Irish rockers U2 wanted to annoy the record-buying public with their Apple-managed album release, according to frontman Bono.

The singer admits he knew making new record Songs of Innocence available for free download to half a billion Apple users earlier this month would cause controversy.

Many recipients were annoyed because the album had been made available to their 'cloud' storage system and appeared on their devices without their permission, and Odd Future rapper Tyler, The Creator was among those who hit out, comparing the release to a sexually transmitted disease.

However, Bono is adamant the stunt was a success, telling BBC Radio 2, "Well that's kind of our job isn't it? To stir things up a bit, that's why we wanted to be in a rock and roll band in the first place... That's always been the way, it was the same with our first album. It's kind of why you got into a band - to stir things up and annoy people, that was the whole punk rock thing. If you weren't doing that, you weren't doing anything.

"So I'm very excited that we got so many people annoyed and just being discussed. The only thing that could have gone wrong is being ignored which is perfectly understandable after all these years of being around."