According to Rolling Stone magazine, U2’s The Joshua Tree album lifted them, “from heroes to superstars.”
One of the world’s best-selling albums, with over 25 million copies sold, The Joshua Tree arrived on the U.S. album charts in early April 1987 and is frequently listed among the greatest albums of all time.
Inspired by American experiences, literature, and politics, U2 chose America as a theme for the album. Recording began in January 1986 in Ireland and was completed in November. Throughout the sessions, U2 sought a “cinematic” quality for the record, one that would evoke a sense of location, in particular, the open spaces of the United States. They represented this in the sleeve photography depicting them in American desert landscapes.
U2 commemorated the record’s 20th anniversary with a remastered re-release, and its 30th anniversary with concert tours and a reissue. In 2014, The Joshua Tree was selected for preservation in the US National Recording Registry, having been deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress.
You can hear tracks from The Joshua Tree on our dedicated radio station.
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