This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1987.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

January–February

March–April

May–August

September–October

November–December

Also in 1987

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Bands reformed

Albums released

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Release date unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1987.

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Other Chart hit singles

• "¿A quién le importa?" – Alaska y Dinarama • "Angel" – Angela Winbush (U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles) • "Back in the High Life Again" (1986) – Steve Winwood • "Bad" – Michael Jackson • "Barcelona" – Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé • "Beds Are Burning" – Midnight Oil • "Behind the Wheel" – Depeche Mode • "Bella Vita" – David et Jonathan • "Big Love" – Fleetwood Mac • "Big Time" (1986) – Peter Gabriel • "Boy Blue" (1986) – Cyndi Lauper • "Breakout" (1986) – Swing Out Sister • "Burning Like a Flame" – Dokken • "Brown Eyes (song)" – Johnny Hates Jazz • "Can't We Try" – Dan Hill (duet with Vonda Shepard) • "Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me)" – Boston • "Catch Me (I'm Falling)" – Pretty Poison • "Causing a Commotion" – Madonna • "C'est l'amour" – Léopold Nord & Vous • "C'est la ouate" – Caroline Loeb • "C'est la Vie" – Robbie Nevil • "Change of Heart" (1986) – Cyndi Lauper • "Cherry Bomb" – John Cougar Mellencamp • "China in Your Hand" – T'Pau (UK) • "Come Go with Me" – Exposé (released in 1986) • "Control" – Janet Jackson (released in 1986) • "Crazy Crazy Nights" – Kiss • "Criticize" – Alexander O'Neal • "Cross My Broken Heart" – The Jets • "Debo Hacerlo" – Juan Gabriel • "Diamonds" – Herb Alpert • "Didn't We Almost Have It All" – Whitney Houston • "Do It Properly" – Adonis • "Don't Dream It's Over" – Crowded House • "Don't Disturb This Groove" – The System • "Don't Mean Nothing" – Richard Marx • "Don't Shed a Tear" – Paul Carrack • "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" – Aerosmith • "Dream Warriors" – Dokken • "Electric Blue" – Icehouse • "Electrica Salsa" – OFF • "Ella elle l'a" – France Gall • "Étienne" – Guesch Patti • "Everlasting Love" – Sandra • "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" (1986) – Wang Chung • "Everywhere" – Fleetwood Mac • "Fairytale of New York" – The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl (UK) • "Faith" – George Michael • "Fake" – Alexander O'Neal • "Force Ten" – Rush • "Funkytown" – Pseudo Echo (released in 1986) • "The Game" – Echo & the Bunnymen • "Got My Mind Set On You" George Harrison • "Get Lucky" – Jermaine Stewart • "Hazy Shade of Winter" – The Bangles • "Head to Toe" – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam • "Heart and Soul" – T'Pau • "Heartbreak Beat" – The Psychedelic Furs • "Heat of the Night" – Bryan Adams • "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" – Belinda Carlisle • "Here I Go Again" – Whitesnake • "Hey Matthew" – Karel Fialka (India) • "Hold Me Now" – Johnny Logan • "Hysteria" – Def Leppard • "I Found Someone" – Cher • "I Get Weak" (1986) – Belinda Carlisle • "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" – Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett • "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" – Cutting Crew • "I Knew You Were Waiting for Me" – Aretha Franklin and George Michael • "I Need Love" – LL Cool J • "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" – U2 • "I Think We're Alone Now" – Tiffany • "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" – Whitney Houston • "I Want You So Bad" – Heart • "I Want Your Sex" (1986) – George Michael • "Im Nin'Alu" – Ofra Haza • "In Too Deep (1986) – Genesis • "The Irish Rover" – The Pogues & The Dubliners (Ireland) • "Is This Love" – Whitesnake • "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" – R.E.M. • "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes • "Jacob's Ladder" (1986) – Huey Lewis and the News • "Je ne veux pas" – Céline Dion (Canada) • "Joe le taxi" – Vanessa Paradis • "Just Gets Better With Time" – The Whispers • "Just to See Her" – Smokey Robinson • "Kolé séré" – Jocelyne Béroard & Philippe Lavil • "Kiss Him Goodbye" – The Nylons • "Là-bas" – Jean-Jacques Goldman and Sirima • "La Bamba" – Los Lobos • "The Lady in Red" – Chris DeBurgh • "Lean on Me" – Club Nouveau • "Let's Go!" (1986) – Wang Chung • "Let Me Be the One" – Exposé • "Let's Wait Awhile" – Janet Jackson • "Lies" – Jonathan Butler • "Lips Like Sugar" – Echo & the Bunnymen • "Little Lies" – Fleetwood Mac • "Livin' on a Prayer" – Bon Jovi (released in 1986) • "Lo Mejor de Tu Vida" – Julio Iglesias • "Looking for a New Love" – Jody Watley • "Lost in Emotion" – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam • "Love Bites" – Def Leppard (charted in 1988) • "Love Will Find a Way" – Yes • "Love You Down" – Ready for the World • "Luka" – Suzanne Vega • "Mandolin Rain" (1986) – Bruce Hornsby and The Range • "Midnight Blue" – Lou Gramm • "Midnight Man" – Sandra • "Mony Mony" – Billy Idol • "Move Out" – Nancy Martinez • "My Arms Keep Missing You" – Rick Astley • "Need You Tonight" – INXS • "Never Gonna Give You Up" – Rick Astley • "Never Let Me Down Again" – Depeche Mode • "Never Say Goodbye" (1986) – Bon Jovi • "New Sensation" – INXS • "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" – Glenn Medeiros (USA release) • "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" – Starship • "One Heartbeat" – Smokey Robinson • "The One I love" – R.E.M. • "Only in My Dreams" – Debbie Gibson • "Open Your Heart" – Madonna (released in 1986) • "Out of the Blue" – Debbie Gibson • "Paper in Fire" – John Cougar Mellencamp • "People Are Strange" – Echo & the Bunnymen • "The Pleasure Principle" (1986) – Janet Jackson • "Point of No Return" – Exposé • "Pour Some Sugar on Me" – Def Leppard • "The Power of Love" – Laura Branigan • "Pump Up The Volume" – MARRS • "Rag Doll" – Aerosmith • "Rent" – Pet Shop Boys • "Respect Yourself" – Bruce Willis • "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" – Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine • "Rhythm of Love" – Yes • "Rock Steady" – The Whispers • "Rocket" – Def Leppard • "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" – Mel & Kim • "Sans contrefaçon" – Mylène Farmer • "Say It Again" – Jermaine Stewart • "Say You Really Want Me" – Kim Wilde • "Shakedown" – Bob Seger • "Sign o' the Times" – Prince • "Skin Trade" - Duran Duran • "So Emotional" – Whitney Houston • "(Something Inside) So Strong" – Labi Siffre (UK) • "Something So Strong" – Crowded House • "Somewhere Out There" – Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram • "Songbird" – Kenny G • "Star Trekkin" – The Firm • "Stone Love" – Kool & the Gang • "Strangelove" – Depeche Mode • "Surrender" (1986) – Swing Out Sister • "Sweet Child o' Mine" – Guns N' Roses (charted in 1988) • "There's The Girl" – Heart • "Throwing It All Away" – Genesis • "Time Stand Still" – Rush • "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" – Genesis • "Touch Me (I Want Your Body)" – Samantha Fox • "Touch of Grey" – Grateful Dead • "Tristana" – Mylène Farmer • "Twilight World" – Swing Out Sister • "U Got the Look" – Prince and Sheena Easton • "Une autre histoire" – Gérard Blanc • "Valerie" (1982) – Steve Winwood • "Wait" – White Lion • "Walking Down Your Street" – The Bangles • "Walking in the Air (Theme from 'The Snowman')" – The Shadows • "Wanted Dead or Alive" (1986) – Bon Jovi • "War" – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band • "The Way It Is" – Bruce Hornsby and the Range • "We Connect" – Stacey Q. • "Welcome to the Jungle" – Guns N' Roses • "What You Get Is What You See" – Tina Turner • "What's Going On" – Cyndi Lauper • "Whenever You Need Somebody" – Rick Astley • "Where the Streets Have No Name" – U2 • "Who's That Girl" – Madonna • "Why Can't I Be You?" – The Cure • "With or Without You" – U2 • "Wonderful Life" – Black • "Y Tú También Llorarás" – José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma" • "Yaka dansé" – Raft • "You Keep Me Hanging On" – Kim Wilde • "You're the Voice" – John Farnham

Notable singles

Other Notable singles

• "Adultery" - Do-Re-Mi • "Bye Bye Pride" - The Go-Betweens • "Little Fury Things" - Dinosaur Jr. • "Good Times" - Hoodoo Gurus • "The Prettiest Girl in the World" b/w "If That's What Love Is" - T.V. Personalities • "Right Here" - The Go-Betweens • "Shine On" - The House of Love • "There's Too Many Irons in the Fire" - Cardiacs

Published popular music

Classical music

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards

Grammy Awards

Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

Glenn Gould Prize

Charts