U2 had a hit in 2014 with "The Miracle", a song dedicated to what vocalist?

U2’s 2014 hit “The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)” was dedicated to vocalist Joey Ramone. The song’s title directly names the late lead singer of the influential American punk band the Ramones, whose music profoundly affected U2.

Bono recalled seeing the Ramones perform in Dublin when U2 were still a young band. That experience helped convince the future members of U2 that a small, electrifying rock performance could change someone’s life. The song describes that feeling of sudden musical discovery and inspiration.

“The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)” opens U2’s 13th studio album, Songs of Innocence. U2 first performed it publicly at Apple’s product event in Cupertino on September 9, 2014, when the album was announced as a free digital release for iTunes customers.

A common mix-up is to identify the song as being about the Ramones generally or Marky Ramone, the band’s drummer. The dedication is specifically to Joey Ramone, whose real name was Jeffrey Hyman and who died in 2001.