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"Desire" is a song by Irish
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band U2 and the third track on their 1988 album, ''
Rattle and Hum ''Rattle and Hum'' is a hybrid live/studio album by Irish rock band U2, and a companion rockumentary film directed by Phil Joanou. The album was produced by Jimmy Iovine and was released on 10 October 1988, while the film was distributed by ...
''. It was released as the album's lead single on 19 September 1988, and became the band's first number-one single in Australia and on the United Kingdom Singles Chart. It reached number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States, and topped both the
Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...
and
Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the " active rock" and " heritage rock" ...
charts, making it the first song to reach number one on both charts simultaneously. It reached number two on the Dutch Top 40. At the
31st Annual Grammy Awards The 31st Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 22, 1989, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. This also the first Grammy Awards Ceremony with a separate rap section. Album ...
, "Desire" won the 1989
Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1980 and 2011. The award was discontinued after the 2011 award season in a major overhaul of Grammy categories. Beginning in 2012, all solo or duo/group ...
.


History

U2 cite
the Stooges The Stooges or Iggy and the Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexande ...
' song "1969" as the primary influence on "Desire", which is an interpolation of the
Bo Diddley beat The Bo Diddley beat is a syncopated musical rhythm that is widely used in rock and roll and pop music. The beat is named after rhythm and blues musician Bo Diddley, who introduced and popularized the beat with his self-titled debut single, "Bo Di ...
. The band originally recorded a demo of the song at STS Studios in Dublin. After re-recording it at
A&M Studios The Jim Henson Company Lot, formerly A&M Studios, is a studio property located just south of the southeast corner of La Brea Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Originally established by film star Charlie Chaplin, the property served as C ...
in Los Angeles, they agreed it sounded "tighter and more accurate", but according to guitarist
the Edge David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is a British-Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist o ...
, "it lacked feel". As a result, they abandoned the re-recording in favour of the original demo. The Edge later praised the song, saying it was "a
rock & roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
record – not a
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
song". ''
Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' said of it that "
Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
and U2 go for the groove, a '
Magic Bus Magic Bus may refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Magic Bus" (song), a 1968 song by the Who * '' Magic Bus: The Who on Tour'', a 1968 album by the Who * "Magic Bus (Intro)", a 2002 song by Kottonmouth Kings from ''Rollin' Stoned'' * Magic Bus (stu ...
'-like throb that harkens back to who knows
Who The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 15 ...
." "Desire" debuted live on the first night of the
Lovetown Tour The Lovetown Tour was a concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, which took place in late 1989 and early 1990 following the release of ''Rattle and Hum''. It was documented by noted rock film director Richard Lowenstein in the "LoveTown" doc ...
on 21 September 1989, and appeared at almost every concert on that tour. It segued into a cover of
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
's "
All Along the Watchtower "All Along the Watchtower" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan from his eighth studio album, '' John Wesley Harding'' (1967). The song was written by Dylan and produced by Bob Johnston. The song's lyrics, which in its original v ...
". On the 1992–1993
Zoo TV Tour The Zoo TV Tour (also written as ZooTV, ZOO TV or ZOOTV) was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock music, rock band U2. Staged primarily to support their 1991 album ''Achtung Baby'' and later their 1993 album ''Zooropa'', the tour visited ...
, "Desire" was re-invented with different effects on the Edge's guitar, and it opened most encores. Bono would use the song to accentuate characteristics of his onstage alter egos Mirror Ball Man and MacPhisto. On the 1997-1998
PopMart Tour The PopMart Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 1997 album '' Pop'', the tour's concerts were performed in stadiums and parks in 1997 and 1998. Much like the band's previous Zoo TV Tour ...
, Bono and the Edge would play the song acoustically. For the 2001
Elevation Tour The Elevation Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish Rock music, rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2000 album ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'', the tour visited arenas across North America and Europe in 2001. Contrasting w ...
, it was a stripped-down electric version played at the tip of a heart-shaped walkway that extended into the audience.
Adam Clayton Adam Charles Clayton (born 13 March 1960) is an English-Irish musician who is the bass guitarist of the rock music, rock band U2. Born in Oxfordshire, England, he lived in County Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland after his family moved to ...
would join in with bass just before the bridge, and Larry Mullen, Jr. played along on a single drum. On 15 October 2004, at an appearance on the British television series ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
'' promoting the ''
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb ''How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb'' is the eleventh studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was released on 22 November 2004 in the United Kingdom by Island Records and a day later in the United States by Interscope Records. It was produced by ...
'' album, Bono and Edge performed a rough electric version. On the
Vertigo Tour The Vertigo Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2004 album '' How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb'', the tour visited arenas and stadiums between March 2005 and December 2006. The Vertigo To ...
, "Desire" was not played at all on the first three legs, and appeared just once in an acoustic form on the 2006 fourth leg in response to a fan's request in São Paulo. It made a full electric debut at the beginning of the fifth leg at the second show in Sydney; this performance was ramshackle and it was refined before appearing at four subsequent concerts. "Desire" was played sporadically during the 2009-2011
U2 360° Tour The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock music, rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2009 album ''No Line on the Horizon'', the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. The concerts featured the band pla ...
, usually played in a semi-acoustic form. On one occasion, it was combined with
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
's " She's the One". It was played semi-regularly on the 2015
Innocence + Experience Tour The Innocence + Experience Tour (styled as iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour) was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock music, rock band U2. Staged in support of the band's 2014 album ''Songs of Innocence (U2 album), Songs of Innocence'', the tou ...
during their B-stage set, often with Bono bringing someone from the crowd to play guitar with the band. The song was not performed at all on
The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 and The Joshua Tree Tour 2019 were two worldwide concert tours by the Irish rock music, rock band U2 commemorating the 30th anniversary of their 1987 album ''The Joshua Tree''. The 2017 tour visited stadiums over four l ...
tour, making it the first tour on which the song was not performed. It returned to the setlist for the 2019 tour, being played to close the main set in rotation with "
Angel of Harlem "Angel of Harlem" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the tenth track on their 1988 album ''Rattle and Hum'', and was released as its second single in December 1988. It topped the charts in Canada and New Zealand, and peaked at number nine o ...
". The song was played at every date of the North American leg of the 2018
Experience + Innocence Tour Experience refers to conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity that is produced by these processes. Understood as a conscious event in the widest sense, experience involves a subj ...
in a remixed form, taking influences from the Hollywood Remix. "Desire"'s
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
"Hallelujah (Here She Comes)" has never been played in full live by U2 but was debatably snippeted once during "
Bullet the Blue Sky "Bullet the Blue Sky" is a song by Irish rock band U2, and is the fourth track from their 1987 album ''The Joshua Tree''. Lyrically, the song was inspired by a trip that lead vocalist Bono made to Nicaragua and El Salvador, where he saw firsthan ...
".U2gigs.com
Setlist Of The Week #7: B-Sides Live
accessed 22 May 2007
"Desire" has appeared on two U2 compilation albums, ''
The Best of 1980–1990 ''The Best of 1980–1990'' is the first greatest hits compilation by Irish rock band U2, released on 2 November 1998. It mostly contains the group's hit singles from the 1980s, but also mixes in some live staples, as well as a re-recording of ...
'' (1998) and ''
U218 Singles ''U218 Singles'' is a greatest hits album by Irish rock band U2, released in November 2006. In most markets, the album contains 18 songs: 16 of their most successful and popular single (music), singles, and two new songs. The 17th track is a c ...
'' (2006). An early version of the song appears in the form of a studio performance in the 1988 film ''
Rattle and Hum ''Rattle and Hum'' is a hybrid live/studio album by Irish rock band U2, and a companion rockumentary film directed by Phil Joanou. The album was produced by Jimmy Iovine and was released on 10 October 1988, while the film was distributed by ...
''. "Desire" has furthermore appeared on 1994's '' Zoo TV: Live from Sydney'' (as a bonus track from a different concert), '' PopMart: Live from Mexico City'' (1998), '' Elevation 2001: Live from Boston'', and '' U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle, Ireland'' (2003).


Music video

The music video for "Desire" was filmed in Hollywood, California and directed by
Richard Lowenstein Richard Lowenstein (born 1 March 1959) is an Australian Filmmaking, filmmaker. He has written, produced and directed feature films such as ''Strikebound'' (1984), ''Dogs in Space'' (1986) and ''He Died with a Felafel in His Hand (film), He Died ...
and Lynn-Maree Milburn. It is the Hollywood remix version of the song, with band members and local people in assorted places in the city, supplemented by random images pertaining to references in the song.


Track listings







Personnel

*
Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
 – lead vocals, harmonica *
The Edge David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is a British-Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist o ...
 – guitar, backing vocals *
Adam Clayton Adam Charles Clayton (born 13 March 1960) is an English-Irish musician who is the bass guitarist of the rock music, rock band U2. Born in Oxfordshire, England, he lived in County Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland after his family moved to ...
 – bass guitar *
Larry Mullen Jr. Laurence Joseph Mullen Jr. (; born 31 October 1961) is an Irish musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band U2. A member of the band since its inception, he has recorded 15 studio albums with U2. Mullen's distinctive ...
 – drums, percussion * Alexandra Brown – backing vocals on Hollywood Remix * Edna Wright – backing vocals on Hollywood Remix


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


See also

*
List of Billboard Mainstream Rock number-one songs of the 1980s When introduced by ''Billboard'' in March 1981, the Mainstream Rock chart was entitled Top Tracks and designed to measure the airplay of songs being played on album-oriented rock radio stations. The chart has undergone several name changes over the ...
* List of ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks number ones of the 1980s * List of covers of U2 songs – Desire *
List of number-one singles from the 1980s (New Zealand) The following lists the number-one singles on the New Zealand Singles Chart during the 1980s. The source for this decade is the Recorded Music NZ chart, the chart history of which can be found on the Recorded Music NZ website or Charts.nz. A to ...
*
List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1980s The following lists the number one singles on the Australian Singles Chart, along with other substantial hits, during the 1980s. The source for this decade is the Kent Music Report (retitled as Australian Music Report in 1987), and the ARIA Char ...
* List of number-one singles of 1988 (Ireland) * List of UK singles chart number ones of the 1980s


References

{{Authority control 1988 songs 1988 singles Number-one singles in Australia Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Island Records singles Number-one singles in Italy Number-one singles in New Zealand Number-one singles in Spain RPM Top Singles number-one singles Song recordings produced by Jimmy Iovine Songs written by Bono Songs written by the Edge Songs written by Adam Clayton Songs written by Larry Mullen Jr. U2 songs UK singles chart number-one singles Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal