U2 made an album.
U2 . Subsequent work such as their first UK number-one album , War ( 1983 ) , and the singles `` Sunday Bloody Sunday '' and `` Pride ( In the Name of Love ) '' helped establish U2 's reputation as a politically and socially conscious group . The group 's fifth album , The Joshua Tree ( 1987 ) , made them international superstars and was their greatest critical and commercial success . Beginning with their acclaimed seventh album , Achtung Baby ( 1991 ) , and the multimedia intensive Zoo TV Tour , the band integrated influences from alternative rock , electronic dance music , and industrial music into their sound , and embraced a more ironic , flippant image . This experimentation continued through their ninth album , Pop ( 1997 ) , and the PopMart Tour , which were mixed successes . U2 have released 13 studio albums and are one of the world 's best-selling music artists of all time , having sold more than 170 million records worldwide .