Bands You First Heard B/C of U2 Connection

[The_Edge89]

Quite a lot actually, I probably forgot about a few in the process:
Some of these are "bands I started listening to because of the U2 connection" others are band I first heard of because of something U2-related but not necessarily listen to anymore.

U2
B.B. King
Coldplay -> Snow Patrol -> Martha Wainwright / Bell X1
The Killers
The Arcade Fire
Johnny Cash
R.E.M.
Daniel Lanois -> Emmylou Harris
The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Razorlight
Luciano Pavarotti
Albert Hammond Jr. -> The Strokes
The Beatles -> Across The Universe
Simple Minds
Bob Geldof (Boomtown Rats) -> Band Aid -> Lou Reed / Band Aid 20 -> Live8 -> Pink Floyd/Keane/Travis/Joss Stone/Muse/Youssou N'Dour-> Live Earth-> Jack Johnson
Wyclef Jean
Passengers -> Brian Eno -> Jon Hopkins
Kanye West
John Mayer
Green Day
The Dubliners
Patti Smith
Bruce Springsteen
Saul Williams
Leonard Cohen

---
Individual members or U2-related people
---

Adam
The Last Shadow Puppets

Ali
Feist

Anton Corbijn
Joy Division

Bono
Frank Sinatra
Emm Gryner
Alicia Keys
The Corrs-> Andrea Corr
Bono & The Edge -> U-Jam -> Pearl Jam
Roy Orbison

The Edge
The Edge -> Spinal Tap

Then there's a couple of more musicians/bands- not directly U2-related - that I started listening to after suggestions from friends that also happen to listen to U2.
But I don't know if that counts?

 

[kassandra]

Arcade Fire!!

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

U2

 

[Acrobat51829]

The Larry Mullen Band

 

[bonohero]

-Smashmouth (opened for U2 in 1997--first concert ever)
-The Verve (played over loud system on POP tour--same night as first concert)
-INXS (Michael Hutchence had just died---played "Never Tear Us Apart" on loud system as we exited my first concert)
-Nelly Furtado (opened for U2 when PJ Harvey was sick--2001)
-PJ Harvey (didn't see her, but got her cd because she was going to open for U2--2001)
-Garbage (opened for U2 in 2001)
-Arcade Fire (obvious reasons)
-Kings of Leon (opened for U2--2005)
-Snow Patrol (opened for U2--2005..in Dublin)
-Institute (opended for U2--2005)

There are probably several more, but that's all I can think of at the moment.

 

[dsmith2904]

The Corrs
Daniel Lanois
Television

 

[victor_f]

Arcade Fire
Kings of Leon

 

[pgv]

Modest Mouse - years ago there was a 'u2 jukebox' cd free with Q (I think) with a selection of the bands favourite songs on it. It included 'Float On' and after first listen I was hooked
And Institute when the opened for them in Buffalo

 

[luna_lovegood]

I'll add to the Arcade Fire count.

 

[toscano]

The Comsat Angels
The Waterboys

 

[LPU2]

Wow, I haven't seen them mentioned here, but Bono mentioned liking a band called the White Stripes in an interview several years ago—before White Blood Cells came out. Not many had heard of them at the time. I certainly hadn't. Bought the record and the rest is rock and roll history.

...and one that goes way back: Wire Train. Free trip to Limon, Colorado for anyone who remembers THEM.

OK, one more, and this might be my favorite reference: The Go Betweens.

 

[toscano]

Wow, I haven't seen them mentioned here, but Bono mentioned liking a band called the White Stripes in an interview several years ago—before White Blood Cells came out. Not many had heard of them at the time. I certainly hadn't. Bought the record and the rest is rock and roll history.

...and one that goes way back: Wire Train. Free trip to Limon, Colorado for anyone who remembers THEM.

OK, one more, and this might be my favorite reference: The Go Betweens.

WIRE TRAIN!!!!

Loved them, saw them a lot in San Francisco, at Wolfgangs, etc.

First 2 albums are classics, songwriting really tailed off after Kurt left.....

 

[popmartsg]

My list, but some are not in band.

Interpol,
Joy Division,
The last shadow puppets,
DJ Howie B,
Lou Reed,
John Coltrane (From Lyrics )

 

[blueeyedgirl]

WIRE TRAIN!!!!

Loved them, saw them a lot in San Francisco, at Wolfgangs, etc.

First 2 albums are classics, songwriting really tailed off after Kurt left.....

Add me to the Wire Train train. Though I got into them through the Alarm, and Dave Sharp playing on "Ten Women", which was a great album

 

[paco_one]

Perl Jam

 

[Abomb-baby]

The Red Rockers (opening act 1985)
The Bodeans (opening act 1987)
Kings of Leon (opening act 2005)
Clannad

 

[Ellay]

What's the name of that song that played before U2 hit the stage during the Vertigo tour?

lol

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

5ive

 

[u2popmofo]

Considering the Arcade Fire love fest that was going on in Bang and Clatter when Funeral first came out, I'm surprised to still see so many here who hadn't heard them earlier.


For me, probably Television. I had heard The Clash, but I only really looked further into them because of U2 as well.

I wish I never would have had to have heard Kings of Leon because of U2.

 

[zuropa_fit]

I started listening to Kanye West before seeing him open for U2 in Salt Lake

 

[The Sad Punk]

I started listening to Kanye West before seeing him open for U2 in Salt Lake

Yeah, because he was so underground before then.