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This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1987.

See also:

Events[]

January–February[]

  • January 3Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The other inductees this year consist of The Coasters, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley, Marvin Gaye, Bill Haley, Clyde McPhatter, Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Smokey Robinson and Jackie Wilson.
  • January 5Elton John, after several months of voice problems, undergoes throat surgery in an Australian hospital. The outcome would hinder his voice permanently and he would soon start singing in a deep register.
  • January 16Beastie Boys become the first act to be censored by American Bandstand.
  • January 24Steve "Silk" Hurley's innovative "Jack Your Body" becomes the first house music record to top the UK singles chart.
  • February 6Sonny Bono announces his candidacy for mayor of Palm Springs, California.
  • February 14
    • Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" reaches #1 in the USA. It would be 1987's biggest hit song worldwide.
    • Los Angeles radio station KMET signs off after nineteen years on the air. The station had been a pioneer of underground progressive rock programming.
  • February 15Video Hits premieres on Australian television.
  • February 26 – The first five Beatles albums, Please Please Me, With the Beatles, A Hard Day's Night, Beatles for Sale and Help! are released on Compact disc. Capitol Records decides to release the original UK mixes of the Beatles albums, which means that the first four CDs are released in mono. This marks the first time that many of these mono mixes are available in the US.

March–April[]

  • March 9
    • U2 releases The Joshua Tree, an album that launches them into superstar status in the music world. The album would sell over 14 million copies worldwide in 1987 alone and would win the Grammy for "Album of the Year" (at the 1988 ceremony). U2 have two #1 hit songs from this album on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts.
    • Carole King is inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City.
    • The career that would end in an infamous appearance at The Brit awards and the burning of a million pounds began in Britain, as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu release their debut single, "All You Need Is Love".
  • March 13
    • Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
    • In the US, Bryan Adams' "Heat of the Night" becomes the first single to be commercially released on cassette. Cassette singles become known as cassingles.
  • March 27 – Inspired by The Beatles' 1969 rooftop concert, U2 shoots a music video for the song "Where the Streets Have No Name" on a rooftop in Los Angeles.
  • April 7 - Alice Cooper almost dies on stage when one of the props, the Gallows, malfunctions.

[1]

  • April 23Carole King sues the owner of her record company, Lou Adler, claiming that she is owed more than $400,000 in royalties. King also asks for rights to her old recordings.

May–August[]

  • May 9Ireland's Johnny Logan wins the Eurovision Song Contest, held in Brussels, Belgium, with the song "Hold Me Now", making him the first artist to win the contest twice. The song tops the charts in Ireland, and peaks at No. 2 in the UK.
  • June 14 – Madonna starts her Who's That Girl Tour in Osaka, Japan.
  • June 27Whitney Houston's second album Whitney becomes the first album by a female artist to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200.
  • July 4 – The first joint rock concert between the United States and the Soviet Union is held in Moscow to promote peace. The Doobie Brothers, James Taylor, Santana and Bonnie Raitt share the bill with Soviet rock group Autograph.
  • July 21 – American rock group Guns N' Roses release Appetite for Destruction which, after initial slow sales will become the best selling debut album of all time with more than 18 million copies sold in the US alone to date
  • August 1
  • August 3 – Def Leppard releases Hysteria, the longest rock album ever released as a single LP or cassette.
  • August 27 – The Jello Biafra criminal trial is dismissed after ending in a hung jury in Los Angeles court. Biafra and his manager had been charged with distributing harmful material to minors due to a poster included in the Dead Kennedys' Frankenchrist album of a painting depicting rows of sexual organs.
  • August 31Michael Jackson releases Bad, the first studio album after Thriller, the best-selling album of all time. The album would produce five number one singles in the USA, a record which has not been broken.

September–October[]

  • September 6Madonna ends her Who's That Girl Tour in Florence, Italy.
  • September 7 - Pink Floyd release A Momentary Lapse of Reason, their first album after the departure of and legal battle with bassist, Roger Waters. The subsequent tour grossed around $135 million worldwide, a sum that was only equaled by the earnings of Michael Jackson and U2 combined.
  • September 11 – Reggae musician Peter Tosh is murdered during a robbery in his home.
  • September 12Michael Jackson starts the Bad World Tour, supporting his Bad album.
  • September 25
    • Matthew Garrison Chapman is born, the first child of Amy Grant and Gary Chapman. Lead Me On, Amy's 1988 album, is said to have been dedicated to Matt.
    • CBS launches an American version of the long-running UK television show Top of the Pops. It lasts one year.
  • October 4 – electronic data gathering completely replaces the old sales diary technique in compiling the UK singles and albums chart. The publication day of new charts is moved from Tuesday to Sunday.
  • October 8Chuck Berry receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
  • October 19Mötley Crüe release the song "You're All I Need" as a single. Its lyrics cause MTV to refuse to play its video. Radio stations never play the song either.
  • October 30George Michael releases his first solo studio album, Faith, which would win the Grammy Award for album of the year and sell 11 million copies in USA alone.
  • October 31 -The Zorros headline on the Halloween for the last ever show at the Crystal Ballroom, Melbourne's premier Punk/ New Wave Venue. The Crystal Ballroom has seen almost ten years of intense musical evolution. The venue has chandeliers, stained glass windows, paisley wallpaper and a tiled foyer.

November–December[]

  • November 13Sonny and Cher reunite for a performance on Late Night with David Letterman.
  • November 18CBS Records is sold to the Sony Corporation in a deal worth about $2 billion. Company was renamed Sony Music Entainment in 1991.
  • November 24ABC airs Rolling Stone Magazine's 20 Years of Rock 'n' Roll television special, chronicling the music and the people of the past twenty years to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Rolling Stone magazine. The special includes new interviews as well as vintage performance footage of many rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Sex Pistols, Bruce Springsteen and many more.
  • December 16John Mellencamp performs two free shows in the small town of Chillicothe, Ohio after one-fifth of the population signed a petition asking him to play.
  • December 23Nikki Sixx of the rock band Mötley Crüe suffers a heroin overdose, but is revived shortly thereafter.
  • December 31 – The sixteenth annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special airs on ABC, with appearances by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Los Lobos, Barry Manilow, Restless Heart and The Temptations.

Also in 1987[]

  • Kylie Minogue's recording career begins, when her cover version of the Little Eva hit The Loco-Motion spends seven weeks at number one in her native Australia and leads to a contract with UK-based record producers Stock Aitken Waterman.
  • Lynyrd Skynyrd reform and now have Ronnie Van Zant's little brother Johnny Van Zant as lead singer.
  • The Smiths disband after guitarist and songwriter Johnny Marr leaves the band.
  • Andreas Kisser replaces Jairo Guedes in Sepultura.
  • Prince cancels the The Black Album just before its release. It eventually becomes officially available in 1994.

Bands formed[]

Bands disbanded[]

  • See Musical groups disestablished in 1987

Bands reformed[]

Albums released[]

January–March[]

Date Album Artist Notes
J
a
n
u
a
r
y
5 Warehouse: Songs and Stories Hüsker Dü double album
12 The House of Blue Light Deep Purple -
20 Echelons For Against -
The Return of Bruno Bruce Willis Debut
26 Control: The Remixes Janet Jackson Europe; Remix
Yo! Bum Rush the Show Public Enemy -
The First Chapter The Mission Compilation
Gaudi The Alan Parsons Project -
I Hear You Rockin' Dave Edmunds Live
Lone Star State of Mind Nanci Griffith -
Men and Women Simply Red -
F
e
b
r
u
a
r
y
2 Exposure Exposé -
Midnight to Midnight The Psychedelic Furs UK
The Cost of Loving The Style Council UK
13 All in the Name of Love Atlantic Starr -
17 Fighting the World Manowar -
Lee Aaron Lee Aaron -
23 Jody Watley Jody Watley -
The World Won't Listen The Smiths Compilation
Freedom Santana -
Life as We Know It REO Speedwagon -
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know Dead or Alive -
Midnight to Midnight The Psychedelic Furs -
Ready or Not Lou Gramm -
Up for a Bit with The Pastels The Pastels -
M
a
r
c
h
2 Boi-ngo Oingo Boingo -
Through the Looking Glass Siouxsie and the Banshees -
Trio Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton -
3 Criminal Minded Boogie Down Productions -
9 The Joshua Tree U2 -
Wild Frontier Gary Moore -
17 Deathcrush Mayhem EP
19 Tribute Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads Live 1981
22 Among the Living Anthrax -
24 Into the Fire Bryan Adams -
30 The Circus Erasure UK
Sign "O" the Times Prince double album
Louder Than Bombs The Smiths US, compilation
31 Close to the Bone Thompson Twins -
Big Life Night Ranger -
Breakfast Club Breakfast Club -
Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1 Helloween -
Locust Abortion Technician Butthole Surfers -
Running in the Family Level 42 -

April – June[]

Date Album Artist Notes
A
p
r
i
l
1 Solitude Standing Suzanne Vega -
2 Incognito Céline Dion -
4 Now That's What I Call Music 9 (UK series) Various Artists Compilation
Whitesnake Whitesnake US
6 Electric The Cult -
Meet Danny Wilson Danny Wilson -
13 Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town Johnny Cash -
Tango in the Night Fleetwood Mac -
F.L.M. Mel and Kim UK & Canada
16 The Perfect Prescription Spacemen 3 -
17 Rock the House DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince -
21 Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers -
23 The Ultra-Violence Death Angel -
27 Never Let Me Down David Bowie -
You Boyz Make Big Noize Slade -
Coming Around Again Carly Simon -
One Voice Barbra Streisand Live
Out & Intake Hawkwind Compilation
Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People
Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)
Happy Mondays -
Tell No Tales TNT -
Uptown The Neville Brothers -
M
a
y
1 Raintown Deacon Blue debut
5 Pleased to Meet Me The Replacements -
11 Under the Sign of the Black Mark Bathory -
Live in the City of Light Simple Minds Live
It's Better To Travel Swing Out Sister -
15 Girls, Girls, Girls Mötley Crüe -
18 Concrete Blonde Concrete Blonde -
20 Beverly Hills Cop II: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Various Artists Soundtrack
22 Dana Dane with Fame Dana Dane -
25 Scream Bloody Gore Death -
Bad Animals Heart -
26 Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me The Cure -
29 Bring the Family John Hiatt -
Babble That Petrol Emotion -
Chayanne Chayanne -
J
u
n
e
1 Let It Loose Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine -
2 Whitney Whitney Houston -
9 Contagious Y&T -
13 Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Elton John Live
15 Abigail King Diamond -
Radio K.A.O.S. Roger Waters -
19 Sammy Hagar Sammy Hagar later re-titled I Never Said Goodbye
21 Pride White Lion -
Priest...Live! Judas Priest Live
Keel Keel -
25 Cleanse Fold and Manipulate Skinny Puppy -
22 Clutching at Straws Marillion -
29 Once Bitten... Great White -
Pop Goes the World Men Without Hats -
30 La Bamba soundtrack Los Lobos et al. Soundtrack
Life Neil Young & Crazy Horse -
Bangin' The Outfield -
Classics Live II Aerosmith Live
Female Trouble Nona Hendryx -
1987 (What the Fuck Is Going On?) The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu recalled over copyright violation claim
Sister Sonic Youth -
Sold Boy George -

July – September[]

Date Album Artist Notes
J
u
l
y
6 In the Dark The Grateful Dead -
Echo & the Bunnymen Echo & the Bunnymen -
7 Angel with a Lariat k.d. lang and the Reclines -
Faster Pussycat Faster Pussycat -
Frehley's Comet Ace Frehley -
The Legacy Testament -
Paid in Full Eric B. & Rakim -
Touch Laura Branigan -
10 One Way Home The Hooters -
13 Introducing the Hardline According to... Terence Trent D'Arby UK
15 Soy Como Quiero Ser Luis Miguel -
21 Appetite for Destruction Guns N' Roses Debut
Dream Evil Dio -
Sheila E. Sheila E. -
Who's That Girl soundtrack Madonna et al. Soundtrack
22 Bigger and Deffer LL Cool J -
27 In My Tribe 10,000 Maniacs -
Within the Realm of a Dying Sun Dead Can Dance -
Surveillance Triumph -
No Protection Starship -
Recently Joan Baez -
Strange Weather Marianne Faithfull -
Scum Napalm Death -
A
u
g
u
s
t
3 Hysteria Def Leppard -
7 Hurricane Eyes Loudness Japan
10 Between The Lines Five Star -
13 Love Is for Suckers Twisted Sister -
14 Crushin' Fat Boys -
17 Franks Wild Years Tom Waits -
Substance New Order -
18 Out of the Blue Debbie Gibson -
Permanent Vacation Aerosmith -
21 The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited Metallica Covers EP
Dirty Dancing soundtrack Various Artists Soundtrack
24 The Lonesome Jubilee John Mellencamp -
25 Door to Door The Cars -
27 Sentimental Hygiene Warren Zevon -
28 Feel My Power MC Hammer -
31 Bad Michael Jackson -
Move Somethin' 2 Live Crew -
Diesel and Dust Midnight Oil -
Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction Live
Psonic Psunspot The Dukes of Stratosphear pseudonym of XTC
White Fields The Escape Club -
S
e
p
t
e
m
b
e
r
1 Document R.E.M. -
5 Rock You to Hell Grim Reaper Final album
Perfect Timing McAuley Schenker Group -
Rock 'n' Roll Motörhead -
7 Actually Pet Shop Boys -
Islands Mike Oldfield -
The Last One to Know Reba McEntire -
8 Go On... Mr. Mister -
Hold Your Fire Rush -
A Momentary Lapse of Reason Pink Floyd UK
9 Earth, Sun, Moon Love and Rockets -
11 Crest of a Knave Jethro Tull -
Together Again The Temptations -
14 Bridge of Spies T'Pau -
Happy? Public Image Ltd -
Introduce Yourself Faith No More -
Primitive Cool Mick Jagger -
15 All Systems Go Donna Summer -
Halfway to Sanity Ramones -
Tiffany Tiffany -
16 Visual Lies Lizzy Borden -
17 London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2 Frank Zappa -
18 Crazy Nights Kiss -
21 Piledriver – The Wrestling Album II World Wrestling Federation -
22 Man of Colours Icehouse Australia
The Hunger Michael Bolton -
28 Music for the Masses Depeche Mode -
Strangeways, Here We Come The Smiths -
Big Generator Yes -
Popped In Souled Out Wet Wet Wet UK
Come On Pilgrim Pixies EP
29 The Uplift Mofo Party Plan Red Hot Chili Peppers -
Always Guaranteed Cliff Richard -
Babylon and On Squeeze -
Darklands The Jesus and Mary Chain -
E.S.P. Bee Gees -
Hall of the Mountain King Savatage -
Honor Among Thieves The Brandos -
Just Us Alabama -
Mainstream Lloyd Cole and the Commotions -
The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death Housemartins -
Poetic Champions Compose Van Morrison -
Wild in the Streets Helix -
Wow! Bananarama -

October – December[]

Date Album Artist Notes
O
c
t
o
b
e
r
5 Heaven on Earth Belinda Carlisle -
Raise Your Fist and Yell Alice Cooper -
7 Pleasures of the Flesh Exodus -
9 Tunnel of Love Bruce Springsteen -
12 Perfect Timing McAuley Schenker Group -
13 ...Nothing Like the Sun Sting -
16 Masque Manfred Mann's Earth Band -
19 Kick INXS -
25 Big Tyme Heavy D & The Boyz -
26 Live at Wembley Meat Loaf UK; Live
27 Robbie Robertson Robbie Robertson -
30 Faith George Michael -
Schizophrenia Sepultura -
Exit 0 Steve Earle -
Free as a Bird Supertramp -
Raising Fear Armored Saint EP
Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll Chuck Berry Soundtrack
Surfing With the Alien Joe Satriani -
Touch the World Earth, Wind & Fire -
A Very Special Christmas Various Artists -
N
o
v
e
m
b
e
r
2 Bete Noire Bryan Ferry -
Cloud Nine George Harrison -
All the Best! Paul McCartney Compilation
Don't Let's Start (EP) They Might Be Giants EP
3 Cher Cher -
4 The Lion and the Cobra Sinéad O'Connor -
Rhyme Pays Ice-T -
6 How Ya Like Me Now Kool Moe Dee -
N.W.A. and the Posse N.W.A. Compilation "debut"
Less Than Zero (soundtrack) Various Artists Soundtrack
Characters Stevie Wonder -
7 Secrets of the Beehive David Sylvian -
Calm Before the Storm Venom -
9 Nightfall Candlemass -
Savage Eurythmics UK
13 Floodland The Sisters of Mercy -
16 Whenever You Need Somebody Rick Astley -
The Eternal Idol Black Sabbath -
17 Back for the Attack Dokken -
You Can Dance Madonna Remix
24 Make It Last Forever Keith Sweat -
26 Live...In the Raw W.A.S.P. Live
Canciones de mi padre Linda Ronstadt -
I'm the Man Anthrax EP
Love Aztec Camera -
The Princess Bride Soundtrack Mark Knopfler Soundtrack
D
e
c
e
m
b
e
r
1 Persecution Mania Sodom -
4 Inside Information Foreigner -
5 Now That's What I Call Music 10 (UK series) Various Artists Compilation
14 You're Living All Over Me Dinosaur Jr. -
The Old Masters Box Three Frank Zappa Box Set
One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism Aretha Franklin Gospel
Sinitta! Sinitta UK

Release Date Unknown[]

Biggest hit singles[]

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1987.

# Artist Title Year Country Chart Entries
1 Los Lobos La Bamba 1987 United States UK 1 – Jul 1987, US BB 1 – Jul 1987, Switzerland 1 – Aug 1987, Italy 1 of 1987, Éire 1 – Jul 1987, New Zealand 1 for 7 weeks Aug 1987, Australia 1 for 7 weeks Apr 1988, Netherlands 2 – Aug 1987, Australia 2 of 1987, Austria 4 – Oct 1987, Norway 4 – Aug 1987, US BB 8 of 1987, POP 8 of 1987, Germany 9 – Aug 1987, US CashBox 11 of 1987, Sweden 12 – Aug 1987, Poland 17 – Sep 1987, South Africa 17 of 1987, Scrobulate 75 of Latin, KROQ 81 of 1987, RYM 116 of 1987, Party 227 of 1999, Acclaimed 2050
2 Rick Astley Never Gonna Give You Up 1987 United Kingdom UK 1 – Aug 1987, US BB 1 – Jan 1988, Netherlands 1 – Sept 1987, France 1 – Aug 1987, Norway 1 – Oct 1987, Germany 1 – Sept 1987, New Zealand 1 for 1 weeks Feb 1988, Australia 1 for 7 weeks Jun 1988, South Africa 1 of 1988, US CashBox 2 of 1988, Switzerland 2 – Sept 1987, Sweden 3 – Sept 1987, Austria 4 – Nov 1987, Australia 5 of 1988, Italy 13 of 1987, US BB 34 of 1988, POP 61 of 1988, Germany 140 of the 1980s, OzNet 765
3 Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance with Somebody Who Loves Me 1987 United States UK 1 – May 1987, US BB 1 – May 1987, Netherlands 1 – May 1987, Switzerland 1 – May 1987, Norway 1 – May 1987, Germany 1 – May 1987, New Zealand 1 for 4 weeks Jun 1987, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Jan 1988, US CashBox 2 of 1987, Sweden 2 – May 1987, Austria 3 – Jun 1987, Poland 4 – Jun 1987, South Africa 4 of 1987, France 10 – Jun 1987, Italy 10 of 1987, Australia 11 of 1987, POP 22 of 1987, Germany 67 of the 1980s
4 The Pet Shop Boys It's a Sin 1987 United Kingdom Sweden 1 – Oct 1987, Austria 1 – Oct 1987, Switzerland 1 – Nov 1987, Norway 1 – Nov 1987, Poland 1 – Nov 1987, Germany 1 – Dic 1987, Éire 1 – Dic 1987, Netherlands 3 – Dic 1987, France 5 – Jan 1988, US BB 9 – Jan 1988, South Africa 18 of 1987, Italy 21 of 1987, KROQ 27 of 1987, RYM 34 of 1987, Germany 94 of the 1980s, Acclaimed 1308
5 U2 With or Without You 1987 Republic of Ireland US BB 1 – Apr 1987, Poland 1 – Mar 1987, Éire 1 – Apr 1987, Netherlands 2 – Mar 1987, UK 4 – Mar 1987, Sweden 5 – Apr 1987, Europe 5 of the 1980s, RYM 6 of 1987, Germany 7 – Apr 1987, KROQ 9 of 1987, Switzerland 10 – Apr 1987, POP 10 of 1987, US CashBox 12 of 1987, US BB 14 of 1987, Poland 14 of all time, Austria 15 – Jun 1987, Belgium 24 of all time, OzNet 44, TheQ 47, Scrobulate 93 of rock, WXPN 116, Rolling Stone 131, Party 168 of 2007, Acclaimed 309

Top hits on record[]

  • "Alone" – Heart
  • "Always" – Atlantic Starr
  • "Always on My Mind" – Pet Shop Boys
  • "Animal" – Def Leppard
  • "Angel" – Angela Winbush
  • "Angel" – Aerosmith
  • "Another Step (Closer to You)" – Kim Wilde & Junior
  • "At This Moment" – Billy Vera and the Beaters
  • "Back in the High Life Again" – Steve Winwood
  • "Bad" – Michael Jackson
  • "Ballerina Girl" – Lionel Richie
  • "Barcelona" – Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé
  • "Behind the Wheel" – Depeche Mode
  • "Big Love" – Fleetwood Mac
  • "Big Time" – Peter Gabriel
  • "Can't We Try" – Dan Hill and Vonda Shepard
  • "Carrie" – Europe
  • "Catch Me (I'm Falling)" – Pretty Poison
  • "Causing a Commotion" – Madonna
  • "C'est l'amour" - Léopold Nord & Vous
  • "C'est la ouate" – Caroline Loeb
  • "C'est la Vie" – Robbie Nevil
  • "Cherry Bomb" – John Cougar Mellencamp
  • "Come Go with Me" – Exposé
  • "Control" – Janet Jackson (released in 1986)
  • "Criticize" – Alexander O'Neal
  • "Cross My Broken Heart" – The Jets
  • "Debo Hacerlo" - Juan Gabriel
  • "Didn't We Almost Have It All" – Whitney Houston
  • "Don't Dream It's Over" – Crowded House
  • "Don't Disturb This Groove" – The System
  • "Don't Mean Nothing" – Richard Marx
  • "Don't Shed a Tear" – Paul Carrack
  • "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" – Aerosmith
  • "Electric Blue" – Icehouse
  • "Electrica Salsa" – OFF
  • "Ella elle l'a" – France Gall
  • "Étienne" – Guesch Patti
  • "Everlasting Love" – Sandra
  • "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" – Wang Chung (released in 1986)
  • "Everywhere" – Fleetwood Mac
  • "Faith" – George Michael
  • "The Final Countdown" – Europe (released in 1986)
  • "The Game" – Echo & the Bunnymen
  • "Got My Mind Set On You" George Harrison
  • "Hazy Shade of Winter" – The Bangles
  • "Head to Toe" – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
  • "Heart and Soul" – T'Pau
  • "Heartbreak Beat" – The Psychedelic Furs
  • "Heat of the Night" – Bryan Adams
  • "Here I Go Again" – Whitesnake
  • "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" – Belinda Carlisle
  • "Hold Me Now" – Johnny Logan
  • "Hysteria" – Def Leppard
  • I Should Be So Lucky - Kylie Minogue
  • "I Get Weak" – Belinda Carlisle
  • "I Found Someone" – Cher
  • "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" – Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett
  • "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" – Cutting Crew
  • "I Knew You Were Waiting for Me" – Aretha Franklin and George Michael
  • "I Need Love" – LL Cool J
  • "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" – U2
  • "I Think We're Alone Now" – Tiffany
  • "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" – Whitney Houston
  • "I Want You So Bad" - Heart
  • "I Want Your Sex" – George Michael
  • "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
  • "Im Nin'Alu" – Ofra Haza
  • "Is This Love" – Whitesnake
  • "In Too DeepGenesis
  • "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" – R.E.M.
  • "Jacob's Ladder" – Huey Lewis and the News
  • "Joe le taxi" – Vanessa Paradis
  • "Just to See Her" – Smokey Robinson
  • "Kiss Him Goodbye" – The Nylons
  • "Là-bas" – Jean-Jacques Goldman and Sirima
  • "La Bamba" – Los Lobos
  • "La Isla Bonita" – Madonna
  • "The Lady in Red" – Chris DeBurgh
  • "Land of Confusion" – Genesis
  • "Lean on Me" – Club Nouveau
  • "Let's Go!" – Wang Chung
  • "Let Me Be the One" – Exposé
  • "Let's Wait Awhile" – Janet Jackson
  • "Lips Like Sugar" – Echo & the Bunnymen
  • "Little Lies" – Fleetwood Mac
  • "Livin' on a Prayer" – Bon Jovi (released in 1986)
  • "Lo Mejor de Tu Vida" - Julio Iglesias
  • "Looking for a New Love" – Jody Watley
  • "Lost in Emotion" – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
  • "Love Bites" – Def Leppard
  • Love in the First Degree/Mr. Sleaze - Bananarama
  • "Love Will Find a Way" – Yes
  • "Love You Down" – Ready for the World
  • "Luka" – Suzanne Vega
  • "Mandolin Rain" – Bruce Hornsby and The Range
  • "Midnight Blue" – Lou Gramm
  • "Midnight Man" - Sandra
  • "Mony Mony" – Billy Idol
  • "Need You Tonight" – INXS
  • "New Sensation" – INXS
  • "Never Gonna Give You Up" – Rick Astley
  • "Never Let Me Down Again" – Depeche Mode
  • "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" – Glenn Medeiros (USA release)
  • "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" – Starship
  • "Notorious" – Duran Duran
  • "One Heartbeat" – Smokey Robinson
  • "The One I love" – R.E.M.
  • "Only in My Dreams" – Debbie Gibson
  • "Open Your Heart" – Madonna (released in 1986)
  • "Out of the Blue" – Debbie Gibson
  • "Paper in Fire" – John Cougar Mellencamp
  • "People Are Strange" – Echo & the Bunnymen
  • "The Pleasure Principle" – Janet Jackson
  • "Point of No Return" – Exposé
  • "Pour Some Sugar on Me" – Def Leppard
  • "The Power of Love" – Laura Branigan
  • "Pump Up The Volume" - MARRS
  • "Rag Doll" – Aerosmith
  • "Rent" – Pet Shop Boys
  • "Respect Yourself" – Bruce Willis
  • "Rock Steady" – The Whispers
  • "Rocket" – Def Leppard
  • "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" – Mel & Kim
  • "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" – Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
  • "Sans contrefaçon" – Mylène Farmer
  • "Say You Really Want Me" – Kim Wilde
  • "Shakedown" – Bob Seger
  • "Songbird" – Kenny G
  • "Something So Strong" – Crowded House
  • "Somewhere Out There" – Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram
  • "Stone Love" – Kool & the Gang
  • "Strangelove" – Depeche Mode
  • "Surrender" – Swing Out Sister
  • "Sweet Child o' Mine" – Guns N' Roses
  • "There's The Girl" - Heart
  • "Throwing It All Away" – Genesis
  • "True Blue" – Madonna
  • "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" – Genesis
  • "Touch Me (I Want Your Body)" – Samantha Fox
  • "Touch of Grey" – Grateful Dead
  • "Tristana" – Mylène Farmer
  • "Twilight World" – Swing Out Sister
  • "U Got the Look" – Prince and Sheena Easton
  • "Une autre histoire" – Gérard Blanc
  • "Wait" – White Lion
  • "Walking Down Your Street" – The Bangles
  • "Walking in the Air (Theme from 'The Snowman')" – The Shadows
  • "Wanted Dead or Alive" – Bon Jovi (released in 1986)
  • "War" – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
  • "The Way It Is" – Bruce Hornsby and the Range
  • "We Connect"- Stacey Q.
  • "Welcome to the Jungle" – Guns 'n' Roses
  • "What's Going On" – Cyndi Lauper
  • "What You Get Is What You See" – Tina Turner
  • "Where the Streets Have No Name" – U2
  • "Who's That Girl" – Madonna
  • "Will You Still Love Me?" – Chicago
  • "Wonderful Life" – Black
  • "With or Without You" – U2
  • "Y Tú También Llorarás" - José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma"
  • "You Got It All" – The Jets
  • "You're the Voice" – John Farnham
  • "You Keep Me Hanging On" – Kim Wilde

Other notable singles[]

  • "Bring Him Back Home" – Hugh Masekela
  • "Beds Are Burning" – Midnight Oil
  • "China in Your Hand" – T'Pau
  • "Hey, Matthew" - Karel Fialka
  • "Hito ni Yasashiku" - The Blue Hearts
  • "In The Dutch Mountains" – The Nits
  • "Je ne veux pas" - Céline Dion
  • "The Irish Rover" - The Pogues & The Dubliners
  • "Pour en arriver là" – Dalida
  • "(Something Inside) So Strong" – Labi Siffre
  • "Why Can't I Be You?" – The Cure

Published popular music[]

  • "Last Midnight"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
  • "Children Will Listen"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
  • "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" w.m. Gloria Estefan & E. E. Garcia
  • "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"     w.m. Franke Previte, Donald Markowitz & John DeNicola

Classical music[]

  • Mario DavidovskyQuartetto for flute, violin, viola and violoncello
  • Joël-François DurandLichtung
  • Philip FeeneyMémoire Imaginaire (ballet)
  • Lorenzo Ferrero
    • Ostinato
    • Non parto, non resto
  • Malcolm ForsythSongs from the Qu'appelle Valley
  • Karel GoeyvaertsAanloop en kreet (Run and Cry), for symphony orchestra and chorus
  • Francisco Llácer PlaRicercare Concertante
  • Nicholas MawOdyssey
  • Juan Maria SolareDoce variaciones 1987 (for piano)
  • Joan TowerFanfare for the uncommon woman no 1

Opera[]

  • John AdamsNixon in China
  • Friedrich CerhaDer Rattenfänger (The Pied Piper)
  • Michael NymanVital Statistics
  • Judith WeirA Night at the Chinese Opera

Musical theater[]

  • Anything Goes – Broadway- revival
  • Bless the Bride – West End revival
  • Cabaret (Kander and Ebb) – Broadway revival
  • Dreamgirls – Broadway revival
  • Into the Woods – Broadway production
  • Les Misérables – Broadway production
  • Oil City Symphony – Broadway production
  • The Phantom of the Opera – Broadway production
  • Starlight Express (Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe) – Broadway production

Musical films[]

  • Aria
  • Dirty Dancing
  • Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll
  • Hearts of Fire
  • La Bamba
  • Mr. India
  • Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare
  • Sign o' the Times
  • Testimony

Births[]

  • January 2 - Syesha Mercado, American singer and actress
  • January 12Sunday The Grace, Korean pop singer
  • January 27Katy Rose, singer, songwriter, producer, musician and actress
  • January 29Ashley Perez Moza, singer-songwriter
  • February 7Kerli, Estonian singer and songwriter
  • February 10Choi Si Won, Korean actor and pop singer
  • February 12O'Ryan, R&B singer
  • February 24Kim Kyu Jong, Korean pop singer
  • March 1Kesha, American pop singer
  • March 9Bow Wow, American Hip-Hop artist
  • March 26YUI, Japanese pop singer
  • April 3Park Jung Min, Korean pop singer
  • April 9
    • Jesse McCartney, American singer and actor
    • Jazmine Sullivan, American singer
  • April 10Hayley Westenra, soprano singer
  • April 11Joss Stone, soul singer-songwriter
  • April 30Nikki Webster, pop singer
  • June 16Diana DeGarmo, American Idol contestant
  • June 21Kim Ryeo Wook, Korean pop singer
  • July 1Yoga Lin, Taiwanese pop singer, One Million Star, Season 1 winner
  • July 6Kate Nash, English pop singer
  • July 19Nicola Benedetti, violinist
  • August 21Kim Ki Bum, Korean actor and pop singer
  • September 26Rosie Munter, Swedish vocalist and dancer
  • September 28
    • Hilary Duff, American singer and actress
    • Chloë Hanslip, violinist
  • October 17Stephanie The Grace, Korean pop singer
  • October 28 - Frank Ocean, American singer-songwriter
  • November 5Kevin Jonas, member of Jonas Brothers
  • November 30Dougie Poynter, bassist, McFLY
  • December 2Teairra Mari, American R&B singer
  • December 7Aaron Carter, pop singer
  • December 18ayaka, Japanese pop singer
  • December 27Yui Okada, Japanese pop singer

Deaths[]

  • January 6Jaidev, Bollywood composer, 67
  • January 10Marion Hutton, singer and actress, 67
  • January 15Ray Bolger, Wizard of Oz actor (cancer)
  • January 30Harold Loeffelmacher, musician and bandleader (Six Fat Dutchmen), 81
  • February 2
    • Spike Hughes, jazz musician, composer and journalist, 78
    • Alfred Lion, record executive and co-founder of Blue Note Records, 78
  • February 4Liberace, US pianist
  • February 8Tony Destra, drummer, 32 (car accident)
  • February 18Dmitri Kabalevsky, composer
  • February 23Zeca Afonso, folk musician
  • February 24Jim Connors, radio DJ, 46 (car crash)
  • March 3Danny Kaye, actor, singer, dancer and comedian
  • March 6Eddie Durham, jazz musician, 80
  • March 15Don Gant, singer/songwriter, record producer
  • March 18Elizabeth Poston, composer, 82
  • March 20Rita Streich, coloratura soprano, 66
  • March 21
    • Dean Paul Martin, singer and actor, 35 (plane crash)
    • Robert Preston, actor and singer, 68
  • March 28Maria von Trapp, subject of The Sound of Music, 82
  • March 29Felix Prohaska, conductor
  • April 2Buddy Rich, jazz drummer, 69 (brain tumor)
  • April 7Carlton Barrett, reggae drummer (The Wailers), 36 (murdered)
  • April 14Karl Höller, composer, 79
  • May 2Larry Clinton, US bandleader and songwriter, 75
  • May 3Dalida, singer, actress and Miss Egypt 1954, 54 (suicide)[2][3]
  • May 4Paul Butterfield, blues vocalist and harmonica player, 44 (drug overdose)
  • May 13
    • Signe Amundsen, operatic soprano, 87
    • Ismael Rivera, salsa composer and singer, 55 (heart attack)
  • May 14Rita Hayworth, dancer and film star, 68
  • May 24Hermione Gingold, actress and singer
  • May 26Robert Wilkins, blues guitarist and singer, 91
  • May 29Phyllis Tate, avant-garde composer, 76
  • June 3Andrés Segovia, guitar virtuoso, 94
  • June 18Kid Thomas Valentine, jazz trumpeter & bandleader, 91
  • June 21Abram Chasins, pianist and composer, 84
  • June 22
    • Fred Astaire, dancer, actor and singer, 88
    • Frank Rehak, jazz trombonist
  • June 25Boudleaux Bryant, Hall of Fame songwriter, 67
  • June 26
    • Henk Badings, composer, 80
    • Gábor Rejtő, cellist, 70
  • July 1Snakefinger, guitarist, 38 (heart attack)
  • July 7
    • Tibor Frešo, composer, 69
    • Germaine Thyssens-Valentin, pianist, 85
  • July 10John Hammond, producer and musician, 76
  • July 15Pete King, drummer (After The Fire, BAP), 28 (testicular cancer)
  • July 25Alex Sadkin, saxopohonist and record producer, 37 or 38 (motor accident)
  • July 26Joe Liggins, R&B, jazz and blues pianist, 72
  • August 2David Martin, bassist (Sam the Sham), 50 (heart attack)
  • August 12Sally Long, former Ziegfeld Follies star, 85
  • August 14Vincent Persichetti, composer, 72
  • August 27
    • Bruce Holder, violinist, conductor and composer, 82
    • Scott La Rock, hip-hop DJ and producer, 25 (shot)
  • September 3Morton Feldman, composer, 51 (pancreatic cancer)
  • September 11Peter Tosh, reggae musician, 42 (shot and killed in a house invasion/robbery)
  • September 21- Jaco Pastorius, jazz bassist, 35 (brain damage resulting from fight)
  • September 23Bob Fosse, dancer, choreographer and director of musicals, 60 (heart attack)
  • September 29 - Sebastian Peschko, pianist, 77
  • October 3Hans Gál, composer, 97
  • October 13Kishore Kumar, singer, actor, filmmaker, writer, musician and composer, 58
  • October 14Rodolfo Halffter, composer, 86
  • October 19Jacqueline du Pré, English cellist, 42 (multiple sclerosis)
  • October 28Woody Herman, US bandleader
  • November 12Cornelis Vreeswijk, Swedish singer-songwriter, 50 (liver cancer)
  • November 16Zubir Said, composer, 80
  • November 22Verna Arvey, librettist and pianist
  • November 23Joseph Beer, composer, 79
  • December 5Pappy Daily, country music entrepreneur and record producer, 85
  • December 8 - Annelies Kupper, operatic soprano, 81
  • December 10Jascha Heifetz, violinist
  • December 12Clifton Chenier, zydeco singer and accordionist, 62
  • December 18Conny Plank, record producer, 47
  • December 21John Spence, ska musician, 18 (suicide)
  • December 22Luca Prodan, rock musician, 34 (cirrhosis of the liver)
  • date unknown
    • Emani Sankara Sastry, Veena player and composer
    • Allen Jones, record producer

Awards[]

Grammy Awards[]

  • Grammy Awards of 1987

Country Music Association Awards[]

Gary P. Blueyes Walker – CMA Air Personality of the Year / KYKX

Eurovision Song Contest[]

  • Eurovision Song Contest 1987

Glenn Gould Prize[]

  • R. Murray Schafer (laureate)

Charts[]

  • List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1987 (U.S.)

References[]

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