U2's 'The Joshua Tree' voted best album of the 1980s

·Contributor

9 October 2020 at 5:51 am·2-min read

(Original Caption) Bono, lead singer of the Irish rock group, U2, holds one of the two Grammy Awards the group won 3/2 for Best Rock Group and Beat Album for their album, The Joshua Tree. The group gained a reputation for their music raising social issues.

U2's 1987 record The Joshua Tree has been named the best album of the 1980s.

The album beat out offerings by Madonna and Michael Jackson to place at number one in a poll conducted by BBC Radio 2 to mark National Album Day on Saturday 10 October, voted for by ‘Sounds of the 80s’ listeners.

The Joshua Tree was a huge hit for the group as it spawned singles including With Or Without You and Where The Streets Have No Name.

It scooped the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1988 and U2 also won the Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal gong.

Mark Knopfler, John Illsley, Straits, Brothers in Arms Tour, 12 July 1985 Wembley Arena. (Photo by Solomon N’Jie/Getty Images)

Coming in second place in the poll was Dire Straits' 1985 album Brother In Arms while The Stone Roses' eponymous album placed third.

One of the most celebrated albums of the 80s, Michael Jackson's Thriller, earned fourth place followed by Guns N' Roses’ Appetite for Destruction.

Kate Bush's Hounds Of Love was the only album by a female artist to place in the top 20, with records by Madonna, Tracy Chapman and Grace Jones featuring further down the list.

“We’ve had the privilege of playing The Joshua Tree live all over the world in the last few years,” U2’s guitarist The Edge said in a statement following the results of the poll.

“We're just thrilled that people are still connecting with these songs, night after night, year after year.”

BBC Radio 2 will broadcast a countdown of the audience's top 40 favourite albums on Friday 9 October from 8pm.

Top 10

1. U2 - The Joshua Tree

2. Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms

3. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses

4. Michael Jackson - Thriller

5. Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction

6. The Human League - Dare

7. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

8. Paul Simon - Graceland

9. ABC - Lexicon Of Love

10. Prince - Purple Rain

Watch: Jon Bon Jovi got the seal of approval for new album from two very famous peers

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