Where you start with arguably the biggest band in the world? U2 have been consistently at the top of the game for three decades now and if their triumphant (and long overdue) recent Glastonbury headline slot is anything to go by, they won’t be relinquishing that position anytime soon.

Whenever a band has been around for as long as U2 have, it’s very easy to forget just how many classic songs they have been responsible for over the years. The band’s roots in the early 80s post punk sound are in full evidence on the relentless ‘I Will Follow’ and the passionate political outcry of the likes of  ‘New Year’s Day’ and ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’  undeniable. Then there are the gigantic, stadium swallowing anthems, like ‘Pride (in the name of Love)’, ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’. ‘ With or Without You’ and on and on…

The bands early 90s work with legendary producer Brian Eno showed their more adventurous side as they sought to add more electronic textures to their sound but without ever losing their emotional core, as the tender and bruised examination of love and faith ‘One’ conclusively proves.

For whatever reason, the band certainly have their detractors but with a catalog of songs like theirs it really is difficult to deny U2 their place amongst the all time greats and hopefully this list will remind the naysayers that they are more than just hype and pomp.

For the hardcore U2 fans,  we’ve also put together a mega playlist of all of their work including live versions, remixes, alternative takes and, of course, all the original songs