U2's "Songs of Innocence" auto-downloads to 500M iTunes users, facing backlash; Apple enables removal, Bono apologizes.

On September 9, 2014, U2 released their 13th studio album, "Songs of Innocence," as a free download to 500 million iTunes users, automatically appearing in their libraries. The unsolicited album, which included singles like "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)," faced backlash as users likened it to spam. In response, Apple implemented a method for users to delete the album. Bono later issued a public apology, accepting full responsibility for the promotional strategy.