With or Without You opens on one of rock's most quietly compelling progressions: D major to A major to B minor to G major, a four-chord loop that repeats with hypnotic steadiness beneath the entire song. The movement has a natural, almost inevitable logic — D establishes a warm tonal centre, A lifts it slightly, B minor introduces a touch of wistfulness that never quite resolves, and G brings the cycle back around with a sense of gentle longing. For guitarists, the progression sits comfortably in open position and rewards slow, spacious playing; its satisfaction lies in how the chords breathe together rather than in any harmonic surprise. Released in 1987, the track became one of the defining moments of U2's arena rock period, built around atmosphere and emotional restraint rather than complexity.