Daniel Lanois

By the time he released his solo debut, Acadie, in 1989, Daniel Lanois had already established himself as one of the era's signature producers, thanks to a run of highly-celebrated collaborations with acts like U2 and Peter Gabriel. He was born in the Canadian city of Hull, Quebec, on September 19, 1951, and initially worked as a sound engineer alongside his older brother, Bob Lanois, in their mother's basement. His contribution to the Dune soundtrack in 1984 helped kickstart his longtime collaboration with fellow producer Brian Eno, and the two co-produced U2's multi-platinum release The Unforgettable Fire later that year. 1985 found Lanois working alongside Peter Gabriel on the albums. Birdy and So, the latter of which became one of the best-selling pop albums of the 1980s. Similarly successful was U2's The Joshua Tree, which Lanois produced with Brian Eno in 1987. The Joshua Tree was named "Album of the Year" at the 1987 Grammy Awards and sold more than 25 million copies. Now widely known for his atmospheric soundscapes and lush sonic textures, Lanois released the solo debut album Acadie in 1989. The record went gold in Canada. Although his solo career continued with albums like 1993's For the Beauty of Wynona, 2005's Belladonna, and 2021's Heavy Sun, Lanois remained best known for his work with other artists. He memorably produced U2's Achtung Baby (1991) and All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000), both of which were global successes, and also contributed to landmark albums like Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball (1995), Bob Dylan's Time Out of Mind (1997), Solomon Burke's Don't Give Up on Me (2002), and the Killers' Battle Born (2012).