Dublin city centre record stores opened their doors at midnight last night to sell the first copies of U2's new album, which went on worldwide release today.
The Best Of U2 1980-1990 is expected to become the year's biggest-selling album in Ireland, and should nicely top up U2's career total of 75 million record sales. Queues began to form outside HMV in Grafton Street and Virgin Megastore in Aston Quay at around 8.30 p.m. yesterday. Business was also brisk at Tower Records in Wicklow Street and Golden Discs in Grafton Street.
Aidan Barkley (28), from Shannon, and Dave Farrell (38), from Ballymun, were at the head of the queue at HMV, and were rewarded with a framed photograph of U2's recent public appearance in Dublin on behalf of Amnesty.
Virgin Megastore had the longest queue, around 300, all eager to get the limited edition copy which features U2's biggest hits from the 1980s, plus a bonus CD of b-sides. The first 150 in the door were also given a limited edition poster, featuring the famous U2 mascot, a young Pete Rowan wearing a soldier's helmet.
"You've got the youngsters who are catching up on early U2, the collectors who buy up everything by the band, and the old fans who've been living with these songs through the years," said Brian Wynne of Record Services, which have shipped more than 100,000 copies of the album to record stores around the State. This was the biggest-ever shipment in Irish music history, said Mr Wynne, who expected the limited edition to sell out within a couple of weeks. "I think without a doubt it'll be the biggest album this year."
Lynne Fitzgerald, of Brookham PR, U2's publicists, said the album will be a popular Christmas gift choice. "The U2 album and the Titanic video will be the two big entertainment purchases this season."
John Scully (26), from Fairview, already owns all of U2's hits, but was still happy to buy them all again in their Best Of form. "They used to practise in a shed out behind our house before they ever got big," said Mr Scully. "My mother, god rest her soul, used to bring them out cups of tea, but the rest of the neighbours just complained about the noise."
The album is the first of two Best Of collections which U2 will release for Island Records, following a $50 million deal struck by their manager, Paul McGuinness.
