1987

The Top 150 Hits of… 1987

Close race in ’87. Number 1 is way out in front, but the rest of the top 10 are all within 10 points of each other.

Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” (#126) spent 14 weeks on the chart from 8/9 – 11/8/86 and peaked at #44. It was the first single from his album Graceland, which won a bunch of Grammys the following March. As a result, the song got new life at radio and the single started to sell again. It re-entered the Hot 100 on 3/28/87 and did a bit better, peaking at #23 and racking up another 15 weeks. I chose to combine both runs for its point total. I can justify it by saying that if those 48 weeks (14+19+15) had all happened in the same chart year, Billboard would have combined them. Plus it was the exact same single that was released both times.

By contrast, “Every Little Kiss” by Bruce Hornsby spent 9 weeks on the chart in ’86 that are not included in its total. It was the first single from The Way It Is and was not successful, peaking at #72. After two big hits from the same album, the label gave the song another shot, this time with a new mix and a new catalogue number, making it a true re-release. The second version fared much better and is #145 on this list.

Obviously, the original 1961 run for “Stand By Me” was not factored into its total for ’87.

If I’d only used the ’87 point total for “Al”, the song wouldn’t have made the top 150, and #150 would have been “Who Found Who” by Jellybean feat. Elisa Fiorillo.

1. Walk Like an Egyptian – Bangles 283
2. Shake You Down – Gregory Abbott 260.5
3. Here I Go Again – Whitesnake 260.5
4. Alone – Heart 260
5. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now – Starship 257.5
6. C’est la Vie – Robbie Nevil 257.5
7. The Way It Is – Bruce Hornsby and the Range 252
8. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) – Whitney Houston 251.5
9. Living on a Prayer – Bon Jovi 250.5
10. La Bamba – Los Lobos 250.5
11. Don’t Dream It’s Over – Crowded House 247.5
12. Shakedown – Bob Seger 242.5
13. I Think We’re Alone Now – Tiffany 242
14. Everybody Have Fun Tonight – Wang Chung 241.5
15. Heaven Is a Place on Earth – Belinda Carlisle 239.5
16. (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life – Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes 238.5
17. Always – Atlantic Starr 235.5
18. With or Without You – U2 235.5
19. Only in My Dreams – Debbie Gibson 234
20. The Lady in Red – Chris DeBurgh 232.5
21. At This Moment – Billy Vera & the Beaters 230.5
22. Head to Toe – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam 228
23. Mony Mony – Billy Idol 227.5
24. Looking for a New Love – Jody Watley 226.5
25. Heart and Soul – T’Pau 223.5
26. I Want Your Sex – George Michael 222.5
27. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2 222
28. Didn’t We Almost Have It All – Whitney Houston 220.5
29. Notorious – Duran Duran 217
30. U Got the Look – Prince feat. Sheena Easton 215
31. Lean on Me – Club Nouveau 212.5
32. Keep Your Hands to Yourself – Georgia Sattellites 210.5
33. Lost in Emotion – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam 210
34. (I Just) Died in Your Arms – Cutting Crew 210
35. Open Your Heart – Madonna 209.5
36. You Got It All – The Jets 209.5
37. You Keep Me Hanging On – Kim Wilde 209
38. Somewhere Out There – Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram 205.5
39. Land of Confusion – Genesis 205.5
40. I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me) 205
41. Control – Janet Jackson 202
42. Should’ve Known Better – Richard Marx 201
43. Touch Me (I Want Your Body) – Samantha Fox 199.5
44. Who’s That Girl – Madonna 196
45. Will You Still Love Me – Chicago 196
46. Jacob’s Ladder – Huey Lewis & the News 194.5
47. Little Lies – Fleetwood Mac 193.5
48. Songbird – Kenny G 192
49. Let’s Wait Awhile – Janet Jackson 190.5
50. Don’t Mean Nothing – Richard Marx 190.5
51. I Heard a Rumour – Bananarama 189
52. Causing a Commotion – Madonna 188.5
53. In Too Deep – Genesis 188
54. Carrie – Europe 186.5
55. Hip to Be Square – Huey Lewis & the News 185.5
56. Luka – Suzanne Vega 185
57. Can’t We Try – Dan Hill with Vonda Sheppard 185
58. I Just Can’t Stop Loving You – Michael Jackson with Siedah Garrett 182.5
59. Don’t Disturb This Groove – The System 183
60. La Isla Bonita – Madonna 181.5
61. Stand by Me – Ben E. King 180.5
62. Breakout – Swing Out Sister 179
63. Change of Heart – Cyndi Lauper 178.5
64. Come Go with Me – Exposé 178.5
65. Mandolin Rain – Bruce Hornsby and the Range 176.5
66. Sign ‘o’ the Times – Prince 175
67. Rock Steady – The Whispers 174.5
68. Big Time – Peter Gabriel 174.5
69. To Be a Lover – Billy Idol 174
70. Bad – Michael Jackson 172.5
71. When Smokey Sings – ABC 172.5
72. Rhythm Is Gonna Get You – Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine 172
73. The Finer Things – Steve Winwood 171.5
74. Let Me Be the One – Exposé 171.5
75. Someday – Glass Tiger 171
76. Casanova – LeVert 170.5
77. Is This Love – Survivor 169
78. Wanted Dead or Alive – Bon Jovi 168.5
79. Midnight Blue – Lou Gramm 163.5
80. Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You – Glenn Medeiros 163.5
81. Diamonds – Herb Alpert feat. Janet Jackson 162
82. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight – Genesis 161.5
83. Something So Strong – Crowded House 161.5
84. Point of No Return – Exposé 161
85. Just to See Her – Smokey Robinson 158.5
86. Big Love – Fleetwood Mac 156.5
87. Heat of the Night – Bryan Adams 153.5
88. Who Will You Run To – Heart 153
89. Meet Me Halfway – Kenny Loggins 151
90. Brilliant Disguise – Bruce Springsteen 150.5
91. Right on Track – Breakfast Club 149.5
92. I’ve Been in Love Before – Cutting Crew 149.5
93. The One I Love – R.E.M. 148
94. Ballerina Girl – Lionel Richie 147
95. Doing It All for My Baby – Huey Lewis & the News 146.5
96. Cross My Broken Heart – The Jets 146
97. Respect Yourself – Bruce Willis 144.5
98. Victory – Kool & the Gang 144.5
99. Don’t Get Me Wrong – Pretenders 144
100. Love You Down – Ready for the World 138.5
101. (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party) – Beastie Boys 137.5
102. The Final Countdown – Europe 137.5
103. Let’s Go – Wang Chung 135.5
104. Wipeout – Fat Boys w/ the Beach Boys 135.5
105. Funkytown – Pseudo Echo 134
106. Paper in Fire – John (Cougar) Mellencamp 132
107. It’s a Sin – Pet Shop Boys 132
108. War – Bruce Springsteen 127
109. One Heartbeat – Smokey Robinson 124.5
110. I’ll Be Alright Without You – Journey 124
111. Lessons in Love – Level 42 123.5
112. In My Dreams – REO Speedwagon 123
113. Touch of Grey – Grateful Dead 121.5
114. Stone Love – Kool & the Gang 121.5
115. We’re Ready – Boston 121.5
116. The Pleasure Principle – Janet Jackson 120.5
117. Talk Dirty to Me – Poison 120.5
118. It’s Not Over (‘Til It’s Over) – Starship 120.5
119. Back in the High Life Again – Steve Winwood 119.5
120. I Won’t Forget You – Poison 119.5
121. I Know What I Like – Huey Lewis & the News 119
122. Walking Down Your Street – Bangles 119
123. Stop to Love – Luther Vandross 119
124. Girls, Girls, Girls – Motley Crue 117.5
125. Nobody’s Fool – Cinderella 117.5
126. You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon 118.5
127. Kiss Him Goodbye – The Nylons 116.5
128. I Wanna Go Back – Eddie Money 116
129. Jump Start – Natalie Cole 115.5
130. I’d Still Say Yes – Klymaxx 115
131. Talk to Me – Chico DeBarge 114
132. Brand New Lover – Dead or Alive 114
133. Wot’s It to Ya – Robbie Nevil 113.5
134. Love Power – Dionne Warwick and Jeffrey Osborne 109.5
135. You Know I Love You… Don’t You? – Howard Jones 109.5
136. If She Would Have Been Faithful – Chicago 107.5
137. Love Is Forever – Billy Ocean 106.5
138. Hourglass – Squeeze 106.5
139. All I Wanted – Kansas 102.5
140. Where the Streets Have No Name – U2 101.5
141. Don’t Make Me Wait for Love – Kenny G feat. Lenny Williams 101.5
142. Dominoes – Robbie Nevil 100.5
143. Stay the Night – Benjamin Orr 99
144. What You Get Is What You See – Tina Turner 99
145. Every Little Kiss – Bruce Hornsby and the Range 98.5
146. This Is the Time – Billy Joel 97.5
147. Coming Around Again – Carly Simon 97
148. What’s Going On – Cyndi Lauper 96.5
149. Serious – Donna Allen 96
150. The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades – Timbuk 3 93.5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1987