This list shows cover versions of songs originally by the Irish rock band U2 that have been recorded and released.
"40" "40" is the tenth and final track from U2's 1983 album, War. It is the final single from the album, released solely in Germany in 1983. The song was recorded right at the end of the recording sessions for War. Bassist Adam Clayton had already left the studio, and the three remaining band members decided they did not have a good song to end the album. Bono noted that "We spent ten minutes writing this song, ten minutes recording it, ten minutes mixing it, ten minutes playing it back, and that's got nothing to do with why it's called '40'."
Year Covered by Album 1997 Charlie Hall Joel's Window 2000 The Section Strung out on U2 2001 dc Talk Solo 2002 Michael W. Smith Worship DVD 2003 Paul Meany Elevator Music (Live Worship From Victory Fellowship) 2004 Starfield In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa 2005 The Frames Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 2006 Ginny Owens If You Want Me To: The Best of Ginny Owens
Acrobat "Acrobat" is the eleventh track from U2's 1991 album Achtung Baby.
Year Covered by Album 2011 GlasvegasAHK-toong BAY-bi Covered
All I Want Is You "All I Want Is You" is the 17th song on U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum and was released in 1989 as the album's fourth and final single. It is the closing song from the movie Rattle and Hum.
Year Covered by Album 1999 Absolute Rock A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 Mission UK We Will Follow: A Tribute to U2 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Pride: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays U2 Tufts Beelzebubs Infinity 2000 Kane With or Without You Stereofeed Strung Out on U2 2002 Bellefire After the Rain"All I Want Is You" 2004 Jars of Clay In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa 2005 Les Paul and Johnny Rzeznik American Made World Played Mark Geary Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 2007 Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of U2 2008 Glen Campbell Meet Glen Campbell 2009 Aslan UNCASE'd 2011 Mary Byrne Mine & Yours 2013 Brian McFadden featuring Ronan Keating The Irish Connection
An Cat Dubh "An Cat Dubh" is the third track from U2's debut album, Boy. It is frequently paired with the following song from the same album, "Into the Heart".
Year Covered by Release 2005 The Bravery "Fearless"
Angel of Harlem "Angel of Harlem" is the second single from U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. It peaked at #9 on the UK singles chart. It is an homage to Billie Holiday.
Year Covered by Album 1999 Absolute Rock A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Pride: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays U2 2004 David Keen, Claire Stanacrone, and Michael Goetz Still Strung Out on U2 2005 The Persuasions The Persuasions Sing U2 2006 10,000 Maniacs Live Twenty-Five 2007 Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of U2
A Sort of Homecoming "A Sort of Homecoming" is the opening track from U2's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire.
Year Covered by Album 2025 Filter The Algorithm (Ultra Edition)
Bad "Bad" is the seventh track from U2's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire. Often considered a fan favorite, it is U2's tenth most frequently performed song in concert. The song is about a heroin addiction.
Year Covered by Album 1998 Dream Theater Once in a LIVEtime Outtakes 2000 The Section Strung out on U2 2001 Luka Bloom Keeper of the Flame 2005 Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3
Beautiful Day "Beautiful Day" is the lead single from U2's 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind. It was a huge commercial success, helping to launch the album to multi-platinum status, and is one of U2's biggest hits to date.
Year Covered by Album 2004 Hiro Goto and Adrienne Woods Still Strung out on U2 Kurt Nilsen World Idol Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Symphonic Rock Sanctus Real In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa 2007 Axel Rudi Pell Diamonds Unlocked Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of U2 2010 Lee DeWyze "Beautiful Day" 2010 Altiyan Childs Altiyan Childs 2012Il Volo We Are Love2017Nicole NordemanEvery Mile MatteredTBACyrille AiméeUnknown (soundtrack used During the cirque du soleil's "Crystal" show)
Breathe "Breathe" is the tenth track from U2's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon. Longtime U2 collaborator and producer Brian Eno cited Breathe as "the best thing (U2) have ever recorded" during an interview with Q magazine.
Year Covered by Album 2009 Vitamin String Quartet The Vitamin String Quartet Performs U2's No Line on the Horizon
Bullet the Blue Sky "Bullet the Blue Sky" is the fourth track from U2's 1987 album, The Joshua Tree. The song was originally written about the United States' military intervention during the 1980s in the El Salvador Civil War.
Year Covered by Album 1999 P.O.D. The Fundamental Elements of Southtown 2000 Kane With or Without You Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine Lounge Against the Machine 2003 Sepultura Revolusongs and Roorback 2007 Queensrÿche Take Cover 2008 Vieux Farka Touré In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2
City of Blinding Lights "City of Blinding Lights" is the fifth track and third single from the group's 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. The song tells the story of U2's first arrival in New York City in 1980, with Bono remarking it was an "amazing, magical time in our life, when we didn't know how powerful it was not to know."
Year Covered by Album 2007 Tufts Beelzebubs Pandæmonium 2010 Dashboard Confessional By the People: For the People 2021 Charlie Benante Silver Linings
Desire "Desire" is the lead single from U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. It was their first #1 single in the UK and their first #1 on the newly instated Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Year Covered by Album 1999 Absolute Rock A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 The Polecats We Will Follow: A Tribute to U2 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Pride: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays U2 2000 Savitri String Quartet Strung Out on U2 2007 Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of U2
Drowning Man "Drowning Man" is the fifth track on U2's 1983 album, War. Its sound is a departure from the other tracks in War.
Year Covered by Album 1995 Smith & Mighty Bass Is Maternal
The Electric Co. "The Electric Co." is the tenth track from U2's debut album, Boy. When performed live it is frequently preceded by the unrecorded song, "The Cry".
Year Covered by Album 2000 Kane With or Without You
Elevation "Elevation" is the third track and third single release from U2's 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind. Featuring a thunderous beat, a variety of sound effects on the central guitar riff, and an easy rhyming lyric for the audience to shout along with, it was highly effective in that concert-starting role and became a hit in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Year Covered by Album 2002 Tufts Beelzebubs Punch 2010 Sherie Rene Scott, Lindsay Mendez, Betsy Wolfe Everyday Rapture
Even Better Than the Real Thing "Even Better Than the Real Thing" is the second song from U2's 1991 album, Achtung Baby and was released in 1992 as the fourth single from the album.
Year Covered by Album 1999 Absolute Rock A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 Bang Tango We Will Follow: A Tribute to U2 Dead or Alive Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Pride: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays U2 2005 Jack L Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 The Persuasions The Persuasions Sing U2
Exit Exit is the 10th track of U2's Joshua Tree, released in 1987.
Year Covered by Album 2003 Anthrax Taking the Music Back
The Fly "The Fly" is the seventh song on U2's 1991 album, Achtung Baby and was released as the album's first single. It has been described as "the sound of four men chopping down the Joshua Tree." The song's subject is that of a phone call from someone in Hell who enjoys being there and telling the person on the other line what he has learned. "The Fly" was an introduction to the sonic and electronic experimentation that would dominate U2's 1990s work.
Year Covered by Album 1999 Absolute Rock A Tribute to the Greatest Hits of U2 2006 Peter Mulvey The Knuckleball Suite 2011 Gavin Friday AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered
Get on Your Boots "Get on Your Boots" is the lead single and sixth track from No Line on the Horizon.
Year Covered by Album 2009 Vitamin String Quartet The Vitamin String Quartet Performs U2's No Line on the Horizon 2009 The Wrecking A New Abolition (Special Edition)
Gloria "Gloria" was the second single and opening track from U2's 1981 album, October.
Year Covered by Album 2004 Audio Adrenaline In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa David Keen Still Strung Out on U2 2012 Kenna Non-album track
God Part II "God Part II" is the fourteenth track from U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. The song is a departure from the sound of the album's other studio recordings, and is an introduction to the darker sound the band would adopt for the release of their next album, Achtung Baby.
Year Covered by Album 1991 Katmandu Katmandu
Grace "Grace" is the final track from U2's 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind.
Year Covered by Album 2004 Nichole Nordeman In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa
Heartland "Heartland" is the thirteenth track from U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. Unlike the other studio tracks from the album, "Heartland" was left over from The Joshua Tree sessions.
Year Covered by Album 2005 Bell X1 Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" is a single by U2 from the Batman Forever soundtrack album, released in 1995. It was also included on the compilation album, The Best of 1990-2000. As well as all the covers, "Weird Al" Yankovic parodied the song as "Cavity Search" for his 1996 album Bad Hair Day.
Year Covered by Album 1997 The Countdown Singers Best of Today's Movie Hits 2002 The Brown Derbies Hybrid Cactus Jack DisCover 2004 Natur all
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is the second track from U2's 1987 album The Joshua Tree, and was released as the album's second single. The song grew from another song called "Under the Weather Girls", from which Larry Mullen Jr.'s drum track was used as a foundation. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is the most frequently covered U2 song.