Tense concept from MGMAT SC Guide; Please Help

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Hi
I found this concept in verb tense chapter ( chapter no 7) of MGMAT Sentence Correction bible.
This rule seems opposite to the rule of expressing the earlier past action in the past perfect tense.Please help

Rule- Note that the later past event does not need to be expressed with a Simple Past tense verb. You could just use a date or another time refrence
Ex-By 1945,the United States had been at war for several years.
So far so good.

Now the real problem- Using the construction, you can even make a tricky sentence in which the first clause expresses an early action in Simple Past.Then, a second clause expresses a later action in Past Perfect to indicate continued effect.(by a still later past time).

Example- The band U2 was just one of the many new groups on the rock music scene in the early 1980's,but less than ten years later,U2 HAD fully ECLIPSED it's early rivals in the pantheon of popular music.

Please help with the logic.

Regards
Source: — Sentence Correction |

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