Bruce Springsteen, Chris Martin Serve as Superstar Substitutes for Bono

— -- Rockers U2 hit the stage Monday with a pair of superstar substitutes: Bruce Springsteen and Chris Martin.

The singers filled in for U2 frontman Bono, who was injured in a recent bike accident, as the band performed in New York City’s Times Square concert in honor of World AIDS Day. Martin took the stage wearing a T-shirt featuring a pun - "SUBSTITU2" - and performed the hits “Beautiful Day” and “With or Without You.”

Then it was Springsteen’s turn, with the Boss singing the classic “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” He also performed “Where the Streets Have No Name” alongside bandmembers Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr., who billed themselves as “U2 Minus 1."

Other performers at the concert included Carrie Underwood and Kanye West. The event was streamed live on YouTube, and sponsor Bank of America will donate $3 million to the (RED) organization to fight AIDS.

Bill Clinton opened the concert, saying Bono requested he do so.

"I got this email from Bono today recuperating in Dublin, and he said I had to come here tonight to do this intro," the former U.S. president said. "Twenty six years ago we could have never had an event like this on World AIDS Day because to be diagnosed with AIDS was the death sentence. A few years ago when Secretary of State Clinton said that we could end AIDS, a lot of people didn't believe it. But this year for the first time ever, more people were put on life saving medicine than were diagnosed with AIDS."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.