u2
The guys of U2 are a Grammy favorite. Reuters

Apple sent U2's latest studio album, "Songs of Innocence," to every person with an iTunes account at no charge.

Depending on how you look at it, the company has either generously given the world a free U2 album or has forced everyone to download a mediocre rock record.

I can’t knock U2 for its significance and legacy, but I can politely remove its latest musical effort from my iPhone. Here’s how you can do it, too.

  1. Open the iTunes Store, find the “Quick Links” column on the right, and click on the “Purchased” link.
  2. This takes you to a listing of all the music you’ve bought through iTunes (you know, because you wanted it). Click on the button that says “Not in my library” and find U2’s “Songs of Innocence.”
  3. Hovering the mouse over the album will cause an X to appear in the upper left hand side of the album cover. Click the X to “hide” the album, which keeps it off your computer and off your iPhone.
  4. Sync your phone so that the changes stick. You should no longer see the album on your iPhone.
  5. Download a real U2 album like 1987's "The Joshua Tree."