 In 2016, "Rolling Stone" ranked Mullen the 96th-greatest drummer of all time.In the early days of U2, his contributions to the band were often limited to fills and drum rolls, but he became more involved in the writing of the songs later, particularly in conjunction with Adam Clayton, his partner in the rhythm section, with whom he has collaborated on solo projects.When the band was first being signed to CBS Records, they refused to sign the band unless Mullen was fired.