The band will appear alongside Sam Smith, Interpol and Zola Jesus on the long-running series when it airs Tuesday October 21 at 10pm and Friday October 24 at 11.05pm.

U2 recently made headlines when they launched "Songs Of Innocence" at an Apple event by releasing the album free to more than a half a billion iTunes customers.

The group experienced some backlash from non-fans and the music industry, with opponents charging the publicity stunt devalues music as a product while possibly making it harder for new acts to earn a living.