If there's one band in the whole of Ireland that has been very influential in the music scene, it would be U2. Hands down.

It was over 3 decades ago that this rock band from Dublin, Ireland was formed. And its success is quite monumental. Over 170 million albums have already been sold by the band. And they have bagged more than 20 Grammy awards as well! Not to mention the millions of download sales of U2 mp3 tracks!

Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. were mere teenagers when they decided to go into music. But in a short period of time, U2 was able to release successful albums. And the tours they held were successful as well!

Because of the many successful U2 mp3 tracks that they've released, it's a bit hard to pinpoint exactly when the band had hit the marker of success. But it was definitely around the early 80s that the band wowed audiences worldwide with their introspective lyrics. And since then, U2 has channeled their songs and lyrics to combat rampant social issues, such as AIDS and poverty.

One particular track that marked U2's crusade against social issues is Sunday Bloody Sunday. The song is directed towards the "troubles" that have been going on in Ireland at the time. U2 appeals to the Irish to stop fighting each other. To date, Sunday Bloody Sunday remains one of the band's signature tracks. And the U2 mp3 version of it still funnels digital sales to this day.

Another track that tackles issues is Pride. Pride discusses the martyrdom of Martin Luther King. Although the track was met with mixed reviews, the rate of U2 mp3 downloads of Pride shows how the song has appealed to the public.

But in 1987, the band released their album, The Joshua Tree. This is by far the most popular U2 album ever. People still crave for tabs to the tracks off this album. Speaking of tracks, it was from this album that With or Without You and Where the Streets Have No Name came. It was With or Without You that penetrated the American market for the Irishmen. It even went as high as #1 on the US Billboard charts!

Where the Streets Have No Name talks about the devastating state of living in Africa, particularly in Ethiopia. Bono and his wife had been to Ethiopia sometime before Where the Streets Have No Name was released. Working in Ethiopia had made the couple aware of the harsh realities there.

But not all of U2's tracks focus on social issues. They do have carefree tracks as well! Some examples are Beautiful Day, Elevation, and Vertigo. Beautiful Day takes on the obvious nature of its title. Bono sings about how beautiful the day is. And a lot of U2 fans have admitted to dancing to the track everytime they hear it.

Elevation, on the other hand, made the soundtrack to Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Its thunderous rhythm provides for the upbeat nature of the track. And this goes without having to say that U2 fans enjoying singing to U2 mp3 out loud.

With Vertigo, a scene at a dance club comes to life. The buoyant beat of Vertigo clinched the deal to use it for an Apple iPod advert. The band's live performance on the commercial garnered success for the track.

And, apparently, U2 has a lovesick side to them as well. Remember Sweetest Thing? This is actually an apology song Bono wrote for his wife. Bono had somehow forgotten his wife's birthday, and this was his way of making it up to her. That should be sweet enough!

But U2's philanthropic nature comes as a primal instinct of sorts. The band used their star status to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. U2 and Green Day performed a cover of The Saints are Coming, originally by The Skids. The proceeds of that performance were given to The Edge's charity, Music Rising. This charity aims to bring back music to the once flavorful New Orleans.

It's amazing how artists can do so much for those in need, just by using their status. And it's such a relief to have U2 as one of the strong forerunners. And it's a good thing that they're rubbing off on other artists as well! But no one else does it just quite like U2.