | "I Threw a Brick Through a Window"/"A Day Without Me" (Live from Werchter, 4 July 1982) | 6:58 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "New Year's Day" (Album version) | 5:35 |
2. | "Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop)" | 3:24 |
3. | "Fire" (Live from Werchter, 4 July 1982) | 3:45 |
4. | "I Threw a Brick Through a Window"/"A Day Without Me" (Live from Werchter, 4 July 1982) | 6:58 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "New Year's Day" (U.S. remix) | 4:30 |
2. | "Two Hearts Beat as One" (U.S. remix) | 5:40 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "New Year's Day" (Album version) | 5:35 |
2. | "Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop)" | 3:24 |
3. | "Fire" (Live from Werchter, 4 July 1982) | 3:45 |
4. | "I Threw a Brick Through a Window"/"A Day Without Me" (Live from Werchter, 4 July 1982) | 6:58 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
"New Year's Dub" | |
---|---|
Single by Musique vs. U2 | |
Released | 21 May 2001 [37] [38] |
Length | 2:57 (radio edit) |
Label | Serious |
Songwriter(s) |
|
Producer(s) |
|
In May 2001, dance act Musique released a remix of the song, "New Year's Dub". The remix charted in some European countries, including in the UK and in Ireland, where it peaked at number 15 and number 13, respectively. It also charted in Australia, where it peaked at number 74.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "New Year's Dub" (7-inch Radio Edit) | 2:57 |
2. | "New Year's Dub" (Mauro Picotto Club Mix) | 8:38 |
3. | "New Year's Dub" (Hybrid Remix) | 6:59 |
Chart (2001) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [39] | 74 |
Ireland (IRMA) [40] | 13 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [41] | 55 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [42] | 93 |
UK Singles (OCC) [43] | 15 |
Chart (2001) | Position |
---|---|
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) [44] | 64 |
Chart (2002) | Position |
---|---|
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) [45] | 131 |
All That You Can't Leave Behind is the tenth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, and was released on 30 October 2000 through Island Records and Interscope Records. Following the band's experimentation with alternative rock and dance music in the 1990s and the mixed reception to their 1997 album, Pop, U2 returned to a sound more akin to their earlier records for All That You Can't Leave Behind. The group reunited with Eno and Lanois, who had produced three prior U2 albums together. The record was originally named "U2000", which had been a working title for their PopMart Tour.
War is the third studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Steve Lillywhite, and was released on 28 February 1983 on Island Records. The album is regarded as U2's first overtly political album, in part because of songs like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day", as well as the title, which stems from the band's perception of the world at the time; lead vocalist Bono stated that "war seemed to be the motif for 1982."
"One" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track from their seventh album, Achtung Baby (1991), and it was released as the record's third single on 24 February 1992. During the album's recording sessions at Hansa Studios in Berlin, conflict arose between the band members over the direction of U2's sound and the quality of their material. Tensions almost prompted the band to break up until they achieved a breakthrough with the improvisation of "One"; the song was written after the band members were inspired by a chord progression that guitarist the Edge was playing in the studio. The lyrics, written by lead singer Bono, were inspired by the band members' fractured relationships and the German reunification. Although the lyrics ostensibly describe "disunity", they have been interpreted in other ways.
"With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track on their fifth studio album, The Joshua Tree (1987), and was released as the album's lead single on 16 March 1987. The song was the group's most successful single at the time, becoming their first number-one hit in both the United States and Canada by topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and the RPM national singles chart for one week, with a further three weeks at number two.
"Beautiful Day" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the first track on their tenth studio album, All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000), and was released as the album's lead single on 9 October 2000. The song was a commercial success, helping launch the album to multi-platinum status, and is one of U2's biggest hits to date.
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the second track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree and was released as the album's second single in May 1987. The song was a hit, becoming the band's second consecutive number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 while peaking at number six on the UK Singles Chart.
"Walk On" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the fourth track on their tenth studio album, All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000). The song was first released in Canada on 20 February 2001, then was given a UK release in November of the same year; it was the album's second single in Canada and the fourth internationally. The song was written about Burmese academic Aung San Suu Kyi, who was the chairperson of the National League for Democracy and was placed under house arrest from 1989 until 2010 for her pro-democracy activities, which led to the song being banned in Burma. In 2002, the song won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, marking the first time an artist had won the award for songs from the same album in consecutive years.
"If God Will Send His Angels" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the fourth track on their 1997 album, Pop, and was released as its fifth single on 8 December 1997. It was also featured on the City of Angels soundtrack.
"Mysterious Ways" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the eighth track from their 1991 album, Achtung Baby, and was released as the album's second single on 2 December 1991, two weeks after the album. The song began as an improvisation called "Sick Puppy", with the band liking only the bass part that bassist Adam Clayton composed. The band struggled to build a song from it, with vocalist Bono and producer Daniel Lanois arguing intensely during one songwriting session. The song's breakthrough came after guitarist the Edge began experimenting with the Korg A3 effects unit. "Mysterious Ways" features a danceable beat, funky guitar hook, and conga-laden percussion, as well as mystical lyrics by Bono about romance and women.
"The Fly" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the seventh track from their 1991 album, Achtung Baby, and it was released as the album's first single on 21 October 1991 by Island Records. "The Fly" introduced a more abrasive-sounding U2, as the song featured danceable hip-hop beats, industrial textures, distorted vocals, and an elaborate guitar solo. Lead vocalist Bono described the song as "the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree", due to its departure from the sound that had traditionally characterised the band in the 1980s.
"When Love Comes to Town" is a song by Irish rock band U2 featuring blues guitarist B.B. King. It is the twelfth track from U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum, and was released in 1989 as the record's third single. The song was recorded at the historic Sun Studio in Memphis. "When Love Comes to Town" reached number one in the Irish Singles Chart, number six in the UK Singles Chart, number ten in the Dutch Top 40, and number two in the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
"Desire" is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the third track on their 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. It was released as the album's lead single on 19 September 1988, and became the band's first number-one single in the United Kingdom and Australia. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and topped both the Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, making it the first song to reach number one on both charts simultaneously. It reached number two on the Dutch Top 40. At the 31st Annual Grammy Awards, "Desire" won the 1989 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
"The Unforgettable Fire" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the title track of their fourth album (1984), and was released as the album's second single in April 1985. The band cited an art exhibition by victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that was held at The Peace Museum in Chicago as the lyrical inspiration for the song. It became U2's first number one single in Ireland, their third top-ten hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number six on the UK Singles Chart, and reached number eight on the Dutch singles chart.
"Pride (In the Name of Love)" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the second track on the band's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire, and was released as its lead single in September 1984. The song was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Written about the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., "Pride" received mixed critical reviews at the time, but it was a major commercial success for U2 and has since become one of their most popular songs, as well as being re-evaluated positively by many as one of the greatest songs of all time. It appeared on the band's compilation albums The Best of 1980–1990 and U218 Singles and was reworked and re-recorded for Songs of Surrender (2023).
"Two Hearts Beat as One" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the seventh track on their 1983 album, War, and was released as its second single in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia on 21 March 1983.
"11 O'Clock Tick Tock" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It was released as a single on 16 May 1980, and was produced by Martin Hannett. It followed their debut EP Three and the single "Another Day." It was the group's first release for Island Records. The song's lyrics were written by lead vocalist Bono based on his experience at a Cramps concert in London, where he watched a "lifeless, goth-style" crowd from the balcony.
"Magnificent" is a song by U2. It is the second track on the band's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon and was released as the album's second single. The song was originally titled "French Disco", but was renamed later in the recording sessions. It is played before the start of every New York Rangers home game at Madison Square Garden.
"Unknown Caller" is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the fourth track on their 2009 album No Line on the Horizon. It was written from the perspective of a drug addict, who begins to receive bizarre text messages on his cellphone. The song was developed very early during the No Line on the Horizon sessions, and was recorded in a single take.
"I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" is the fifth song from U2's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon. The song was released as the album's third single in a digital format on 25 August 2009 and in a physical version released on 7 September 2009. Two music videos were made, one directed by David O'Reilly, and one by Alex Courtes.
The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. The concerts featured the band playing "in the round" on a circular stage, allowing the audience to surround them on all sides. To accommodate the stage configuration, a large four-legged structure nicknamed "The Claw" was built above the stage, with the sound system and a cylindrical, expanding video screen on top of it. At 164 feet (50 m) tall, it was the largest stage ever constructed. U2 claimed that the tour would be "the first time a band has toured in stadiums with such a unique and original structure."