Every #1 Song of 1987: Big Drums, Big Voices & Even Bigger Hair
1987 was peak late-’80s: synths were still king, hair was teased to the ceiling, and MTV decided who made it or broke it. From Whitney to U2, Starship to Lisa Lisa, the charts were a deliciously chaotic mix of power ballads, movie themes, and dance-pop anthems. Let’s dive into every #1 hit that defined 1987.
📅 January 3–10
“Walk Like an Egyptian” – The Bangles
The go-to song for school talent shows and questionable hand dancing. The Bangles owned early ’87 with a quirky hit that proved Gen X was down to get weird.
📅 January 17
“Shake You Down” – Gregory Abbott
Smooth, silky, and total slow-dance material. Abbott gave us grown-up romance vibes that sounded like a candlelit R&B mixtape in motion.
📅 January 24
“At This Moment” – Billy Vera and the Beaters
This emotional ballad hit hard thanks to Family Ties. When Alex P. Keaton cried, we cried. And then we played this song 42 times in a row.
📅 January 31
“Open Your Heart” – Madonna
With a Jean Paul Gaultier corset and a heart-shaped key, Madonna kept her pop crown. This was bold, weird, seductive Madge—and Gen X was hypnotized.
📅 February 7
“Livin’ on a Prayer” – Bon Jovi
The unofficial anthem of every denim jacket in 1987. Tommy and Gina’s struggle never sounded so good. Whoa-ohhh, we’re halfway there…
📅 March 14
“Jacob’s Ladder” – Huey Lewis and the News
Still riding that Back to the Future high, Huey brought us a radio-friendly, blue-collar power jam about spiritual growth. With saxophones.
📅 March 21
“Lean on Me” – Club Nouveau
A funky, go-go remake of the Bill Withers classic that somehow became a prom song and a PSA jam. Gen X approved.
📅 March 28
“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” – Starship
From the Mannequin soundtrack. A love song for window dressers and hopeless romantics everywhere. Let’s build this dream together, folks.
📅 April 4
“The Flame” – Cheap Trick
Power ballad city. Cheap Trick slowed it down and lit a Zippo in every arena from coast to coast. Sad, soaring, and screaming for a slow dance.
📅 April 11
“I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” – Aretha Franklin & George Michael
A duet so iconic it crossed generations. Aretha + George = vocal perfection. That chorus hit like gospel at a neon-lit roller rink.
📅 April 18
“I’ll Be Alright Without You” – Journey
Emotional damage, power chords, and a soaring Steve Perry. The kind of track you played after a breakup while staring dramatically out the window.
📅 April 25
“Don’t Dream It’s Over” – Crowded House
Hauntingly poetic and endlessly hummable. This song made us feel nostalgic even when it was brand new. Perfect for rainy-day mixtapes.
📅 May 2
“(I Just) Died in Your Arms” – Cutting Crew
Possibly the most dramatic chorus of the decade. Nobody was quite sure what the lyrics meant, but we all screamed them into our hairbrush microphones anyway.
📅 May 9
“With or Without You” – U2
The Joshua Tree era was peak U2. Bono’s brooding vocals made this a staple for angsty teens everywhere. It still sounds like heartbreak on vinyl.
📅 May 30
“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” – Kim Wilde
This Supremes cover turned into a synth-heavy breakup anthem. Kim made empowerment sound like a dance club revenge fantasy.
📅 June 13
“Always” – Atlantic Starr
Weddings. Proms. Graduation slideshows. This love song was everywhere. Pure slow jam sentimentality that made Gen X believe in forever (for at least three minutes).
📅 June 20
“Head to Toe” – Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
A total freestyle bop. Lisa Lisa owned the dance floor in 1987, and this track made shoulder pads shake and leg warmers sweat.
📅 July 11
“Alone” – Heart
Nancy and Ann Wilson belted out this soul-crushing power ballad like their lives depended on it. If you’ve never scream-sung this, are you even Gen X?
📅 August 8
“Shakedown” – Bob Seger
Straight from Beverly Hills Cop II. Seger ditched the rock ballads for a high-octane, synthy crime-fighting anthem. Axel Foley would approve.
📅 August 22
“La Bamba” – Los Lobos
A Richie Valens revival thanks to the La Bamba biopic. Energetic, bilingual, and endlessly catchy. We all shouted along even if we didn’t speak Spanish.
📅 August 29
“Who’s That Girl” – Madonna
Not her most iconic song, but it’s still Madge. Quirky, catchy, and attached to a movie nobody really remembers—except for that bright red dress.
📅 September 5
“I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” – Michael Jackson & Siedah Garrett
MJ slowed it down for a heartfelt duet that led into the Bad era. Soft, sweet, and a warm-up for the real bangers to come.
📅 September 26
“Didn’t We Almost Have It All” – Whitney Houston
Whitney was in peak vocal form. A torch song so powerful, it could end a soap opera. Probably did.
📅 October 3
“Here I Go Again” – Whitesnake
David Coverdale. Tawny Kitaen on a Jaguar. The most hair metal music video of all time. This song was 1987.
📅 October 24
“Bad” – Michael Jackson
The Bad era was here—and MJ dropped this streetwise jam with leather, zippers, and attitude. You weren’t ready, but you danced anyway.
📅 November 7
“I Think We’re Alone Now” – Tiffany
Mall pop perfection. Tiffany made a ’60s cover into an ’80s teen anthem while touring food courts and stealing our teenage hearts.
📅 November 21
“Mony Mony” (Live) – Billy Idol
A rowdy, sweaty live version that became a party staple—especially when fans shouted that infamous not-safe-for-radio chant during the chorus.
📅 December 5
“Heaven Is a Place on Earth” – Belinda Carlisle
Belinda brought end-of-year optimism and lush production to a perfect pop track. Bright, uplifting, and totally singable in your mom’s station wagon.
1987 was a power year: huge vocals, emotional ballads, arena rock, and unstoppable pop queens. From Journey to Heart, Michael to Madonna, every #1 told a story—and Gen X was listening through Walkmans, boomboxes, and car stereos set to MAX volume.