100 Greatest Songs From 1987
Criteria: Songs listed are from Rock 'n' Roll and related sub-genres. Rankings are based on initial and lasting popularity and on acclaim received from critics and musicians.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
1. Sweet Child O' Mine
Guns N' Roses
2. With or Without You
U2
3. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
U2
4. Pour Some Sugar On Me
Def Leppard
5. Bad
Michael Jackson
6. Welcome To the Jungle
Guns N' Roses
7. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)
Whitney Houston
8. Faith
George Michael
9. It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
R.E.M.
10. Need You Tonight
INXS
11. (I've Had) The Time of My Life
Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
12. Man In the Mirror
Michael Jackson
13. The Way You Make Me Feel
Michael Jackson
14. Love Bites
Def Leppard
15. La Bamba
Los Lobos
16. Where the Streets Have No Name
U2
17. Never Gonna Give You Up
Rick Astley
18. Sign O' the Times
Prince
19. Here I Go Again
Whitesnake
20. Luka
Suzanne Vega
21. Always
Atlantic Starr
22. Mony Mony (live version)
Billy Idol
23. Wishing Well
Terence Trent D'Arby
24. Paradise City
Guns N' Roses
25. The One I Love
R.E.M.
26. Beds Are Burning
Midnight Oil
27. Pump Up the Volume
M/A/R/R/S
28. Smooth Criminal
Michael Jackson
29. New Sensation
INXS
30. I Need Love
LL Cool J
31. Dude (Looks Like a Lady)
Aerosmith
32. Alone
Heart
33. Just Like Heaven
The Cure
34. Bring the Noise
Public Enemy
35. I Know You Got Soul
Eric B. & Rakim
36. Just Got Paid
Johnny Kemp
37. Father Figure
George Michael
38. U Got the Look
Prince & Sheena Easton
39. Is This Love?
Whitesnake
40. Heaven Is a Place on Earth
Belinda Carlisle
41. I Want Your Sex
George Michael
42. Dirty Diana
Michael Jackson
43. It's a Sin
Pet Shop Boys
44. True Faith
New Order
45. Touch of Grey
Grateful Dead
46. Never Tear Us Apart
INXS
47. Girls, Girls, Girls
Motley Crue
48. Devil Inside
INXS
49. Tunnel of Love
Bruce Springsteen
50. What Have I Done To Deserve This?
Pet Shop Boys
51. Going Back To Cali
LL Cool J
52. Da Butt
E.U.
53. Fairytale of New York
Pogues
54. I Just Can't Stop Loving You
Michael Jackson with Siedah Garrett
55. Brilliant Disguise
Bruce Springsteen
56. Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car
Billy Ocean
57. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
Starship
58. Together Forever
Rick Astley
59. Always On My Mind
Pet Shop Boys
60. Casanova
LeVert
61. Girlfriend
Pebbles
62. Anything For You
Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
63. Little Lies
Fleetwood Mac
64. I Want Her
Keith Sweat
65. Heart and Soul
T'Pau
66. Big Love
Fleetwood Mac
67. We'll Be Together
Sting
68. Tell It to My Heart
Taylor Dayne
69. So Emotional
Whitney Houston
70. Mercedes Boy
Pebbles
71. Got My Mind Set On You
George Harrison
72. One More Try
George Michael
73. Didn't We Almost Have It All?
Whitney Houston
74. Rock Steady
Whispers
75. Shakedown
Bob Seger
76. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
Prince
77. Hysteria
Def Leppard
78. Rag Doll
Aerosmith
79. Armageddon It
Def Leppard
80. Rocket
Def Leppard
81. Paper In Fire
John Cougar Mellencamp
82. Cherry Bomb
John Cougar Mellencamp
83. Head To Toe
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
84. The Promise
When In Rome
85. Animal
Def Leppard
86. On the Turning Away
Pink Floyd
87. Love Removal Machine
Cult
88. I Heard a Rumour
Bananarama
89. Shattered Dreams
Johnny Hates Jazz
90. I Want To Be Your Man
Roger
91. Skeletons
Stevie Wonder
92. Love Overboard
Gladys Knight & The Pips
93. Never Let Me Down Again
Depeche Mode
94. Hourglass
Squeeze
95. Strangelove
Depeche Mode
96. Girlfriend In a Coma
Smiths
97. Paid In Full
Eric B. & Rakim
98. Hazy Shade of Winter
Bangles
99. Hot Hot Hot
Buster Poindexter & His Banshees of Blue
100. Top Billin'
Audio Two
Guns N' Roses
2. With or Without You
U2
3. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
U2
4. Pour Some Sugar On Me
Def Leppard
5. Bad
Michael Jackson
6. Welcome To the Jungle
Guns N' Roses
7. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)
Whitney Houston
8. Faith
George Michael
9. It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
R.E.M.
10. Need You Tonight
INXS
11. (I've Had) The Time of My Life
Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
12. Man In the Mirror
Michael Jackson
13. The Way You Make Me Feel
Michael Jackson
14. Love Bites
Def Leppard
15. La Bamba
Los Lobos
16. Where the Streets Have No Name
U2
17. Never Gonna Give You Up
Rick Astley
18. Sign O' the Times
Prince
19. Here I Go Again
Whitesnake
20. Luka
Suzanne Vega
21. Always
Atlantic Starr
22. Mony Mony (live version)
Billy Idol
23. Wishing Well
Terence Trent D'Arby
24. Paradise City
Guns N' Roses
25. The One I Love
R.E.M.
26. Beds Are Burning
Midnight Oil
27. Pump Up the Volume
M/A/R/R/S
28. Smooth Criminal
Michael Jackson
29. New Sensation
INXS
30. I Need Love
LL Cool J
31. Dude (Looks Like a Lady)
Aerosmith
32. Alone
Heart
33. Just Like Heaven
The Cure
34. Bring the Noise
Public Enemy
35. I Know You Got Soul
Eric B. & Rakim
36. Just Got Paid
Johnny Kemp
37. Father Figure
George Michael
38. U Got the Look
Prince & Sheena Easton
39. Is This Love?
Whitesnake
40. Heaven Is a Place on Earth
Belinda Carlisle
41. I Want Your Sex
George Michael
42. Dirty Diana
Michael Jackson
43. It's a Sin
Pet Shop Boys
44. True Faith
New Order
45. Touch of Grey
Grateful Dead
46. Never Tear Us Apart
INXS
47. Girls, Girls, Girls
Motley Crue
48. Devil Inside
INXS
49. Tunnel of Love
Bruce Springsteen
50. What Have I Done To Deserve This?
Pet Shop Boys
51. Going Back To Cali
LL Cool J
52. Da Butt
E.U.
53. Fairytale of New York
Pogues
54. I Just Can't Stop Loving You
Michael Jackson with Siedah Garrett
55. Brilliant Disguise
Bruce Springsteen
56. Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car
Billy Ocean
57. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
Starship
58. Together Forever
Rick Astley
59. Always On My Mind
Pet Shop Boys
60. Casanova
LeVert
61. Girlfriend
Pebbles
62. Anything For You
Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
63. Little Lies
Fleetwood Mac
64. I Want Her
Keith Sweat
65. Heart and Soul
T'Pau
66. Big Love
Fleetwood Mac
67. We'll Be Together
Sting
68. Tell It to My Heart
Taylor Dayne
69. So Emotional
Whitney Houston
70. Mercedes Boy
Pebbles
71. Got My Mind Set On You
George Harrison
72. One More Try
George Michael
73. Didn't We Almost Have It All?
Whitney Houston
74. Rock Steady
Whispers
75. Shakedown
Bob Seger
76. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
Prince
77. Hysteria
Def Leppard
78. Rag Doll
Aerosmith
79. Armageddon It
Def Leppard
80. Rocket
Def Leppard
81. Paper In Fire
John Cougar Mellencamp
82. Cherry Bomb
John Cougar Mellencamp
83. Head To Toe
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
84. The Promise
When In Rome
85. Animal
Def Leppard
86. On the Turning Away
Pink Floyd
87. Love Removal Machine
Cult
88. I Heard a Rumour
Bananarama
89. Shattered Dreams
Johnny Hates Jazz
90. I Want To Be Your Man
Roger
91. Skeletons
Stevie Wonder
92. Love Overboard
Gladys Knight & The Pips
93. Never Let Me Down Again
Depeche Mode
94. Hourglass
Squeeze
95. Strangelove
Depeche Mode
96. Girlfriend In a Coma
Smiths
97. Paid In Full
Eric B. & Rakim
98. Hazy Shade of Winter
Bangles
99. Hot Hot Hot
Buster Poindexter & His Banshees of Blue
100. Top Billin'
Audio Two
20 more worth mentioning.
101. Fake
Alexander O'Neal
102. Why Can't I Be You?
The Cure
103. If I Was Your Girlfriend
Prince
104. Lips Like Sugar
Echo & The Bunnymen
105. Birthday
Sugarcubes
106. Bullet the Blue Sky
U2
107. Criticize
Alexander O'Neal
108. Behind the Wheel
Depeche Mode
109. This Corrosion
Sisters of Mercy
110. Jane Says
Jane's Addiction
111. Learning To Fly
Pink Floyd
112. April Skies
Jesus & Mary Chain
113. Rent
Pet Shop Boys
114. Unchain My Heart
Joe Cocker
115. I Think We're Alone Now
Tiffany
116. When Smokey Sings
ABC
117. Birth, School, Work, Death
Godfathers
118. I'm An Adult Now
Pursuit of Happiness
119. Strings of Life
Rhythim is Rhythim
120. Acid Tracks
Phuture
Alexander O'Neal
102. Why Can't I Be You?
The Cure
103. If I Was Your Girlfriend
Prince
104. Lips Like Sugar
Echo & The Bunnymen
105. Birthday
Sugarcubes
106. Bullet the Blue Sky
U2
107. Criticize
Alexander O'Neal
108. Behind the Wheel
Depeche Mode
109. This Corrosion
Sisters of Mercy
110. Jane Says
Jane's Addiction
111. Learning To Fly
Pink Floyd
112. April Skies
Jesus & Mary Chain
113. Rent
Pet Shop Boys
114. Unchain My Heart
Joe Cocker
115. I Think We're Alone Now
Tiffany
116. When Smokey Sings
ABC
117. Birth, School, Work, Death
Godfathers
118. I'm An Adult Now
Pursuit of Happiness
119. Strings of Life
Rhythim is Rhythim
120. Acid Tracks
Phuture
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1987
An unheralded great record from 1987
Jeff's choice:
Greatest Single Re-entry:
* When a Man Loves a Woman (#2 UK 2 weeks)
Percy Sledge
Jeff's choice:
* Troy
Sinead O'Connor
Lew's choice:
* Memphis in the Meantime
John Hiatt
Bruce's choice:
* I Couldn't Believe It
David Ruffin & Eddie Kendricks
Brett's choice:
* I'll Treat You Right Someday
House Of Freaks
Ryan's choice:
* My Favourite Dress
The Wedding Present
Jeff's choice:
Greatest Single Re-entry:
* When a Man Loves a Woman (#2 UK 2 weeks)
Percy Sledge
Jeff's choice:
* Troy
Sinead O'Connor
Lew's choice:
* Memphis in the Meantime
John Hiatt
Bruce's choice:
* I Couldn't Believe It
David Ruffin & Eddie Kendricks
Brett's choice:
* I'll Treat You Right Someday
House Of Freaks
Ryan's choice:
* My Favourite Dress
The Wedding Present
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Edited By: Jeff B.
Last Updated: 2014-06-19
Last Updated: 2014-06-19