1001 Albums Generator
The Joshua Tree by U2

The Joshua Tree

U2

1987
3.66
Rating
30329
Votes
1
4%
2
10%
3
27%
4
33%
5
25%
Distribution
Genres: Rock Styles: Pop Rock

Reviews (page 5 of 15)

Meh. I remember liking this so much when it came out. It seems really dated now. Does not hold up well.

Yeah U2, more like MeToo, i feel like a victim after this one. Honestly just generic sounding and corny.

The hits are classics but the rest of the album simply did not hook me - Felt kinda sameness

Even now, when my spin count for this must be down to once a year or so, the chances of me being able to muster any objective distance to enable writing something about The Joshua Tree is virtually zero. You see, my relationship with this album began at a critically formative musical age for me. Add to that my distinct lack of finances to buy anything else, and you have a recipe for me listening to this at least once daily for what felt like years but was maybe just a year. Still the spin count back then means these songs are burnt into my ears’ retinas if those were a thing. So let’s just say I’ve heard this far too much. Lets also say, while my total embracing of this blinded me into tolerating whatever Rattle and Hum was supposed to be, I had moved on so much before Achtung Baby came out (I went indie) that there was no way I was buying it (regardless of how awesome I thought The Fly was). No, The Joshua Tree was the last U2 album that I was absorbed in. I may have managed to drop my devotion to the band, but if I’m honest, I don’t think I have ever lost much respect for this album. The Joshua Tree may have had uncertain foundations (from what I’ve read) but the finished product, is the sound of a band squeezing every drop out of what they were capable of at the time, and a production team capable of maximising every one of those drops into a world beating, stadium filling, monumental slab of an album. Born of punk ancestry, U2 aren’t coming at this game with complex musical chops, but they managed to assimilate their 3 chord roots with the kind of simplicity that informed the folk music of the USA. Basic can translate as classic if it’s done right. The simplicity of the chords and structures of the songs on The Joshua Tree, potentially something of a weakness, are instead one of its underlying virtues. As the listener makes their way through the album the sound seems sophisticated and yet, the building blocks are nothing much more than primitive. Instead there is passion in every note played and sung, every lyric, every vocal performance and melody. Some might believe differently, but from where I was watching, Live Aid followed by The Joshua Tree was the turning point where U2 went from the band some clued-in kids were passionate about, to the band every single kid had an opinion about. I may not have stuck with them through thick and thin, but the fact that I am still prepared to admit a deep seated respect for things they have done is rather incredible and a testament to the brilliance of this album.

Bändi löytänyt soundinsa, hyviä kappaleita hyvin soitettuna, pientä flirttailua americanan suuntaan (varmaan Jenkeissä kiertämisestä saatuja vaikutteita)

#260/1001. I have this still on my LP shelf, but when was the last time I listened to it? Somewhere in the (early) nineties? Still, some of the early U2 albums (tjis was the last one I got) meant a lot to me at some point, so don't want to sell them away. This album reset the epitome for stadium rock, and the sound has been influential and imitated by all the cold(ly)play(ing) stadium bands ever since. The masses love, but if the music is errorless it is also meaningless or something like that. What a roster of classics and songs which I know by heart - as do millions of others, and for that I cannot but rate this quite high. Perhaps I joined this project, cause I still haven't found what I was looking for, but apparently it was not U2.

My favourite of the three U2 albums we've gotten so far! This is perhaps the ultimate culmination of their stadium-ready "big music" sound that they'd been honing for years to this point, and every facet of the production shines through in bangers like Where the Streets Have No Name. Great stuff!

This blew me away with the first three songs. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! The quality didn’t really drop off much after that either. Bangers on bangers. What an album.

This is all objectively very lush and very well-produced, but personally it somehow didn’t grip me much outside of a few highlights. It felt a bit like Coldplay’s Parachutes in that I remember liking the band’s big hits a lot growing up, but felt a bit let down by the album despite it not being all that different from their usual style. Still the best I’ve heard of U2 to date! Standouts: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For • With Or Without You • Bullet The Blue Sky • Mothers Of The Disappeared

It's easy to make fun of U2 for being dramatic and bombastic, but this is really the pinnacle of that style. They try so many genres while keeping their own flavor and the production is absolutely immaculate. Unlike many albums of the 80s, it doesn't sound dated at all. You can listen to this one again and again.

Powerful pop songs. I don’t love it but don’t dislike it either. I’ve always liked Still haven’t found what I’m looking for. The songs have a similarity between them. That’s style and the U2 sound, and nothing else. I don’t think I’ve heard one tree hill before and like that. That guitar and Bono’s passionate singing are what make that U2 sound. I imagine this album would have a bigger impact on me if I was older when it came out. Instead my father tried to convince me to hate the band. Unbelievably stupid but it worked until I was in my teens or 20s.

this was a hard listen for me, I’m not a big fan of U2 to begin with, especially Bono’s voice, and to see this album was 2 hours near enough, I wasn’t looking forward to it. It wasn’t all bad, I enjoyed a handful of song, for their instrumentation, like track 2, or silver and gold. But the majority of this album was really tiresome for me to get through, a slog. It’s down to personal taste really, their sound has never excited me, I can’t get into the dreary rock and roll. That being said, the band is talented, and the music was well done throughout, just not for me.

Looks of good songs.

Love the power of this recording. It's endured for all this time. Like all the songs.

Hit after hit. Fatiguing not because of the music but because of how often I’ve already heard these songs. Suffering from its own success. Decent album.

Actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Bono appetit

Prachtig, mooie teksten, zeer bijzondere sound gezien het landschap en vorige werk. Vergeet altijd een beetje dat deze richting het einde best experimenteel wordt nog. Highlights: Where The Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found…, Running To Stand Still, Mothers of the Disappeared.

Ah they're a singles band really, aren't they.

It was okay. A few standouts but overall a bit same same.

This album is fire, loved almost every song. I think it has some amazing vocals and the length is just perfect. My favourite song for now is probably "Red Hill Mining Town".

2 a 3 bekende liedjes, andere nummers misschien eens vaker luisteren

Nothing really jumped for me here the way that One did on the other U2 album

This one’s really boring, there’s like nothing going on. If you like this, suit yourself, but it’s just not doing anything for me. Everything just falls kind of flat for me. Most of these songs sound like old ringtones or bland commercials. Red Hill Mining Town is kinda good. In God’s Country sounds like an old Nokia ringtone at the beginning. I swear I’m not trying to be oh so different, but I hate the hits the most. No, hate is a strong word. It’s not like they are bad musically. They are boring. They don’t make me feel anything at all. They are all also kinda the same? I don’t understand why they became hits in the first place. The second half of the album is honestly more solid than the first. Still not great, but a bit better. I’m not saying you have to overcomplicate everything, but this album is so simple, just too simple. That makes it easy to garner a wider audience, I suppose. You can’t go wrong with simple.

meh. some good tracks, some pretentious and stupid tracks. I think this is mostly a case of the album being 40 years old and the conversation having moved on

хорошо ли это? да добавлю к себе в плейлист? нет альбом с вайбом поездки куда то далеко на машине в роуд муви смотрелось бы очень органично

If there ever was a front-heavy album, this is it. I mean, growing up in the 90s the first 3 songs were just about inescapable. And nearly 40 years after their release, they show no signs of flagging. Bullet The Blue Sky is one that I've definitely heard, but not nearly so much. Really enjoy it, solid song with a surprising groove about it. Rest of the album kind of drifted into my background. Some songs were a little draggy, but overall the sounds were nice and really hard to argue with. On gut feel this is a 4 for me.

Another good one by U2. Not my favorite band, but certainly happy to see them. Front loaded for sure. Couple of the later songs you could definitely make out some distinctly Irish moments.

First 4 songs on this album are all time, Streets Have No Name is one of my favorite songs. This does fall off massively after those though and while still nice to listen to, it does not have a replay ability for me after the beginning. Still a soft 4

First half of this album is loaded. Definitely falls off a bit after that but nothing egregious. Solid 4 here with the first 4 songs doing some heavy lifting.

Enjoyable

Can I say best U2 album? I think I can.

My second U2 album on this list, and like War, I enjoyed it. This was just before the band got unbearable in my opinion. It is front stacked, but was enjoyable enough. The more familiar songs certainly still hold up.

Ah U2. So I've never been a fan of theirs. They do have some great music but they are a give me a greatest hits band more than a I want to do a deep dive on them. This album starts off strong, the songs work well. Then the slog of it all sets in. The music is kinda same and makes you go, YOU HAVE TALENT, DO SOMETHING! It's not a horrible album, I'd rather listen to this than the first Oasis album for sure. It's just that the longer I listen to it the less I like of it. Maybe it's a preconceived notion that I know Bono is a pretentious wanker, maybe it's because I know the guy that honestly calls himself The Edge is too and damnit he's a better guitar player than this album. Maybe I really hate but I grew up with U2 being all over the place and so I have some form of Stockholm Syndrome with them where I just think I enjoy it. Either way it's pretty non offensive music, they play well and Bono isn't a terrible front man for them. It's a generic rock album.

A monster of an album - I'm not a great fan of U2's later stuff but this is a classic.

bono moaning all over this isnt for me. he sings like his voice is a guitar solo. Their best songs have interesting enough instrumentation that it feels like hes jockying for attention. the worst songs has the music way back and and is a bed for bono's wailing. RED HILL MINING, I'm looking at you. Bullet in the blue sky is kinda cool. there are some 3/4 songs on here but overall its a 2 listening experience for me as a whole

ik ben nooit echt fan geweest van u2, ik vond ze altijd een beetje mid en na het luisteren van dit album is mijn mening niet veranderd. de liedjes zijn gwn allemaal zo repetitive en voorspelbaar

Peakalicious, alhoewel nostalgie hier sws een grote factor zal zijn. De eerste helft van het album is ook aanzienlijk beter dan de 2de.

Kinda forgettable. Fav might be “One tree hill”

It was fine but not remarkable. The first half of the album was better than the second half; the second half was just very quiet and didn’t really pique my interest.

7/10 Never listened to a U2 album before but I enjoyed this one a lot! Fav part was the instrumentation for sure.

eh... idk im not really a fun of U2

I low-key feel like a 50 year old yearning white man. The songs get kinda repetetive

The first three songs and "Exit" are great, but the rest is pretty mediocre. I enjoyed listening to it, but can't give it five stars.

Review - I've never liked this band but this album has made me re-evaluate my opinion on them. The first 3 tracks are all classics that I know well, and they're better than I remember them being. While a few tracks are too brazenly country/Americana inspired and they don't really have the chops for it, mostly they pull it off. There are also a few songs (Red Hill Mining Town, Bullet the Blue Sky) which are a lot rockier than I realised this band ever were? And The Edge has a non -twinkly guitar tone - I didn't know he did that sometimes. Rating - 7.5/10 Need to hear? YES

Revisiting an old friend, a good album but not as good as Achtung Baby.

It’s not like I want to hate on U2; I thought I did but then I listened to War and I quite liked that album so that sort of changed my judgement of them. This album is just boring. Sure, the opening tracks are good but not really exciting or anything. The tracks that followed were very slow and didn’t grab my attention. I liked the outro of Exit, but the last track again didn’t do much for me.

I’d never been a fan of U2. Not that I disliked them, I just never spent the time searching out their albums, although of course they had so many hits that you knew them well enough. Apropos of which, it’s quite a statement to start an album (as they do here) with three songs which were all hit singles. Having listened to Joshua Tree all through, I think it’s good. Bono is faintly ridiculous in some ways but his voice is good and well suited to these songs (side note: I’d probably like Led Zeppelin a lot more if you could somehow substitute Bono’s voice for Robert Plant’s!). The musicianship is really good. The bass is always interesting and The Edge’s (stupid name) guitar style is really cool - rhythm and texture rather than rock and roll lead guitar histrionics. In fact, I found it interesting that you could almost imagine some of these songs as electronica rather than rock, with just a bit of tweaking. Bullet the Blue Sky was probably the standout song for me of those I hadn’t heard before - sort of a mashup of Joy Division drum and bass sound with Patti Smith prose poetry over the top! And (without having done any background reading) the album seems to have a theme of reflections on America as the band sound it at the time. Of the ones I already knew, With or Without You is a great song.

I've listened to this album many times over the years so I know it well. I was surprised to see it's from 1987. It feels modern enough to be a much more recent album. The big hits are obviously well know, and fantastic, but the rest of the album is great too. The music and vocals are good to sing along to, although mostly in my head - it wouldn't be fair to inflict mt singing voice on others!

authentic and vibrant

Классный альбом, я слышал про U2 и вот познакомился! Например в Bullet The Blue Sky есть элементы метала в стиле Deftones

I didn't realize that I would know so many of the songs from this album. So many of these remind me of the early 2000s and I enjoyed this album because of it. But, I feel the album was front loaded with the good songs. Favorites: Where The Streets Have No Name - classic song, love the opening guitar I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - I enjoy the vocals on this song With Or Without You - reminds me of The Office Running To Stand Still - enjoy the softness of this song

3.5/5 I can't stand this band but I can't deny this album

You can't deny, U2 have written some good songs. There are a couple of stinkers on here too but overall it's ok

Very strong start to an album with the first 6 tracks

only tracks 3,4,5 standout, overall: 1.5/2

This album reminds me of my dad but not rlly

This is fine.

One of those albums that I've heard more in commercials than on purpose. Credit to U2 for carving out their own sound. It's not really my thing but it's not offensive.

Fab album. Some hits and real wmtipn in the songs.

One of my top ten of all time

I own and like 6 U2 songs. 2 of them were on this album (I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For and With or Without You). Other than those two, I wasn’t super impressed by anything else on the album. It wasn’t bad though.

Woman rock. 3/5

As opposed to yesterday, this is far more a straight down the middle rock album. Not in rating, but in what it's going for. Each song is its own thing to say rather than the soundtrack feel of The Wall. Obviously, two immediate classics with I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and With Or Without You. I don't think the rest of the album hits nearly that hard, so it does feel a little more like a few big bangers surrounded by lessers.

This album has so many back to back to back anthems. An incredible swing.

Changed my mind about U2 being lame but not by much

Fuck, now I want to rewatch The Americans.

If given two words to describe this album, I think I’d go with “Relentlessly Boring”.

I know this is classed as a classic album, and I did singalong to the 1st 3 songs, but not really for me.

Love the start of this album but by the end I was a little bored.

Probably the best U2 album I’ve listened to thus far. The first half of the album is genuinely very strong. Second half kinda peters off into “generic U2 type music” but overall it’s a good album

Wankers. 2 stars for Bullet the Blue Sky.

De u2 haters zijn gewoon droevige zure mensen. Dit is gewoon pracht. Meeslepende gitaren, goede teksten en nostalgisch gezang.

christian summer camp soundtrack

I am SO excited for this one today. This album was the soundtrack to my high school experience and all the fun things that came with being in high school during Covid. I would listen to this driving to and from work and school. So yes, this is going to be a bit nostalgia fuelled. Starting off, Where the Streets have no Name. The intro, *chefs kiss*. I adore this song. It just reminds me of driving to the little town where I worked. Moving into I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. The guitar in the intro gets me every time. This is one of my dad’s favourite songs, so I heard it a good amount growing up. Still love it. Same with With or Without you. Classics. No complaints. I will also not hear complaints. Ok, now I’m done praising the big 3 of this album, I will go and enjoy the rest. Bullet in the Blue Sky — ugh, another great intro. It’s dad rock at its finest. I’m not a huge fan of the spoken word elements, but everything else carries it. Running to stand still - the intro reminds me of the breaking bad intro. I love what it morphs into. I’m an absolute sucker for a rock ballad, and this is no different (can I class it as a rock ballad?, maybe?, oh well, it is now). Red Hill Mining Town — the overall sound of this song is just great. It starts out a different vibe than the rest of the album so far which I think is really great. It does fall back into similar sounds, but I don’t mind, because if it wasn’t obvious already, I love this album. In Gods Country is alright, not my favourite, same with Trip Through Your Wires, I appreciate the vibe on that one, but it’s not as much for me. One Tree Hill is a good song. Nothing really else to add. I enjoy it every time I listen, but it’s not usually something I come back to. Exit is just a genuinely cool track. Again, has a different vibe then some of the rest of the album, and honesty reminds me of my listen through of War. The actual music in this track is just a really fun time. Finally, the closer, Mothers of the Disappeared. A gorgeous piece of music. Still not sure how I feel about it as a closer, but love it all the same. Overall, as much as I love this album, it is not a 5* album. My final rating is a 4/5 ⭐️, I said I wanted to be objective and so I will be. 18/1089

Average Album, Never heard it but the singles released. Pretty boring. Not a fan of U2. Tight band, solid, just boring.

Don't need to comment. This ones a 5 too!

I'd say this album is average. The first 3 tracks are so strong but the rest is just okay. It kind of sounds like more of the same, but not quite as good. They definitely chose the right singles off this album.

AND I STILL HAVEN’T FOUNDDD WHAT I’M LOOKING FORRRR! That’s truly my favorite song by U2, this album was enjoyable!

Actually pretty good!

Mid-tempo rockers. Always makes the safe decision. Production has filed off all the rough edges.

A very “American music culture” inspired album. You can hear country and blues rooted guitar accompanied by Bono’s recognizable voice. Although I know it’s an acquired taste; I very much enjoyed this listen. Having to push aside their later discography that was coming out while I was growing up; I can appreciate what this album displayed for U2 after seeing another part of the world that they were experiencing first hand

Крайне хороший альбом, плотное звучание

Outside is America

🥇i still haven’t found what i’m looking for 🥈with or without you 🥉red hill mining town HM: where the streets have no name, running to stand still, in god’s country, one tree hill sooooo good

I enjoyed the hits

Pretty staggering, a band at their peak.

Fantastic album about an America that never existed but we wish did. Oh if only Bono didn’t let his ego take over…

track 1 - i like the small build up. track 2 - the instruments blend together really well in. track 3 - the switch of passion is cool. track 2 was more strong, while track 3 feels more desperate or longing. track 4 - fav song off this album, similar to what i’d usually listen to and love the vibe of the song overall. track 5 - very soft, a bit calming but slightly sad feeling. track 6 - i like the light guitar, it gives a bright sound / feeling. track 7 - bright like track 6, more bold tho. track 8 - as soon as i heard the harmonica, i knew it was gonna be a good song lol. it just gives so much character. track 9 - not many thoughts on it. i could tell it had passion but didn’t interest me a whole lot. track 10 - love the vibe of the song, the build up, and slight story feel to it. track 11 - reminds me of car seat headrest lol. rating: 3/10 - not necessarily my thing. track 4 and 10 were my favs tho. it was a calm listen as well, i could play it in the background while doing something and be happy with it.

best vet

i actually think i’m more ideologically against U2 than i am coldplay, what a dreary listen. actually couldn’t finish it lol first DNF of the game. also im still mad at them for that time they forcefully downloaded their shitey album onto my ipod touch and used all my storage

Cinematic & ethereal. A couple of “hits” on here, but the general vibe + Bono’s voice just doesn’t really do it for me.

Classic album.

U2 are one of those bands that have really transcended. Bono himself is one of those people who have transcended. Chart topping protest songs, live aid charity performances, south park episodes, 4 decades of relevance, the unforgivable apple iphone album, which actually featured a track I dug titled "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone), a 360 degree stage tour, the infamous sunglasses (we all felt bad making fun of them once we realized Bono actually wore them due to a medical condition), and everything (whatever is left) in between. One of the first albums I owned (that i'm not embarrassed to admit - sorry NSYNC and Backstreet Boys), was "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. I guess I was 9. Vertigo (again an Apple advert) was the lead track, but the album had some depth with their deeper cuts, pretty remarkable after 24 years of music actually. This brings me to Joshua Tree. I guess its on the list because its U2s most popular album. From 87, they were barely 30. Lyrically, the album is incredibly strong. I don't know what it is about the Irish, but they have an uncanny vulnerability and honesty in their music. This isn't just rock for rocks sake or meaningless rhymes, they're purposeful. In high school English class, my teacher taught us about purpose and conviction, the reason we study context and themes in novels is because the best novels arent just written for high level entertainment sake, they're written for a purpose, the artist is conveying a message, there is a difference. And while in music more broadly, there is a place for bullet proof pop music that just sounds good, we hold much more space for music that has purpose and conviction. And to be perfectly honest, I don't even think Bono is a good singer, but he sings with raw passion that is completely unavoidable, and it cuts through much more powerfully to me than the likes of your pop artists who have the look and the sound to survive a summer on top of the billboard charts before plummeting into the back of our ever shortened memories. These lyrics and vocals paired, create some emotional feeling within me, and judging by their success, within lots of people, that is extremely unique, and as ive said before, that carries far more power than far more talented singers. And i guess that gets us to the rest of the music. The Edge has the distinct echo effect through his guitar that matches the sound perfectly, it is instantly recognizable, and doesn't need to show off, its a lesson in "less is more" and a lesson in understanding what sounds good is better than producing something much more complex for complexity sake, when it doesnt sound half as good. And then we get to the album itself, perhaps the strongest 3 track opening i've experienced on this list so far, perhaps a strongest 3 track run i can remember listening to at all (maybe Katy Perry's Teenage Dream with Teenage Dream, Last Friday Night, California Girls, and Firework trumps it, but I think she had a bit more support than four 27 year old boys from Ireland with some guitars in a studio). I guess finally we get to the cultural significance of the album. Apparently this album cemented them as the worlds biggest band, the album is viewed as an anthem of doubt rather than faith. After visiting the US on tour, Bono attempted to explore the gritty reality within America through this album. Similarly, his trip to Ethiopia between releases seeps into the album through the spiritual journey themes. Ultimately, this album comes through as a man trying to come to terms with a lot of different feelings all at once. There is a first world experience, and pre internet it probably was reserved for people like Bono who had just reached international fame and success, but today it is available to most of us with a phone and internet access. We can see all the most heartbreaking realities of the world, and all of the beauty, juxtaposed, one after the other, and this album, is possibly before its time, in the sense that the band tries to explore this idea. In todays context, much of the album holds up as strong as ever, the themes the band discuss lyrically are still alive and strong. Perhaps its a double edged sword, if we solved these world issues, would the songs carry as much weight today? I don't know the answer but as i sit here at my desk at work, procrastinating by writing this review, Red Hill Mining Town plays through my headphones and the ache in Bono's voice almost brings me to tears. The band holds a place in my heart, and this album is a defining triumphant moment in their illustrious career. 9.2/10

Solid songs, nothing mind-blowing for me though

"The Joshua Tree" is heralded by the iconic opening track, 'Where the Streets Have No Name' (inspired by the sectarian geography of Belfast), and that stunning, driving bass line. From the very first listen 39 years ago, it was clear that U2’s sound had shifted. They moved towards a more robust 'rock' foundation, with a sharp definition between the guitar, drums, and bass that provided a solid anchor for the songs. Bono’s vocals felt more controlled, softer and more soulful than before. Compared to its ethereal predecessor, "The Unforgettable Fire", this was a more conventional rock record. Lyrically, Bono's writing took on a sharper contrast; it was far more apparent that the band was grappling with politics (six of the eleven tracks are political in one way or another). For me, this era marked the beginning of the wider critiques of U2, and Bono in particular. He began to polarise people on a much larger scale. Those criticisms continue to this day and, admittedly, some are deserved (the Apple Music debacle, for instance), but many have now become like an urban myth. People often make up their minds about the man without actually listening to the music first - you only have to look at some of the modern reviews of this album to see that bias in action. Side one of "The Joshua Tree" is, for me, a perfect side of music. It is difficult to pick a favourite as the quality is so consistent, but if pushed, I would choose 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'. It is a gospel-infused track that showcases a newfound maturity in their song writing, admitting to a persistent, human sense of spiritual hunger and unfulfillment. Side two is darker, and less consistent. It certainly lacks the "instant" appeal of the first half. However, my favourite track on side two, and a personal highlight of the entire album, is 'Exit'. Inspired by Norman Mailer’s The Executioner’s Song, it is a frightening, "creepy" track that attempts to get inside the mind of a religious fanatic driven to murder. It feels much more in keeping with the raw energy of their earlier work. The album reaches a solemn conclusion with 'Mothers of the Disappeared'. It is a wonderful, beautifully sung piece, a stark, chilling closer about the mothers in Argentina and Chile whose children were abducted by military dictatorships. I have always felt this track evokes Peter Gabriel's 'Biko' (from his third album, Melt), both in its sombre tone and its placement as a final, haunting statement. "The Joshua Tree" was a monumental turning point for U2. It became their biggest-selling album and saw them headlining stadiums worldwide for the first time. It is a great album, although the slight dip in quality on side two, specifically with 'In God's Country' and 'Trip Through Your Wires', means it just achieves a five-star rating. Side one 1 "Where the Streets Have No Name" (5/5) 2 "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (5/5) 3 "With or Without You" (5/5) 4 "Bullet the Blue Sky" (5/5) 5 "Running to Stand Still" (5/5) Side two 1 "Red Hill Mining Town" (5/5) 2 "In God's Country" (3/5) 3 "Trip Through Your Wires" (3/5) 4 "One Tree Hill" (4/5) 5 "Exit" (5/5) 6 "Mothers of the Disappeared" (5/5) Total - 50 Average - 4.55 217/1001 121/217 albums reviewed were new to me.

Another one I just do not understand. One of the greatest albums of all time? Really? For who? Its so boring, what is appealing about this?

The Joshua Tree is an instant 5 for me. I had already "liked" every song on this on Spotify before being assigned this to listen on here. It's a perfect album with no skips. I also saw U2 for the first time on this tour and I think I've seen them in concert 6 times, including at the Sphere in Vegas. I've got 3 U2 albums that I consider Perfect Albums - where I like every song. War (1983), this one (1987), and Achtung Baby (1991). There is not one bad song on this and all of them are actually great songs - that I never get tired of hearing. Even though some of the hit songs were overplayed at the time, I still really like them. Some of the best songs on this are deep cuts that never got radio play. Any song off this album would be a peak song for most other bands. By the time this one came out I was already a big U2 fan from the War and The Unforgettable Fire albums. But this one took them to a whole other level of popularity. Before this they were more of a niche thing, after this literally everyone knew who they were. I remember being kind of annoyed at all the new fans but had to admit it really was a great album and they deserved as much praise and attention as they were getting. The album starts with the 3 songs that were the big radio and video hits - which are great songs - but all of the songs after the first 3, from Bullet the Blue Sky to the last song (Mother's of the Disappeared), are all 10/10 - great lyrics, great vibe by the band, great vocals by Bono. Very intense, sad, angry, joyous, quiet, loud - all the things. If the sequence of the last 3 songs from One Tree Hill to Exit to Mother's of the Disappeared doesn't grab you then there's something wrong with you :) Liked songs on Spotify: 11/11 (Perfect Album) Rating: 5/5

Best: WOWY, Streets Have No Name Never understood why U2 were so popular and highly regarded, but tried to listen to this without that bias. Can't say the album has any flaws, technical quality is good, lyrics are meaningful, Bonos performance is decent. Don't think it ever achieves a very captivating sound but I like how atmospheric some tracks are. Some songs I really liked (above) and there aren't any misses. Would maybe rate 3.5 but preferable to recent albums so giving a 4

Liked this way more than I thought I would but maybe because I listened to it on a plane and had nothing else to do. I’m not sure why it gets so much hate, there are some great tracks on it, WTSHNN was my favourite and With or without you is such a classic. The lyrics were poetic and meaningful, the opening of the album was captivating and the production throughout was perfect. Bono has an undeniably great voice and the bluesy influence can be felt clearly. Parts of it does feel a bit like mum rock but I enjoy it in a nostalgic way. There is genuinely nothing negative about this album.

Begin was goed, maar dan begon het al rap saai te worden Jonas vindt U2 niet goed!!!

First 4 tracks are monsters.

Apparently I am a sucker für 80s U2. Always loved their best of for that decade. Got to listen to achtung baby and joshua tree on here back to back. What a super solid rock album overall. Not a bad song on there and the first three tracks where the streets have no name, i still havent found what im looking for and especially with or without rival almost any other lp for their top songs. The only thing i have to critizise is the pacing issue this run creates for this record in its entirety. Especially imagining this as a real lp side b drags a bit and misses one real hit.

listened to the first song beginning was okay, but that’s it. not my thing but to each their own.

Nice authentic album

Bono is such an annoying person that you'd forget U2 have some unbelievable songs. Great vocals throughout. As expected, though, the guitar and its effects are way over the top in most songs, barely giving the rhythm section room. Some songs also lack a sense of dynamic, just an onslaught of riffs from start to finish. Some big powerful songs to kickstart the album. The big ballads make way for a bit more lethargy toward the end. This is a really good album and I'm going to listen to it again!

While I’d definitely heard this before and know the first three tracks very well, my musical taste moved on from bands like U2 before I ever really delved deeper into this one. There’s something about it that feels a little safer… a little less vital than some of their earlier records (or indeed Achtung Baby after it). That said, “Streets” is a soaring track, and easily my highlight, while “Still Haven’t Found” isn’t far behind. I’m certain “Trip Through Your Wires” made me switch this off every other time I’d made it that far. It’s two steps down in quality from everything else on the album. If you make it past the harmonicas, “Exit” and “Mothers of the Disappeared” are nice rewards that end the album with some real depth. I’ve long felt I should have given this album a fair shake, and I found it an enjoyable experience that I could see improving with further listening.

People who know me, know I despise U2. That said the previous album surprised me a bit, so I'll try to be more open minded. This U2 album has some of their best work. ISHFWILF is an all-time classic as is With or Without You. Some other decent work from them as well. If any album has a chance soften my stance on U2, this is the one. And it has. I no longer despise them.

I'm probably in the minority that I neither love nor hate U2. I'm kind of indifferent about them. I can understand why this album launched them to superstar status - it's a very good album in terms of song composure. What I can't fall in love with here is the melancholy of this album that leads to a general feeling of ennui. I'll give it a 4 because it is a pretty epic album, but barely.

13/01/2026 1. where the streets have no name - initially, liking the summary of the themes from wikipedia, but not looking forward to the actual sound of u2 from what i've heard. liking the fade in.... organs are really nice. guitar kinda sounds like the end of a cheesy american high-school movie.... like it was meant to be used in the behind a crane shot. bass is real nice though:) don't know how i feel about the vocals..... he sings every single line very melodramatically. 2. i still haven't found what i'm looking for - not massive on the start... the lyrics are sweet though :) just a bit boring though.... generic mass-appeal love song. doesn't have the energy/newness/not blandness of someone like phil spector to carry it beyond. like the slide guitar at the end though 3. with or without you - still as bland as the previous song about halfway through. lyrics are getting a bit dramatic. melodramatic but without any energy in the music to back it up, just ends up falling flat. *4. bullet the blue sky - drums are nice... liking the guitar a lot more.... more screechy, less boring. bass is still great :) liking his vocals more in this one. the drama of his delivery actually suits the intensity of the music. like the lyrics more... very atmospheric... assuming this is about vietnam? us intervention in general? love the spoken bit in the bridge.... hoping the rest of the album is more like this!!!! 5. running to stand still - love the folksy, twangy guitar at the start. harmonica at the end? not incredible, but wouldn't complain if this one was on in the background... ending is really lovely. 6. red hill mining town - goin down t'pit?? like the bass :) his singing is really great in the chorus, love the guitar and the backing vocals as well. like how the intensity is building throughout. 7. in god's country - at the start, the guitar sounds exactly the same as the first song. like the guitar version of that one coldplay song in the nonce psa. bass is still great. getting better as it goes on though. liking the more screechy guitar towards the end. like the vocalising at the end. 8. trip through your wires - drumming is nice. harmonica again?? not complaining though. like the organ. alright. 9. one tree hill - immediately sounds more dated than the rest of the songs. bit stomp-clap. songs for supermarket shopping. his voice towards the end just sounds strained and annoying. 10. exit - bass is nice. like the more atmospheric feel of this one. 11. mothers of the disappeared - bass still great. like the softer sound.... ending is nice :) despite never having consciously listened to any u2 song ever (probably heard one in the background somewhere), i was not looking forward to this album because of their reputation as basically proto-coldplay. did like some of the lyrics, especially loved the biblical elements, but the music was just so generic. the only song i really enjoyed was bullet the blue sky, which i realllllly loved. might listen to their earlier albums in the hopes it's more like that song. the start and end of the album were a bit of a slog, only liked tracks four to seven. sounds more modern than 1987, but not that much and just dull to listen to! maybe i'm biased because of their bad reputation, but i wouldn't listen most of this album again.

There are some iconic songs on this album, it was definitely ground-breaking and a cultural touchstone... but U2 just annoys me in principle and in practice.

Really don’t like U2

This seems like the commercial progression of this group to becoming full on pop superstars. In my uneducated opinion, this album doesn't hold up to the rest of the catalog but still fits in. It was all part of their evolution.

193/1001 U2 - The Joshua Tree Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Obviously I've heard all of the singles from this, but never really ventured further and I probably should have before now, as the album tracks do hold up relatively well to the them. I was surprised at how top heavy this album was, and could have done with a reshuffle.

An album that supposedly was set its track listing by preference of the band's friend Kirsty McColl. This inevitably means that they album has 3 of the best opening tracks ever before becoming increasingly less worth continuing to listen to as it goes on. A rather bizarre choice. However, still very listenable throughout and the opening 3 tracks are phenomenal.

okay yeah sue me i have never listened to a U2 album fully but i swearrrr i know ball (i have heard most of them). i remember buying a vinyl of this album for my uncle though. humming everything from start to end.

I like the hits, especially with or without you

What a beautiful album. The instrumentals are euphoric and evokes the feeling of a movie. I listened to this album after being sick and it made me feel alive again.

This record sounds like a soundtrack to a time that will never come back.

Is this one a crowd-pleaser or what. It's basically an equivalent of a successful four quadrant movie. I enjoyed it very much.

Good! Not my daily vibes but I will keep One or Two songs!!

An album that's ingrained in my memory. I ahven't listened in years even though I still own the original CD but after this re-listen it all came flodding back. There's some U2 hate out there that I don't understand past just being about the personality of the band but man I love this album. Dancing around the living room on this listen. Red Hill Mining Town is extraordinary. In God's Country. Trip Through Your Wires. LOVE One Tree Hill. Side 2 is beautiful.

❤️❤️❤️

Is too much of a straight line - they take themselves too seriously and there is no light and shade here. The songs all sounded the same after a few tracks. Tedious.

I don't know what to honestly say about The Joshua Tree. It's perfection, but it's also U2. No musical snobbery here, nope. It was right for me at the time with a shiny new CD player paid for out of my first pay packet. It led me to exploring other types of music, meaning that I left U2 behind. I can't diss it, as you would expect in a cool, Bono bashing way. The songs are great, the production is lush. It's a pleasure to listen to from start to finish as a one off again. But I didn't really say that, right?

J'ai beau avoir écouté toute la journée et aimer certains tubes de U2, là ça veut pas, c'est mélancolique, je n'arrive pas à dire ce qui me déplaît mais ça me donne envie d'écouter autre chose...

Good music

I actually liked this album. The first three songs are classics

My rating 4.2

My favorite by U2. IMHO their best.

Fuck it, the first 3 tracks are good enough for a 5.

I did not appreciate this one when it came out but definitely a good one

Several iconic tunes. Held back by how pretentious the band can be

Some songs are excessively long, but the instrumental doesn't match. This makes some songs very repetitive. Furthermore, the lyrics are beautiful, but vague.

Some great songs to yawn to. Inoffensive but flavourless. They were songs

Boring, yawning, sloppy

An inkling into the sound Coldplay would later steal

Dad rock but if your mom was your dad. Some bangers tho

Melhor que o esperado, começa com os hits ja conhecidos mas acaba muito bem.

Three pretty stellar tracks to open. Even if it's not your thing, these songs are iconic for a reason. Then they lose their energy. The rest of the album stumbles along without much that makes you sit up and take notice.

I liked the overall listening experience. I actually preferred the lesser known songs to the ones I've heard before. My favourite was exit

a big vibe! again not something i would traditionally listen to but i found really nice and enjoyable

Well here’s another classic for sure! I grew up with this as well and although I was starting to shift towards heavier music as I entered my teenage years, I still bought this and listened to it back then. I remember also buying all the singles where each single had a photo of a different band member and there were sometimes more than one unreleased song on the b-side which was great value! Although I did enjoy this back then I don’t think that I fully appreciated it until later in my adult years. The songs are great and the production is pretty amazing. It is strange that this is the only album I ever listened to from this band because their next album Achtung Baby was a pretty big deal back then. I’m assuming that album will come up at some point and I’ll listen to it then but I’ll definitely have to try to find some time to check out the rest of their catalogue.

Comes out of the gate amazingly hard. After that the songs are mostly average, but the production and “sound” of the album remains remarkable and just… BIG. Don’t love the album overall, but got to give it kudos.

Bangers all the way thru

Very front heavy. Mostly forgettable after the first 3

Coming out strong with excellent first three tracks. The rest of the album is good as well. A solid listen

Probably my favorite album by U2 - huge fan of Edge's guitar sound.

As soon as I started this I immediately thought of that self indulgent video of Bono forcing the innocent bystanders of LA to listen to his shitty music. I do fuck with the Edge though, sucks that he had to get caught up in this.

الالحان جيده لكن مب جوي احس 4.5/10

This album feels both timeless and yet also ageing white man music.

the overall atmosphere i'm a big fan of - and reminds me so much of my childhood and music my dad played

mochte ich

Chouette album

This is a hard one for me, as I am squarely between 4 and 5 stars. When I was growing up in the 80s, I was not a U2 fan. Tons of my friends were and I just didn't get it. Over time, I've grown to appreciate them much more, even saw them in Chicago for the Innocence + Experience tour back in 2015, which was undeniably a great show. All the same, they are not a go to band for me. This album gets off to an amazing start with the three lead singles, followed by Bullet the Blue Sky, which I might like even better than those hits. The problem I have is that after this, the album wanes a bit for me. Sure, Running to Stand Still has some good soul to it (even if a lot of the song is quiet), In God's Country is a good one too, but most of these songs are far from great. This is why I am stuck, as it is a great record with some tremendous songs on it, but it is far from perfect. Given this, I think I have to go with 4 stars. It's just not consistently amazing for me.

quisiera ponerle más puntos solo porque esos primeros tracks son brutales, pero el disco sí se cae gacho después

Clásicos de universal, me hubiera gustado escucharlo sin la sobre exposición a los singles en la radio pero igual está weno

cabronamente frontloaded con esas primeras tres rolas, pero si bien hay un par a la mitad que no me gustan mucho, el resto hasta eso aguanta dignamente. o bueno dignamente tal vez no sea la palabra al hablar de U2, pero me entienden

Difficult to get past how 'U2-esque' the singles and much of the album were. A few highlights where guitar doesn't sound so obvious.

no bangery fajne

Listened on: Spotify (2007 remastered) Listening experience: Across multiple sessions, in the car driving Already a fair weather U2 fan but had never gone to this album to listen intentionally. First 3 songs are the singles. The middle songs thereafter were just as good. The guitar sound is really unmistakable. I felt it lost steam towards the end but could be because I was interrupted multiple times. Will definitely put this album on again.

absolute classic album, though don’t know if i’ve ever fully listened all the way through. rate 8.5/10

Rock’d out at the moment but this was still solid

Hot damn the intro to "Where the Streets Have No Name" is one of the most amazing-sounding things ever. Across the entire record, The Edge gives some of the most amazing guitar performances ever recorded. His sound was so distinctive and carried their sound so hard. Those punchy stings he builds up to on "With or Without You" are so emotive. Brian Eno is also a huge asset here with his timeless, full production. While the deep tracks aren't nearly as good as the big singles, they are still quite enjoyable.

Dislike this band

muito chatinhoo, segui gostando só das mesmas (still haven’t found, with or without you). achei bullet the blue sky diferente, um rock mais pesado. engraçado que me apareceu no Twitter que esse álbum vinha automático nos produtos da Apple uns 10 anos atrás. que tortura

I entirely see why this made it in, and on the strength of the hit-laden first half it feels good value. Well made American-Irish fused light rock / pop rock, and no doubt at the time it felt pretty cool. The second half tapers off into U2 slop that I could not care less for. But taking my prejudices aside, just about a 3 for the first half, for what it is. But I still think half of them are right so and sos.

I will give this what I should have given Bruce Springsteen and to give a little Irish flare to it... ITS SHITE! Ok you want some meat on that shite bono. Born in the USA is just a man shouting on repeat. Now U2 / Bono is less shouty (same repeat) but he has that annoying habbit of whaling loudly and then going quiet again. It is like that sketch from ACE Venturer Pet Dectective when he is screaming while opening and closing a sliding door.

I actually enjoyed this far more than I was expecting to, although that comes from a position of knowing that I don't like U2. The album gets off to a really strong start, the first three songs had me reconsidering my opinion and perhaps finally understanding why U2 might be so popular. Unfortunately, the album peaks early and then swiftly descends into uninspiring, self indulgent fluff. I found myself cringing regularly through the last three quarters of the album. Its like American style stadium rock with the corresponding complete lack of self awareness. Listening to this gave me a greater appreciation of U2's place in cultural history whilst simultaneously confirming that I don't like U2.

i get why my high school vice principal had a life size cardboard cutout of one of the members in her office

Was besseres kam von U2 nicht mehr. Dieses Album ist großartig. „Where The Streets Have No Name“, „I Still Haven‘t Found …“, „With Or Without You“, was für ein Einstieg!

Normally not a U2 listener but decided to give them a listen. Actually don’t mind this one!

love two songs of this album---"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "With or Without You"

In 2025 its giving modern Christian worship meets corporate

I’ve been a Brian Eno fan ever since his Roxy Music era, and his involvement in a project is pretty much a guarantee of something extraordinary. This album lives up to that standard, it’s outstanding. Easily my favorite U2 record, from back when Bono hadn’t yet turned into an insufferable pretentious prick.

Excellent U2 LP.

173 Escuché tanto U2 en la radio por allá por los 2000s que me cuesta demasiado creer que este disco se empezó a grabar el 86. Me encanta la capacidad de U2 de hacer canciones que parecen openings de series, pero a ratos se volvía un poco repetitivo.

Having heard a number of these songs prior it was an interesting listen because once you get past the first 3 songs you get to more of the meat of the album. I found myself pausing in my thoughts to just appreciate the music as I got deeper and deeper into the album. 7/10

Bono is cool, but he should not have allowed this man to allow the creation of Inhaler.

it’s a good solid album but i do feel like u need to be in a mood to get the full experience of it so maybe in the right condition i could bump it up to a 4/5

I appreciated this album, but more on an intellectual level rather than an emotional level. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For is a standout.

About 5 good tracks

I always liked U2 - great album!

Classic album and one of the first cassettes I owned. Solid from start to finish.

I had War on cassette tape as a young child. When this album came out I was 10 years old and already a full blown metal head. Decent enough album though MTV played the hit videos over and over and over again. It got even worse with the following albums.

Atmospheric. Has my favorite U2 song - With or Without You

knew a few ofc. not rly my style but good especially the last 2

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For is one of the greatest songs ever written. It gets me every time and can be on repeat for hours. The rest of this album was easy to fall into. It has a good variety of sounds that I really enjoy. Very good album, will be incorporating some of these songs into my daily listening.

I love the production on this album. Brian Eno brought his ethereal minimalist approach to great effect. Great songwriting. The entire album is a great listen.

The first half of this album is ridiculously weighted with iconic hits. The rest of it is fine, but just pales in comparison. If they had a different play order, I think the album would be stronger as a whole. It is a trend I have noticed on their albums.

The hits are all classics, then the rest of the album whimpers into silence.

I judged Bob Dylan too harshly I realize, at least with him it’s a vortex of 3/5. I realize there is much worse on the list, specifically U2. God this stinks. You know before the list I didn’t like U2 but couldn’t say I listened to a whole album, now the list has made me reaffirm that hate solidly over 4 albums so far. If anything I hate them more. This is supposed to be THE album, the reviews on this site writing essays longer than the album bloviating (thanks other review) about it. Others blame Bono, but it’s not, it’s the whole thing, every piece of it.

Unfortunately a very forgettable album. I can understand it's popularity at the time it came out however, it just doesn't hold up in my opinion. There are some really nice melodies throughout but overall it feels very lackluster and something I wouldn't think twice about if I heard it out and about.

Was a solid album

U2 was on a roll and hit their stride.

An easy 5 stars for me. One of the best and defining albums of the decade. Side 1 had all the hits, but it is side 2 that I return to time and again. Just brilliant atmospherics. Had the pleasure of seeing the tour that accompanied this album with BB King as opening act.

Some absolute classic, I thought this would be a 4 but my oh my there's some bores in the track list when you listen as a whole.

As a self proclaimed 'not a U2 fan' i was pleasently surprised by this album Would i put it into my furture playlists? Unlikely But, would i happily lisyen again? Yes

The moment when the business part of music business took over and they sold their souls for the yankee dollar.

one of the best ever

Starts strong and fades

Just some tear jerkers

Never really got The Bono as a rock star. Tried plenty but not for me.

There’s front loading an slbum and then there’s the Joshua Tree. The first three tracks are unashamedly classics, but it does feel there’s only one way to go from there and whilst the rest of the album is good it was an almost impossible task to live up to that opening. Bullet the blue sky’s mainly spoken vocal provides an interesting contrast straight of the bat. For all the attention Bono gets Joshua really showcases the rest of the band, whether this is Edge’s chiming guitar sound that was made for large scale gigs or the driving rhythm section of Mullen and Clayton. Overall it’s a 3.5/5 but as no half marks i guess it’s more a 3 than a 4 (just)

The Joshua Tree is very much an album of 2 halves. The first four tracks are an astonishing run - it’s these which have cemented its status as a classic. In particular, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and its gospel vocals have always been a favourite (especially the last two refrains that have lost Bono’s higher key and are sung in a lower register - I am an absolute sucker for it every time). “With Or Without You” is a beautiful love song, albeit one which I now always associate with the tv show “Friends”. My favourite of the first 4 tracks has always been “Bullet the Blue Sky” - so different in its sound to anything else on that album and so overtly political. It even works as a metal track, which I’m not sure was the intention at the point it was written, but that’s the beauty of a good song. The rest of the album, unfortunately, is a bit boring compared to that opening run. None of the other tracks come close to matching. It’s probably more deserving of a 3.5*, but in the absence of that option, and considering the strength of the opening four tracks, it is getting 4*.

Obviously, like many people, I find Bono insufferable, but given this is clearly such a massive album, I wanted to try and give it a fair shot... ... I still don't get the attraction in U2. I think I liked this less than the previous U2 album the generator gave me, and I gave that a 3 while thinking it was more like a 2.5. So I'm giving this a 2 while thinking it's more a 2.5. 2/5

Good songs

Very first song that came up was " Mothers of the disappeared ", and I instantly fell in love. As of someone who The microphones and Neutral Milk is still heavy for me, this felt like a perfect introduction to those. My fav one so far!

None of these songs really caught me. nevertheless a solid album

Best U2 album full of bangers

They lock in here and really find their sound, very good

Definitely a journey. I liked the first two songs. Following i felt it got a bit. Slow and boring. Picked up again, really loved red hill mining town, in gods country and trip through your wires. The latter felt Led Zeppelin III inspired with folky elements which i love. The album then went down again towards the end but wasnt as bad as prior. You can really hear how inhaler took inspiration from some of these songs, who are bono’s son’s band. Probably wouldnt listen to whole album again but definitely the few songs i liked. Id probably rate it a 3.5, but will round up to a 4.

U2. classic but not exceptional

Meh, U2.

With or without you I cant live eith or wothooouut you! Every single song you have at least hear once on the radio as a kid.

Best Track - "With Or Without You"

I probably first heard U2 via Pride on MTV. At least, that’s how I remember it. Could’ve been I saw the video for New Year’s Day, as that has a similar impression in my memory as other 1983 videos when that whole MTV thing was quite new. By the time summer of 1987 rolled around, I was not exactly thrilled to see With or Without You or Still Haven’t Found every hour on the hour, but I did remember liking Streets and the somewhat faux live performance. Then, I didn’t hear about them again until sometime after Rattle and Hum had come and bombed, with my melancholy-trending interests piqued by their Cole Porter cover. So, as a nascent U2 fan in 1990-91, pre-Achtung Baby, I had to go back and discover all of the Joshua Tree, not to mention War, October, etc. And half of that came from the Rattle and Hum live versions, so the studio versions of songs like Bullet and In God’s Country still sound kinda thin to me. It’s not perfect, maybe *the* classic Side A/Side B conundrum. But man, that Side A! U2 themselves, while I prefer their 90s work, have still never topped it. Even with their cynical rehashing of this and The Unforgettable Fire’s guitar sound in the 2000s and beyond, The Joshua Tree still feels timeless.

pretty great stuff, I loved U2 as a kid and now I still love their landscapes they create with the sound, but there's also a little empty feeling I can get when everything always sounds so huge

The way the guitar rings out, and the driving drums, and Bono's voice over it all - goosebumps.

I believe this is where U2 were at their peak. Sometime after "The Joshua Tree", U2 thought it would be a good idea to give all iTunes users a copy of "Songs of Innocence", whether the users liked it or not. I have no idea how good that album is. "The Joshua Tree" has a few songs that sound a bit like corporate music that no one likes. Luckily, U2 prevented those songs from becoming soulless. 4 stars for "The Joshua Tree".

I knew more songs than I imagined I would, it was very nostalgic and fun to hear again.

Not a U2 fan by any means but this album is fantastic. The sound is just so big and “new” even thought it’s almost 40 years old. Part of a permanent collection.

I liked this album a surprising amount. There are a few tracks I'd never heard before that I really enjoyed. It's cohesive as an album. Could use more contrast/range of skills.

This is the closest I will get to liking a U2 album. Bono is still an ass and The Edge's guitar riffs still suck, though.

This album reminds me of popcorn at the movies. Enjoyable enough and ubiquitous.

Ellie’s birthday album (12/23/25)

Not exactly a new observation to say that the album is really front-loaded and the back half is a little forgettable That said, the first 3 songs are fantastic and the rest of it is still pretty solid. I've always sorta rolled my eyes at U2 but this reminded me I do really like a lot of their stuff.

I think I prefer War? Sunday Bloody Sunday is my kind of U2 moreso than With Or Without You. Still giving this a four but please, in your heart, know this is a lesser four than War's four.

One of my all time most disliked albums

Reminds me a little too much of my alarm clock music but not bad

Okay I get it

You too~ Safe album. w/ || w/o u oooOoOooOoooo

One of the best albums ever

nice songs but wasn't really catching, maybe a few more listens would fix that

It's certainly quality. Great production and instrumentals. And it lets me know where an earlier origin point is for this type of sound. But, idk.... it is kind of bland rock. Best tunes: where the streets have no name, i still haven’t found what i’m looking for, bullet the blue sky, in god’s country, trip through your wires, one tree hill

Very good all around. Especially the production

this is when u2 peaked. what more can i say? 5/5

4- Stars (10/15)

damn i did not wanna have to listen to this one. first few tracks are insane and then it all kind of fizzles out but well worth it for that opening alone

Fairly uninteresting. 'Bullet the Blue Sky' was the most interesting song there, and probably the best, but still didn't fully grab me. Fairly standard with mediocre, slightly annoying vocals. Not terrible, but not really worth a listen.

Pretty good. I feel like U2 is kind of a joke nowadays because Bono is kind of preachy, but there's some bangers on this album. It's very atmospheric

it was neat i liked the lyrics

Objectively, the music is terrible.

This was peak U2 and yes, it has some good songs, but is it a great album? It's dull and soulless for a good stretch there.

A pretty cool album, I think this really solidified their longstanding long term fandom. 3.5

De eerste paar nummers ken ik van vroeger van de radio. Ik twijfelde of ik de liedjes leuk vond omdat ik ze gewoon ken van vroeger, of dat het echt goede nummers zijn. Verder in het album heb ik echt even goed geluisterd en ik ben verrassend positief

It's hard to listen to this without mentally tracking the notion of Bono slowly disappearing up himself. But it's still a great album by a great band, and I'm thankful this moment of a band at the peak of their powers is distilled and captured. If I made this album I'd probably be full of myself too.

I didn’t want to give it a perfect score but my lord. This is a masterpiece

Singles monumentaux, reste de l'album juste bon.

capolavoro.

Not my style

Their best in my eyes. Undeniably amazing. First 6 songs are ALL all-timers. 8 of 11 are just amazing.

There isnt a bad song on this album but it's so hard to keep up the bar they set with the first 4 songs. Beyond the singles, the middle has some absolute gems and the last few songs trail off a bit. If this album had 8 songs instead of 11 it would be a solid 5

Strong 3

It wasn't until I got half way through this that I realised I have it on cd in my collection. I'd stick my neck out and say this is probably their last great album before being totally suffocated by Bono's ego. It's certainly the last U2 album I ever bought. But I'm really glad to have the reason and opportunity to reaquaint myself with it.

Really influential album. So many bands have taken something from this - creeping build ups, throbbing basslines and Bono's pleading wail. It's heavily front loaded with THE HITS. I don't have any issue with that, but the rest is clearly not as strong or interesting as the first 3 or 4 songs, even though it had it's moments for sure.

This isn't something I'd pick to listen to again.

was okay got micole to give me songs from it

Leuk. Beetje 2010s folk pop vibes bij sommige liedjes wat niet helemaal mijn smaak is. Fav: bullet in the blue sky

First listen Saved 1/11 Top track: One Tree Hill

I am biased because I'm Irish, but I find this album very beautiful. It seems like every single song on this album has been featured somehow. There is a simplicity and beauty to the music. It's a lot coming out of Ireland at that time in history, too.

The first four songs are absolutely legendary, then the rest just kind of fades away into obscurity for me. But man, those first few songs are enough to carry any album. Favorite track: With or Without You

not my kind of music

Being a millenial, I have this impression of U2 as cheesy. Stopping and intentionally listening to Joshua Tree gave me a lot of appreciation for their music. I really like the song Trip Through Your Wires, it has a different feel from their other music. The album is also pretty solid all the way through, especially starting strong.

7/10 Favorites: Where The Streets Have No Name With Or Without You

I could spend all day trying to convince myself that this is anything less than a five-star album.

Woof, it does not feel cool to enjoy U2 any more, but this album is an undeniable triumph. They definitely seemed a bit before my time, but I didn't realize how much--they were already 11 years into making music together when this was made, and I was only 5 years old.

it's all the damn same except for bullet the blue sky

Love it. Own it.

Meh. Favorite tracks are the classics: Still haven’t found what I’m looking for With or without you Wouldn’t listen to again

The measure of a U2 album is how many detours it makes to some preachy, ponderous dreck. This is the best U2 album because it only makes a couple of those detours. There are a few songs that, while good, feel like they never fully kick into gear like the first 3 tracks do. Still, this is a very good set of songs led off by 3 absolute classics.

Hadde ein U2-periode på ungdomsskulen. Ikkje fan lenger

I never knew that there is one U2 album containing so many of their hits. Great songs, I have to give this 5/5.

Solid 4 stars.

back 2 back 2 back bangers. This album is a classic. A lot of people throw around the word "timeless" but this album literally still sounds like it could be released today.

Based on their reputation, this U2 album is very U2. I imagine this album being a foundation for what became their identifiable style of music with Edge’s shimmery guitar riffs and Bono’s iconic voice. First 3 songs were pretty great and are widely known already, but I also liked Exit.

For the most part I found the album pretty insipid and monotonous. one song just blended into the next and no single one was really discernible from the rest. With the exception of maybe the last song ( Mothers of the disappeared) I found it pretty generic. The opening three songs were massive in the day, but listening them again they try to build to something and have their moments but never really get there. I think this is when Bono started becoming a bit of an insufferable twat (youtube music shows videos if they are available and most of them are really cringe!). 3 stars (probably 2.5)

i'll be open, i am not a huge fan of U2, too much of simple rock band first listen was exactly that -> quite dissatisfying, bono dominates too much second listen, you finally do not focus on bono, and see the intstrumental talent, and incredible production by eno and lanois, and I think that is the valuable bit it's a good album innit

3 songs are very good, however, I feel that the rest of the album is a bit overrated

I fared better with this album than the last U2 one I had to listen to. I still think there shouldn't be this much U2 on this list, though

I 100% understand why an 15 year old in 1987 would LOVE this record. But the songs sound the same and it feels tired in 2025. I tried very hard to leave my biases at the door I promise. But it was just boring?

Had its moments