U2’s 1983 album that includes “Sunday Bloody Sunday” is War.
War was U2’s third studio album and was released on 28 February 1983. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, it followed Boy and October and marked a more politically direct phase in the band’s songwriting. Its opening track, “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” addresses the violence associated with the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
The album also contains “New Year’s Day,” one of U2’s best-known early songs. Because both tracks became major parts of the band’s live repertoire, listeners sometimes associate them with later compilations or concert releases rather than with War itself. The album’s stark cover features Peter Rowen, who also appeared on the cover of Boy.
War reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, giving U2 its first UK chart-topping album. It helped establish the band internationally before The Unforgettable Fire expanded its sound in 1984.