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U2 - The Complete U2 (Digital Box Set) (2004)
Tracklist front / back album covers images
🎧 U2 – The Complete U2 (Digital Box Set) (2004)
Artist: U2
Title: The Complete U2 (Digital Box Set)
Release Date: 23 November 2004
Format: Digital download (iTunes AAC)
Label: Island / Interscope (via Apple)
Genre: Rock / Compilation
Tracks: 446 total (≈398 unique)
Recording Span: 1978 – 2004
Producers: U2, Martin Hannett, Steve Lillywhite, Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, Jimmy Iovine, Chris Thomas, Jacknife Lee
The Complete U2 is one of the first major digital-only box sets by a recording artist, spanning U2’s formative years through the release of their 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.
📑 Album Credits
Band Members:
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Bono: Vocals, songwriting
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The Edge: Guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
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Adam Clayton: Bass guitar
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Larry Mullen Jr.: Drums
Production Team:
Included decades’ worth of producers who shaped U2’s sound:
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Martin Hannett (early post-punk era)
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Steve Lillywhite (early albums)
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Brian Eno & Daniel Lanois (landmark atmospheric periods)
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Jimmy Iovine (major rock albums)
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Chris Thomas & Jacknife Lee (later phases)
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U2 themselves credited across many recordings.
🎶 Tracklist Highlights
The box set doesn’t have a single tracklist like a standard album — instead it consists of 67 digital groupings, including studio albums, singles, live sets, rarities, and demos.
📀 Select Studio Albums Included
(with representative tracks that appear in the set)
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Boy (1980) – I Will Follow
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October (1981) – Gloria
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War (1983) – New Year’s Day, Sunday Bloody Sunday
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The Unforgettable Fire (1984) – Pride (In the Name of Love)
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The Joshua Tree (1987) – Where the Streets Have No Name, With or Without You
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Achtung Baby (1991) – One, Mysterious Ways
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All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000) – Beautiful Day
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How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004) – Vertigo
📌 Rare & Exclusive Content
Included only in this set:
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Unreleased & Rare (previously unreleased tracks)
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Live from Boston 1981 (early concert)
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U2 Love: Live from the Point Depot (full live show)
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Early Demos EP (demo recordings)
🏆 Awards & Recognition
Because The Complete U2 is a compilation box set rather than a standard album, it did not receive traditional music awards (like Grammys) as an album. However its individual constituent recordings include many award-winning works released across U2’s career:
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U2 has won 22 Grammy Awards overall (e.g., Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rock Album) — many tracks in this set contributed to those accolades across decades.
📊 Grossing & Sales Context
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Originally priced at US $149.99 on iTunes (with a $50 coupon included with U2 iPods).
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The set was removed from the iTunes Store in 2007 and is no longer officially available.
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Exact sales numbers aren’t publicly documented, but it served as a pioneering commercial experiment in digital music distribution at a premium price.
⭐ Most Popular Tracks From the Set
Some of the most iconic and enduring U2 songs included in The Complete U2 are:
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With or Without You
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Beautiful Day
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One
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Where the Streets Have No Name
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Pride (In the Name of Love)
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I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
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New Year’s Day
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Sunday Bloody Sunday
(Popularity based on legacy and historical chart/airplay success across U2’s catalog.)
😊 Fun Facts
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🎧 The Complete U2 was marketed as the world’s first major digital box set by a major artist.
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📄 The set included a 48-page PDF booklet with art and commentary — something unusual for a digital release at the time.
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📱 Purchasing this set when bundled with the U2 iPod gave buyers discounts and bonus video content.
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🎶 Although the set claims to be “complete,” some U2 recorded covers and soundtrack tracks were missing — likely due to licensing.
🤓 Trivia & Did You Know
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Did you know? The set includes multiple versions of many songs — remixes, live takes, alternate mixes, and edits — making up the total 446 tracks.
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Did you know? Counting duplicates, only about 398 tracks are unique recordings, as many singles and albums share identical versions.
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The inclusion of early demos and live recordings gave fans unreleased historical material that wasn’t available elsewhere at the time.
🎨 Cover Art – The Complete U2 (2004)
The cover of The Complete U2 features a large “U2” logo formed as a mosaic made up of dozens of small photographs. These images include album covers, single artworks, band photos, and promotional shots spanning their career. The mosaic sits against a solid black background, making the collage stand out clearly. The title “The Complete U2” appears subtly above the logo in small white text.
