100 Greatest Albums of 1987

Criteria: These 1987 albums were chosen for their initial and lasting popularity and their influence and impact on rock music in general. Also considered is critical acclaim. The list includes rock and roll and related genres that were influential on rock music.

Note: Yearly album lists go by earliest 'release date'. Not necessarily the year an album peaked in the U.S. charts.

1. The Joshua Tree
U2
2. Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
3. Sign O' The Times
Prince
4. Paid In Full
Eric B. & Rakim
5. Bad
Michael Jackson
6. Hysteria
Def Leppard
7. Faith
George Michael
8. Document
R.E.M.
9. Kick
INXS
10. Criminal Minded
Boogie Down Productions
11. Sister
Sonic Youth
12. Whitney
Whitney Houston
13. Yo! Bum Rush The Show
Public Enemy
14. Permanent Vacation
Aerosmith
15. Tunnel Of Love
Bruce Springsteen
16. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
The Cure
17. Diesel And Dust
Midnight Oil
18. Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
19. Bring The Family
John Hiatt
20. Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby
Terence Trent D'Arby
21. You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr.
22. Whitesnake/1987
Whitesnake
23. Richard Marx
Richard Marx
24. Bigger And Deffer
LL Cool J
25. A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
Pink Floyd
26. Jody Watley
Jody Watley
27. Tango In The Night
Fleetwood Mac
28. Cloud Nine
George Harrison
29. Exposure
Exposé
30. Roll With It
Steve Winwood
31. Let It Loose
Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
32. Make It Last Forever
Keith Sweat
33. Surfing With The Alien
Joe Satriani
34. In The Dark
Grateful Dead
35. Bad Animals
Heart
36. Solitude Standing
Suzanne Vega
37. Cher
Cher
38. Out Of The Blue
Debbie Gibson
39. A Very Special Christmas
Various Artists
40. Girls, Girls, Girls
Mötley Crüe
41. How Ya Like Me Now
Kool Moe Dee
42. The Lonesome Jubilee
John Cougar Mellencamp
43. Tribute
Ozzy Osbourne & Randy Rhodes
44. ...Nothing Like The Sun
Sting
45. Floodland
Sisters Of Mercy
46. Whenever You Need Somebody
Rick Astley
47. Back For The Attack
Dokken
48. Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson
49. Music For The Masses
Depeche Mode
50. Rhyme Pays
Ice-T

51. Actually
Pet Shop Boys
52. In My Tribe
10,000 Maniacs
53. La Bamba
Los Lobos and various artists
54. Tiffany
Tiffany
55. Pleased To Meet Me
The Replacements
56. Electric
The Cult
57. Heaven On Earth
Belinda Carlisle
58. The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
Red Hot Chili Peppers
59. Pride
White Lion
60. Spanish Fly
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
61. Crushin'
The Fat Boys
62. The Lion And The Cobra
Sinéad O'Connor
63. One Heartbeat
Smokey Robinson
64. The Hunger
Michael Bolton
65. Living Large
Heavy D & The Boyz
66. Just Gets Better With Time
The Whispers
67. Among The Living
Anthrax
68. If I Were Your Woman
Stephanie Mills
69. Songs About Fucking
Big Black
70. Under The Sign Of The Black Mark
Bathory
71. All In The Name Of Love
Atlantic Starr
72. Abigail
King Diamond
73. Babylon & On
Squeeze
74. Scream Bloody Gore
Death
75. Locust Abortion Technician
The Butthole Surfers
76. Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
77. Hearsay
Alexander O'Neal
78. Coming Around Again
Carly Simon
79. Echo & The Bunnymen
Echo & The Bunnymen
80. Saturday Night! The Album
Schoolly D
81. Never Let Me Down
David Bowie
82. Running In The Family
Level 42
83. Pebbles
Pebbles
84. Franks Wild Years
Tom Waits
85. Rhythm Killers
Sly & Robbie
86. It's Better To Travel
Swing Out Sister
87. Rock The House
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
88. Into The Fire
Bryan Adams
89. Darklands
The Jesus And Mary Chain
90. Move Somethin'
2 Live Crew
91. Children Of God
Swans
92. Characters
Stevie Wonder
93. The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death
The Housemartins
94. Crazy Nights
Kiss
95. Earth, Sun, Moon
Love & Rockets
96. Keeper Of The Seven Keys Pt. 1
Helloween
97. Blow Your Cool
Hoodoo Gurus
98. Once Bitten
Great White
99. Bridge Of Spies/T'Pau
T'Pau
100. Big Generator
Yes
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1987
Brett's choice - An unheralded great album from 1987
* This Is The Story
The Proclaimers

Ryan's choice:
* George Best
The Wedding Present

Brian's choice:
* By the Light of the Moon
Los Lobos

Lew's choice:
* Outside Looking In
BoDeans
1986   |   1988