What year was the U2 album "War" released?

U2 released the album “War” in 1983. The Irish band’s third studio album first appeared on February 28, 1983, through Island Records, after being recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin during late 1982.

“War” marked a major change in U2’s public identity. Their first two albums, “Boy” and “October,” focused more on adolescence, spirituality, and personal concerns; “War” took a sharper political direction. Songs such as “Sunday Bloody Sunday” addressed the violence associated with Northern Ireland, while “New Year’s Day” was influenced by the Polish Solidarity movement.

The album was produced by Steve Lillywhite, who had also worked on the band’s first two records. Its direct sound and political themes helped U2 break into the mainstream. “War” became the group’s first number-one album in the United Kingdom, replacing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” at the top of the chart.

The album also launched the War Tour, during which U2 moved from clubs and halls into larger arenas. A later 2008 remaster introduced updated sound and additional material.