Why This ICONIC 80s Album Was Also Their Toughest | Album Breakdown | Professor of Rock

Despite its eventual historic significance, there was a moment when the band’s iconic lead singer contemplated scrapping one of the greatest albums ever recorded, because he had second thoughts about the quality of the record. The story of what led to the creation of U2’s astonishing achievement The Joshua Tree NEXT on Professor of Rock.
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#80s #Vinyl #Story
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Since their debut album BOY in 1980, U2 steadily ascended through the ranks as one of music’s most acclaimed and vital band. Often categorized in the New Wave & Post Punk genres, by 1987, U2 had transcended classification.
It was during this time that the four members of U2- Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullins, and Adam Clayton, felt removed from what was going on in the music business.
The breadth of their music- evolving over 4 consecutive multi-platinum LPs- positioned the band for far-reaching significance, while their burgeoning fan base anxiously awaited the release of their 5th studio album- with the working title The Two Americas.
The Two Americas originated from from what U2 manager Paul McGuinness called the band's "great romance" with the United States, as the group had toured the country for up to five months per year throughout the first half of the '80s.
U2 Frontman Bono revealed that that he "started to see two Americas, the mythic America and the real America. The Edge was more interested in the European atmospherics of The Unforgettable Fire, and was initially reluctant to follow Bono's lead to seek a more American sound.
The Edge was eventually convinced otherwise, after discovering blues and country artists such as Howlin' Wolf, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, and Lefty Frizzell on American public radio stations during the Unforgettable Fire Tour. The foursome was ultimately smitten by the country's geography.
The 11th and final track on The Joshua Tree is the scathingly political “Mothers of the Disappeared.” The song was written on a Spanish guitar, and the melody lifted from a piece Bono composed in Ethiopia in '85 to help teach children basic forms of hygiene. “Mothers of the Disappeared" was another track inspired by Bono's experiences in Nicaragua and El Salvador in July '86, following U2's participation in the Conspiracy of Hope tour of benefit concerts for Amnesty International.
Bono learned of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, a group of women whose children had "forcibly disappeared" at the hands of the Argentine and Chilean dictatorships. On the night before the January 15th, 1987 deadline set by Island Records to complete the record, the band and the crew completed the mixing for The Joshua Tree.
The flop sweats that Bono experienced turned out to be nothing but needless worry…. Man... is that an understatement. 80s vinyl The Joshua Tree was released on time, on March 9th, 1987, becoming one of the world's best-selling albums of all time, with well over 25 million copies sold.

[@ProfessorofRock]

What was the best album of 1987?

[@ronaldmccloskey8850]

There are so many. U2 Joshua Tree followed by Prince Sign O The Times

[@hasinurrahman4119]

The Joshua Tree

[@jcpfitz]

This one most definitely, since it's in my top 5 albums of all time.

[@djigor]

What a year for music 1987!!😱 I mean look at this list of 22 albums: U2-The Joshua Tree Michael Jackson-Bad Prince-Sign O’ The Times George Michael-Faith Guns N’ Roses-Appetite for Destruction INXS-Kick Depeche Mode-Music for the Masses The Cure-Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me Whitney Houston-Whitney Pet Shop Boys-Actually The Smiths-Strangeways Here We Come REM-Document Def Lepard-Hysteria Terrence Trent D’Arby-Introducing the Hardline Midnight Oil-Diesel and Dust Sting-...Nothing Like the Sun Aerosmith-Permanent Vacation Bruce Springsteen-Tunnel of Love Love and Rockets-Earth, Sun, Moon Dinosaur Jr-You are Living All Over Me Level 42-Running in the Family The Jesus and Mary Chain-Darklands... and there few other memorable ones!

[@AABB-bm9kk]

Well I’m guessing that Def Lep’s Hysteria was probably the album released in that year That eventually sold the most copies. But the release was late in the year and it didn’t really have much impact until ‘88. It is a very good album with many solid tracks and it was one of the initial albums That took advantage of the new CD format to add more minutes of music. And most of those extended mixes of the songs are quite entertaining. That being said I’m quite comfortable with The Joshua Tree as “best album of 1987”. As the POR shows in this video there was not a weak track , Indeed many of the fans of the album might find album cuts to be the equal in quality To the ones that received extensive airplay (with or without you, still haven’t found what I’m Looking for and Where the streets have no Name). The variety of the tracks coupled with their quality points to this being the “Album of the year”. 🙂✌️

[@williamgrissett6275]

I am a big fan of U2, but in the pre internet days had no clue they had a new album coming out. I was sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch with friends when the College station started playing “With or Without You”. It caught my attention, but took me a minute to realize it was U2. When I did I turned to a friend who was a fellow U2 fan and we simultaneously asked, “Is that U2?” We got up from lunch got in my car and drove an hour to the closest record shop purchased the Joshua Tree, drove back, and put it on my record player and fell in love!

[@trsidn]

my U2 Moment was when the opening strains of Sunday Bloody Sunday came on the radio. I was dimly aware of Boy, but did give it much thought... Went and bought War that afternoon

[@funnylookingfoetus]

I can totally picture your story! I sincerely miss that time where a new record would mostly be a surprise. These days everything is everywhere in nanoseconds.

[@mightyV444]

You mean you fell in love with the album, right? Not with each other! 😁 😉

[@TimBoulette]

"Streets" IS a religious experience. Absolutely 100% correct. I get chills every time.

[@errbt]

Underrated masterpiece of a song, whether looked at in terms of the vocal performance and lyrics, the fantastic musical performance, or the excellent production & mix. That 40% of the total time spent on the album and the struggle, agony, and probably loss of hair by Brian Eno was worth it IMO.

[@cwocky]

The best start to an album EVER !!!!

[@blackdawg7361]

U2's "The Joshua Tree" -- One of the best albums to have been recorded in the history of rock and pop music, ever.

[@timsterrockstar]

The Joshua Tree is one of the longest living organisms in the world. I remember buying this album that was released at midnight and played it all night when I got it. It took me to another place. It still does.

[@danielsolano602]

Being an Iron Maiden fan in 1987, I begrudgingly went with my mother to see U2 on this tour, and man did they slap me around and put me in my place; that show was so heart-felt and so tight!!

[@Neil-Aspinall]

I saw them in about 2010 in Melbourne Australia and I can tell you I have never witnessed such a bar band out of place on the big stage. I got the tickets for free and I wanted my money back!

[@MF-le7fp]

Daniel, what show did you and your Mom go to? My gf and I bought scalped tickets a few days before, and went to the concert at RFK Stadium, on the 20th of Sept 1987. We were on the floor (field), center section, left end of the 16th row. When Edge came out onto the right catwalk on the floor level, the stadium was pitch black, except for a single spotlight shining directly down on him, I could have touched him. It was crazy. Definitely the best (and loudest) rock concert I've ever been to in my life. I'll never forget it.

[@danielsolano602]

@@MF-le7fp I saw them at McNickles Arena in Denver sometime in October that year.

[@danielsolano602]

@@MF-le7fp Visually impaired so unable to describe the stage setting, but I think we were somewhere the 2nd level. All I know is from the opening chords of "Where The Streets ..." my musical tastes were blown wide open my friend.

[@shiznicks74]

It's ok to like Iron Maiden and U2 at the same time. Don't let anyone tell you different. I'm no authority on Iron Maiden, but I can respect them. They've endured, and I like some of their songs. U2 are canon. Just my 2 cents.

[@johnlyons2257]

back in the days when you put on an album from start to finish and the artist took us on a journey. the youngsters these days don't know what they're missing out on.

[@joeldukes303]

Absofuckinlutely

[@joeldukes303]

I miss going to the record store for tapes and cds. I’ll never forget the day I walked into the mall, and Sam Goody had been replaced by Starbucks. My heart was completely broken and life has never been the same. I think that must have been in 2002 or 03

[@isadorealire5722]

That has always been my favorite thing about vinyl. You get to find all the hidden gems as well. I still listen to any new release this way.

[@colocounty4]

How does this channel only have 236K subscribers???? The Professor and Rick Beato. Desert island channels.

[@kevino.7348]

My thoughts exactly.

[@garydean0308]

@@kevino.7348 Beato and the Professor are my go-to guys. I tell all my friends about them.

[@robfiore1503]

My neighbor in art school blasted this album non-stop. I listened to it against my will and became a fan. Neighbor if you're watching this video, thanks.

[@Elohim_Music]

Best 80s album and my favourite band ever.

[@charlesc7950]

I went to high school '83-'87. I was turned on to U2 in '81 when a good friend of mine's brother played the October album for us. He had just seen them live in some small theater and told us that this band was going to be the biggest band in the world someday. We were skeptical. Then the War album blew our minds. We saw them live on the Unforgettable Fire tour about six weeks before Live Aid. It was amazing to watch this band blowing up right in front of our eyes. Then The Joshua Tree comes out and boom, John's brother was right. They were the biggest band in the world.

[@sdpints3189]

A U2 fan since 83', I was in boot camp when this album released. I bought the cassette tape my last day there and within hours was on an Air Force bus from San Antonia to Wichita Falls on a long drive across the Texas landscape. I listened to The Joshua Tree over and over during our trek. With Or Without you was my song as, for me, it was all about my girl back home and how I couldn't live with her because I joined the military but I couldn't live without her. I missed her so much... Still makes me emotional. Listen to this amazing album each time I go on a long drive. Classic!

[@ronaldmccloskey8850]

A perfect album.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Right there with ya

[@blachubear]

Yes but U2 top themselves with "Achtung Baby".

[@simepanda6764]

@@blachubear not really... Joshua has 'magic' which Achtung Baby (although great album) does not have

[@bbb462cid]

@@simepanda6764 agree.

[@raindog8684]

And the second side of the record is better than the first....

[@cosmicphoto05]

Even though U2's albums reflect specific periods of history, they remain timeless. Songs written 30 years ago, about that era, still resonate now, and feel as fresh and relevant as if they were written today.

[@mateoarmadillo763]

The commercial success of such an unconventional and unique band is phenomenal. Early U2(first 5 albums) is the most inspiring band I have ever heard.

[@AbbeyRoadkill1]

It's hard to disagree with this. I find U2's best material to be as inspiring as The Beatles' best material.

[@helgemoller9415]

Hey Professor of Rock! Guess what: in Germany, we've got MTV again, and they play almost nothing but music. And good music to boot, lots of nineties and stuff. It's great. This being said, thanks for the awesome content you keep bringing, I love every single one of your videos.

[@cpearson7372]

>>shock

[@boboneill4828]

‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ was and is the running soundtrack in my brain. All the things I thought would give me eternal happiness and comfort, has turned out to be not what I’ve been looking for.

[@christopherallen9580]

Me too!

[@oppothumbs1]

The song is OK, the message universal but anything that smacks of religion or god I don't get. Also have you read the bible? Imaginary God was a vindictive as hell. And Jesus is more punishing than bastardy god. He believed and liked the idea of eternal punishment or never spoke out against it. His criteria for getting into heaven is contemptible, disgusting - believe in me, that’s all it takes. A close reading of the Old Testament is filled with horrendous lessons on how to treat people. A god that kills almost everyone on Earth in a flood: that’s pretty crazy. A god that commands Joshua to murder all the women and children except for the young girls, who can be taken as sex slaves. The 10 commandments tell you that working on Saturday is a sin and the .first four commandments are vanity plate for god. God eventually goes into great detail about how to deal with cattle thieves, isolating women on their period, and which fabrics to wear at the same time; but nowhere in those ten commandments, or in the six hundred and three that come after it, does it say “Don’t abuse children,” or “Don’t enslave people,” or “Don’t rape.” The Bible was written by human beings at a time when stealing a person’s livestock was a crime punishable by death, but raping a young girl was easily remedied by following it up with a marriage proposal. Jesus cleaned it up but still believe in Hell for moral non-believers (atheists are as moral as believers .. look it up in any scientific study). Jesus and religion is a shakedown; I got matches and you're flammable.

[@wspann1967]

nobody was asking you to write an essay on why Christianity sucks

[@seanswinton6242]

This album came out as I met one of the most gorgeous women I've seen. She and I had a passion for music. U2's Joshua Tree was the connection. Our first date was great. We talked music tirelessly for hours. At that point I had seen U2 6 times. My favorite times were when I I saw and met them at the Live Aid show, Amnesty International concert, and a free concert while I toured Europe. She wanted to see them live because she had never seen them in concert.We attended a show in D.C. for this tour and on my 21st Birthday, Rattle and Hum came to theatres and we spent the day together, no classes and I took two days off from work. Great fun and romance. Very Special!

[@seanswinton6242]

@First name Last name She and I were together for two years, her parents went back to Ireland and so did she. It was so hard to get pass her. I did get a degree of closure. I traveled to Britain the year U2's next album was released. I can't spell it. Since I was as close to Ireland as I would probably ever be I visited there. U2 was doing an unannounced concert so I went hoping to see Tracy. As fate would have it, I did! I went to a pub before the show. She looked as beautiful as ever. She had lost her golden tan she had here, but there she was. We hugged and kissed with both of us tearing up. She and I were both shocked! She asked what I was doing in Dublin. I said to see U2. Tracy said the concert was just a rumor. A gentleman at the bar told us it wasn't. They were to play Sloane Castle or something. After leaving the pub, we went to Tracy's parents' house. They were happy to see me as well. We went to see U2 and it was a phenomenal show. They performed a cover of Bruce Springsteen's song "My Hometown". I spent three of the best days of my life there with her. I still miss Tracy's Bon Jovi hair, golden tan, great smile. Everytime I smell the scent of Calvin Klein's Obsession, and listen to Joshua Tree or songs from the sessions, in particular The Sweetest Thing, I think her and it takes me back to one of those relationships that could have been.

[@seangates1451]

I got into U2 a few years later, with Achtung Baby. Still one of my favorite records. But I was so enamored with it that I went back and collected their entire back catalog and deconstructed the lyrics to every song they ever recorded. And learned every drum part. Like as not if I sit down behind my kit I’ll start in on Bullet or Bloody Sunday. I bought a harmonica so I could teach myself the outro to Running. I’ve seen them live six times. And those lyrics- as a novelist I maintain that I learned as much about wordsmithing from guys like Bono and Springsteen as I ever have from a book. Great writing is always a way for an artist to reach directly into my soul. I learned to explicate poetry in school... Bono’s lyrics are the same way, like you said. You have to explicate them. Unpack the layers of meaning. I’m enough of a nerd that I think that’s fun. U2 are as much a part of the sonic landscape of my teenage years as the great grunge bands who came along during that time.

[@benhester7529]

You expressed how I have always felt about Joshua Tree. Love the album. Bono's voice brings tears, it's so moving. Thanks for this dep dive into the album.

[@sherylwill3309]

The Joshua tree will always be my favorite 80s album. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

[@toxicrealitymedia]

I was there for the streets have no name recording in DT LA. I used to work down the street. I remember the good ol days of getting up early to buy concert tickets at ticketmaster locations. Went to every single huge concert back in those days! Beautiful memories ❤️

[@drdickvagesq]

Man that must been amazing. Although the album was extremely new and the song really unknown the day of the video shoot. I live in SF and remember the free concert they did here in November and my extreme disappointment that I somehow DID NOT KNOW until it was over. Still bitter.

[@gab9099]

Bullet is one of those songs that is better live than the album version, running to a stand still is a masterpiece

[@amorylovin2137]

This album was rising the summer my Mother was dying...it saved me!

[@michaelrochester48]

I have seen them in concert in Cleveland Ohio and it was one of the most emotional, overwhelming experience I’ve ever been at a concert. It almost felt like an interactive concert. No matter how many people will diss Bono and the band, they do put on a spectacular show

[@mindphaser23]

The site of THE Joshua tree on the back cover is actually 82 miles from Zabriskie Point, and just outside of the boundary of Death Valley National Park between Darwin and Lone Pine. In spite of the tree being nothing but a carcass now, the site is still a place of pilgrimages for U2 fans (including myself), and full of some pretty cool mementos that they leave behind. Many people believe the tree is near Joshua Tree National Park, but it's actually over 200 miles away. The Mojave Desert is HUGE!

[@memowilliam9889]

Zabriskie Point. Wasn’t there a film by that name which features Pink Floyd music? I getting old so i may be short circuiting my memory banks.

[@mindphaser23]

@@memowilliam9889 Indeed there was! Back in 1970.

[@johnchedsey1306]

One thing for sure: U2 did capture an iconic, truly American scene with that photo. I'm still fascinated whenever I drive through joshua tree portions of the desert southwest.

[@scottwilson4008]

My first U2 tape, and for me the musical landscape of my life was never the same. For me, the Promise of the Unforgettable Fire was delivered on the Joshua Tree. My Irish Fab Four. The music was part of my formative years.

[@joeymorvant161]

"When The Streets Have No Name" is not only my favorite single from this album, it's overall my 3rd favorite song by U2. I love the way that in the video, near the end of the song, the cops finally reach the roof and approach Bono to tell him\the band to quit playing, yet The Edge finishes the last little part on the guitar.

[@kevinraimond7658]

This entire record is a masterpiece!

[@websterlee7708]

My band wanted to cover With or Without You. I was the front and fell in love with the dynamics of the vocals. This led to every other track and not a loser on the entire album. Your excitement reminds me of the impact this album had in my life. Awesome clip Professor!👍❤️

[@catherine6653]

I bought this album on CD in 1987 and still have it. I believe every song on the album is quality. This album made me a U2 fan. Bono is an excellent song writer.

[@musclecarmitch908]

Hard to imagine life without this album! Sure glad it wasn't scrapped or changed! Thanks for sharing Professor!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Very glad too. My Pleasure!

[@kristibushe541]

I was also 10 yrs in '87 when I first discovered U2. I loved seeing them on the weekly MTV top 20 (I am from Trinidad in the Caribbean). Their vibe was so different and I thought The Edge was the coolest dude I'd ever seen. What me really hooked me was when I heard 'Running to Stand Still'. My cousin had the record and was playing it and when that song came on I was just mesmerized. U2 has remained my fave band after all these years. I was so fortunate to see them in Miami in 2017 for The Joshua Tree anniversary. It was a dream come true!

[@TooStonedToBobsled]

I can thank U2 and to a lesser extent this album in particular for decades of touring, recording etc. Shortly after Joshua Tree was released I got asked to jam with a couple of guys, one from my high school and another guy from the next town over. Somehow Marc(the guitarist and singer), got us a rehearsal space, at a discount furniture store. We set up on a Sunday afternoon(stores were closed in Ontario on Sundays) and hammered out a bunch of songs. We all were gushing about Joshua Tree, Marc knew most of the album already, plus some older U2 songs. It was an instant click for the three of us. U2 was the common denominator, it was magical. We went on to play together as a trio for a couple of years, the bass player left to focus more on University. Marc and I continued on in some configuration for another 25 years after that until his death in 2014. I knew this would be a tough watch but dove in because well, The Professor does such a great job I figured it would be worth it. Stay safe

[@boaz63]

This is one of the few perfect albums. All the songs are great. They are arranged in the perfect order. You can listen to the whole thing from start to finish, and it takes you on a musical journey through lots of different messages, emotions, melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and by the end, you will be completely satisfied and ready to start it all over again. 😎👍

[@griffonwing]

If this album was released today for the first time, I Believe it would still be just as relevant and top the charts. One of the very few timeless albums

[@TheNewRevolution]

Where the streets have no name was the first song I heard off the album. I can remember instantly being drawn in by the guitar. No one was writing music like that on guitar at the time. I remember trying to play that riff and being dumbfounded(there were no lessons on KZbin at the time.) While it's not complicated or hard to play it is was so different I just couldn't hear it. Then hearing With or without you, I thought OK.....you can't do that on guitar and get away with it. Needless to say, Edge changed how I thought about guitar and what made a great riff. He doesn't nearly get the recognition he deserves for changing a the way a whole generation of guitarists thought about there instruments. This was the album that started it for me. There's still nothing like it as far as I'm concerned. I loved all the great 80s music, Hair Metal included. This seemed to come out of nowhere and was so original it couldn't be ignored, I recall many people that did not like this kind of music, still loved these songs. That's what makes it a timeless masterpiece. It sounds as good today as it did the day it came out.

[@brandonlaws6636]

What about “Exit”? One of my favorite tracks on the album. Intense.

[@ptackett]

I was wondering the same thing. It is an incredibly powerful song. It definitely needs to be included in this thoughtful review of every track.

[@JPDB7]

Trip Through Your Wires was released in the US, too.

[@brandonlaws6636]

All great tracks. Either way, the Professor of Rock rules. Love the channel. 👍

[@RR64434]

Exactly... one of the best tracks on the album... Also, he left off “Trip Through Your Wires” which is a very underrated track

[@mysticedge4]

Live version is better than studio I feel that the studio version is more restricted but it’s still a great song

[@ravitanwar9537]

one of the greatest albums of all time. couldn't be covered by anyone else other than our professor of rock :)

[@mightyV444]

... followed by that 'Rattle And Hum' album and movie BS a couple of years later! I was like, "What the heck is happening to my favourite band??" They did recover (in my opinion) for one more album with 'Achtung Baby', but it wouldn't take long before I'd start losing interest in U2. Also, scary to think 'Achtung Baby' is 30 years old now!

[@MarkMcKee1963]

Great insight Professor! U2 is my favorite band. Maybe the greatest band of all time, IMHO. I have loved this album from the day it was released. It’s one of the very few albums that I had to have as soon as it was available. While the War album kicked them into high gear for me, The Joshua Tree made them something special.

[@alansmithee3336]

Great piece, Adam. I'm moved by how obviously appreciative of this record you are. It was a real lightning-in-a-bottle creation where the stars aligned perfectly. In my opinion they've never made an album with such a monolithic sense of completeness. It seemed to come out of nowhere after the beautiful but sometimes tentative, esoterically experimental & very European "Unforgettable Fire". In terms of song structure, production & musicianship they absolutely nailed it. I also think it's among Bono's best work as a lyricist. It was startling to see him suddenly write in such a direct, eloquent, intelligent & poetic way. Before this his words tended to be more simplistic or oblique so this was a quantum leap forward for him too. A masterpiece from top to bottom...and some of the B-sides to the singles were an absolute knockout as well !

[@drew811811]

One of my all time favorite albums...and definitely a record that should be listened to in it’s entirety (a lost art in the days of streaming, playlists, and shuffle).

[@still-standingrunner8109]

The Joshua Tree is my dad's favorite album ever. I first listened to it when I was 15 but didn't really care for it. Fast forward about 5 years and I became enthralled by it.

[@drananth]

"With Or Without You" defines life- with that song or without that song! Back in '87, that day when that song started, just as my BIG 13 year head told told me that I'd heard 'em all. Boy was I wrong! That haunting intro of guitar and Bono's vocals did something that day and it has never stopped. And that is what you really mean when you say "3 chords and the truth, my friend" Thank you for this experience Professor of Rock!

[@00x0midnight0x00]

best album ever. at least from 1987 until 1991, when the guys pushed it up a notch again.

[@dave.in.oregon]

Certainly may be one of the greatest albums ever. Certainly one of my all time favorites. IMHO the last of U2's great albums. They left the orbit after this one.

[@renmusical]

I have to disagree. As much as I love the Joshua Tree, I find myself sticking with Achtung Baby as their peak with the risks they took to completely move away from their 80s image. After All That You Can't Leave Behind, it gets iffy for me.

[@flimflamhollawallabingbam8873]

Agreed...it was Greed.

[@BillGraper]

Yep. "Desire" was amazing, but they never really had anything else to compliment it. "Desire" would've been great on "The Joshua Tree." It would've made the album even bigger!

[@Moyetniishiswa2000]

It was their ability to reinvent themselves with Achtung Baby as the next studio album that makes them one of the greatest bands of all time. I hated, hated Actung Baby initially. It was such a departure. But that they could and would reinvent themselves that way says so much about them.

[@dave.in.oregon]

@@renmusical I see your point, but it might have been my age. I grew up (as a teen) listening to Boy, October, War, Unforgettable Fire, etc. Joshua Tree was a culmination of their rise... Rattle & Hum was a mixed bag for me... By the time Achtung Baby came out I was in college in fully immersed in the grunge scene.... I went to U2's Achtung Baby/ZooTV tour and it was entertaining... but seamed over the top for my liking.

[@techguyMD]

Me and my friends were U2 fans already, and religiously listened to previous albums. Especially the Unforgettable fire. I moved from GA to VA and was working as an electrician wiring warehouses in North VA... when I heard U2 was releasing their new album.. The radio station started playing the full album.. I called my buddy Chris in GA and said "Did you hear.." and he finished it "The NEW U2? My GOD, this is incredible!" he said... LOL.. We were all listening to the radio waiting to get off work to go by it. I did and it was the first album I bought without a single bad track on it.

[@AABB-bm9kk]

Don’t go “without” these tunes: 🙂✌️ With or without You by U2 Within You Without you by the Beatles Without You by Badfinger/ Nilsson Without You by Motley Crue Without a Face by Rage Against the Machine Rebel Without a Pause by Public Enemy My World is Empty Without You by the Supremes I’ll be Alright Without You by Journey I Won’t Last a Day Without you by the Carpenters How Am I Supposed to Live Without you by Laura Branigan/ Michael Bolton Held up Without a Gun by Bruce Games Without Frontiers by Peter Gabriel Eyes Without a Face by Billy Idol Cant Smile Without You by Barry Manilow Another Rainy Night Without You by Queensryche A World Without Love by Peter and Gordon Cant Live Without Your Love and Affection by Nelson Without You by Bowie Without a Song by Mahalia Jackson / Willie Nelson A Year Without Rain by Selena Gomez and the Scene Love Will Never Do Without You by Janet Without Me by Eminem Won’t go Home Without You by Maroon 5

[@ProfessorofRock]

haha love it, thanks for sharing!

[@AABB-bm9kk]

@@ProfessorofRock 🙂✌️

[@deanrobert9953]

Awesome tune list! But let's not go without these others... 😜 And let's acknowledge the one minute & sixteen seconds of rock awesomeness that is Held Up Without a Gun by the Boss. NICE!! ✌ The Bed's Too Big Without You by The Police 😎 My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson Here Without You by 3 Doors Down Without You by Van Halen (yes VH III happened, so lets acknowledge it people!) Nothing Without You by Fleetwood Mac (yes, this happened too... just who is that on vocals? ha) Where Do The Boys Go? by Men Without Hats 🍁

[@AABB-bm9kk]

@@deanrobert9953 the Police ! Yes 🙂✌️ ...And that is probably the shortest recording in Bruce’s catalog. It explodes out of the gate and flies without a pause , as fast as Seattle Slew to its finale.

[@brucedillinger9448]

AA BB - I really like themed set lists and yours is great. Some day I'm gonna put one together in which every song uses the 'F' word. I'm gonna call it "My Effing Set List". 😁

[@acefox1]

Great video. I was about half a dozen years older than you and I’m amazed how much your experience with this album matches mine. My brothers bought cassettes of The Joshua Tree when it was released in March 87 and it was playing constantly in every car ride they gave me, then I’d hear With Or Without You on the radio everywhere’s I went. This was one of the first albums where I had the joy of discovering, unraveling and finding ever-deeper awesomeness in every single song on the album. I remember cranking up the volume on my little mono cassette player to 11 and singing along, belting as loud as loud as I could belt imto Where The Streets Have No Name outside on my boarding school’s huge, open, vacant athletic fields while everyone else was away at dinner. That was one hell of an experience. A natural high that I wish everyone could feel. Singing along to I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by heart all through March and April, then being seen as one of the “cool kids” when that was the next single to come out in May. Saw that stroll-through-downtown-Vegas video play on MTV all summer long while it played in heavy rotation on every radio station. I’d never seen a song that I’d already known and loved skyrocket from nowhere to the top of the charts before. That’s quite an experience as well to see the world adopt & love something that feels like it is yours & first belonged to you. I could go on & on for every track on the album. I feel sorry for people who haven’t had this experience with an album. I just feel pity for those who mock & deride this album or U2 in general. This album’s best tracks are the non-singles. That’s rare!

[@ericbgordon1575]

Funny thing, but U2's music blew right past me during the 80s (my first decade of life). I only started taking stock in what they accomplished during the following decade, when they tried to throw off everything they'd been up to in the 80s and redesign themselves and the music from the ground up. Going back and exploring their classic output was definitely an eye opener - especially when their output from both decades provided an antithesis to the classic prog rock I began exploring at the same time.

[@5CBGB]

My favorite U2 album will always be WAR.

[@mariomanno1]

Early U2 has my favourite sound. War is my favourite too.

[@bobbavet]

YES!

[@markhooker8520]

War is amazing. The intensity and passion of some tracks are awe inspiring.

[@TheN0odles]

"When MTV actually played music." lol.

[@tysparks598]

I can remember when they stopped (mostly) playing videos & "got real" 🙄. Was the beginning of the end of good music on TV, when they switched to reality TV, mostly.

[@michaelcrawford5083]

Until Real World came into play and it died

[@williambenner5550]

@@tysparks598 they sold out. Took a direction that absolutely baffled me.

[@metaltom2003]

@@tysparks598 It's almost like they forgot the name of the channel was Music Television.

[@V8AmericanMuscleCar]

For the last 10-15 years, music has been dead anyway. 😕

[@williambenner5550]

I have always been blown away by this album. Their very best in my opinion.

[@colelauber7206]

In December 1984, I had just been sent to my first duty station in Mainz, West Germany. I shared my room in the U.S. Army barracks with three other soldiers. Each evening, we had to press our uniforms and shine our boots. For the first time, during one such evening, I heard a U2 album in its entirety for the first time. "Pride" got my attention earlier in the year, but once I'd heard the entire album, "The Unforgettable Fire", I became a complete fan. I went across the Rhine River to an American base that had a record shop and bought their first four albums and memorized them. By the time the video for the Joshua Tree's first single "With or Without You" came out in early 1987, I was in a state of excitement and anticipation I had not felt before for any band. My mom would send us video tape of MTV once a week to keep the troops happy, and "With or Without You" surpassed my expectations. The day of the album's release, a hope on the back of another soldier's motorcycle and we must have topped 120 mph to get to the record shop before it closed. There were about a dozen soldiers waiting in my barracks room to hear the album when I returned with it. It must have taken a few days to hear the whole album. When the album's first song, "Where the Streets Have No Name" first played, we were mesmerized, blown away. We had the windows and door open so most of the barracks could hear it. By the time the song was over, my room was filled to capacity. "Play it again!" our company XO commanded. We played it about five times. Soldiers from other companies were standing outside the window, and more were sitting or standing in the halllway outside the room. When "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" played, a black friend of mine exclaimed, "That's a gospel song, right there!". I think it must have taken a couple hours just to get through "Bullet the Blue Sky" a few times, before the battalion sergeant major pushed in and made me shut it off. "The Joshua Tree" began made a larger impact than any book, film, or album. It began my spiritual journey that led me to become a "Red Letter Christian", which is pretty much what Bono is.

[@sierrawave]

When this album came out, I finally became a big U2 fan as I had graduated high school the year before and my taste in music was maturing. Bought this album on vinyl, I had just recently got my first job so I immediately went out and bought all the rest of their albums on vinyl. Within a couple of months I wound up buying my first CD player, went out and bought all of their albums on CD. I saw the Joshua Tree tour with a friend who's roommate had a connection so we wound up with 11th row floor seats. I believe I had an out of body experience at that show. Good stuff.

[@mjolly]

Your reviews are always excellent, especially about U2. You solidly do your homework and present it so well. Thanks!!

[@fcamach02]

"A babtism by the fire of rock and roll" profound and I can relate 👍

[@kevinraimond7658]

This is definitely one of your best videos. Great work!

[@beesoftheinvisible4021]

There’s a great story of Bono and Edge driving through the American desert after the album was released. They were feeling pretty good. I think the car broke down and they were standing outside the car. In the distance another car was coming. They could hear a sound like the end of the world... booming. They were both in shock and taken aback at how good this sounded. They felt it made their little album sound thin. The car pulled up to help them. The album they were playing was Hysteria. According to the story (and this is off the top of my head) it was this sonic power they were looking for with Achtung Baby.

[@absea7918]

This (and REM's Document) - both from 1987 - really opened up the musical landscape for me. I was more into rock/hard rock at the time, and most "new wave" bands didn't impress me. U2 really straddled those worlds well. I had first got into them with War, but this album was so complete, and of such high quality it was a constant companion.

[@lwaves]

Great stuff Adam. If there's one thing (out of the many things) I like about this channel, and music as a whole, it's the 'what could've been' aspect. The way that some things get so close to not existing as we know them, yet chance, coincidence and whatever else somehow play their part in making it exist.

[@bigd9291]

The first album that I could listen to the whole thing at once and not just a track or two. It started me down the path of searching for music that wasn't always on the radio. Thanks Professor. Keep em coming.

[@WHR17]

Growing up in the 80’s this album took over 87-88. I finally got to see them live in 92 on the ZooTV tour and it was a spiritual experience.

[@totallykoolyeah]

listened to rattle and hum yesterday. lucky to see them on unforgettable fire and joshua tree tours

[@maryscaggsdane1978]

Could you hear me screaming from the cheap seats on "When Love Came to Town" ??? LOL

[@jonathanmickle7559]

Thank you for an incredible trip back to those first weeks and months with this album and the music videos that found play on MTV during that magical summer. Yes, from the depths of my soul, thank you for your work in bringing this video to the world. I'll be sharing this with my son, who is now almost the same age as I was then, with the hope that it will spark something for him that is just as profound, enduring, and magical as it was for you, me, and millions of others.

[@chaos1961]

The most important band in the universe. I've always thought so. I've seen them many times and I won't miss the show from now on. Thanks for all you do keep up the good work, I'm still addicted.

[@Frank-qe3pw]

Prof!!!!! You’re. Bringing back soooo many memories, good and bad, about that time and place in my life. All I can say is thank YOU, thank YOU, THANK YOU!!

[@innerstate777]

Love The joshua Tree and I actually grew up and continue to live in Joshua Tree. U2 actually came to the area and stayed at a motel in the 29 Palms area. A suggestion for you Proffessor is for you to do a video on the influence of Joshua Tree on the music business. Starting in the 60's and continues to today. There are some amazing stories and artists that have visited, lived , or write about the desert and Her mysteries. Keep up the great work.

[@Siansonea]

"With Or Without You" is my favorite U2 song ever.

[@synthact]

Yet another, wonderful review of a great 80's album - and another great Moz shirt!!!

[@blainehumbles4494]

Thank you so much for this breakdown. My experience with its timing in my life is nearly the same as yours. So impactful! Im lucky enough to make a yearly pilgrimage to The 'fallen' Joshua Tree. I have a reverse album playlist saved and I know exactly when to start it so I can hear the entire album and finish with Streets as I get to the tree. Thank you again sir, your channel is daily listening for me.

[@deanrobert9953]

Adam, dude. One of your finest posts. Well done. Summer of '87 - the summer of The Joshua Tree. Everywhere I went, everything I did connected through that album. As you so perfectly put it, the album truly is a minefield of philosophy & wonderment, with it's layers upon layers upon layers upon layers... that got a laugh & smile out of me. Nailed it! We've talked intro's and song openings and such here at POR. Hard not to have Where The Streets Have No Name noted high (if not the top) on those lists. It jangled through my entire summer and was so epic, dimmed somewhat by the decades of play and use at sport events (my local Jr hockey team for example) and in media but still a sonic marvel. I didn't realize at the time U2 was moving away from the grit of War and earlier work, but one must allow artists to navigate their ways, not ours. Joshua Tree really is remarkable... even if it existed as a three or four song EP (first album tracks). Much depth and beauty. Their uncertainty towards their work is somewhat understandable looking back now, for its a spiritual and emotional take with rawness and power. They were exposing themselves somewhat, and made music that will remain impactful for all time. All time. That really is something.

[@kkurion]

Fantastic video, Professor!! Time to get this one out and spin it in the turntable! If you haven't already, I'd love your take on Achtung Baby. As a rebuttal for Joshua Tree, that album is equally as Earth shattering!

[@carlec74]

I think you covered that well. There's still things I'm learning about these songs over 35 years later. Thanks- absolutely no way to overstate the impact of this album.

[@alexmanne]

One of my absolute favorite albums ever. Great breakdown.

[@jasonbailey9139]

I was luck enough to be in Arizona on a family vacation when U2 were playing the final two days of their Joshua Tree tour. For $18 my dad, brother, and I paid for our tickets and parking at the venue and were there for the dress rehearsal for the show that would be memorialized in the movie Rattle and Hum. My dad wasn't too impressed (I think he actually preferred the opening act--BB King), but he won incredible points with his boys. It was my first concert and set the bar high. Depeche Mode's Violator is the only concert I've been to that came close to rivaling it.

[@timharper3390]

What makes The Joshua Tree such a fantastic album is that it is An Album. A complete work of art. Outstanding review, Prof! I thought for sure when you were quoting lyrics from Bullet the Blue Sky you’d mention, “In the locust wind, comes a rattle and hum”! Keep up the great work!

[@Thatguy55595]

Great video bro. U2 was my favorite band growing up

[@frankhollier2241]

Wow, the insight info is worth it's weight in Gold. Proffy keep up the good work, absabloooodyloutly love ur Show.

[@jeanettes2170]

An amazing album! I wish I saw them during that tour but I saw them in 1992 for Zoo TV and it was an unforgettable experience. I like how Bullet the Blue Sky is followed by Running to Stand Still on the album and that’s how they play them in the shows putting an amazing transition in between.

[@yamifish9098]

First road trip concert for my friends and I. 14 of us drove to Tempe AZ, Diablo Stadium to see them 12/19/1987, 12/20/1987 what an experience. Driving through the desert with that album playing is something that will forever be life changing. The high of the anxiety of going and the pure exhaustion on the drive home was pure pleasure and has never been duplicated. Thanks Professor another great vid.

[@derekbaity8996]

When the hair on the back of your neck or the tingling of your spine starts to happen on the intro to Where the streets have no name in concert you are in the moment of greatness. The 5 times I have seen them in concert this never gets old. Hands down my favorite band. Professor of rock, keep doing what you are doing. You my friend, are on the edge of greatness. The material you cover and the back stories are very insightful to better days gone by.

[@hasinurrahman4119]

In 1987, I heard With or Without You on radio and instantly felt that I had to follow this band for the rest of my life !! I am still following them which just led to my first ever live concert experience of them..... interestingly enough, The Joshua Tree tour, 2019 in Mumbai, India. What an amazing band live !! All songs of the Joshua Tree albums just amplified in beauty in the live setting !! An unforgettable night to remember, a memory to behold for eternity !!

[@katherinewelling6026]

This band, and specifically this album, captures the memories of my youth. So very powerful and inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

[@carljohnson6684]

I remember buying the Joshua Tree cassette at 15 the day it was released. I’d been a U2 fan for a few years previous when a friend borrowed me under a blood red sky. I played it to death from beginning to end for months and months. I went to watch them play the original Joshua Tree tour in Leeds July 1st 1987. My first ever concert and boy what a first it was. I’m still playing them now and I enjoy some you tube content of peoples reactions listening to them for the first time. Good video !!

[@jcpfitz]

I have loved this album since its release. Many memories, but my favorite is when a buddy and I drove from Vegas to Joshua Tree national park with this album cranked up. It was close to a religious experience driving through the Mojave desert.

[@cookergronkberg]

I'm not sure we can describe anything produced by Eno as "three chords and the truth", but it's definitely a good album.

[@austintrousdale2397]

The saying didn’t arise with U2, but Bono was the first person that I heard say/sing it, back when I was a teenager: “All I’ve got is a red guitar, three chords, and the truth.”

[@ia5662]

@@austintrousdale2397 on their cover of "All Along The Watchtower" ....the rest is up to you

[@timnoble9356]

My U2 story: June 5, 1983 at Red Rocks, with U2 on their War tour. A misty rain led the warm up band to not play, but U2 came on anyway, and the concert was just magic! The concert was filmed and the album "Under a Blood Red Sky" was the result, with the cover shot being of Bono silhouetted against the mist in the red concert lights. We were also treated to a "make up" concert the following evening at the University of Colorado events center, where the music was so loud my ears rang for a week. But totally worth it.

[@michaelfontana795]

My favorite album. Streets is my favorite song. Your experience mirrors mine. Up until The Joshua Tree I was looking for my kind of music. Brought me from flavor of the day to the collection I have today. So grateful.

[@lawsoncoates8334]

My very first concert was the 87 Joshua Tree tour. Needless to say that bar was set very high for future concerts. I barely knew who U2 were at the time but I was offered to go see the concert with a couple of HS friends. One of the seminal moments of my life. Thank you Adam, as always.

[@dhtmo]

Adam, I was eighteen and just started my first job when this was released. Like yourself, it expanded my thinking of what an album should be. Saw them twice in the tour as well. Unforgettable.

[@erikbrigham8807]

My favorite album of life. I remember the moment I heard the song off the album. Their music had such a profound effect on how I perceived the world and life. The songs still evoke emotion from me. Now living in the desert again, I still drive up 17 listening to TJT and having it take me beyond the moment. POR: Thank you for doing this. It needed the depth of what you have, to describe it. It's amazing how truth (U2's music) brings people together.

[@mikeywood1516]

I was 14 years old when Joshua Tree came out. I was more than familiar with them via my uncles, who are five years and ten years older than me. My first concert was a U2 concert. I was ten. I knew i liked them a lot, but when I heard Joshua Tree it cemented them as my favorite band. And they STILL are. They get a lot of flack, these days, but I still get wildly excited when a new U2 album is announced. Great video. I'm now a subscriber.

[@ricksatterstrom7461]

I've only heard the singles on the radio. I'll have to check out the whole album. Thanks Professor!

[@Grampa-el3kz]

I thought MTV was over hyping this soon to be released album. When it arrived I was pleasantly amazed it was so good.

[@donny2327]

I, along with the other die hards, waited outside HMV record shop on Dublin's Grafton Street that night in March 1987, for the special midnight opening of the shop, so we could our hands first on the new U2 record. I was 16. The atmosphere was amazing. All there knew the record was going to make 'our band' much, much bigger. We didn't care. The music couldn't be denied. I still have the cassette I bought that night. It's been played to death over the years but the songs are so fertile, they just keep growing. Excellent review Professor, thank you.

[@markives3766]

Thanks for a great recount of your exposure to U2! Mine was similar except I was hooked after the War album! Joined the army to see them in concert as they had yet to play near me! Lol Great list, except love- Bad from wide awake classic cut! Again thx!

[@joshuawilliams7351]

My father called from San Francisco and asked "Do you boys know of an Irish rock group called U2?" I said "Yeah Dad, they have a video in the Mtv top 20 video countdown with Run DMC and Peter Gabriel." "With or Without You", "It's Tricky", and "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time" respectively. He said "Well they were in my cab last night, and thuget left me a huge tip; really nice guys." Shortly after that phone call my mother bought us $10 tickets to see that at The Carrier Dome. It was the first real rock n' roll concert I ever saw. I was 10. I would see them 10 years later in Toronto, then 4 years after that in my birthday in Albany, then another 10 years before seeing in Philadelphia, and most recently in 2017 at Gillette Stadium near Boston. Great episode Professor!

[@lukestocks4370]

Best album to grow up to

[@anotherwaytafkash]

dear Adam... my brother in music .... the second twin ... the Black Gold one .... from my personal "fab four" from dublincityireland! thanks from my heart for focusing on one of my favourite albums ever ... "streets" Set the spark for me picking up and finally lern to play the guitar ... the edge is my hero since that day i heard the intopattern of streets ...." i want to play it like that!!!!!".... U2 shurely have a veeeery high place in the soundtrack of my life with the Joshua tree .... a true masterpiece and an Album people will listen to in a very far future ..... god bless U2 ... god bless the Professor of Rock for always reminding us all that three chords and the truth are essential as love Sex and oxygen .... stay healthy Adam!