U2 October Turns 40 - Noise11.com
U2 October

U2 October Turns 40

by Paul Cashmere on October 12, 2021

in News

‘October’, the second U2 album, was released on this day 12 October 1981.

‘October’ came 51 weeks after the first U2 album ‘Boy’. Like the first album ‘October’ was only met with mild success. It reached no 34 in Australia, no 11 in the UK and no 104 in the USA.

The album gave U2 their first hit in Australia with ‘Gloria’ (no 32, 1981).

‘October’ has a chaotic beginning. As the story goes the original written lyrics were kept in Bono’s briefcase. The bag went missing during a show in Portland and U2 had to write new songs before the sessions started in July. The original handwritten lyrics have never surfaced.

Another single ‘Fire’ reached no 4 in Ireland.

The next U2 album ‘War’ was the one that broke them worldwide. ‘War’ was the album that replaced Michael Jackson ‘Thriller’ at the top of the UK chart.

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