The Best Albums of 1987
Michael Jackson, along with Prince, was the first African American artist to have his music videos in heavy rotation on MTV, with “Beat It,” and “Billie Jean”. His other album, 1987’s Bad, has the honor of being the first album in history to have five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Its accompanying world tour also made history by being the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist in the 1980s, as well as the highest-grossing at the time. In addition to being the biggest selling artist of the decade, Jackson had nine number-one singles – more than any other activities during the decade – and spent the longest time at number one (27 weeks) in the 1980s. After a string of UK top 10 albums, Whitesnake’s 1987 self-titled album was their most commercially successful, with hits, “Here I Go Again” and “Is This Love”, earning them a nomination for the Brit Award for Best British Group. George Michael released his debut solo album, Faith in 1987, and would go on to have seven UK number one singles. Here are all of the 1987 albums ranked.
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10. Music For The Masses (Depeche Mode)
“Outstanding synth pop, or really more properly, mature Electronica from one of the original purveyors. Gahan, Gore, et. al. combine a great feel for synth sounds with superior pop craftsmanship. For “Deep Tracks” types this is not your album, but it is deeper than some of the lighter fare they produced early in their career. The title, “Music for the Masses” is just ironic enough to have some weight, as many of the tracks are.”
9. Hysteria (Def Leppard)
“This is not heavy metal. As an example of the hard rock/glam metal genre, this is the pinnacle of pop music. People dismiss this album as a mechanized sell-out, but this is a masterpiece. Mutt Lange’s production on this LP is technically flawless. Such outstanding work is done by him and the engineers on the production of this album.”
8. Sister (Sonic Youth)
“Sister is a masterful release that rightfully received its due critical praise many years after its original release . Tracks such as “Schizophrenia”, “Beauty Lies in the Eye” and “Pacific Coast Highway ” are SY classics and among their best pieces in a stellar career”
See more: Sonic Youth Albums Ranked
7. Bad (Michael Jackson)
“The perfect album by Michael Jackson. You can find excellent tracks in previous albums and still good ones in the following ones, but here there is that fine taste for armonies, melody and songwriting, mixed with rhythm, some innovative sound (Bad) and great energy.”
6. Document (R.E.M.)
“REM’s fifth album, sees the band starting to lean towards the mainstream, at least in terms of commercial success. The document, is similar to its predecessor, life’s rich pageant, in that it’s predominately a rock album, but this record has a bigger, fuller sound. It kicks off with a REM classic, finest work song, is one of the band’s great opening tracks. The album also contains two other gems, it’s the End of the world as we know it, is Michael Stipe’s, subterranean homesick blues, a waterfall of nonsensical words, which would become one of REM’s most enjoyable songs.”
5. You’re Living All Over Me (Dinosaur Jr.)
“As a whole, You’re Living All Over Me is a more cohesive album than the band’s debut. Although the hardcore punk influences were noticeably more muted than on Dinosaur, the overall sound was much more powerful, with the instruments often recorded very loud and with considerable amounts of distortion. While J’s guitar, alternating between Black Sabbath-like riffs, squalling solos, dissonant noise-rock, and occasional quiet passages was the main attraction, Lou’s bass, melodic, highly distorted, and often playing thick two-note chords, competing for attention.”
See more: Prince Albums Ranked
4. Strangeways, Here We Come (The Smiths)
“A very underrated Smiths album in my opinion. It’s not quite The Queen is Dead but it’s very ambitious in its lyrical content and production, more so than their earliest work, and is probably my 2nd favorite. Favorite songs: Girlfriend in a Coma, Paint a Vulgar Picture, Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”
3. Sign ‘O’ The Times (Prince)
“Another all-timer from Prince who has created his most restless work yet. This is one double-album music lovers cannot afford to miss, and my second favorite from the legend behind the incredible “Purple Rain”. My favorite track here is the androgynous, introspective “If I Was Your Girlfriend”.
2. Appetite For Destruction (Guns N’ Roses)
“One of the better debut albums out there. Solid right through and set their name in legendary status. It is truly a great album. As for the band, it was all downhill from there as all other albums had the odd great song but were mainly filler. They don’t deserve the accolades that have been heaped upon them.”
1. The Joshua Tree (U2)
“I’ve always felt that such criticism was pretty off base when you consider the far worse things other celebrities have done compared to Bono’s penchant for short-term political causes and wearing sunglasses indoors because he has glaucoma. Cut the dude some slack, I say. And if you need reminding, play the opening minute and a half of “Where the Streets Have No Name” really loud, and try to remember what it was like hearing the building intensity of that great rock song for the very first time.”
