1987 Rock Album Ranked Among 'Greatest of All Time' Hit No. 1 39 Years Ago Today
The Joshua Tree by U2 hit No. 1 on the charts 39 years ago today!
On April 25, 1987, the record reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, holding the top spot for nine consecutive weeks and becoming the band's longest No. 1 reign on the chart.
39 years later, The Joshua Tree is still known for its hit singles, including "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," both of which are the band's only No. 1 singles in the United States.
U2 supported the smash record with The Joshua Tree tour-the highest-grossing North American tour of 1987 and the group's first time performing in stadiums.
The record also won Album of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 1988 Grammy Awards.
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The Joshua Tree has consistently been ranked on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list, and was ranked No. 26 in 2003, No. 27 in 2012, and No. 135 in the most recent edition in 2020.
The outlet says that the album increased the band's stature "from heroes to superstars."
"On U2's fifth full album, the band immerses itself in the mythology of the United States, while guitarist the Edge exploits the poetic echo of digital delay, drowning his trademark arpeggios in rippling tremolo," the publication wrote in its review. "While many of these songs are about spiritual quests-'Where the Streets Have No Name,' 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'-U2 fortify the solemnity with the outright joys of rock & roll, although one of the most moving songs is 'Running to Stand Still,' a stripped-down slide-guitar ballad about heroin addiction."
The album is influenced by both American and Irish music, and contrasts the band's hostility towards "real America" with their fascination with the "mythical America."
"America's the promised land to a lot of Irish people," U2 singer Bono told Rolling Stone. "I'm one in a long line of Irishmen who made the trip."
The Joshua Tree is U2's best-selling album and one of the best-selling albums globally with over 25 million copies sold.
In 2014, The Joshua Tree was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Recording Registry, after being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress.
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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 12:00 AM.