U2

2 album covers in our archive

U2 is featured in Behind the Covers' archive with 2 album covers from the 1980s. Released across Island Records, the artwork sits in the rock, alternative tradition. Each cover is documented in our archive with design notes covering photography, black and white, band photo, portrait, monochrome, gatefold. Below you'll find the full story behind each U2 cover — designers, photographers, label history, and the visual choices that defined the release.

The Joshua Tree (1987)

Four men stand grim against an endless Death Valley horizon, coats off in freezing cold so it would look hot. The story of U2's 1987 desert journey involves a working title called 'The Two Americas,' a lone tree found in 20 minutes, and a band picture that sent fans on pilgrimages still happening today.

Label: Island Records
Designer: Steve Averill
Photographer: Anton Corbijn
Genre: Rock, Alternative
Decade: 1980s

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