With great sweat and tears put into the performance, they won the contest, earning a £500 prize. Hayden was beyond impressed and found potential for greatness in the band. U2 now had to realistically think of how they would make their music more mainstream and looked for a manager. (Chatterton 25).
U2's luck had turned into gold when Island Records decided to sign U2 to its first international contract in March 1980. The first album to come from that agreement was Boy, released in October of that year. The album offered a fresh, new sound that earned rave reviews in both the Irish and UK press. Bono's lyrics tackled subjects like faith, spirituality, and death. These types of subjects were generally avoided by even the most well known rock acts. U2's first tour outside the UK helped develop new fan bases in other parts of Europe and in the United States, where strong club shows helped propel Boy briefly onto the U.S. album charts. (Jackson 44).
U2's second album still wouldn't place them anywhere noteworthy in the public's eyes. Their album, "October- was released in 1981 and was thought of as scattered. It is at times criticized due to the amount of Christian belief put into the album. At the time, the music of that year was all refreshing and not much contemplating about anything other than love or having fun. Bono decided there had to be a way to incorporate his ideas into his songs and still remain true to his reasons for wanting to be a singer: to convey as much truth to people as he can. (htttp://www.u2.com).
Their third album, War would make the music scene turn heads and finally notice U2 for their worth. The band decided to pander the public with keyboard-based songs and strong drumbeats but also including political messages. The first song released off of the album was " Sunday Bloody Sunday-. This song is a staple of the oppression of Northern Irish people but he wasn't trying to oppose government but make people aware.