U2: Three Decades of the World's Biggest Band, Onstage and Backstage

U2: 2/4/1980: On the Roof in Cork

Photo: Corio/Michael Ochs Archive

U2 photographed on the roof of the Cork Country Club Hotel in Cork, Ireland, on February 4, 1980. The band's debut album, Boy, came out later that year.

U2: 2/4/1980: Backstage CCC

Photo: David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Bono and the Edge backstage before performing at the Cork Country Club in Cork, Ireland, in February 1980.

U2: 12/1/1980: Bono photographed outside

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Bono photographed outside the Bijou Cafe in Philadelphia in December 1980.

U2: 2/4/1980: Backtage 2

Photo: Corio/Michael Ochs Archive

U2 photographed backstage at the Cork Country in Cork, Ireland, in February 1980.

U2: 2/1/1981: performing in London

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U2 perform at the Lyceum Ballroom in London on February 1, 1981.

U2: 2/1/1981: performing in London lyceum

Photo: David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

U2 perform at the Lyceum Ballroom in London in February 1981. The band's second album, October, came out later that year.

U2: 04/12/81: U2 Performing

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U2 onstage on April 12, 1981 in Chicago during their Boy tour.

U2: 1/1/1983: Bono Performing

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U2 performing in 1983 during their tour supporting their third album, War.

U2: 05/30/1983: US Festival

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U2 perform at Glen Helen Regional Park in Devore, California, on May 30, 1983 during their War tour.

U2: 3/20/1985: performing in chicago

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U2 perform in Chicago on March 21, 1985 at the University of Illinois Pavilion during the North American leg of their Unforgettable Fire tour.

U2: 6/12/1986: Amnesty Internation in Chicago

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U2 performs in Chicago during the Amnesty International Benefit Tour on June 12, 1986.

U2: 11/03/1987: St. Paul Civic Center Performance

Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

The Edge and Bono perform at the St. Paul Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, on November 3, 1987.

U2 on the Set of "Desire" in 1988

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U2 on the set of their video for 'Desire' in 1988.

U2: 3/2/1988: Grammy Awards

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U2 attend the Grammy Awards on February 2, 1988 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

U2 performing in 1992

Photo by Anna Krajec/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

U2 onstage in 1992, between the releases of Achtung Baby and Zooropa.

U2: 2/2/1992: Zoo Tv

Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

U2 perform during their Zoo TV Tour in 1992.

U2: 8/30/1992: zoo tv nyc

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U2 bring the Zoo TV Tour to New York City's Yankee Stadium on August 30, 1992.

U2: 05/31/1997: Giants Stadium Performance

Photo Credit: JON LEVY/AFP/Getty Images

Bono leans over the front of the stage during a sold-out May 1997 show at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

U2: 6/27/1997: pop mart tour

Photo: Warner/Wireimage

U2's Pop Mart tour lands in Chicago on June 27, 1997.

U2: 02/21/2001: 43rd Annual Grammy Awards Backstage

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U2 pose with their three trophies backstage at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on February 21, 2001.

U2: 02/07/2001: Bono Crowd Surfing

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Bono surfs the crowd at London's Astoria on February 7, 2001.

U2: 02/03/2002: Super Bowl XXXVI Halftime Show

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Bono and the Edge perform during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVI in the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 3, 2002.

U2: 02/27/2002: U2 At The 2002 Grammy Awards

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U2 backstage with their awards during the 44th Annual Grammys at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 27, 2002.

U2: 11/29/2003: Give One Minute of Your Life to AIDS Concert

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Bono onstage at the Give One Minute of Your Life to AIDS concert held on November 29, 2003 at Greenpoint Stadium, in Cape Town, South Africa.

U2: 11/22/2004: Taping of a Music Video

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U2 perform at Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park in Brooklyn, New York, on November 22, 2004.

U2: 02/13/2005: 47th Annual Grammy Awards

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U2 pose with their award for Best Rock Performance by a Group backstage during the 47th Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 13, 2005.

U2: 03/14/2005: 20th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

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U2 pose backstage at the 20th Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City on March 14, 2005.

U2: 03/28/2005: First Night of 'Vertigo//2005' World Tour

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Bono steals the spotlight on the first night of U2's Vertigo World Tour in San Diego, California, on March 28, 2005.

U2: 08/11/2005: U2 at Vincente Calderon Stadium

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Bono at Vicente Calderón Stadium in Madrid, Spain, in 2005.

U2: 10/07/2005: The Edge of U2

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Bono at Vicente Calderón Stadium in Madrid, Spain, in 2005.

U2: 02/08/2006: 48th Annual Grammy Awards

Photo Credit: SUSAN GOLDMAN/AFP/Getty Images

U2 with their trophies during the 48th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on February 8, 2006.

U2: 02/20/2006: Performance at The Morumbi Stadium

Photo Credit: ROBSON FERNANDJES/AFP/Getty Images

Bono performing at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on February 20, 2006.

U2: 11/10/2006: U2 Walking to the Stage

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U2 walk to the stage of Telstra Stadium for the first of three Sydney dates on their Vertigo Tour on November 10, 2006.

U2: 05/19/2007: "U2 3D" Premiere

Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage

U2 perform at the 60th Cannes Film Festival in 2007.

U2: 01/19/2008: 'U2 3D' Premiere

Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage

Bono at Vicente Calderón Stadium in Madrid, Spain, in 2005.

U2: 01/18/2009: U2 at the Lincoln Memorial

Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage

U2 in Washington, DC to perform at the first of many events planned to mark the inauguration of President Barack Obama in January 2009.

U2: 02/08/2009: 51st Annual Grammy Awards

Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage

U2 perform "Get On Your Boots" at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 8, 2009.

U2 in NYC: 03/02/2009: "Late Show with David Letterman" Performance

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The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., Bono and Adam Clayton of U2 perform their first of five consecutive nights on Late Show With David Letterman at the Ed Sullivan Theater on March 2, 2009 in New York City.

U2 in NYC: 03/03/2009: Unveiling "U2 Way"

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Adam Clayton, Bono, the Edge and Larry Mullen Jr. attend the unveiling of a portion of West 53rd street temporarily renamed "U2 Way" on March 3, 2009 in New York City.

U2 in NYC: 03/06/2009: "Good Morning America" Performance

Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com

Larry Mullen Jr., Bono, the Edge and Adam Clayton onstage after their performance on ABC's Good Morning America at Fordham University on March 6, 2009 in the Bronx, New York.

Random Notes: July 3, 2009: U2

Photo: Hogan/Getty

U2 take a moment from their tour opener in Barcelona to honor the life and work of Michael Jackson by weaving parts of the gloved one's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Man in the Mirror" into their own "Angel of Harlem" on June 30, 2009.