The Joshua Tree

I think this is the worst thing I've listened to yet. I tried. Honest. It was really a struggle to power through this. Every song was exactly the same. At its best, I found some of these songs to be somewhere between "Gen X Easy Listening" and "Songs to hear when you're in the dental chair". If you found a Gen Z kid who had never heard U2 and then played this album for them while saying "These guys sell out stadiums", they straight up wouldn't believe you

I still haven't found what I'm looking for, but I know it's definitely not U2.

Seventeen year old me chalks this up as an easy 5. And upon listening again, 51-year old me is pleased to agree with my younger self. Bono can get on my nerves pretty fast, but I have to think even his harshest critics have to give him props for a lot here, especially With Or Without You and my favorite track on the album, Running To Stand Still. This was the moment for U2 when everything fell together, and they finally reached an audience who somehow missed their landmark performance at Live Aid two years earlier. The three hit songs from this album are arguably the three most popular of the band's career. It's almost the definition of a quintessential album. It's worth listening to the 30th anniversary edition, as not only is the entire original album remastered, but you get a great concert from this album's tour in 1987. For anyone tired of "With Or Without You", go watch how it was used in the final episode of The Americans. It'll make you appreciate the song all over again. As much as I cherish The Joshua Tree, it's my third favorite U2 album. Quick research tells me the other two will be coming up on this list.....

I needed exactly this album today. I mean, this is one of those all-time-great albums anyway but there's nothing like listening to the perfect album for a particular time. This morning, this is the album I needed and I'm not even a U2 fan. But these tracks are undeniable monsters.

When I grabbed The Joshua Tree on cassette when dropped my senior year of high school, it was exactly what I needed and solidified that U2 was my favorite band. There was no album I knew better that year. Its symbolic and poetic lyrics are rich with very human truths and contradictions, as well as spiritual longings. I could write on and on about how each song has influenced my own writing, spirituality, and outlook on life, and how the musicianship from Bono, Edge, Adam and Larry in this piece of art framed a sound that I gravitated towards back in '87 as well as inspired my search for more of the same moving into college and beyond. There isn't 1 of the 11 songs that I don't love and that doesn't spark contemplation and joy in me. I know each one personally and have meditated on each with endless hours and emotional intention. Initially One Tree Hill was not a popular song, but it made it onto several mix tapes that Scott and I made. One of my Top 10 albums of all time, The Joshua Tree is one of my favorite representations of why an album is greater than the sum of its parts, even though each individual song is so powerful!

I'm not a fan of U2, and this is a great representation of their sound.

I've written and deleted the word "bloviated" at least five times. Thing is, despite each song being a short walk up a small hill stretched out to feel like an ironman challenge courtesy of those neverending synth lines, marching drums, and Bono's mouthful of cotton wool, these songs move at some kind of clip. Right, they spend longer in each section of the song than most artists would, but within their clearly defined aesthetic, they don't spend longer than they should. So I'm happy to call it a formal achievment, even if I found virtually nothing that made me want to come back.

U2 seem to be the band everyone loves to hate, mainly due to Bono. I never really felt that is particularly fair but I've never really previously found a good reason to ignore this viewpoint either. A further listen today hasn't changed this. I tried to be open minded and enjoy it, but I just cringed. Bono over-sings every line like a 3 years old who hasn't got his or her own way. Some people are just born to be really annoying and you can't quite pinpoint exactly why. With regret Bono, that's you.

My first 5* new discovery (although hardly a hidden gem) and of all the artists for it to be... not a weak song in sight though and there's just a weird kind of atmosphere throughout which I can't pinpoint but I'm all in for. Best track: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Perhapss the most important Irish rock album of all time and certainly the album that turned U2 into the biggest band in the world. It is both a political and religious album and makes no apology for it; ground well covered by U2 prior to Joshua Tree. On this record however there is a power and conviction in the songs as well as a confidence in the presentation and imagery of Americana, despite most of the songs not being directly about America. ‘WTSHNN’, inspired by Belfast, is as good an opener as you’ll hear on any album whilst the soaring ‘Red Hill Mining Town’ is about the UK miners strike of 1984. Although the second half of the album cannot match its powerful opening run of anthems The Joshua Tree is a triumph.

Beautiful album. The opening three songs are probably the best album opener of all time. The rest of the album is filled with mysterious atmospheric songs about American desert, which are not standout hits, however give a great vibe.

U2 fucking sucks

Classic! Everyone needs to hear these songs

As someone who grew up surrounded by desert but didn't appreciate the landscape until I grew up and moved away, I connect with U2's desire to build an album around their desert inspiration. The album builds up and opens with so much excitement and energy. That energy builds and is held throughout the entire album. This album marries unique rock instrumentation with Bono's soaring, ethereal voice to make every track something interesting, unique, and a little bit mysterious. Everything about Bono's voice seems deliberate; you can feel the emotion behind the way he sings, artistic and full of emotion, but in full command of his vocals. Bono's lyrics, inspired by political and world events, are also deliberate and done incredibly artfully, as if writing a poem. This album caught my attention and didn't let go until it was finished. Every song was strongly written, sung, and performed. This has definitely inspired me to dig further into U2's discography.

Hard to think of an album with a stronger opening three songs. This album turned U2 into global superstars and rightly so. It’s not just the anthemic Where the Streets have no name, Still haven’t found what I’m looking for or With or without you that make this such a good album, it is consistently excellent all the way through. Blues and Country influences add light and shade throughout as U2 tap into their American influences and the result is a near flawless record with some epic track that have more than stood the test of time.

It’s been said that Elvis died musically when he reported for duty after receiving his draft notice. U2 died musically with Joshua Tree. The rating is not based on the music which is better than my rating. It’s a 1 because it marked the death of an excellent band’s music and how big of a letdown that was. Their first album Boy came when exciting music was staring to make its way to Sudbury. I expect MG procured Boy since I recall having it on cassette. I stayed a U2 fan for their first three albums picking up what I could on cassette. I saw WAR on release in the local record store, bought it on the spot and it was my favourite album. I was a big U2 fan. They were getting better known and their music kept getting better. They had a hard driving original sound, were exploring new areas, playing w passion and had an original and provocative sound. WAR was better than prior albums and they were on an insanely good trajectory. I could only dream about what might come next. Spoiler Alert Then came Joshua Tree. They simply followed what worked on WAR. They died musically. I think they realized this and tried to get back on the trajectory but never did. The ship had sailed. Of course the record buying public rewarded them which didn’t help. Its hard not to think of Joshua Tree when I hear the song American Pie.

Amazing, not listened to this in a very long time. Forgot how brilliant U2 are, when they are just being brilliant. I was back in the car with my Dad listening to this on cassette during the drive to school.

Greatest three-song stretch opener of all time. These songs are loud and orchestral, carrying New Wave into a more alt rock direction in the late 80s. This is an album hard for me to describe why it deserves all 5 stars, but it's intelligent and hardly possesses any negative characteristics. Between the lyrics and choice of instruments like the harmonica, the songs reflect strongly of American folk culture, speaking of the vast open space and American ideals. The gospel-like orchestral sound puts you in that environment, feeling insignificant yet open to opportunities. Did I mention Eno helped produce this piece? Explains a lot considering he invented the ambient genre. There is hope and optimism in these songs (also religiously influenced). This is U2's most impressive record yet and got me into plenty of their singles.

Hard to think of an album with a stronger opening three songs. This album turned U2 into global superstars and rightly so. It’s not just the anthemic Where the Streets have no name, Still haven’t found what I’m looking for or With or without you that make this such a good album, it is consistently excellent all the way through. Blues and Country influences add light and shade throughout as U2 tap into their American influences and the result is a near flawless record with some epic track that have more than stood the test of time.

The best album opening ever and one of the best albums ever made; should be played through high-quality speakers for maximum effect...

Classic U2 album. Probably their best with some of their most well-known and best loved songs. Probably a band at their peak on this.

Love

Awful, like Phil Collins all the songs have completely rounded edges, anything interesting is sanitised for mass appeal. Anything that seems like it might be worth listening to is repeated for ages until you forget how it could have been interested in the first place. With or without you is the best track and it's terrible.

You can tell that U2 knew what album they wanted to make, and they succeeded on all fronts. All the singles are frontloaded but you never want to stop listening because every track could’ve been a single. Another example of albums as art.

I struggle to think of a better opening three tracks of any other album - it’s quite something and nearly 35 years later the 3 tracks remain as iconic as ever. The rest of the album can’t cope to keep up but still holds some of U2’s best work by a distance. I debated a four but felt I would be doing this album a disservice so I listened again - it’s gets the five it deserves

I was going into this expecting to have a 5, I think I set myself up for disappointment. This is an amazing album, the first half being my favorites. After the half way point, however, I became less interested and impressed. A bit too similar in the later half. Standouts: Where The Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, With Or Without You, Bullet The Blue Sky, and Red Hill Mining Town.

Some of the tracks on the second half of this album are a bit boring/naff but the first 4-5 really make up for it. Bullet the Blue Sky is slammin'

Joshua Tree? More like Jogging in Circles. 'Running to Stand Still' made me squirm—like, Bono, we get it, you're emotional, but why is he breathing so loud? Did someone forget to bring an inhaler to the recording session? Best tracks? Definitely 'Bullet the Blue Sky,' 'Exit,' and 'Mothers of the Disappeared'—at least there’s some edge there (pun intended). But overall? Yeah, it's kinda like being lectured by that one guy at the bar who really wants you to know how deep he is. Overrated? U(get)2. 2/5.

I am not too excited for today's album; I've been known to traditionally not like U2's music. I have never, however, sat down and listened to a full album of theirs either, so we will see how this goes. Right off the bat, three of their "hits" play back to back: Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, and With or Without You. I am familiar with these songs, and don't particularly like any of them. It may be because radio stations have literally played them to death, or it may be the ethereal, slow, elevator music-esque atmosphere that all of their songs have, but I just don't like the music, I don't have a reason why. Also, a minute passes before anything happens in Where the Streets Have No Name for some reason. Bono's try-hard, angst filled vocal delivery is just grating. Leave it to Bono to not look at the camera for the album cover photo. He probably saw a koala in distress. What a tool. I think my favourite story about Bono is that one time, Shane McGowan (lead singer of the Pogues) was crashing with Bono for a time. Bono's house was quite handy to a busy railroad. Droves of people went by on the train every day to see Shane flapping his cock at them in the window of Bono's home, unbeknownst to Bono. Bono got the blame, and promptly kicked Shane out. Overall, this is bland Walmart rock. I just don't like U2. I will never listen again if I can help it. Favorite songs: Bullet the Blue Sky, Trip Through Your Wires (the little bit of energy this album has is during these two songs) Least favorite songs: the whole beige, bland album. 2/5

Well shit I love this album. Second half cannot keep up with the galactic speed of the first but that is only because the first three songs left the world breathless. “Running to Stand Still” remains in my list of top 10 songs of all time.

Still one of the greatest running starts to an album, first four tracks are brilliant and peak U2. The rest of the album holds up well too, in mu opinion.

Wow, the first three songs are back to back bangers. I’ll never not like Where the streets have no name with its subtle start from nothing to that great guitar line. Didn’t know the rest of the songs but enjoyed what I heard. Atmospheric sounds and nice rising melodies. Doesn’t sound like it’s from the 80s. 5* Highlights: where the streets have no name, I still haven’t found what I’m looking for, with or without you

A foundational favorite, even far into the depths of hipsterdom the following decade and beyond. It does take itself a bit seriously (e.g., "Bullet The Blue Sky", the coda of "One Tree Hill") but fair enough, the tunes are more than sufficient to carry the weight of the ego (I even made a pilgrimage up the latter while in Auckland and, of course, have visited Zabriskie Point). Caused a spirited debate amongst my kids whether "Where The Streets Have No Name" is grammatically correct, and if "Running To Stand Still" is a stupid expression, so thanks for that Bongo. If you like this, and you like "War", check out "The Unforgettable Fire"; it's basically the average of the two, a bit more new wave with limited Americana and Enofication, epic soundscapes that are a bit rougher around the edges. I can't hide from my unfashionable tastes on this website - yes, I really do like U2 and The Doors, let's see who crawls out of the woodwork next..

I was in a pub once and I heard these two Irish voices behind me saying ‘I’ll have a pint of Guinness’, I turned round and it was Bono and his mate The Edge. Bono looked at me and said ‘Alright mate?’ and I said ‘Oh no, not YOU TWO again!’. Anyway we all laughed and I told that while I’m no U2 super fan, this is a perfect album. I asked him why he was wearing sunglasses indoors but I don’t think he heard me because he started talking about something else.

Classic. Nostalgic.

This one is easy, all time favourite of mine, there is only one song I usually skip, if I am in the mood, everything else is basically perfect.

One of the great albums of all time!

Great album

Not much to say, really.

don't LOVE U2 but this album is pretty damn good

a classic

Gran disco, la verdad. Quizá hoy en día, U2 ha perdido vigencia, pero sin duda, tuvieron lo suyo. No sé bien cómo explicarlo, pero creo que es un álbum grandilocuente: en su conjunto, las melodías con las letras, la voz de Bono, tranquila en ocasiones, en otras, más bien hasta desgarradora. Creo que todas las canciones me gustan, la triada del principio está muy bien, pero quizá mi fav esta vez sea "Mothers of the Disappeared". Un cierre genial. Finalmente, un pensamiento random: ¿le debe mucho Muse —con sus atributos y carencias— a U2? 9.5/10.

Un classique. Le debut est incroya le 5*

Incredible. Epic. Interesting. Lyrically diverse. An all time classic.

A perfect classic.

There is literally nothing I can say about this album that has not been said by thousands of other Irish. It's a national heritage at this stage. It should be on a podium in Dublin Airport, and it probably is. Bono is still a gobshite though.

Really starts off with a trio of bangers. The influence this album has is readily apparent. Sometimes it can be hard to view a work of art separate from the art it has influenced. It is hard to view a work alone and not think of the many pieces it has gone on to influence. Sometimes a work of art might not stand the test of time on its own but rather as a piece of all it helped create. I think this album is not that. I think it does stand on its own. I might like some of the music is inspired more, but I liked this quite a bit.

U2 really did a disservice to themselves by arranging the track list the way they did. The first 16 minutes of this album are literally perfect. The rest of the album is really great. But I felt like I was waiting for there to be another song that matched the high of the first 3 tracks, but it never came. Still really enjoyable, for sure.

And on the first day Bono said, Eno, make me sound like God. I wrote that on Friday, and on Sunday night I can’t remember where I was going for that. This is a very good record, front-loaded but never less than bold.

where the streets have no name is an incredible way to start the album and really leans into that moody 80s post punk which is a genre i really love. I still haven't found what ive been looking for and with or without you continued the trend of awesome fucking songs. the rest of the album couldnt really compare to the first three tracks but honestly thats fine: it was all enjoyable

This still stands up after all these years.

Great album, great band. This album touches all genres, rock, gospel, etc. Fantastic album. Alway a pleasure to listen to.

Nice music. Not a song on the album that I didn't like the sound of. Easy listening. Pretty hard to believe that some songs on the albums have so much more plays than the others. There's a lot of people who are probably missing out on some good songs because they all just listen to that one track.

Starts off incredibly strong. It’s such a strong start that you might think to yourself, “are U2 going to defy the odds and pull off a perfect record?”, but it gradually falls off, song by song, and becomes evident that Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois’ production is doing a fair amount of heavy lifting on this record.

listened before, makes me think of mom (surprise surprise), love that bono is a man with Feeling (tm)

Never been a huge U2 fan. Not bad, but pretty generic and samey sounding.

I do not love U2 and would go so far to say that they get a big eye roll from me, but I like the more muted rock from this album compared to their hits from the aughts.

U2 sucks. Which is probably just how Gen Xers feel about sixties and seventies rock. We all want to burn down what came before. Can’t understand how this is a totemic album if the eighties. Because the rest is so much worse? The hits are good but repetitive. I probably would have loved it if I were born in 1970 and 17 when this came out. Alas, I wasn’t, and I don’t. Bono’s carefully triangulated liberal Irish Catholicism - I wanna drink with my lefty friends but not offend the pope or Reagan, challenge them, convict their hearts for Jesus! but not offend - is exhausting. As is his keening wail. As is his self indulgence. And that thumping rhythm that a hundred bands drove to death - looking at you, Coldplay. Like all these albums, maybe great for someone sometime. Now a period piece curiosity at best. I’ve found what I’m looking for, elsewhere.

More confused than ever at how popular U2 are, especially this record. It’s not terrible. They arent terrible. But it isnt great either. Hated the first 3 songs - each one sounded tiresome and strained. Like theyd found a catchy hook and wanted to drag it out over and over and over. But then Bullet the Blue Sky came on which has a totally different sound. Almost Nick Cave at times in terms of the vocals. I’d go as far as saying the non-singles are what saves this album. Enjoyed Bullet the Blue Sky, In Gods Country, One Tree Hill, and Exit. None are amazing, but decent enough. Seems to me that when they arent striving to write a stadium rock song they aren’t too shabby. Either way, I wont be returning to this. It’s ok. Nout special. Dont get the hype. 2.5

Kinda begrudgingly didn't mind this. Much better than achtung baby that we've had previously, but mostly because I knew the hits on this album. Still not a u2 fan and I don't think I ever will be, but didn't dislike it like I thought I would. It's still all just so safe and dull though. Nothing remotely exciting here either With or without you is probably the best track, although not sure I would be bothered if I never heard it again.... They also look like knobs on the album cover 2.5, I enjoyed Alanis more so this is getting 2

It’s wild to me that the wiki page said this was a push for a harder hitting sound. As someone who hasn’t heard a U2 album before this, I can only imagine their previous albums were marketed as sleep aids. Everything is so soft and rounded off like the album was childproofed. Truly one of the albums of all time.

I knew one or two of these songs already. This album was not bad by any means, but I didn’t find it particularly interesting. It’s not something I would choose to listen to again.

Tried to get through it a couple of times, it just doesn't work for me. The calculating earnestness of their influences and output is very disingenuous, always has been. They're copyists rather than innovators - music for people without ambition or imagination. Some of their music is magical, but even that is lost in the face of the zealotry of their believers. The Manchester United of music

Gone back for a listen … No surprises, nothing intriguing hiding inside, never really a fan Just leaves me a bit cold to be honest …

This list has made me re examine a few huge rock albums which I have always written off as trite and I now love. This was not the case here. They have taken all the elemnts of post punk and ambient pioneers and just made it all so incredibly boring. Even the involvment of the great Brian Eno couldn't save them from devolving on every song into the same pseudo ambient shimmering guitar and Bono droning in exactly the same tone on every track. Fair enough they have fit on a formula and it works but wheres the variety? Apparntly their previous album was much more experimental. I'll check that one out instead.

Listening to this album feels like I'm trapped in an MC Escher painting on a never ending staircase. Every song feels like it's building to a crescendo that never happens.

i genuinely do not understand the hype behind U2. how they have managed to cling onto relevancy is beyond me. album comes across as whiny and drab. entirely doleful. genuinely a hard 45 mins to sit through.

The first three tracks can easily be the most overplayed first three songs on a album of all time. Horrendous stuff. I almost turned this record off. Why did bullet in the sky get no play? Wow the rest of the album is really bad. If the next few out of these 1001 also bomb I probably won't continue to weed through this mediocrity. 1 outta 5 mics

I try to ignore my previous feelings about bands and artists and this was particularly hard for me. I hated U2 cos my elder sister and her chums loved them, as an angry adolescent I wanted to find my own thing and so shut them out. a crazy attitude as my sister is an awesome person with great taste in music, but that's hormones for you. still relistening with an open mind I find it's pretty shit. over produced, concieted annoying metaphors and just really dull. I tried to like those first three songs so universally played and enjoyed but they left me cold. it just total arse.

Gotta give this a 5. It’s starts out with 3 of their best tracks ever, and the rest of it is pretty tasty. The Edge’s guitar sound is in some ways repetitive, but I’ve always liked it, and it really shines throughout this album. They are a very tight group. I also like to think the album is so good due to Brian Eno’s co-production. With one of the ZZ Top trio passing in 2021, I wonder if U2 is the longest running band with all their original members and no deaths?

Truly epic.

The soundtrack of my life for the last 38 years.

I have kissed honey lips Felt the healing in her fingertips It burned like fire This burning desire I have spoke with the tongue of angels I have held the hand of a devil It was warm in the night I was cold as a stone But I still haven't found what I'm looking for Yeah, this is one hell of a good album. 5/5

It was only a matter of time before U2 had begun to breathe the rarefied kind of rock and roll air. They had taken the necessary steps, made the right kind of detour while keeping their eye on the ball and had concocted, along the way, the ingredients needed to make the album that would go on to catapult them to superstardom. For The Joshua Tree was a big leap forward, the crystallization of a turning point where U2 outgrew the corners of the world that they inhabited and strolled onto a world that would soon fill and reward their outsized ambitions. And it's that world that would inform U2's stances not just here but going forward, as raging wars, displacement, romantic idealism of geography and tortured descriptions of love and death dominate the record. And it would end up dominating the world, for a short period, before the world got sick of it and began to thumb their noses. Which would prompt U2 to, quote unquote, tear the tree down. But the shadow that the tree bore down upon us listeners still transfixes to this day, making non-believers into believers and believers into die-hards. Surely one listen, or more, would make one understand; it's all one can do.

Opens with three great songs and the rest holds up for 5 stars or A.

Instead of an album by Brian Eno, today's album was (co) produced by Brian Eno. It's Eno's world and we just live in it. Very Eno-centric. The deluxe version has additional great songs on it with Spanish Eyes, The Sweetest Thing, Luminous Times and Walk to the Water. This is a nearly perfect album and it is easy to neglect how good it is due to the Bono-ness of U2 and the way the band seems to be pompous and engage in extravagance in all things. No one wanted that album downloaded to their iTunes. Perfect album and there isn't a bad track.

I already heard Achtung Baby on this journey and how U2 reinvented themselves going into the 90s. It's about time we took a step back to what I consider to be the peak of their first run with The Joshua Tree. This album is undoubtedly the most anthemic the band ever got in their Irish-rooted heartland rock, where the songs bounce and sway with the sort of quiet explosion that the band were capable of back in the 80s. From the Edge's jaunty guitar strumming, Larry Mullen Jr.'s pulsating drums, Adam Clayton's infectious bass cylinders, and young Bono's soaring vocals, and aided by the rhythm section focused production of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, the band had this unparalleled etherealness for the time. The most shining aspect of this album is the lyrics that tread the line between earnest comfort and socially charged poignancy. From the single-minded searching in "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", the condemnation of US foreign policy for the unrest caused in Central America on "Bullet the Blue Sky" and "Mothers of the Disappeared", the tragic drug-riddled couple portrayed in "Running to Stand Still", to reflections on the loss of a close friend of the band on "One Tree Hill", there's personal stake that Bono took in. This was not simply his beef with the Reagan administration, but just how to reconcile with oneself and move forward, to find pathos in what one thought the land of the free would be versus what it was. As such, the content of this album remains starkingly relevant to this day. I know that following this album would be the release of Rattle and Hum, which exposed how pretentious the band ended up being, and they would spend decades having to live up and down from where they were here. Regardless of what came next, The Joshua Tree remained a strong album in U2's discography, when their songwriting reached its apex.

One of my favourite albums of all time.

Hands down their best work. It’s not fair that I’ve judged the rest of their discography by this metric, because its power and beauty set such a high standard. Peak socio-political artistry with pop accessibility that rivals Dylan in his prime.

The first three songs are iconic on an otherwise solid album. This is their peak before a great fall… but what a peak.

I'm not a U2 fan in general but this is one hell of an album. From the intro of Where the Streets Have No Name the album pulls you in and and never lets go.

4.5* rounding up.

I close my eyes... color and light swirls around me. I open my eyes and realize that was just a flashback to 2010. I close my eyes and I am 14 in an imax theatre in New York City. U2 is blasting. It is my freshman year band field trip. I am not allowed to leave to pee. I am here for 2 hours but it feels like a century. I come out aged, wise beyond my years for 7 minutes before the effect wears off. I did not appreciate the experience, but it's hard when you get blindsided with two hours of a full-sensory experience of Irish alternative rock in the middle of the afternoon. I exit the theater, back into the rock and roll hall of fame lobby. We go back down the escalators in pairs because a girl in my group is afraid of heights. I take one blurry photo of the corner of the lobby... This is going in The Facebook Album. I open my eyes. It is 2025. I am sitting at my desk. I am allowed to turn down the music. I can get up to pee without raising my hand. Life is good, but it was good then, too. 5/5 for the music and the experience. Thanks for forcing me to listen to this again. I can appreciate it now.

I won't lie, I've always loved The Joshua Tree. As much of a hot take that is in some circles, I still stand by this album's merits. It's just a very interesting look at what it means to pursue the American dream and how people perceive said dream.

Love it and saved to my collection! Great instruments and voice with socially conscious lyrics. Bullet the Blue Sky is beautiful!

indie forefathers

Of the three U2 albums presented to me so far by this project, this one is my favourite.

Anthemic and powerful and original

Banger album

I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. This would be great for long drives

I’ve never liked U2, I honestly don’t get their appeal. That was until today, this album is bloody brilliant. I wouldn’t say I’m a fan now but I am willing to give them a go.

I remember this album being all over the radio.

I have never heard a stronger start to an album! Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and With or Without You one after the other make the strongest start ever! Then the rest of the songs follow, which are a bit similar to each other, mostly in terms of atmosphere and lyrics that lead us around America. They criticize Bono mostly that he is too loud, and that his vocals are sometimes too loud for the background music, which makes him called egocentric and irritating, but I didn't mind it at all. This was a wonderful walk from Belfast to the USA, everywhere where the streets have no names and I enjoyed every moment of the album. After the end, I listened to the first 3 songs again - masterpieces! Probably the three best songs of entire U2's career, placed on the same album and one after the other.

Highlights: Were the Streets have no name, I still haven't found, With or without you. Der Rest ist gut hörbar. 5/5

Even better than I remembered. Good to listen to this again.

relevant significant beautiful perfect no criticisms for this one

Bono dug deep to achieve this incredibly personal album. I read that he wanted to pull it because of so many mistakes. It's hard to imagine someone, even him, could find it flawed.

What is left to be said. TJT came out when I was 17. It was inescapable. My high school relationship with U2 shaped my understanding of not just music but the production behind it, the guitar and bass tones and of course pony tails. The Unforgettable Fire was the real life changer for me but that record teed this one up. And did they knock it out of the park. It is impossible for me to view this album with anything approaching fresh eyes. But - top to bottom - it still sounds good - damn good. As good a collection of songs as they would ever assemble, before the lyrics got wonky (a slippery slope that accelerates as the 90s progress and let's not even talk about the 00s) and the music calcified, TJT perfectly captures them - in at a moment. The best version of themselves forever frozen in black and white. From singles to deep cuts this album is a juggernaut.

Incredible album. So many memories from when this album came out in 1987. To me this album is a must listen. Only the last track is a little disappointing when compared to the rest of the album to me.

No me mezquino, se merece