Listeners of U2’s BBC Radio 2’s Sounds of the 80s have voted U2’s The Joshua Tree as the greatest 80s album for National Album Day.
Tune into the show tonight, presented by Gary Davies, to hear the full top 40 countdown (Friday 9 October, 8-10pm) on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds ahead of National Album Day tomorrow.
U2’s The Edge says: “The Joshua Tree changed everything for us as a band. It was written in the mid-Eighties, during the Reagan-Thatcher era of British and US politics, a period when there was a lot of unrest. And it feels like we’re right back there in a way, politics are still so polarized. We’ve had the privilege of playing The Joshua Tree live all over the world in the last few years and it’s almost like the album has come full circle. We’re just thrilled that people are still connecting with these songs, night after night, year after year. Huge thanks to Radio 2 and everyone who voted!”
Gary Davies says: “Because there were so many brilliant albums in the 80s having to choose just one is really difficult. I’m very pleased to see that the Radio 2 listeners have impeccable taste by choosing an album from my all-time favourite band and agree with me that the Ultimate 80s album just has to be The Joshua Tree from U2.”
Jeff Smith, Radio 2’s Head of Music, says: “The 80s saw the introduction of the CD and a renaissance for the album format but now in pristine digital audio. Our listeners have picked some of the best examples of that and the result of their choices will make a great listen as Radio 2 celebrates National Album Day with this show on Friday night and great 80s album music across programmes on Saturday.”
U2 comprising Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr. formed in 1976 in Dublin, Ireland and released The Joshua Tree on 9th March, 1987. It reached No.1 on the UK, Canadian, West German, Dutch, Switzerland and Australian album charts and was the band’s first album to reach No.1 in the US chart. Later that year, The Joshua Tree won U2 both the Best Album and Best Rock Performance By A Group Or Duo at the Grammy Awards. And the record and sleeve cover were placed No. 1 in Rolling Stone magazine’s annual Music Awards as chosen by readers, with critics at the magazine making it their No. 2 album of the year. The album was recorded at Windmill Lane Studio in Dublin and since its release, over 25 million copies have been sold globally.
Top 20 greatest 80s album as voted for by listeners to Sounds of the 80s:
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 – The Lexicon Of Love
10. Prince – Purple Rain
11. Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love
12. Duran Duran – Rio
13. Tears for Fears – Songs From The Big Chair
14. Bruce Springsteen – Born In The USA
15. AC/DC – Back In Black
16. Deacon Blue – Raintown
17. Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Welcome To The Pleasuredome
18. INXS – Kick
19. George Michael – Faith
20. Pet Shop Boys – Actually
The Top 50 albums were selected by a Radio 2 panel of music experts and was based on the best-selling albums of the decade, alongside iconic albums that have endured to this day, as well as some slow-burners that are now considered classics of the era. The list included featured stadium rockers, pop megastars, new romantics, synth-pop pioneers, indie gods, hip-hop heroes and beyond by bands and solo artists from across the world.
This is the third National Album Day, organised and supported by the music industry, and this year takes the 1980s as its inspiration, with the music and artist community coming together for a series of events and activities in the lead up to Saturday 10 October that will celebrate the UK’s love for the album and the craft that goes into making this culturally significant body of work.
