03/09/2026
Today March 9, 1987, U2 released The Joshua Tree — and 17‑year‑old me absolutely had to have it the moment the school bell rang.
I still remember getting in my car after school, driving straight to what I think was Gribbon’s Records (this was 39 years ago after all 😂) in Greenfield, MA, and buying the album on release day.
Back then, that was a big deal — the anticipation, the excitement, the feeling of holding brand‑new music in your hands. No streaming, no previews… just you, the record, and whatever came next.
And the best part? Getting together with friends to listen to it for the very first time. We’d sit on the floor, passing around the album sleeve, reading every lyric, every thank‑you, every tiny detail. Discovering new music was something we shared — a whole event. Music was everything to us, and MTV was still new enough to feel like magic. Those were the days when a song didn’t just play in the background… it became part of who you were.
U2 became one of the soundtracks of my life. I’ve seen them live seven times, and every single show was unforgettable. The poster in this photo — behind Papa, in my Abington apartment (1996-1999) — was one of my all‑time favorites. I bought it in 1987 for my freshman dorm room, and it followed me through every dorm and apartment until the early 2000s. Worn, creased, loved… just like the albums we played over and over.
Funny how music becomes a time machine. One album release date can pull you right back to who you were, where you lived, what you dreamed about, and the people who were part of your world.
Here’s to The Joshua Tree, to 1987, to record stores that felt like treasure chests, and to the friends who made discovering new music feel like the most important thing in the world.
