U2

From about ages 16-40, I was a huge U2 fan.  Between 1987 to 2001, I saw them perform live 17 times, on three entirely separate coasts (Atlantic East coast and both sides of the Pacific).  Of course, when I heard Bono get up and say during their performance at Obama's first inauguration, "Free Palestine", that all changed.  I still enjoy listening to their songs when I hear them on the radio, but have since you might say "amicably parted ways".

The reason I bring them up is something I remember Bono once saying in an interview years ago.  Throughout the first half of the 1980's, before the big Joshua Tree breakthrough, U2, although popular around the world really by the time War came out, were never until then a mainstream Top 40 band.  It seemed also as if both they and their fans preferred it that way.

Soon after The Joshua Tree was released in 1987, and both the album and first single ("With or Without You") began racing up the charts, Bono gave an interview -- basically I think the question that was asked was something along the lines of -- "You guys for years were thought of as the biggest alternative cult band in the world.  Now you're experiencing true pop stardom.  Is this what you were striving for all along, and is this what you really wanted?"

His answer to this question is something I've thought of quite often.  Bono said "For sure, we always wanted to be the band with the big pop hits and our name mentioned in the mainstream.  But in order to do that, we always said that it would have to be on our terms - not anybody else's."

I always liked that quote -- too bad that him and I are now combatants on the political spectrum (as one Facebook friend of mine said when I talked about what he said at Obama's inauguration - "he's Irish and is practically the godfather of Amnesty International...not at all surprised).  But that's what is called sticking to a plan and sticking up for what you believe in.