100 Greatest Songs From 1987

record cover art for Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses and With or Without You by U2
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.

Sweet Child O' Mine - single cover With or Without You - single cover I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - single cover Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard single cover Bad - Michael Jackson single cover Welcome To the Jungle - single cover I Wanna Dance With Somebody - single cover Faith - single cover
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.
No.
Song
Artist
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 Mötley Crüe
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 & The 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
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1987
Jeff's Choice - Greatest Single Re-Entry
* When A Man Loves A Woman Percy Sledge (#2 UK 2 weeks)
Jeff's Choice - An unheralded great record from 1987
* 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