1987: The Year In Music

1987 – Stock markets around the world crash on Black Monday. Margaret Thatcher becomes the first British Prime Minister in 160 years to win a third consecutive term. Aretha Franklin becomes the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Not much happened this year … so let’s hope the music lifts out spirits!

I’ll be looking at the popular and highest-rated songs / albums of the year, giving my opinions on their musicality and longevity as well as an overall verdict for the year as a whole.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Billboard Top 10 (Popular) Singles

Source: Wikipedia

10 – Livin’ on a Prayer (Bon Jovi)

Pure cheese. I used to really like “Livin’ on a Prayer”, but it’s a song I now revisit less and less.

9 – Shakedown (Bob Seger)

Not one of the Bob Seger songs that’ll stand the test of time. Few of them will …

8 – The Way It Is (Bruce Hornsby and the Range)

I love the piano in “The Way It Is”, and the vocals are powerful too.

7 – Here I Go Again (Whitesnake)

Whitesnake is a band formed by some of the members of Deep Purple, but you wouldn’t know that listening to “Here I Go Again”.

It’s a powerful track, but it lacks the edge of some classic Deep Purple songs.

6 – C’est La Vie (Robbie Nevil)

Okay, now this is something different!

“C’est La Vie” is incredibly bouncy and catchy, and it feels like a fresh step in a new direction.

5 – Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now (Starship)

Starship made one of the worst songs ever with “We Built This City”, but I find their other hit “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” to be fairly harmless on the whole. Not great, but harmless.

4 – I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) (Whitney Houston)

Whitney Houston is back with another banger for the second year running.

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” is the dictionary definition of a fun track, and I can’t help but jam along with it every single time.

3 – Shake You Down (Gregory Abbott)

Between “Shakedown” and “Shake You Down”, there was a lot of shaking going on in 1987.

This is just as forgettable as the Bob Seger song, but at least Gregory Abbott’s vocal performance is worth sticking around for.

2 – Alone (Heart)

One of the greatest ballads you’ll ever hear.

The songwriting and instrumentation are amazing, and Ann Wilson’s vocals are some of the best of the era.

1 – Walk Like An Egyptian (The Bangles)

Unfortunately, I’ll always associate this song with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure from now on. Fortunately, it’s awesome.

That bassline is groovy as hell, and the energy is at an all-time high throughout.

FAVOURITE – “Alone” (Heart)

LEAST FAVOURITE – “Shakedown” (Bob Seger)

Top-Rated Songs

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

10 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (U2)

1987 was U2’s year, and a lot of their best work came out on the same album (more on that later …).

“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” is a lovely lamentful track, perfect for any wedding ceremony.

9 – Sweet Child O’ Mine (Guns N’ Roses)

The “Sweet Child O’ Mine” riff was famously written in about five minutes, proving you don’t need to spend weeks on a project in order for it to be iconic.

It’s quite simple for the most-part, but I enjoy it for what it is.

8 – The One I Love (R.E.M.)

R.E.M. are the kings of moody Rock (it’ll be another decade until Radiohead turn up, anyway), and “The One I Love” is about as dour as it gets.

It’s sad and evocative, with a powerful chorus to boot.

7 – Little Fury Things (Dinosaur Jr.)

Whoa!

Dinosaur Jr. reminds me a lot of The Pixies, as songs like “Little Fury Things” feel like an injection of vitriol to late 80’s Rock.

6 – It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) (R.E.M.)

Hot take time – “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” is the most overrated R.E.M. song.

Despite the dire lyrical subject it sounds too upbeat and jovial for my liking. In other words, I much prefer when R.E.M. are a bunch of miserable louts.

5 – Never Let Me Down Again (Depeche Mode)

My heart skipped a beat when I saw “Never Let Me Down Again” in the top five – I thought it was the 1987 Bowie song “Never Let Me Down”, and that song (and album) sucks.

This song, on the other hand, has excellent production and that classic Depeche Mode flair.

4 – Where The Streets Have No Name (U2)

It’s not the highest-rated U2 song on this list (spoiler alert), but “Where The Streets Have No Name” is my personal favourite.

It starts with an amazing guitar riff and doesn’t let up from there.

3 – Schizophrenia (Sonic Youth)

I can hear a lot of The Velvet Underground in Sonic Youth and “Scizophrenia”. Unfortunately, I’ve never been as big a Velvet Underground fan as others …

2 – With Or Without You (U2)

U2 back at it again with a classic song fit for any wedding ceremony.

It’s not as impactful as, say, “Where The Streets Have No Name”, but it’s still beautiful in its own dismissive way.

1 – Just Like Heaven (The Cure)

I don’t know how The Cure do it. I genuinely don’t. They come up with the simplest riffs and hooks that should get tedious, but their work is always timeless.

“Just Like Heaven” is a song I’ve always loved, and the more I admire The Cure’s discography the better it gets.

BEST SONG OF 1987 – “Where The Streets Have No Name” (U2)

Top-Rated Albums

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

5 – You’re Living All Over Me (Dinosaur Jr.)

I’ve already mentioned how Dinosaur Jr. took me by surprise with their raw tones, and their album “You’re Living All Over Me” is an extension of that.

The first half of the album is definitely stronger than the second, but the last song – a cover of “Just Like Heaven” – came as a nice surprise.

4 – Strangeways, Here We Come (The Smiths)

Once again, the first half of “Strangways, Here We Come” is stronger than the second.

It’s not my favourite Smiths album but songs like “Girlfriend in a Coma” are good.

3 – Sign ‘O’ The Times (Prince)

Now we’re talking!

“Sign ‘O’ The Times” is easily one of Prince’s best albums, and I love songs like “U Got The Look” and especially the immersive title track.

2 – Appetite For Destruction (Guns N’ Roses)

“Appetite For Destruction” has three songs with over a billion Spotify streams – “Paradise City”, “Welcome To The Jungle” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine”. Needless to say, the album has stood the test of time.

The other songs aren’t as impactful, but then again that’s a hard bar to clear.

1 – The Joshua Tree (U2)

U2’s magnum opus, and that’s mainly down to the first three incredible songs.

“Where The Streets Have No Name”, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and “With Or Without You” already cement “The Joshua Tree” as a classic, and the rest of the album is good too.

BEST ALBUM OF 1987 – “The Joshua Tree” (U2)

Final Thoughts

I can’t really explain it. None of these songs and albums are bad – most of them are alright, actually – but I feel like the magic present in early 80’s years is missing in 1987.

Overall Grade: C+

Aaaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: