The Joshua Tree was U2’s fifth studio album released March 9, 1987 on Island Records. In contrast to the ambient experimentation of their 1984 release, The Unforgettable Fire, the band aimed for a harder-hitting sound within the limitation of conventional song structures on The Joshua Tree. The album is influenced by American and Irish roots music, and through sociopolitically conscious lyrics embellished with spiritual imagery, it contrasts the group’s antipathy for the “real America” with their fascination with the “mythical America.”
Track listing
1. “Where the Streets Have No Name”
2. “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”
3. “With or Without You”
4. “Bullet the Blue Sky”
5. “Running to Stand Still”
6. “Red Hill Mining Town”
7. “In God’s Country”
8. “Trip Through Your Wires”
9. “One Tree Hill”
10. “Exit”
11. “Mothers of the Disappeared”
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Released on March 9, 1987, The Joshua Tree received critical acclaim, topped the charts in over 20 countries, and became the fastest-selling album in British history
Recorded Live Photo By: Ebet Roberts/Redferns/Getty Images
Rather than recording each instrument separately and layering them into the mix like they did with The Unforgettable Fire, U2 recorded all but two of The Joshua Tree’s songs “live
Inspired by America Photo By: Peter Still/Redferns/Getty Images
Inspired by American tour experiences, literature, and politics, U2 chose America as a theme for the record. Frequently featured on critics’ lists of the greatest records, The Joshua Tree is...
Conspiracy of Hope Photo By: Rick Diamond/Getty Images
In June 1986, U2 halted the album’s recording sessions to embark on the six-show Conspiracy of Hope tour for Amnesty International. Rather than distract the band, the tour invigourated their...
20th Anniversary Remastered Edition Photo By: Ebet Roberts/Redferns/Getty Images
On November 20, 2007, a 20th anniversary edition of The Joshua Tree was released. The album was remastered from the original analogue recordings under the direction of the Edge, with...
30th Anniversary Tour and Reissue Photo By: Peter Still/Redferns/Getty Images
For the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree, U2 scheduled a 2017 concert tour on which the album was played in its entirety at each show. It was the first time...