The Joshua Tree
by U2

The Joshua Tree by U2
Year: 1987
Overall rank: 52nd   
Average Rating: 
83/100 (from 2,463 votes)
     
Accolades:
Award Best album of 1987 (1st)
Award Top 10 albums of the 1980s (6th)
Award Top 100 albums of all time (52nd)

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U2 bestography

The Joshua Tree is ranked as the best album by U2.

U2 album bestography « Higher ranked
-
This album (52nd)
The Joshua Tree
Lower ranked (110th) »
Achtung Baby

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

Upcoming concerts

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House of Blues Houston, Houston, United States. United States
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19:30
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Feb
06
Fri
18:00
Fooz Fighters
Marquee Theatre, Tempe, United States. United States
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The Joshua Tree track list

   The tracks on this album have an average rating of 83 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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Track
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1.
Track pick (890 - 649 votes)
Average Rating: 89 (649 votes)Comments: View 11
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2.
Track pick (890 - 641 votes)
Average Rating: 89 (641 votes)Comments: View 9
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3.
Track pick (900 - 695 votes)
Average Rating: 90 (695 votes)Comments: View 7
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4.
Average Rating: 84 (450 votes)Comments: View 8
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5.
Average Rating: 84 (427 votes)Comments: View 7
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6.
Average Rating: 82 (404 votes)Comments: View 3
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7.
Average Rating: 81 (403 votes)Comments: View 3
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8.
Average Rating: 77 (393 votes)Comments: View 3
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9.
Average Rating: 82 (399 votes)Comments: View 3
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10.
Average Rating: 78 (379 votes)Comments: View 5
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Track pick (1000 - 100 votes) Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.

The Joshua Tree rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 52nd | 1980s rank: 6th | 1987 rank: 1st

The Joshua Tree collection

The Joshua Tree ratings

Average Rating: 
83/100 (from 2,463 votes)
   Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 2,463 ratings for this album.

Sort by
RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
75/100
 !
4 hours ago JoaoMoreira   45574/100
 
70/100
 !
11 hours ago Slewkey   27980/100
 
0/100
 !
12 hours ago subnam   15544/100
 
85/100
 !
27 hours ago JoshN125   25773/100
 
90/100
 !
4 days ago Praibonito   3187/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 1% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 82.7/100, a mean average of 81.0/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 82.7/100. The standard deviation for this album is 17.9.

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The Joshua Tree comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 229 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First | Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)

Rating:  
80/100
From 12/19/2025 22:01 | #312213
Front heavy with the hits, but what great hits they are. Understandable why this album elevated them to a whole new level.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 04/09/2025 08:48 | #308425
Album of the year at the Grammys in 1988
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 11/01/2024 01:46 | #305839
This comment is beneath your viewing threshold.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -3 votes (0 helpful | 3 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 11/23/2023 16:29 | #300113
Opens with three absolute all-time bangers -- and follows with a fourth often-underplayed gem.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 05/14/2023 22:40 | #296960
This has one of the greatest beginnings of all time to any record with 3 absolute classics in a row that start off the release in style. The height they reach at the start isn't reached again throughout the rest of the release but none of the remaining songs are poor and there are quite a few that fly under the radar a little as well. One example of this for me is Trip Through Your Wires which seems to get stuck in my head every time I listen to this album. The chorus on this song just stands out and I think Bono gives a brilliant vocal performance on here as well. Bono is also extremely consistent throughout the whole record with this being his strongest display in my opinion. The instrumentation is probably at its best as well or is at least at its most infectious with some of the guitar work being of a significant quality and it is also extremely memorable. The Edge is fantastic throughout and the partnership he has with Bono is something truly special with them making this an exceptionally cohesive listen. Despite this, I do find the ending to drag out a bit especially the final two tracks which feel like they could be cut as they are pretty average. Overall, this is the groups best work as it has their greatest songs as well as their best performances making it an essential part of musical history.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 04/14/2023 05:24 | #296065
The best first three songs of an album ever.

The rest of the album is pretty mediocre.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -2 votes (1 helpful | 3 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 02/28/2023 12:34 | #294544
Well done, but frontloaded and quite boring for me, I prefer their earlier stuff. First four tracks are amazing but then it becomes more and more dull.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 08/31/2022 03:25 | #289082
Good album
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 04/13/2022 17:33 | #284201
There is a reason this album and the songs on it blew up. It is much much more than the first few tracks, this track shows a band at the absolute peak of their powers.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 04/01/2022 01:57 | #283668
It was the record that turned U2 into the global behemoth that they still are to this day, and it's without question one of the most iconic and original sounding records of the 1980s
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1987
1. The Joshua Tree by U2
2. Appetite For Destruction by Guns N' Roses
3. Sign "O" The Times by Prince
4. Strangeways, Here We Come by The Smiths
5. You're Living All Over Me by Dinosaur
6. Document by R.E.M.
7. Bad by Michael Jackson
8. Music For The Masses by Depeche Mode
9. Sister by Sonic Youth
10. Substance by New Order
11. Hysteria by Def Leppard
12. Kick by INXS
13. Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me by The Cure
14. Louder Than Bombs by The Smiths
15. Darklands by The Jesus And Mary Chain
16. Come On Pilgrim by Pixies
17. Diesel And Dust by Midnight Oil
18. Paid In Full by Eric B. & Rakim
19. Tango In The Night by Fleetwood Mac
20. Tunnel Of Love by Bruce Springsteen
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