U2's free iTunes album launch was recieved with mixed reactions as the band's 11 song offering on their new album, unexpectedly showed up in the purchased section of users' iTunes accounts.
The announcement was made during Apple's live stream event on Sept. 9 where the new iPhone 6 and Watch were revealed. CEO Tim Cook introduced U2 whose last album was released back in 2009.
They entertained the crowd at Apple's Cupertino campus with songs from their 13th studio album, Songs of Innocence. It was then announced that the entire album would be made available for free to iTunes account holders.
But the "treat" was not appreciated by many Apple users who did not like seeing items they did not personally purchase appearing in their music list.
The U2 album was automatically downloaded into people's devices, or simply added to their iCloud account, depending on how their accounts were set up.
U2's lead singer, Bono, explained that the band decided to offer their new album as a free download on iTunes to allow people who wouldn't normally listen to them, hear their music for the first time.
"Country fans, hip hop aficionados from east LA, electro poppers from Seoul, Bhangra fans from New Delhi, Highlifers in Accra...might JUST be tempted to check us out, even for a moment. What a mind blowing, head scratching, 21st century situation," Bono explains in a blog post on the band's website.
Unfortunately, many of those first-time listeners were youngsters who never heard of U2 before and complained of the album showing up in their accounts without warning and with no easy way to remove it.
On the other side, many U2 fans were ecstatic at the gift, thanking the band and Apple for the free music.
The gift of U2's music was paid for by Apple, according to Bono, to commemorate the band's first iPod commercial a decade ago when the iTunes store was launched and the U2 special edition 5th Generation iPod, engraved with the band members' autographs, was released.
Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services, Eddy Cue, joined the band in their excitement, saying in a statement that they are thrilled to be part of the biggest album launch in history by making U2's Songs of Innocence available to the half a billion iTunes users around the world for free.
Those who are not yet on iTunes have until Oct. 14 to create an account and download the songs for free, after which the album will be made commercially available.
