U2's 360 Tour is Top Act of North America in 2009

Despite selling only 1 million copies of their new album "No Line On The Horizon" in the U.S. and selling less tickets than is normally the case for a U2 tour (blame it on the economy), a new list compiled by Pollstar names U2's 360 Tour as the number 1 act in North America in 2009.

The first American leg of the tour, on which the poll is based, encompassed only 20 dates. More are scheduled for 2010- and a few of them are already sold out, according to the band's official website www.u2.com. These are considered the year's hottest tickets, and no wonder! For it has been historical on many levels. From the biggest ever stage in rock history to the first stage which allows for the filling of every single seat in a stadium to the debut live performance of an obscure 17 year old song, much loved by the fan-base, called "Your Blue Room" to the U2 camp meeting their goal of zero carbon emmissions for the entire tour despite a record amount of trucks involved in transporting the set up to the first full concert streamed live on Youtube.com (Rose Bowl, October 25, 2009). It was also the first time U2 played Zagreb Croatia, Istanbul Turkey, and Estonia. They also played a concert at the Brandenburg Gate to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

But number 1 gig is not the only honor recently given to U2. "Rolling Stone" magazine has made "No Line On The Horizon" their album of the year and "Moment of Surrender" their song of the year. They have also been nominated for three Grammy awards. 'No Line on the Horizon' is nominated for 'Best Rock Album' - up against albums from Green Day, AC/DC, Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood and The Dave Matthews Band. 'I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight' is nominated twice: for 'Best Rock Song' (up against Green Day, Kings of Leon, Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam) and for 'Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals' (along with Coldplay, Green Day, Kings of Leon and Clapton/Winwood).The Grammys are scheduled for January 31, 2010. And a stripped down version of the song "Winter" is nominated for a Golden Globe in the 'Best Original Song-Motion Picture' category (it is found in the Jim Sheridan film "Brothers" as is the U2 classic "Bad". The film stars Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Natalie Portman.)

U2 is still going full-steam ahead. They have released "Artificial Horizon", a limited edition remix album only available to new subscribers to their website. They have also been talking about releasing a part 2 to "No Line", as it were, (just as "Zooropa" was part 2 of "Achtung Baby") to be called "Songs of Ascent" which they are reported to be working on during the break between the 2009 and 2010 legs of the tour. Tireless- yes. Speechlessly amazing- yes, yes.

Although originally disappointed by the initial reaction to "No Line" (Bono said in a "Rolling Stone" interview that "sometimes our fans are not as groovy as we'd like."), surely the stream of accolades will help U2 to rethink that disappointment. Yes, they gambled and went back to the sexy Moroccan/club sound of the early 1990s with a decidely new twist. It is paying off.