The band quietly built a following through the 80s, but didn't crack the Top 10 until their landmark 1987 album, "The Joshua Tree," delivered three Top 40 hits, including two #1 smashes: "With Or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Most of their early well-known favorites like "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Two Hearts Beat As One," "Bad," and "The Unforgettable Fire" never charted in the US.
The band took a surprise detour from their classic sound and became more experimental through the 90s, maintaining a chart presence with hits like "Mysterious Ways" (#9), "One" (#10), and "Discotheque" (#10), but also suffering damaging flops like "Numb" (#61) and "Lemon" (#71).
As the 2000s rolled around, the band largely returned to their roots, landing additional Top 40 hits with "Beautiful Day" (#21) and "Vertigo" (#31). Since then, the band has struggled to score on the charts despite releasing some of the finest material in their extensive catalogue.
"Red Flag Day" is a perfect example of a modern U2 song that deserves to be a hit. It comes from their last album, 2017's "Songs of Experience."
