U2 joins Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Three decades after forming in a Dublin high school and still on top of the music world, U2 was ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday.

The group rewarded a gussied-up crowd at New York City’s Waldorf Astoria by performing four songs, joined by Bruce Springsteen on “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

“This was a band that wanted to lay claim to this world and the next one, too,” said Springsteen, saying it was the only group of the past 20 years where he knew all four members’ names.

Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. are quickly selling out arenas for a fall concert tour, making U2 one of those rare acts still at the forefront of the music scene at the time of its induction.

Band members haven’t lost their creative edge since forming as teenagers, starting with rock anthems like “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” exploring American roots music, performing introspective ballads like “One” and reaching the top with “Beautiful Day.”

U2 was joined in Monday’s ceremony by four other inductees: soul singers the O’Jays and Percy Sledge, female-fronted rockers The Pretenders and bluesman Buddy Guy. Highlights of the induction ceremony will be televised Saturday at 9 p.m. on VH1 (cable channel 62 in Spokane, 42 in Coeur d’Alene).

Musicians, industry professionals and journalists vote on the inductees. Hall of fame members are permanently enshrined in Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.