Which U2 song was the band’s first US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single?

“With or Without You” was U2’s first US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single. Released in March 1987 as the lead single from The Joshua Tree, it topped the chart for three weeks.

The song was built around Adam Clayton’s repetitive bass line, Larry Mullen Jr.’s steady drums, The Edge’s atmospheric guitar textures, and Bono’s vocal performance. Producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois helped shape its spacious, gradually intensifying sound.

The single followed U2’s growing success in the United States but marked a new level of mainstream reach. It also became the group’s first US Top 10 single, reaching number one in several other countries. The song’s video used stark black-and-white imagery and close-ups of the band.

“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” another single from The Joshua Tree, also reached number one in the United States. “One” was highly influential but did not top the US Hot 100.