Top 10 Songs of 1987 (Billboard Hot 100 Year-End Countdown)
If 1987 had a smell, it’s mall air-conditioning, bubblegum lip gloss, and hot electronics from a TV that’s been on since school let out. This year’s Top 10 is the 80s doing what the 80s did best: hooks you can’t escape, power ballads you didn’t ask for, and at least one track that made everyone do a weird dance move in public.
This countdown ranks the Top 10 Songs of 1987 using Billboard’s Hot 100 Year-End chart—the tracks that didn’t just “hit,” they basically moved in and started paying rent.
Top 10 Songs of 1987 (Billboard Year-End Hot 100) — Quick List
- #10 “Livin’ on a Prayer” — Bon Jovi
- #9 “Shakedown” — Bob Seger
- #8 “The Way It Is” — Bruce Hornsby and the Range
- #7 “Here I Go Again” — Whitesnake
- #6 “C’est la Vie” — Robbie Nevil
- #5 “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” — Starship
- #4 “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” — Whitney Houston
- #3 “Shake You Down” — Gregory Abbott
- #2 “Alone” — Heart
- #1 “Walk Like an Egyptian” — The Bangles
#10 — “Livin’ on a Prayer” — Bon Jovi
Why it hit
This is a stadium anthem disguised as a working-class soap opera. The chorus is built to be screamed by thousands of people at once, and the talk box makes the whole thing feel like your radio grew fangs.
Gen X Rewind
This is the song that made you believe you could survive anything… as long as you had a denim jacket and the volume knob all the way right.
Legacy
Still one of the defining “80s rock” records—and it hit #1 for four weeks because the decade said, “Yeah, we’re keeping this.”
#9 — “Shakedown” — Bob Seger
Why it hit
Because 80s movie soundtracks were basically cheat codes. This one has that slick “late-night city drive” groove—part rock, part pop, all momentum.
Gen X Rewind
This is the “Beverly Hills Cop II” era—when sequels were loud, soundtracks were louder, and everyone wanted your money at the mall.
Legacy
Seger’s only Hot 100 #1, and it pulled the trick perfectly: show up, take over, exit before you get tired of it.
#8 — “The Way It Is” — Bruce Hornsby and the Range
Why it hit
This is what happens when a song is gorgeous and has something to say. Piano-driven, emotionally steady, and quietly powerful—like a calm voice cutting through a noisy room.
Gen X Rewind
This is the song that made you feel like you were older than you were—because it sounded like the real world was showing up whether you were ready or not.
Legacy
A rare “serious” hit that still lived on pop radio—and it hit #1 (even if only for a week) because it connected.
#7 — “Here I Go Again” — Whitesnake
Why it hit
Because hair metal figured out the ultimate formula: heartbreak + power chords + a chorus you can belt dramatically in your bedroom like it’s Madison Square Garden.
Gen X Rewind
This is slow-motion denim. Wind machine energy. The moment you learned a ballad could still punch walls.
Legacy
A massive crossover hit and one of the signature “1987 owns MTV” tracks.
#6 — “C’est la Vie” — Robbie Nevil
Why it hit
This is bright, bouncy, and engineered to live in your head rent-free. It’s dance-pop with a wink—pure 80s “good mood on demand.”
Gen X Rewind
This is roller rink vibes. Bright lights, loud speakers, and someone trying to skate backwards to impress a crush.
Legacy
A massive near-#1 hit that still feels like a perfect time capsule of 1987 pop.
#5 — “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” — Starship
Why it hit
This is the 80s power ballad in its most “movie montage” form. Big chorus, big promise, big gloss—like romance packaged in shrink wrap and sold at the mall.
Gen X Rewind
This is the song that played while mannequins came to life in movies and we all collectively said, “Sure, that checks out.”
Legacy
One of the decade’s biggest soundtrack smashes—and it held #1 for two weeks because it was unavoidable.
#4 — “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” — Whitney Houston
Why it hit
Because it’s pop joy with elite vocals. The production is bright and sprinting; Whitney sounds like she could out-sing gravity. It’s danceable, emotional, and perfect—an 80s classic that still hits like it’s brand new.
Gen X Rewind
This is the instant mood reset. You hear the opening and your body starts moving before your brain finishes loading.
Legacy
A defining Whitney record—and one of the most durable dance-pop hits of the entire decade.
#3 — “Shake You Down” — Gregory Abbott
Why it hit
This is smooth, slow-burn R&B-pop that climbed and climbed until it owned the room. It’s confident without shouting—like a song that knows it’s going to win eventually.
Gen X Rewind
This is late-night radio. The “keep it quiet or Mom will yell” volume setting.
Legacy
A signature 1987 hit—proof that “slow rise” can still end at #1.
#2 — “Alone” — Heart
Why it hit
Because it’s a power ballad that commits 100%. It starts tender, then detonates into a chorus built for dramatic singing in the car with one hand on the wheel and the other hand being emotionally irresponsible.
Gen X Rewind
This is the song that taught you the rules of 80s ballads: start soft, then go nuclear.
Legacy
One of the biggest ballads of the decade—and a three-week #1 because everyone was apparently going through something.
#1 — “Walk Like an Egyptian” — The Bangles
Why this was the #1 song of 1987
Because it’s weird in the most perfect way. It’s catchy, rhythmic, instantly recognizable, and it made everybody do a silly arm move like it was legally required. This is pop culture as a virus—and it spread everywhere.
Gen X Rewind
This is elementary school, summer radio, and your brain learning what “inescapable” really means.
Legacy
One of the most iconic #1 hits of the decade—and the top year-end song because it didn’t just chart. It took over.
1987 Rewind Verdict
1987 is the sweet spot where pop got shinier, rock got bigger, ballads got louder, and radio felt like a non-stop highlight reel. If you were there, these songs aren’t “oldies.” They’re core memory software.
Read next: Top 10 Songs of 1986 • Top 10 Songs of 1985 • Top 10 Songs of 1984
FAQ: Top Songs of 1987 (Billboard Hot 100)
What was the #1 song of 1987 on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart?
The #1 year-end song of 1987 was “Walk Like an Egyptian” by The Bangles.
What were the top songs of 1987?
Billboard’s year-end Top 10 for 1987 includes The Bangles, Heart, Gregory Abbott, Whitney Houston, Starship, Robbie Nevil, Whitesnake, Bruce Hornsby and the Range, Bob Seger, and Bon Jovi.
How long was “Livin’ on a Prayer” #1?
“Livin’ on a Prayer” spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
How long was “Alone” by Heart #1?
“Alone” held #1 for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987.
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