I was 12 in 1985. My best friend in the sixth grade always talked about this Irish college radio band called U2. On the last day of school, he brought in a tape of the Unforgettable Fire. I listened to it, but thought this was the strangest music I have ever heard (I was used to pop music like Madonna, Prince, Van Halen and Michael Jackson back then.
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So later that summer, I would always watch this music video program on regular TV since I didn't have cable and MTV. They would show videos like Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood and such, but they also always showed the video for the Unforgettable Fire. I was so mesmerized by the music and the video, how surreal it was for this guy to walk in the snow with the song going "Walk On By, Walk On Through, Walk Till You Run and Don't Look Back For Here." I was so moved by that video and song. It still gives me chills.
Then Live Aid happened. And I remembered seeing these gigantic flags that said U2, waving in the crowd. I thought, "Man, this band must be really incredible." I never got to see U2's performance during Live Aid, unfortunately.
Then it was 1986 and I totally forgot about U2 and was instead a big Bon Jovi fan.
But when WOWY came out in early 1987, I remembered this band and had to find out more about them. I got the Joshua Tree and fell asleep listening to it for the first time. Again, I wasn't used to this serious music. I was used to pop music. But I loved their style and that they were so different and serious. And I was hooked.
To this day, they will always be my No. 1 band of all-time, regardless of what other people think of them.
That's my story. Sorry it was long.