[pullquote quote="from heroes to superstars" credit="Rolling Stone"] [lastfm]U2[/lastfm] released the critically acclaimed album The Joshua Tree on March 9, 1987. Rolling Stone said the album took them “from heroes to superstars.” The album is one of the best selling albums of all time with over 25 million copies sold. After speaking with a few rock legends, [lastfm]Bono[/lastfm] decided to draw from American and Irish roots music for The Joshua Tree much more than he had for [lastfm]U2[/lastfm]‘s previous albums.

[lastfm]Bono[/lastfm] worked with [lastfm]Keith Richards[/lastfm] and [lastfm]Mick Jagger[/lastfm] on [lastfm]Steven Van Zandt[/lastfm]‘s Sun City project and was inspired to delve into the blues and write the song Silver and Gold, the B-side to Where The Streets Have No Name, which he recorded with Richards and [lastfm]Ronnie Wood[/lastfm]. Then, Bono’s new friends [lastfm]Van Morrison[/lastfm] and [lastfm]Bob Dylan[/lastfm] encouraged him look back to rock’s roots and concentrate on his skills as a songwriter and lyricist.