Boy (album)

{{about|the U2 album|the album by Lena Philipsson|Boy (Lena Philipsson album)|the album by 2hollis|Boy (2hollis album)}} {{Use British English|date=January 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Infobox album | name = Boy | type = studio | artist = U2 | cover = U2 Boy.png | alt = | released = {{Start date|1980|10|20|df=yes}} | recorded = July–September 1980 | studio = Windmill Lane (Dublin, Ireland) | genre = {{hlist|Post-punk|new wave<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/blog/post/thirteen-new-wave-album-classics |title=Thirteen New Wave Album Classics |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=May 7, 2023 |last=de Visé |first=Daniel}}</ref>}} | length = 42:52 | label = Island | producer = Steve Lillywhite | prev_title = Three | prev_year = 1979 | next_title = October | next_year = 1981 | misc = {{Extra album cover | header = North American cover | type = studio | cover = U2 Boy America.png | border = yes | alt = | caption = }} {{Singles | name = Boy | type = studio | single1 = A Day Without Me | single1date = 18 August 1980 | single2 = I Will Follow | single2date = 24 October 1980 }} }}

'''''Boy''''' is the debut studio album by the Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Steve Lillywhite and was released on 20 October 1980 by Island Records. ''Boy'' contains songs from the band's 40-song repertoire at the time, including two tracks that were re-recorded from their original versions on the group's debut release, the EP ''Three''.

''Boy'' was recorded from July to September 1980 at Dublin's Windmill Lane Studios, which became U2's chosen recording location during the 1980s. It was their first time working with Lillywhite, who employed non-standard production techniques, such as recording drummer Larry Mullen Jr. playing in a stairwell, and recording smashed bottles and cutlery skimmed against a spinning bicycle wheel.<ref name="mccorm96">McCormick (2006), pp. 96–100</ref> The band found Lillywhite to be very encouraging and creative, and he subsequently became a frequent producer of their recorded work. Thematically, the album's lyrics reflect on adolescence, innocence, and the passage into adulthood,<ref name="job66">Jobling (2014), pp. 65–68</ref> themes represented on its cover artwork through the photo of a young boy's face.<ref name="mccorm96"/>

''Boy'' received generally positive reviews and included one of U2's first singles to receive airplay on US radio, "I Will Follow". The release was followed by the band's first tour of continental Europe and the US, the Boy Tour.<ref name="de la Parra 2003, pp. 16–17">de la Parra (2003), pp. 16–17</ref> The album peaked on the UK chart at number 52 in August 1981 and in the US at number 63. In 2003, ''Boy'' was ranked 417th on ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". In 2008, a remastered edition of the record was released.

==Background== [[File:Steve_Lillywhite_during_interview.jpg|thumb|left|Steve Lillywhite produced ''Boy'', as well as U2's subsequent two albums.]] Originally, ''Boy'' was slated to be produced by Martin Hannett, an in-demand producer at that time for his critically acclaimed work with Joy Division. Hannett had produced U2's first single with Island Records, "11 O'Clock Tick Tock", but the band did not enjoy working with him, and the prospect of him producing the album was abandoned by Island due to the band's objections.<ref name="uncut-earlyyears">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/features/u2-the-early-years-there-was-a-presence-a-magnetism-4226|title=U2 – the early years: 'There was a presence, a magnetism...'|magazine=Uncut|first=Stephen|last=Dalton|date=December 1999|issue=31|access-date=1 January 2019}}</ref> Hannett was also severely affected by the May 1980 suicide of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, the distress of which temporarily impaired his ability to work.<ref name="uncut-earlyyears"/><ref name="mcc56">McCormick (2006), pp. 56, 58, 96</ref> Island A&R representative Nick Stewart said: "Martin by that stage was unwell; he seemed to be suffering from a little overdose of one thing or another."<ref name="uncut-earlyyears"/>

Looking for a replacement producer, Island sent a copy of U2's first release, the EP ''Three'' (1979), to Steve Lillywhite to gauge his interest in working with them.<ref name="u2iknow">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.hotpress.com/features/interviews/The-U2-Covers--No-33-The-U2-I-Know--By-Steve-Lillywhite/20387545.html|title=The U2 I Know|magazine=Hot Press|first=Steve|last=Lillywhite|author-link=Steve Lillywhite|date=29 June 2005|access-date=19 July 2017|volume=29|issue=12}}</ref> Listening to the record, he "liked the voice" but thought "it didn't sound very good". Before deciding whether to work with the group, he wanted to see them perform live to figure out a potential creative approach he could take in studio. After visiting Ireland to attend a concert of theirs at a small school hall, Lillywhite was convinced to come on board, thinking, "Oh my God, there's something about this". He subsequently agreed to produce a single for them, "A Day Without Me".<ref name="lillywhite-hp-80-00-20">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.hotpress.com/music/interview-steve-lillywhite-on-u2-boy-and-all-that-you-cant-leave-behind-22832605|title=Interview: Steve Lillywhite On U2, Boy, and All That You Can't Leave Behind|magazine=Hot Press|volume=44|issue=11|first=Pat|last=Carty|date=18 November 2020|access-date=20 November 2020}}</ref> Although the song failed to chart,<ref name="mcg32">McGee (2008), p. 32</ref> U2 found they could work amicably with Lillywhite and agreed to have him produce their debut studio album.<ref name="u2iknow"/>

==Recording== ''Boy'' was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin from July to September 1980.<ref name="mcg32"/><ref name="pluck-irish">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.atu2.com/news/u2-pluck-of-the-irish.html|title=U2: Pluck of the Irish|magazine=Trouser Press|first=Jim|last=Green|date=March 1982|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201130030109/https://www.atu2.com/news/u2-pluck-of-the-irish.html|archive-date=30 November 2020|via=atu2.com|url-status=dead}}</ref> Lillywhite was displeased with how the "A Day Without Me" single had sounded, particularly the drums, and decided to change how he recorded the band for the rest of the album. He found Windmill Lane Studios to be "very, very dead sounding" and thought it was more conducive to capturing quiet recordings of folk music than the energy of rock music;<ref name="lillywhite-hp-80-00-20"/> engineer Kevin Moloney concurred, calling the studio a "late '70s design, a very wooden dead kind of room".<ref name="job66"/> At that stage in his career, Lillywhite was interested in capturing "3D sound" that conveyed a perspective to the recording. While walking through the stone-walled reception area of the studio, he was impressed with how the space sounded and decided to record drummer Larry Mullen Jr.'s drum kit in the area's stairwell.<ref name="lillywhite-hp-80-00-20"/> Using microphones hung from the ceiling at the top of the stairwell,<ref name="mccorm96"/> Lillywhite recorded what he described as "this wonderful clattery sound". They had to wait until the studio's receptionist went home in the evenings to record the drums, as the phone rang during the day. Even in the evenings, they were not allowed to disable the phone's ringer, resulting in it occasionally interrupting recording in the middle of a take.<ref name="U2's producer reveals studio secrets">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7511370.stm|title=U2's producer reveals studio secrets|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|first=Mark|last=Savage|date=18 July 2008|access-date=24 December 2016}}</ref> Mullen found the arrangement strange at first, as he was still acclimating to working with his bandmates together in a studio when Lillywhite set him up separate from the others.<ref name="mccorm96"/>

Lillywhite employed a creative, experimental approach as the producer, recording smashed bottles and silverware skimmed against a spinning bicycle wheel for sound effects.<ref name="job66"/> The band found him to be very encouraging; lead vocalist Bono called him "such a breath of fresh air", while guitarist the Edge said he "had a great way of pulling the best out of everybody".<ref name="mccorm96"/> The group's rhythm section struggled to keep time at that stage in their career, forcing Lillywhite and Moloney to spend extensive amounts of time at night splicing tape of the multi-track recordings to create drum loops that would be in time. Lillywhite recorded several bass parts played by Adam Clayton in order to teach Clayton the bassline that he ultimately wanted to be played. The approach necessitated Clayton recording many overdubs.<ref name="job66"/> With the band members still inexperienced at that point and manager Paul McGuinness giving them autonomy in their music-making process, Lillywhite speculated that he had more influence over the sound of ''Boy'' than any other producer of any other U2 album.<ref name="lillywhite-hp-80-00-20"/>

Some of the songs, including "An Cat Dubh" and "The Ocean", were written and recorded at the studio. Many of the songs were taken from the band's 40-song repertoire at the time, including "Stories for Boys", "Out of Control" and "Twilight".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Kings of the Celtic Fringe|magazine=NME|first=Gavin|last=Martin|date=14 February 1981}}</ref> Without much studio time, the band quickly recorded each song, before spending a few hours on overdubs and moving onto the next song. Bono had not finalized his lyrics prior to the recording sessions; during the group's earlier live performances, he often changed lyrics from concert to concert, owing to his lack of interest in lyric writing. The procrastination forced him to finish missing couplets in the studio while his bandmates were busy recording guitars and percussion.<ref name="mccorm96"/> Bono was displeased with the vocal performances that he gave in the studio when wearing headphones, and as a result, he changed his approach to sing into a handheld microphone in the control room while listening to playback of the music at high volume. After about six takes of each song, Lillywhite would edit together a composite vocal track of the best parts, after which Bono would listen back and replicate the results by singing another six takes.<ref name="job66"/>

==Composition and songwriting== The Edge recorded all the songs using his Gibson Explorer guitar,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.atu2.com/news/on-the-edge-of-success.html|title=On the Edge of Success|magazine=U2 Magazine |issue=3 |date=May 1982|first=Tom |last=Nolan|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201014213507/https://www.atu2.com/news/on-the-edge-of-success.html|archive-date=14 October 2020|via=atu2.com|url-status=dead}}</ref> and he drew inspiration from music he was listening to at the time, including Television and early Siouxsie and the Banshees.<ref>Morley, Paul. ''Boy'' remastered 2008 Liner Notes, Mercury Records Ltd (London), ASIN: B0013LPS6Q</ref> When asked by Elvis Costello about the band's musical influences at the time, the Edge explained: "I think we were influenced a lot by music that was rooted in Europe, the German sort of sensibility, the music of Neu! and Kraftwerk, which was about a different sort of way of using chord changes and a sort of nihilistic approach to the backbeat", "and the UK bands", "like [Siouxsie and] the Banshees, probably Echo & the Bunnymen" "and Magazine".<ref>{{citation |first=Elvis |last=Costello |title=Spectacle: Elvis Costello with Bono and The Edge of U2|publisher=Sundance Channel |date=9 December 2009}}</ref>

The album's theme is the psychological nature of the transition of adolescence from childhood to manhood, with lyrics and atmospheric music examining a dawn of sexuality ("An Cat Dubh"), the entry into adolescence ("Twilight"), mortality ("Out of Control"), the exile from one's past enforced by the passage of time ("Into the Heart"), mental disturbance ("The Electric Co.") and youthful ambition ("The Ocean"). "I Will Follow" focused on the trauma of the early death of Bono's mother when he was 14 years old. The album's lyrics contain several literary references. For example, "Shadows and Tall Trees" takes its name from a chapter title in the dystopian William Golding novel ''Lord of the Flies'', and "The Ocean" mentions Oscar Wilde's novel ''The Picture of Dorian Gray''.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

Music author and ambient historian Mark Prendergast writes that ''Boy'' has "an aquatic quality, contrasting anthemic rock songs with brooding instrumental passages of spray, fine drizzle and lapping waves".<ref name="Prendergast">{{cite book|first=Mark|last=Prendergast|title=The Ambient Century: From Mahler to Moby – The Evolution of Sound in the Electronic Age|publisher=Bloomsbury|location=New York, NY|year=2003|isbn=1-58234-323-3|page=359|chapter=Ambience in the Rock Era}}</ref> He further highlighted Lillywhite's addition of musique concrète sounds, namely milk bottles and scraped bicycle spokes, to "I Will Follow", and commented that the Edge's "unconventional approach" to his Gibson Explorer throughout the record "was to eschew blues influences for echoed chords and sustained harmonics. He used a system of two Vox amplifiers coupled to two Memory Man echo units linked to a switchbox connected to his guitar."<ref name="Prendergast" /> Music critic Mark Cooper reflected that "U2's sound seemed to have come out of nowhere"; he added that the album's "drive and exuberance belongs to punk", citing Mullen's crashing drums, the more glam-derived riffs of the Edge, and the chorus of "Stories for Boys" for their similarities with punk's "football terrace" sound, but commented that the band's "emotional palette" was distinct from punk: "Here was a music thriving on teenage spiritual awakenings with a musical approach that owed next to nothing to tradition."<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Cooper |first1=Mark |title=U2: Re-issues |magazine=Q|date=January 1992|issue=64 |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/u2-re-issues |access-date=29 March 2024|via=Rock's Backpages}}</ref>

==Artwork== The model boy on the cover is Peter Rowen, the younger brother of Guggi, Bono's friend and a former member of the Virgin Prunes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atu2.com/news/u2-interview-peter-rowen.html|title=@U2 Interview: Peter Rowen|website=atu2.com|first=Tassoula E.|last=Kokkoris|date=6 March 2006|access-date=24 April 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140316152337/http://www.atu2.com/news/u2-interview-peter-rowen.html|archive-date=16 March 2014}}</ref> Peter also appeared on the covers of ''Three'', ''War'', ''The Best of 1980–1990'', the unreleased ''Even Better than the Early Stuff'',<ref>''Stealing Hearts at a Travelling Show'' official U2 book, p. 101, 2003</ref> ''Early Demos'' and many singles. The photographer, Hugo McGuiness, and the sleeve designer, Steve Averill (a friend of Clayton), went on to work on several more U2 album covers.

For the American release and other international distributors, the album's cover image was changed,<ref name="porter-cover">{{cite web|url=https://www.u2songs.com/news/coverboy|title=Shadows and Tall Trees: The Alternate Cover for Boy|website=U2Songs.com|first1=Aaron J.|last1=Sams|first2=Don|last2=Morgan|date=19 October 2016|access-date=18 October 2019}}</ref> due to Island Records' fears that it could be perceived as pedophilic.<ref name="mcg41">McGee (2008), p. 41</ref> The label's in-house designer Bruno Tilley commissioned artist and photographer Sandy Porter to design the new cover. The two were given a very limited budget, precluding them from traveling to U2 and taking photos of them, leaving them with little choice but to use photos of the four band members from a prior shoot. Tilley visited Porter in London to collaborate on the cover. Porter's initial idea was to distort the images and create a "more graphic, stylised piece of artwork", leading to several experiments. These included: photocopying the images and pulling them during the scanning; using a photographic enlarger while moving the baseboard; and photographing the image prints using long exposure while moving them. The result of these processes gave Porter the "raw material" to continue, though some areas of the images did not distort well and were subsequently marked up with a black pen. Taking inspiration from the ''Lord of the Flies'' reference in the song "Shadows and Tall Trees", Porter selected four "rough and distorted images that had a feel how the sea washes and distorts marks in the sand". He then cut the images with a scalpel, spray mounted them, and further "copied, printed, touched up, recopied and printed" them onto high-contrast photographic paper.<ref name="porter-cover"/>

==Release== ''Boy'' was released on 20 October 1980 in the UK,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/u2-boy-35th-anniverary-classic-track-by-track-album-review-6737401/|title=U2's 'Boy' at 35: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review|magazine=Billboard|first=Kenneth|last=Partridge|date=20 October 2015|access-date=24 April 2017}}</ref> and 3 March 1981 in the US.<ref name="mcg41"/> The album reached number 52 in the UK. In the US, it peaked at number 63 on the ''Billboard'' 200, but after the success of U2's later material, it re-entered the American charts for a lengthier spell. In the band's native Ireland, the album reached number 13, and it placed highest in Canada at number 12. The original releases of ''Boy'' sold nearly 200,000 copies.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Henke|first=James |title=Blessed Are the Peacemakers|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=9 June 1983 |issue=397|page=13}}</ref>

"A Day Without Me" and "I Will Follow" were released as singles on 18 August<ref>{{cite web|first1= Aaron |last1= Sams |first2= Harry |last2= Kantas |title= U2 – "A Day Without Me" Single |publisher= U2songs.com |access-date= 22 April 2016 |url= http://www.u2songs.com/discography/u2_a_day_without_me_single}}</ref> and 24 October 1980,<ref>{{cite web|first1= Aaron |last1= Sams |first2= Harry |last2= Kantas |title= U2 – "I Will Follow" Single |publisher= U2songs.com |access-date= 24 October 2016 |url= http://www.u2songs.com/discography/i_will_follow_u2_single}}</ref> respectively. "I Will Follow" peaked at number 20 on the ''Billboard'' Top Tracks rock chart in the US,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1981/BB-1981-04-25.pdf|title=Billboard Rock Albums & Top Tracks|magazine=Billboard|date=25 April 1981|page=28|volume=93|issue=16|access-date=28 December 2016}}</ref> becoming a hit on college radio and establishing a buzz surrounding the group's debut.

The album's sexual overtones led to its enthusiastic acceptance in American gay clubs shortly after its release. Bono commented on this phenomenon, saying: "import copies got in and, as you know, in America a lot of music is broken in gay clubs and so we had a gay audience, a lot of people who were convinced the music was specifically for them. So there was a misconception if you like."<ref name=u21984>{{cite magazine|title=Bono Speaks|magazine=U2 Magazine |issue=10 |date=February 1984}}</ref>

In 2008, a remastered edition of ''Boy'' was released, featuring remastered tracks, along with B-sides and rarities. Three different formats of the remaster were made available. The artwork for the remastered editions of the album was standardised worldwide to that of the 1980 UK release. For Record Store Day 2020, in commemoration of its 40th anniversary, the album was reissued on white vinyl in a limited edition of 10,000 copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/record-store-day-black-friday-recommended-vinyl-limited-edition-lps-1234841059/|title=Record Store Day Gets in a Black Friday Groove With Aimee Mann, John Prine, U2, the Weeknd, Drive-By Truckers and More|website=Variety|first=Chris|last=Willman|date=27 November 2020|access-date=16 December 2020}}</ref>

==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | title = | rev1 = ''Hot Press'' | rev1score = 11/12<ref name="hp"/> | rev2 = ''The Muncie Evening Press'' | rev2score = 9/10<ref>{{cite news|title=Clapton's latest shows he's better at being mellow now|newspaper=The Muncie Evening Press|first=Rick|last=Shechik|date=11 April 1981|page=T-6}}</ref> | rev3 = ''Record Mirror'' | rev3score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/80s/80/Record-Mirror-1980-10-04.pdf|title=Essence of Ireland |magazine=Record Mirror |date=4 October 1980 |last=Westwood |first=Chris |author-link=Chris Westwood (author) |page=16|via=World Radio History}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Rolling Stone'' (Debra Rae Cohen) | rev4score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="rs-rev-drc"/> | rev5 = ''Rolling Stone'' (Dave Marsh) | rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="rs-rev-dm"/> | rev6 = ''Smash Hits'' | rev6score = {{frac|8|1|2}}/10<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Smash-Hits/1980/Smash-Hits-1980-10-16.pdf|title=U2: Boy (Island)|magazine=Smash Hits |volume=2 |issue=21 |date=16–29 October 1980 |last=Starr |first=Red |page=29|via=World Radio History}}</ref> | rev7 = ''Sounds'' | rev7score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="Sounds"/> | rev8 = ''The Village Voice'' | rev8score = C+<ref name="VV">{{cite news |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv4-81.php |title=Consumer Guide |newspaper=The Village Voice |date=30 March 1981 |access-date=20 June 2012 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau}} Revised from the originally published version at {{cite web |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=4059 |title=U2: ''Boy'' – Consumer Album Guide |publisher=RobertChristgau.com |access-date=30 December 2010}}</ref> }} ''Boy'' received generally favourable reviews. Paul Morley of ''NME'' called it "honest, direct and distinctive", adding that he found it "touching, precocious, full of archaic and modernist conviction".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Boy's own weepies |magazine=NME |date=25 October 1980 |last=Morley |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Morley}}</ref> Betty Page of ''Sounds'' said that they "achieved a rare mixture of innocence and aggression", and described the album as "an overall feeling of loving care and energy intertwined with simplistic and direct hooks and chords".<ref name="Sounds">{{cite magazine |title=Young poets of the year |magazine=Sounds |date=4 October 1980 |last=Page |first=Betty |page=37}}</ref> Lyndyn Barber from ''Melody Maker'' hailed it as a "rich" record, writing that "''Boy'' is more than just a collection of good tracks assembled in an arbitrary order", and that it had "youthful innocence and confusion".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=U2 Takes Us Over The Top |magazine=Melody Maker |date=4 October 1980 |last=Barber |first=Lyndyn}}</ref> Robin Denselow of ''The Guardian'' wrote that it was a "strong debut album", praising Lillywhite for helping U2 improve since a live show that the reviewer attended. Denselow said the group succeeded at their goal of achieving a balance of "power and sensitivity" and said the record "only needs slightly stronger melodies to be very impressive indeed".<ref>{{cite news|title=Stevie Wonder returns to hot form|newspaper=The Guardian|first=Robin|last=Denselow|author-link=Robin Denselow|date=12 November 1980|page=10}}</ref> ''Time Out''{{'}}s critic Ian Birch hailed ''Boy'' as a "timely" album and said, "Firing off a tradition laid down by the likes of Magazine, [Siouxsie and] the Banshees and Joy Division, U2 have injected their own brand of grace and sinewy spaciousness to create a romanticism exactly right for those who sport chunky riffs and mackintoshes".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=U2: Boy |magazine=Time Out |date=1 November 1980 |last=Birch |first=Ian}}</ref> Declan Lynch of Irish magazine ''Hot Press'' remarked that he found ''Boy'' "almost impossible to react negatively to".<ref name="hp">{{cite magazine|url=http://hotpress.com/archive/492357.html|title=Boy|magazine=Hot Press|first=Declan|last=Lynch|date=10–24 October 1980|access-date=13 October 2011|volume=4|issue=10}}</ref> K.R. Walston of the ''Albuquerque Journal'' said that U2 "knows how to nurse a listener along, toying with tempo and chord structures just enough to sound original but not overly avant garde". The review concluded, "the future shines brightly for bands like this".<ref>{{cite news|title=U2 Has Different Sound, but Basics Shine Through|newspaper=Albuquerque Journal|first=K.R.|last=Walston|date=22 February 1981|page=D3}}</ref> In ''Musician'', journalist David Fricke called ''Boy'' a "brilliant, exhilarating record: eleven intense, yet articulate outbursts of song that together stand as the '80s answer to ''My Generation''".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Musician/1980/1981/Musician-1981-04.pdf|title=Rock Short Takes: U2 – Boy (Island)|magazine=Musician|first=David|last=Fricke|author-link=David Fricke|date=April 1981|page=82|issue=32|access-date=18 June 2025|via=World Radio History}}</ref>

Terry Atkinson of the ''Los Angeles Times'' called ''Boy'' a "subtly ravishing first album, by turns pretty, propulsive, playful and irresistably catchy", while further describing it as "supple and melodic, but tough and vital as well". Atkinson believed that the lyrics had "occasionally trite or vague passages" but were transcended by Bono's "heartfelt, soaring vocals".<ref>{{cite news|title=Pop Album Briefs|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|first=Terry|last=Atkinson|date=8 March 1981|at=section Calendar, p. 93}}</ref> Sean McAdam of ''The Boston Globe'' described it as "a hypnotic album with nuance" that he "recommended without a bit of reservation". He praised Lillywhite's production for creating an "eerie ambience" and said of the band, "U2 have the musical chops, a compelling vocalist... and most importantly 4-minute pop songs that sound at once concise and infectious".<ref>{{cite news|title=U2: Boy: Island|newspaper=The Boston Globe|first=Sean|last=McAdam|date=5 March 1981|at=section Calendar, p. 6}}</ref> Scot Anderson of the ''Iowa City Press-Citizen'' called ''Boy'' "an album that, while flawed, shows the potential of the band". Anderson thought certain songs were too long or too short, but believed U2 distinguished themselves from their peers with their spirit and humanity, making "a most refreshing splash in the New Wave".<ref>{{cite news|title=''Boy'' U2 (Warner Brothers)|newspaper=Iowa City Press-Citizen|first=Scot|last=Anderson|date=28 February 1981|page=12D}}</ref> Dave Marsh of ''Rolling Stone'' said the record's music was "unpretentious and riveting" and called U2 "easily the best Irish rock band since Van Morrison's original Them troupe". He also lauded Lillywhite for his "always spearheaded production".<ref name="rs-rev-dm">{{cite news|title=New Dury album's rich style evokes best of British rock|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|first=Dave|last=Marsh|author-link=Dave Marsh|date=22 March 1981|page=7E}}</ref> In a separate review for ''Rolling Stone'', Debra Rae Cohen found the band skilled and likeable while crediting Lillywhite for helping them "blend echoes of several of Britain's more adventurous bands into a sound that's rich, lively and comparatively commercial." Overall, she believed the album did not live up to the high standard set by the opening track "I Will Follow", finding most of it "diffuse and uneven".<ref name="rs-rev-drc">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/boy-19810416 |title=Boy |magazine=Rolling Stone |issue=341 |date=16 April 1981 |access-date=15 May 2005 |last=Cohen |first=Debra Rae |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070604165108/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/u2/albums/album/260662/review/5946169/boy |archive-date=4 June 2007}}</ref> More critical was Robert Christgau, who dismissed the album in his "Consumer Guide" column for ''The Village Voice'': "Their youth, their serious air, and their guitar sound are setting a small world on fire, and I fear the worst."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-28-ca-4548-story.html|title=A Guide, Gossip, a Glimpse of Glory: MIXED MEDIA: A SPECIAL BOOKS EDITION: 'CHRISTGAU'S RECORD GUIDE: THE '80S' By Robert Christgau Pantheon Books|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|last=Hilburn|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Hilburn|date=28 October 1990|access-date=26 August 2018}}</ref> The album finished in 18th place on the "Best Albums" list from ''The Village Voice''{{'}}s 1981 Pazz & Jop critics' poll.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres81.php |title=The 1981 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll |newspaper=The Village Voice |date=1 February 1980 |access-date=11 March 2011}}</ref>

==Boy Tour== thumb|Bono and the Edge performing on the Boy Tour in May 1981 Following the album's release, U2 embarked on the Boy Tour, their first concert tour of continental Europe and the US.<ref name="de la Parra 2003, pp. 16–17"/> Despite being unpolished, these early live performances demonstrated the band's potential, as critics complimented their ambition and Bono's exuberance.<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite news|title=A New Sound Under Pressure|newspaper=The Boston Globe|first=Steve|last=Morse|date=7 March 1981}}|{{cite news|title=U2: Aiming for Number 1|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Boo|last=Browning|date=27 February 1981|page=WK39}}|{{cite magazine|url=http://www.hotpress.com/music/interviews/U2-COULD-BE-IN-LA/549120.html|title=U2 Could Be in L.A.|magazine=Hot Press|first=Charlie|last=McNally|date=17 April – 1 May 1981|volume=5|issue=7|access-date=3 January 2017}}|{{cite news|title=U2: Intriguing New Band Explodes on the American Scene|newspaper=Orange County Register|first=C.P.|last=Smith|date=23 March 1981}}}}</ref> On an otherwise successful American leg of the tour, Bono's briefcase containing in-progress lyrics and musical ideas (which were intended for the group's second album, ''October'') was lost backstage during a March 1981 performance at a nightclub in Portland, Oregon.<ref name="mccorm113">McCormick (2006), pp. 113–120</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/history/2016/03/u2_portland_stolen_briefcase_h.html|title=How U2, a Portland bar and a missing briefcase altered music history (photos)|work=OregonLive.com|publisher=Advance Internet|first=Joseph|last=Rose|date=22 March 2016|access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref> {{Clear}}

== Legacy == {{Music ratings | title = Retrospective professional ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/boy-mw0000192151 |title=Boy – U2 |website=AllMusic |access-date=28 December 2010 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}</ref> | rev2 = ''The Austin Chronicle'' | rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="austin">{{cite news |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2001-03-30/u2-boy-island-boy/ |title=U2: Boy (Island) |newspaper=The Austin Chronicle |date=30 March 2001 |access-date=7 February 2011 |last=Moser |first=Margaret |author-link=Margaret Moser}}</ref> | rev3 = ''The A.V. Club'' | rev3score = A<ref name="avclub">{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/u2-1798204627 |title=U2 |website=The A.V. Club |date=28 July 2008 |access-date=24 September 2015 |last=Hyden |first=Steven |author-link=Steven Hyden}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Chicago Tribune'' | rev4score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}<ref name="Kot">{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-09-06-9203210404-story.html |title=You, Too, Can Hear The Best Of U2 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=6 September 1992 |access-date=17 November 2020 |last=Kot |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Kot}}</ref> | rev5 = ''Entertainment Weekly'' | rev5score = B<ref name="EW">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/1991/11/29/u2s-discography |title=U2's Discography |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=29 November 1991 |access-date=24 September 2015 |last=Wyman |first=Bill}}</ref> | rev6 = ''Mojo'' | rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Mojo2008">{{cite magazine |title=U2: Boy |magazine=Mojo |issue=177 |date=August 2008 |page=121}}</ref> | rev7 = ''Pitchfork'' | rev7score = 8.3/10<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12022-boy-october-war/ |title=U2: Boy / October / War |website=Pitchfork |date=24 July 2008 |access-date=30 December 2010 |last=Tangari |first=Joe}}</ref> | rev8 = ''Q'' | rev8score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Q2008">{{cite magazine |title=U2: Boy |magazine=Q |issue=265 |date=August 2008 |page=151}}</ref> | rev9 = ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'' | rev9score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=U2 |last1=Considine |first1=J. D. |author-link1=J. D. Considine |last2=Brackett |first2=Nathan |author-link2=Nathan Brackett |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |editor2-link=Christian Hoard |publisher=Simon & Schuster |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/833 833–34]}}</ref> | rev10 = ''Spin Alternative Record Guide'' | rev10score = 6/10<ref name="spin">{{cite book |chapter=U2 |last=Powers |first=Ann |author-link=Ann Powers |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide |editor1-last=Weisbard |editor1-first=Eric |editor1-link=Eric Weisbard |editor2-last=Marks |editor2-first=Craig |publisher=Vintage Books |year=1995 |isbn=0-679-75574-8 |pages=422–24}}</ref> }}

In 2003, ''Boy'' was included at number 417 on ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". The magazine wrote, "Too ingenuous for punk, too unironic for new wave, U2 arrived on ''Boy'' as big-time dreamers with the ambition to back it up."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6626798/417_boy |title=Boy: U2|magazine=Rolling Stone |first1=Pat|last1=Blashill|first2=Anthony|last2=DeCurtis|author2-link=Anthony DeCurtis|first3=Ben|last3=Edmonds|display-authors=etal|date=11 December 2003|issue=937|page=164 |access-date=4 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421115320/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6626798/417_boy |archive-date=21 April 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2006, ''Uncut'' ranked the album at number 59 on its list of the "100 Greatest Debut Albums".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=100 Greatest Debut Albums |magazine=Uncut |issue=111 |date=August 2006}}</ref> It was ranked as the seventh-best U2 album in a 2017 list by ''Newsweek''{{'}}s Zach Schonfeld, who also called it "a U2 album without the ego" and the "preaching or presumptions of saving the world" that plagued them in the future.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newsweek.com/songs-experience-u2-bono-joshua-tree-achtung-728021 |title=What Is the Best U2 Album? Every Record Ranked From 'Boy' to 'Songs of Experience' |website=Newsweek |date=5 December 2017 |access-date=17 November 2018 |last=Schonfeld |first=Zach}}</ref> In 2020, ''Rolling Stone'' included ''Boy'' in their "80 Greatest albums of 1980" list, praising the band for creating "an incredible collection of songs steeped in lost innocence and apprehensions about entering the adult world."<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-1980-1075743/|title=The 80 Greatest Albums of 1980 What came out of all this was, arguably, the greatest year for great albums ever|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=11 November 2020 |access-date=12 November 2020}}</ref> In ''The Austin Chronicle'', Margaret Moser recalled the popularity of ''Boy'' in Austin amidst the closures and decline of local music clubs: "The newer, hipper Club Foot was a beacon, and we danced away the summer on its cement floor to U2. ''Boy'' was a glimmer of hope in the approaching darkness of the Reagan years". In her opinion, the record was "a shout disguised as a whisper, the calm before a storm", its musical formula foreshadowing the band's subsequent success.<ref name="austin"/> Reviewing the 2008 reissue, ''Q'' appraised ''Boy'' as a remarkably ambitious debut, noting a distinct "adolescent energy" and "gauche charm" to the album,<ref name="Q2008"/> while ''Mojo'' said it retained its "palpable ardency" years after its release.<ref name="Mojo2008"/> According to Steven Hyden of ''The A.V. Club'', "''Boy'' showed U2 had a strong enough musical identity to command the world's attention from the very beginning".<ref name="avclub"/>

Some critics have been less impressed by the album in retrospect. Writing for ''Entertainment Weekly'', Bill Wyman found it "heady" but "erratic",<ref name="EW"/> while ''Chicago Tribune'' critic Greg Kot described the album as "callow post-punk that owes a lot to Joy Division and early Public Image Ltd."<ref name="Kot"/> According to Ann Powers in the ''Spin Alternative Record Guide'' (1995), the album "established what might be called [U2's] revelationary reputation, hints at the impulse toward faith (after all, its hit was 'I Will Follow'), but mostly communicates confusion of the adolescent variety."<ref name="spin"/> ''Uncut'' critic David Quantick was more negative in his reappraisal, recalling his enjoyment of the album in 1980 as a "rockier" contemporary of Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen, in spite of Bono's "preening" vocal performance, but upon listening to the reissue, felt "shock at how bad it is". He wrote: "Lilywhite's production is stunningly thin, Bono's voice is awful, the lyrics are dismal, and only the singles—the Ian Curtis-obsessed 'I Will Follow' and the great 'Out of Control'—stand up. The rest is awful prog noodling".<ref name="uncut">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/album/u2-reissues-boy-october-war |title=U2 – Reissues – Boy / October / War |magazine=Uncut |date=15 July 2008 |access-date=17 November 2018 |last=Quantick |first=David |author-link=David Quantick |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117233509/https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/album/u2-reissues-boy-october-war |archive-date=17 November 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2025, ''Radio X'' included the album in its list of "The 25 best indie debut albums of the 1980s".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The 25 best indie debut albums of the 1980s |url=https://www.radiox.co.uk/features/x-lists/best-indie-debut-albums-of-the-1980s/ |access-date=2025-09-09 |website=Radio X |language=en}}</ref>

''Boy'' is one of only three U2 albums from which every song has been performed live at least once. ''Boy'' held this distinction individually until 2017 when all songs from ''The Joshua Tree'' were performed live on the album's 30th anniversary tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.u2gigs.com/faq-4-Setlists.html|title=U2gigs.com - U2 Experience + Innocence Tour 2018|first1=Matthias Muehlbradt, Andre|last1=Axver|first2=Matthias Muehlbradt, Andre|last2=Axver|website=U2gigs.com}}</ref> {{Clear}}

==Track listing== {{track listing | all_writing = U2 | headline = Side one | title1 = I Will Follow | length1 = 3:40 | title2 = Twilight | length2 = 4:22 | title3 = {{lang|ga|An Cat Dubh|italic=no}} | length3 = 4:46 | title4 = Into the Heart | length4 = 3:27 | title5 = Out of Control | length5 = 4:12 }}

{{track listing | headline = Side two | title1 = Stories for Boys | length1 = 3:04 | title2 = The Ocean | length2 = 1:34 | title3 = A Day Without Me | length3 = 3:12 | title4 = Another Time, Another Place | length4 = 4:31 | title5 = The Electric Co. | length5 = 4:47 | title6 = Shadows and Tall Trees | length6 = 5:13 | note6 = contains brief instrumental, "Saturday Matinee", on some copies | total_length = 42:52 }}

Early vinyl and some cassette copies have an unlisted and untitled 30-second instrumental sample at the end of the album (following "Shadows and Tall Trees") of "Saturday Night", a song that would later become "Fire" on the 1981 record ''October''. It was dropped from most vinyl and all early CD versions, but was reinstated as an unlisted 12th track on the 2008 remastered edition of ''Boy'' and appeared in full for the first time as "Saturday Night" on the Deluxe Edition B-sides CD. The 30-second sample is now known as "Saturday Matinee" since the release of the album on online streaming services. Until the remastered release of ''Boy'', it was referred to as an early sample of the song "Fire".

Some pressings of the album, (mostly in North America) indexed the track length of "An Cat Dubh" and "Into the Heart" at 6:21 and 1:53, respectively. The 2008 remastered edition of the album reinstated the original European track lengths of 4:47 and 3:28. Early compact disc releases (West German-pressed and in a digipak) combined the two songs into a single track at 8:15, as did some US jewel-case versions (on the disc itself, but not on the packaging).

==2008 remastered edition== On 9 April 2008 U2.com confirmed that the band's first three albums (''Boy'', ''October'' and ''War'') would be re-released as newly remastered versions.<ref name="Remaster">{{cite web |url=http://www.u2.com/news/index.php?mode=full&news_id=2216 |title=Boy, October, War: Remastered |publisher=U2.com |date=9 April 2008 |access-date=9 April 2008}}</ref> The remastered ''Boy'' was released on 21 July 2008 in the UK, with the US version following it the next day. As with ''The Joshua Tree'', the cover artwork has been standardised to the original UK release. The remaster of ''Boy'' was released in three different formats:<ref name="Remaster"/> #'''Standard format''': A single CD with re-mastered audio and restored packaging. Includes a 16-page booklet featuring previously unseen photos, full lyrics and new liner notes by Paul Morley. The 11 tracks match the previous release of the album. #'''Deluxe format''': A standard CD (as above) and a bonus CD including b-sides, live tracks and rarities. Also includes a 32-page booklet with previously unseen photos, full lyrics, new liner notes by Paul Morley, and explanatory notes on the bonus material by the Edge. #'''Vinyl format''': A single album re-mastered version on 180&nbsp;gram vinyl with restored packaging.

===Bonus CD=== {{track listing | total_length = 52:26 | extra_column = Original release | all_writing = U2 | title1 = I Will Follow | note1 = Previously unreleased mix | extra1 = Previously unreleased | length1 = 3:38 | title2 = 11 O'Clock Tick Tock | note2 = Single version | extra2 = "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" single | length2 = 3:47 | title3 = Touch | note3 = Single version | extra3 = "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" single | length3 = 3:26 | title4 = Speed of Life | note4 = Instrumental | extra4 = Previously unreleased outtake from ''Boy'' sessions | length4 = 3:19 | title5 = Saturday Night | note5 = Early version of "Fire" | extra5 = Previously unreleased outtake from ''Boy'' sessions | length5 = 5:13 | title6 = Things to Make and Do | extra6 = "A Day Without Me" single | length6 = 2:17 | title7 = Out of Control | note7 = Single version | extra7 = ''Three'' EP | length7 = 3:53 | title8 = Boy-Girl | note8 = Single version | extra8 = ''Three'' EP | length8 = 3:23 | title9 = Stories for Boys | note9 = Single version | extra9 = ''Three'' EP | length9 = 2:42 | title10 = Another Day | note10 = Single version | extra10 = "Another Day" single | length10 = 3:28 | title11 = Twilight | note11 = Single version | extra11 = "Another Day" single | length11 = 4:35 | title12 = Boy-Girl | note12 = Live at The Marquee, London, 22 September 1980 | extra12 = "I Will Follow" single | length12 = 3:26 | title13 = 11 O'Clock Tick Tock | note13 = Live at The Marquee, London, 22 September 1980 | extra13 = Previously unreleased | length13 = 4:59 | title14 = Cartoon World | note14 = Live at The National Stadium, Dublin, 26 February 1980 | extra14 = Previously unreleased | length14 = 4:20 }}

==Personnel== Personnel taken from ''Boy'' liner notes,<ref name="album notes">{{cite AV media notes|title=Boy|others=U2|year=1980|publisher=Island Records|type=Vinyl}}</ref> except where noted.

'''U2''' *Bono – vocals, glockenspiel<ref name="pluck-irish"/> *The Edge – guitar, glockenspiel<ref name="pluck-irish"/> *Adam Clayton – bass *Larry Mullen Jr. – drums

'''Technical''' *Steve Lillywhite – producer, sound effects<ref name="job66"/> *Paul Thomas – engineer *Kevin Moloney – assistant engineer *John Dent – mastering *Bono – sleeve design, layout *Rapid Exteriors – sleeve design, layout *Hugh McGuinness – "Boy" photographs

== Charts == {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}

=== Weekly charts === {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col" | Chart (1980–1981) ! scope="col" | Peak<br> position |- !scope="row"|Australia (Kent Music Report)<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=317}}</ref> |35 |- {{album chart|Canada|12|artist=U2|album=Boy|rowheader=true|chartid=0338|access-date=19 November 2019}} |- {{album chart|New Zealand|13|artist=U2|album=Boy|rowheader=true|access-date=19 November 2019}} |- {{album chart|Sweden|38|artist=U2|album=Boy|rowheader=true|access-date=19 November 2019}} |- {{album chart|UK|52|artist=U2|album=Boy|rowheader=true|access-date=19 November 2019}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|63|artist=U2|rowheader=true|access-date=19 November 2019}} |}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col" | Chart (1982) ! scope="col" | Peak<br> position |- {{album chart|Netherlands|29|artist=U2|album=Boy|rowheader=true|access-date=19 November 2019}} |}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col" | Chart (2001) ! scope="col" | Peak<br> position |- {{album chart|Ireland2|13|artist=U2|rowheader=true|access-date=19 November 2019}} |}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col" | Chart (2008) ! scope="col" | Peak<br> position |- {{album chart|Flanders|60|artist=U2|album=Boy|rowheader=true|access-date=19 November 2019}} |- {{album chart|Wallonia|48|artist=U2|album=Boy|rowheader=true|access-date=19 November 2019}} |- {{album chart|Germany|89|artist=U2|album=Boy|id=6354|rowheader=true|access-date=19 November 2019}} |- {{album chart|Italy|36|artist=U2|album=Boy|rowheader=true|access-date=19 November 2019}} |- {{album chart|Spain|42|artist=U2|album=Boy|rowheader=true|access-date=19 November 2019}} |}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col" | Chart (2020) ! scope="col" | Peak<br> position |- {{album chart|Portugal|38|artist=U2|album=Boy|rowheader=true|access-date=19 November 2022}} |} {{col-2}}

===Singles=== {|class="wikitable" |- ! rowspan="2"|Year ! rowspan="2"|Song ! colspan="6"|Peak |- ! width="50"|<small>NZ<br /><ref name="Ultratop">{{cite web |url=http://www.ultratop.be/en/search.asp?cat=s&lang=nl&search=U2# |title=1ste Ultratop-hitquiz |publisher=Ultratop |access-date=23 January 2010}}</ref></small> ! width="50"|<small>US Hot 100<br /><ref name="Allmusic Chart">{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p5723/charts-awards/billboard-albums|pure_url=yes}} |title=U2: Charts and Awards |work=Allmusic |access-date=23 January 2010}}</ref></small> ! width="50"|<small>US Main Rock<br /><ref name="Allmusic Chart" /></small> |- |1981 |rowspan=2|"I Will Follow" |align="center"|34 |align="center"|— |align="center"|20 |- |1984 |align="center"|— |align="center"|81 |align="center"|— |- |align="center" colspan="5" style="font-size: 8pt"| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. |- |} {{col-end}}

== Certifications == {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=album|title=Boy|artist=U2|award=Gold|relyear=1980|certyear=1996}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|title=Boy|artist=U2|award=Platinum|relyear=1980}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=album|title=Boy|artist=U2|award=Gold|relyear=1980|certyear=1992|source=infodisc}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|title=Boy|artist=U2|award=Gold|relyear=1980|id=1034-263-2}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|title=Boy|artist=U2|award=Platinum|relyear=1980}} {{Certification Table Bottom}}

==See also== *U2 discography

==References==

'''Footnotes''' {{Reflist|30em}}

'''Bibliography''' {{refbegin}} * {{cite book|last=de la Parra|first=Pimm Jal|year=2003|title=U2 Live: A Concert Documentary|publisher=Omnibus Press|location=London|edition=Updated|isbn=0-7119-9198-7}} * {{cite book|last=Jobling|first=John|title=U2: The Definitive Biography|publisher=Thomas Dunne Books|location=New York|year=2014|isbn=978-1-250-02789-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/u2definitivebiog0000jobl}} * {{cite book|last=McGee|first=Matt|title=U2: A Diary|publisher=Omnibus Press|location=London|year=2008|isbn=978-1-84772-108-2}} * {{cite book|author=U2|editor1-first=Neil|editor1-last=McCormick|editor1-link=Neil McCormick|title=U2 by U2|url=https://archive.org/details/u2byu200u2ne|url-access=registration|publisher=HarperCollins|location=London|year=2006|isbn=0-00-719668-7}} {{refend}}

==External links== *[https://www.u2.com/music/albums/4003 ''Boy''] on U2.com *{{Discogs master}}

{{U2}} {{U2 songs}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boy (Album)}} Category:U2 albums Category:1980 debut albums Category:Island Records albums Category:Albums produced by Steve Lillywhite Category:1980 in Irish music