U2, The Joshua Tree
Island, 1987: Bono aka Paul Hewson (vocals and guitar), The Edge aka David Evans (guitars, keyboards and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass), Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums)
Notable songs ( I decided to only pick 6 of the 11.)
Although U2's earlier albums (Boy 1980, October 1981, War 1983, The Unforgettable Fire1984) had all included some great songs on each of them, none of those albums was nearly as well-received as The Joshua Tree. This was the big commercial breakthrough in 1987, and the record went on to sell over 25 million copies.
Before The Joshua Tree, it was really U2's Live Aid performance (July 1985 at Wembley Stadium) that catapulted the band to worldwide prominence. The band played a mesmerizing 14-minute version of "Bad" that just seemed to go on and on. Plus Bono danced with some fan during the performance; it was amazing to watch. (I discus this performance further in my timeline.)
This album was a favorite of my friend Bruce Roberts who always played it in his car when we would go down to the Ale House in Schnecksville for a beer.
It wasn't until much later, in 2005, that we finally got to see U2 live on the Vertigo tour. At over $300 a seat, that was the most that I ever paid for a concert ticket, but the seats were good, and so was the concert.