Tag: U2

Listen to U2 Frontman Bono Reflect On His Life as an Artist and Activist in His New Memoir ‘Surrender’

November 4, 2022

Earlier this year we launched audiobooks on Spotify so that alongside music and podcasts, we can give fans another way to enjoy audio in one convenient place. Now, we’re thrilled that Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, the new memoir from U2 frontman Bono, is available on Spotify as an audiobook. 

As the lead singer of one of the most iconic rock bands ever, Bono has led a whirlwind life touring the world to perform for millions of fans. But with the release of his new memoir, the artist, activist, and musician is taking a moment to pause and reflect on his experiences.

Narrated by Bono himself, each of the 40 chapters in Surrender is named after a U2 song. The  book takes readers on a journey that looks back at how Bono’s friends, family, and faith have shaped his upbringing in Dublin, the global success of U2, and his decades of work fighting AIDS and poverty. 

That’s why, for fans who want to go deeper into the life of Bono, we’ve created a special U2 destination that showcases the audiobook and U2’s catalog of albums all in one place. On top of that, listeners will also find the playlist This Is U2, with select songs that showcase the 40 featured songs in Surrender. 

Bono said that his creative process for the memoir allowed him to express himself in a different way.

“When I started to write this book, I was hoping to draw in detail what I’d previously only sketched in songs. The people, places, and possibilities in my life. Surrender is a word freighted with meaning for me,” Bono said. “Growing up in Ireland in the seventies with my fists up (musically speaking), it was not a natural concept. A word I only circled until I gathered my thoughts for the book. I am still grappling with this most humbling of commands. In the band, in my marriage, in my faith, in my life as an activist. Surrender is the story of one pilgrim’s lack of progress . . . with a fair amount of fun along the way.”

Fans in search of even more background on the creation of Surrender can also check out our most recent episode of Discover This, which features an interview with Dan Zitt, who is the Senior Vice President of Content Production at Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group. In the episode, Dan not only talks about his experiences working in the audiobook industry, but also shares a few stories about working with Bono on the recording sessions for Surrender.

To help listeners discover the audiobook and the new U2 destination, the mobile version of Spotify will feature a banner on Home that will take listeners directly to the hub until November 10. Listeners will also be directed to the audiobook from the U2, Bono, and This Is U2 pages between November 7 and November 27. 

Catch up with all of Bono’s greatest hits with our playlist This Is U2:

 

El Trascendente y Vivaz legado de Soda Stereo y Gustavo Cerati

September 16, 2019

Una tarde de 2012, en el recital de U2  llevado a cabo en La Plata, Argentina, durante la gira Tour Latinoamericano 360° de la banda, un inspirado Bono miró hacia la audiencia y exclamó “¡No olviden a Gustavo Cerati!”. La multitud de 60.000 fans inmediatamente ovacionó de pie, mientras Bono dedicaba su canción “Moment of Surrender” a Cerati —el adorado líder de la banda argentina Soda Stereo. Fue un momento sumamente emotivo, ya que Cerati había caído en un coma sin final a la vista. El conmovedor tributo de Bono al cantante que murió hace 5 años sería el primero de muchos. A partir de este momento, una enorme diversidad de artistas, desde Shakira hasta Coldplay, se han tomado el tiempo en sus giras para reconocer al enorme talento e impacto que ha tenido Gustavo Cerati en el rock.  

Para los fanáticos, septiembre trae la oportunidad de recordar el incomparable legado de Cerati —el icónico rockero alternativo, cuya presencia permitió atraer la atención internacional a la música de Latinoamérica. 

Conocido por su carisma, curiosidad y voluntad para experimentar, Cerati nació en Buenos Aires el 11 de agosto de 1959. Como fanático del rock and roll desde sus inicios, empezó a tocar la guitarra a los 9 años de edad, citando a Jimi Hendrix como una gran influencia. A sus 13 años ya había formado su primera banda. Otras de sus inspiraciones incluyeron al guitarrista Luis Alberto Spinetta, pionero del Rock Argentino y de la banda Almendra, y a Andy Summers de The Police.

En 1982, cuando Argentina emergía de tiempos sombríos y agitación política de varias décadas, Cerati formó Soda Stereo junto a Héctor “Zeta” Bosio como bajista, y Charly Alberti como baterista. El trío lanzó su primer álbum dos años después, conformado por canciones como “¿Por qué no puedo ser del jet-set?” y “Sobredosis de T.V.”, que tocaban temáticas relacionadas a la cultura como la lucha de clases, acompañadas de acordes sorprendentes y riffs de guitarra. Sin embargo, fue Nada Personal, el álbum lanzando al año siguiente, el que les dio proyección desde Río Grande al Río de la Plata, con canciones como “Juegos de seducción”, “Nada personal”, y “Cuando pase el temblor” —que tomaron por asalto el espectro radial, especialmente de México, Chile, Uruguay y Argentina.

Después del éxito repentino, Cerati decidió cambiar su rumbo y colaborar, en 1992, con Daniel Melero, su cercano amigo y, además, miembro de la banda argentina de tecno-pop Los Encargados. El resultado de dicha fusión fue  Colores Santos, un álbum de pistas soñadoras e introspectivas que recuerdan el sonido espacial y sintetizado de bandas británicas como New Order, gracias al uso pionero de Cerati de los samplers Akai MPC60 and Emax II. 

Cerati continuó experimentando y expandiendo su curiosidad, incluso en el sexto álbum de Soda Stereo ”Dynamo”. Más shoegaze que rock tradicional, el álbum representó un desviación completa del trabajo anterior de la banda, y marcó un nuevo momento en la evolución y escena del Rock Argentino. Hoy, Dynamo es considerado un ejemplo central del característico sonido shoegaze, comparándolo también con Loveless de My Bloody Valentine, fundamental para el género.

Para 1996, la banda Soda Stereo se había separado oficialmente, por lo que Cerati concentró su energía en la producción de música electrónica. Creó el proyecto tecno Plan V con DJs chilenos: Andrés Bucci, Christian Powditch, y Guillermo Bassard. Tres años después, lanzó Bocanada, un álbum ambicioso, concebido como un viaje musical entre las líneas de la electrónica y el rock, diseñado para ser escuchado en un orden específico, desde el comienzo hasta el final.  

Luego en 2006, Cerati sacó Ahí Vamos incluyendo el sencillo “Crimen”, que a la fecha, es la canción más popular del artista en Spotify —con más de 88 millones de streams. Su álbum siguiente, lanzado en 2009, Fuerza Natural, coproducido con el premiado productor Héctor Castillo, fue reconocido por usar el mandolín y la guitarra “Lap Steel”. Tenía un sonido más pacífico y orientado al folk —encajando, así, en la nueva dirección de lo que sería el último álbum de Cerati.

Los dúos musicales fueron los elementos definitorios de la carrera de Cerati, y según la crítica chilena del rock, Paula Molina, fue su compromiso con las técnicas y la experimentación de otros géneros, que luego fusionó e incorporó en su música, lo que lo hizo tan popular. Ahora, luego de haber reflexionado sobre lo que fue su legado, lo que se destaca es su habilidad para hacer que la música trasciende los géneros y cruza las fronteras —música para todos los latinoamericanos. Como otra estrella del rock argentino, Andrés Calamaro declaró: “millones de personas llorarán la ausencia [de Cerati], pero siempre recordarán que sus canciones cambiaron la música latinoamericana para siempre”.  

En distinción a su contribución a la música y al rock en español, escuchá esta playlist tributo que honra el imborrable legado de Gustavo Cerati.

The Transcendent and Vivacious Legacy of Soda Stereo’s Gustavo Cerati

September 16, 2019

One evening in 2012 during a stop in La Plata, Argentina on the Latin American leg of U2’s 360° tour, an inspired Bono looked out over the audience and exclaimed, “Don’t forget Gustavo Cerati!” The crowd of 60,000 fans immediately broke out into a standing ovation while Bono dedicated the band’s song, “Moment of Surrender” to Cerati—the beloved lead singer of Argentinian rock band Soda Stereo. It was an understandably emotional moment as Cerati had recently fallen into a coma with no end in sight. Bono’s touching tribute to the singer who passed away five years ago this month would be the first of many. Since then everyone from Shakira to Coldplay have taken time out of their tours to acknowledge Gustavo Cerati’s enormous talent for and impact on rock and roll.  

For music fans everywhere, September brings with it the opportunity to look back at the incomparable legacy of Cerati—the proud Latin American alt-rocker whose global appeal helped bring international attention to the region’s music. 

Known for his charisma, curiosity, and willingness to experiment, Cerati was born in Buenos Aires on August 11, 1959. A fan of rock and roll from the very beginning, he started playing guitar at the age of nine, citing Jimi Hendrix as a large influence. By 13, he had formed his first band. Other early inspirations included guitarist Luis Alberto Spinetta, of pioneering Rock Argentino band Almendra, and Andy Summers of The Police.

In 1982, just as Argentina was emerging from the shadow of decades-long political turmoil, Cerati formed Soda Stereo with bassist Héctor “Zeta” Bosio and drummer Charly Alberti. They released their eponymous first album two years later, with songs such as “¿Por qué no puedo ser del jet-set?” and “Sobredosis de T.V.,” tackling themes of class struggle and material culture with surprisingly infectious chord progressions and guitar riffs. But it was Nada Personal, their second album released the next year, that put them on the radar from the Rio Grande to the Río de la Plata, with the tracks “Juegos de seducción,” “Nada personal,” and “Cuando pase el temblor”—taking over airwaves, especially in Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina.

After so much early success, Cerati decided to switch gears in 1992 and collaborate with Daniel Melero, his close friend and a member of the Argentinean techno-pop band Los Encargados. The result was Colores Santos, an album of dreamy, introspective tracks that recall the spacey, synthed-out sounds of British New Wave bands like New Order thanks to Cerati’s pioneering use of the now-iconic Akai MPC60 and Emax II samplers. 

Cerati continued to experiment and stretched his curiosity even further on Soda Stereo’s sixth album, Dynamo. More shoegaze than traditional rock, the album represented a complete departure from the band’s previous work and marked a new moment in the ever-evolving Rock Argentino scene. Today, Dynamo is considered a core example of shoegaze’s signature woozy sound, often drawing comparisons to My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, a touchstone of the genre. 

By 1996, Soda Stereo had officially split, and Cerati threw his energy into electronic music and production. He created the ambient techno project Plan V with Chilean DJs Andrés Bucci, Christian Powditch, and Guillermo Bassard. Three years later, he released Bocanada, an ambitious album conceived as a musical journey straddling the lines between electronica and rock, and designed to be listened to in order, from start to finish. 

Then in 2006, Cerati put out Ahí Vamos featuring the single “Crimen,” which to date is the artist’s most popular song on Spotify—with over 88 million streams. His next album, 2009’s Fuerza Natural, co-produced with award-winning producer Hector Castillo, was notable for its use of a mandolin and lap steel guitar. It had a more folk-oriented and peaceful sound—a fitting new direction for what would be Cerati’s final album. 

Musical twists and turns were the defining element of Cerati’s career, and according to Chilean rock critic Paula Molina, it was this commitment to experimentation and to techniques from other genres that he then infused back into his own music that made him so popular. Now, as we reflect on Cerati’s legacy what comes into focus was his remarkable ability to make music that transcended genres and crossed borders—music for all Latin Americans. As fellow Argentine rockstar Andrés Calamaro put it, “millions of people will mourn [Cerati’s] absence, but always remember his songs that changed Latin American music forever.”

In honor of his contribution to music and rock en español, check out this tribute playlist that honors the enduring legacy of Gustavo Cerati.

Stream the Top Tracks of St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland

March 15, 2019

St Patrick’s Day, March 17, is a global celebration of the Irish. Green-clad crowds swarm parade routes from Tokyo to Toronto; in Chicago, the river is dyed green; and in New Orleans, strings of green beads soar through the air along St. Charles Street. In Ireland, however, it’s music that’s central to the St. Patrick’s Day experience.

A look at our users’ listening habits from the past several St. Patrick’s Days shows that Irish music lovers use the holiday to stream songs primarily by their ample homegrown talent. Across artists and genres, most of the songs in the top ten have that classic Celtic twang, historical roots, or both. The tunes also tend to be upbeat and joyful—perfect for a spirited singalong.

From Galway to Dublin and Cavan to Cork, here are the most consistently streamed songs on St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland over the past five years. Feel free to turn up the volume and belt the lyrics as if you’re in a pub in Limerick—or anywhere else.

“Dirty Old Town” by The Pogues

The song was originally written and recorded in 1949 by British folk singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl, but has been covered by countless Irish artists—most famously by The Dubliners in 1968. This 1985 version by British Celtic punk rockers The Pogues tops the list.

“Seven Drunken Nights” by The Dubliners

A St. Patrick’s Day cliché? Not if you listen to the lyrics, which tell the funny tale of a hapless drunkard on a futile mission. The song is actually based on a 1700s Scottish folk song called “Our Goodman,” recorded in a period-perfect accent by Ewan MacColl (see above).

“The Irish Rover” by The Pogues

Everyone loves a tall tale told over drinks, and this one—about a fictional Irish ship overloaded with cargo—is about as wild as they come. The lyrics have been tweaked and recorded by dozens of Irish artists over time, but The Pogues’ version featuring The Dubliners is the most popular. Irish listeners also love this rendition by Ronnie Drew.

“N17” by The Saw Doctors

This song was one of the Irish rock band’s biggest hits, coming from their debut 1991 album. It celebrates a famously picturesque road, the N17, which once extended from Sligo to Galway in the west of the country.

“Mandinka” by Sinead O’Connor

This was one of the singer-songwriter’s earliest hits, a few years before her international sensation “Nothing Compares 2 U.”

“Where The Streets Have No Name” by U2

The most famous Irish musicians have dozens of songs frequently played on St. Patrick’s Day, but this singable and anthemic track from the 1987 album The Joshua Tree is the only U2 song in the top ten.

“Blackbird” by Sharon Shannon

Accordion master and fiddler Sharon Shannon has recorded some of the most popular albums of traditional Irish music. Several of her countrymen and women—including Hothouse Flowers and Sinead O’Connor—have collaborated on her songs.

“Teenage Kicks” by The Undertones

This song about teenage lust was far and away the biggest hit by the ’70s punk-pop band from Northern Ireland. “Teenage Kicks” attracted the band’s first record deal.

“The Rocky Road to Dublin” by The High Kings

This 19th-century folk song—about a man traveling from Tuam, in western Ireland, to Liverpool—has been covered countless times, including renditions by The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys, and even The Rolling Stones.

“Brewing Up A Storm” by The Stunning

The Galway-based rock band released this song in 1990 on their debut album. It remains their biggest hit, thanks in part to the song’s being regularly played in sports stadiums.  

Check out our Happy St. Patrick’s Day playlist for some of these classics and more tunes to fuel your celebrations. Plus, for a more contemporary look at music from Ireland, try A Breath of Fresh Éire, The New Éire, Hands In The Éire and An Alternative Éire.