The Joshua Tree (U2 album)

The Joshua Tree (U2 album)
Name	The Joshua Tree
Type	studio
Artist	U2
Released	9 March 1987
Recorded	1986
Studio	Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin; Sun Studio, Dublin; STS Cinevision, Dublin; A&M Studios, Los Angeles
Genre	Rock
Length	50:11
Label	Island Records, Island Records America
Producer	Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno

The Joshua Tree (U2 album) is the fifth studio album by the Irish rock band U2. Released in 1987, it was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno and features a widescreen sound that draws on American roots music, gospel, and blues while engaging with political themes and spiritual imagery. The record propelled U2 to worldwide fame, spawned multiple hit singles, and earned the band critical acclaim and major awards.

Background and recording

During the mid-1980s, following the release of The Unforgettable Fire (U2 album), U2 embarked on an artistic reassessment that involved collaboration with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, both noted for their work with Talking Heads, David Byrne, Peter Gabriel, and Emmylou Harris. The band members—Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.—sought to explore American musical traditions after extensive touring in the United States, influenced by encounters with Bob Dylan and exposure to Roots music and Gospel music. Recording sessions took place at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin and at studios in Los Angeles, with engineers who had worked with U2 on previous albums and with personnel associated with Daniel Lanois's production company. Tensions arose within the group over lyrical focus and sonic direction, leading to experimentation with ambient textures and open, reverberant guitar work that became a signature of the sessions.

Composition and lyrics

Musically, the album blends elements of Blues, Folk music, and Country music with the atmospheric production techniques associated with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. The Edge's guitar work uses echo and delay, creating landscapes reminiscent of American West panoramas and referencing instruments and approaches common to Roots revival acts. Lyrically, Bono addresses themes such as American foreign policy, faith, exile, and personal longing, invoking figures and places like the Grand Canyon, Los Angeles, and biblical imagery tied to the title's reference to the resilient Joshua tree found in the Mojave Desert. The songwriting process drew on literary and journalistic influences including Arthur Rimbaud, Jack Kerouac, and contemporary reportage on conflicts such as those in Central America, which informed songs that interweave personal narrative with political commentary.

Release and promotion

The album was released on 9 March 1987 by Island Records and Island Records America, supported by singles including "With or Without You", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", and "Where the Streets Have No Name", which received heavy rotation on MTV and international radio networks. Promotional efforts included music videos directed by filmmakers who had worked with artists such as David Lynch and Phillip Borsos, and a concert tour that encompassed arenas and stadiums across Europe, North America, and Australia. High-profile appearances on television programmes and at benefit concerts alongside acts like Peter Gabriel and organizations such as Amnesty International amplified the album's visibility. The band's stage presentation for the associated tour incorporated theatrical lighting and imagery influenced by contemporary tours from Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, and Prince.

Critical reception

On release, the album received widespread acclaim from publications including Rolling Stone, NME, Melody Maker, and The New York Times, which praised its ambition, production, and political engagement. Critics compared the record to canonical works by artists such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and Bruce Springsteen, and noted its synthesis of rock tradition and modern studio artistry akin to projects by R.E.M. and Peter Gabriel. Some reviewers questioned moments of grandiosity and Bono's lyrical earnestness, echoing earlier critiques leveled at contemporaries like Sting and Peter Gabriel. The album later featured prominently in retrospective lists compiled by institutions such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-affiliated publications and music historian surveys.

Commercial performance

The Joshua Tree achieved major commercial success, topping album charts in the United Kingdom, the United States Billboard 200, and numerous other national charts including Australia, Canada, Germany, and Ireland. It produced multiple charting singles, with "With or Without You" reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" also reaching the top spot. The record earned multi-platinum certifications from organizations such as the Recording Industry Association of America and British Phonographic Industry, and secured U2's status as one of the era's leading stadium rock acts, leading to sold-out tours and large-scale festival headline slots at events like Live Aid-adjacent concerts.

Legacy and influence

The album is widely regarded as a landmark in 1980s rock and as a defining statement for U2. Its fusion of political themes with spiritual introspection influenced a generation of artists including REM, Coldplay, Radiohead, Oasis, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana in varying ways, and its production techniques informed later work by producers such as Flood and Steve Lillywhite. The record's songs remain staples in the band's setlists and have been included in commemorative projects, reissues, and anniversary tours that involved collaborations with contemporary artists and orchestras. Institutions like the Library of Congress and curators at major museums have cited the album in exhibitions about popular music and cultural politics of the 1980s.

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"

Personnel and production

U2 members: Bono (lead vocals), The Edge (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), Larry Mullen Jr. (drums, percussion). Production and additional personnel included producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, engineers and mixers who had worked with U2 and acts such as Talking Heads and Peter Gabriel, and session musicians contributing pedal steel, backing vocals, and keyboard textures associated with artists like Emmylou Harris and Daniel Lanois's production discography. Visual presentation involved photographers and designers known for work with Island Records and major rock acts of the 1980s.

Category:U2 albums Category:1987 albums