“I’m looking for The Boss,” is what Bono had to say at his own Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. Bruce Springsteen then walked onstage and gave the U2 frontman one of the most iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame performances of all time by dueting on U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” The U2 performance before The Boss walked on was already a masterpiece. When Bono is in one of those special moments like this, he’s the king of giving it the gravitas and power it deserves.
Needless to say, when The Boss walked out, it took it to a whole other level. The chemistry that Bono, The Edge, and The Boss had as a vocal trio was really something. Beyond the musical elements, the brotherhood that U2 and Bruce shared throughout the performance made it feel really touching. The Music Man has to say that it’s no surprise that this became one of the most-viewed performances in the history of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The song choice was also really perfect for this moment.
U2 and Bruce’s performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drew 17.7 million views. This made it the 10th-most popular performance in the history of the event. Fans loved the collab and added comments such as “Bruce killed it with this song! I love how the band embraces him and Bono walks off at the end. Chills…” and “When The Boss comes on and begins to sing, Bono stands there staring at him in awe. It brings a tear to my eye – two legends of any era! One of the best tracks ever written!”
U2 sure have a knack for pulling in favors from A-listers in the music biz. One of the greatest U2 moments came when The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger joined the band on stage at Madison Square Garden. Seeing Mick steal the whole darn show from the first word with his natural rizz was really something. It’s not often Bono gets outshined in the frontman department. Needless to say, the vocal duo that Bono and Mick delivered here was totally smoking!
The Music Man readers may recall that U2 were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on March 14, 2005. In addition to performing with the Irish rockers, Bruce Springsteen gave the induction speech for the band. U2 performed four songs during their induction set, with The Boss being the only guest artist for the set. Bruce and U2, particularly Bono, are close friends, and have collaborated onstage a number of times over the years.