U2 take title as best act of past 25 years

IRISH rock band U2 were honoured last night as the greatest act of the past quarter of a century.

The band were chosen by readers of music magazine Q as the top artists of the past 25 years at its annual awards.

Chart-topping Adele was a double winner at the event, landing the prizes for best female and best track for her hit Rolling In The Deep. The record-breaking singer’s win comes just a fortnight after she was forced to pull the plug on a US tour because of problems with her throat which had threatened to wreck her voice irreparably.

Other winners included Coldplay, who were named the best act in the world today, and Take That’s Gary Barlow, who was rewarded with an honorary prize as classic songwriter for his two decades of hits.

U2’s award was a special prize to mark Q’s 25th anniversary this year. The band are currently promoting a reissue of their “rebirth” album Achtung Baby, to mark 20 years since its release.