U2 - The Joshua Tree (Irish rock/post punk)
The Dukes Of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot (English psychedelic pop/psychedelic rock, alter-ego/side project of the band XTC)
Pixies - Come On Pilgrim (American alternative rock, debut)
R.E.M. - Document (American alternative rock)
Camper Van Beethoven- Vampire Can Mating Oven (American alternative rock/psychedelic rock)
Big Black - Songs About Fucking (American industrial rock, their last album)
The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (English alternative rock/ gothic rock)
Sisters Of Mercy - Floodland (English gothic rock)
Guns 'n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction (American hard rock, debut album)
The Cult - Electric (English hard rock)
The Smiths- Strangeways Here We Come (English indie rock, their last studio album)
Faith No More - Introduce Yourself (American post-punk/funk metal, major label debut and their last album with original vocalist Chuck Mosley)
Replacements- Pleased To Meet Me (American alternative rock / power pop)
Metallica- The $5.98 EP - Garage Days Re-Revisited (American heavy metal covers including songs originally performed by The Misfits and Killing Joke)
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Through the Looking Glass (English alternative rock/art rock covers including songs originally performed by Iggy Pop and Billie Holiday)
M/A/R/R/S - Pump Up The Volume (English acid house/alternative dance)
Butthole Surfers- Locust Abortion Technician (American noise rock)
Public Enemy - Yo! Bum Rush The Show (American hip hop, debut)
Melvins- Gluey Porch Treatments (American sludge metal, debut)
The Dead Milkmen- Bucky Fellini (American punk rock)
Various- Lonely is an Eyesore (compilation featuring previously unreleased songs by artists signed to the record label 4AD, including Throwing Muses, Dead Can Dance and Cocteau Twins)
Prince - Sign O' The Times (American funk/soul, double album)
Whitney Houston- Whitney (American pop/r and b)
David Bowie- Never Let Me Down (English pop/rock)
INXS - Kick (Australian pop/rock)
Midnight Oil - Diesel and Dust (Australian alternative rock)
Anthrax - Among The Living (American thrash metal)
Anthrax- I'm The Man (American novelty rap metal/thrash metal, 3 versions of the title track, plus one studio Black Sabbath cover and two live versions of songs from Among The Living)
Laibach - Opus Dei (Slovenian martial industrial)
Ozzy Osbourne- Tribute (English heavy metal/hard rock, live album dedicated to the memory of guitarist Randy Rhoads, whose playing is featured throughout the album)
Sonic Youth - Sister (American alternative rock/post punk)
Happy Mondays - Squirrel and G-Man 24 Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) (English alternative dance/madchester)
Husker Du - Warehouse: Songs and Stories (American punk rock/alternative rock)
Echo & The Bunnymen- Echo & The Bunnymen (English post punk/new wave)
George Michael- Faith (English pop/ r and b, solo debut for former Wham! singer)
Fleetwood Mac- Tango In The Night (British-American pop/rock)
Napalm Death - Scum (English grindcore, debut)
Death - Scream Bloody Gore (American death metal)
The Wedding Present- George Best (English indie rock, debut)
Aerosmith- Permanent Vacation (American hard rock)
The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu - 1987 (What The Fuck Is Going On?) (English hip hop, debut for the group later known for their acid house music as The KLF)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers- Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) (American rock)
Eric B and Rakim - Paid In Full (American hip hop)
Meat Puppets - Huevos (American alternative rock/blues rock)
Meat Puppets- Mirage (American alternative rock/ psychedelic rock)
Jane's Addiction- Jane's Addiction (American alternative metal, live album, debut)
Pet Shop Boys - Actually (English synth pop)
Suzanne Vega - Solitude Standing (American folk rock)
Lemonheads- Hate Your Friends (American punk rock, debut)
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded (American hip hop)
Notes:
As Todd In The Shadows can attest, the top 40 was pretty dire in 1987, but there was still some good music being released. It's not even that there weren't good pop albums coming out, it's just that some of the most iconic ones of the year apparently weren't as popular as you might think, or else took a little while to make an impact. My favorite purely pop albums of the year included Prince's Sign O The Times, Pet Shop Boys' Actually and George Michael's Faith. I might try to do a counterpoint blog for the Todd In The Shadows video I linked to, looking at the same Billboard list he did and picking a top 10 best hits list.
Meanwhile Hip hop was still making some in-roads, and influencing artists outside of the genre (Anthrax's "I'm The Man" was an early example of rap-metal, "Pump Up The Volume" by M|A|R|R|S sampled an Eric B and Rakim song released earlier that year, and even Sonic Youth's "Master-Dik" was sort of a rap-rock song).
The Dukes Of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot (English psychedelic pop/psychedelic rock, alter-ego/side project of the band XTC)
Pixies - Come On Pilgrim (American alternative rock, debut)
R.E.M. - Document (American alternative rock)
Camper Van Beethoven- Vampire Can Mating Oven (American alternative rock/psychedelic rock)
Big Black - Songs About Fucking (American industrial rock, their last album)
The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (English alternative rock/ gothic rock)
Sisters Of Mercy - Floodland (English gothic rock)
Guns 'n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction (American hard rock, debut album)
The Cult - Electric (English hard rock)
The Smiths- Strangeways Here We Come (English indie rock, their last studio album)
Faith No More - Introduce Yourself (American post-punk/funk metal, major label debut and their last album with original vocalist Chuck Mosley)
Replacements- Pleased To Meet Me (American alternative rock / power pop)
Metallica- The $5.98 EP - Garage Days Re-Revisited (American heavy metal covers including songs originally performed by The Misfits and Killing Joke)
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Through the Looking Glass (English alternative rock/art rock covers including songs originally performed by Iggy Pop and Billie Holiday)
M/A/R/R/S - Pump Up The Volume (English acid house/alternative dance)
Butthole Surfers- Locust Abortion Technician (American noise rock)
Public Enemy - Yo! Bum Rush The Show (American hip hop, debut)
Melvins- Gluey Porch Treatments (American sludge metal, debut)
The Dead Milkmen- Bucky Fellini (American punk rock)
Various- Lonely is an Eyesore (compilation featuring previously unreleased songs by artists signed to the record label 4AD, including Throwing Muses, Dead Can Dance and Cocteau Twins)
Prince - Sign O' The Times (American funk/soul, double album)
Whitney Houston- Whitney (American pop/r and b)
David Bowie- Never Let Me Down (English pop/rock)
INXS - Kick (Australian pop/rock)
Midnight Oil - Diesel and Dust (Australian alternative rock)
Anthrax - Among The Living (American thrash metal)
Anthrax- I'm The Man (American novelty rap metal/thrash metal, 3 versions of the title track, plus one studio Black Sabbath cover and two live versions of songs from Among The Living)
Laibach - Opus Dei (Slovenian martial industrial)
Ozzy Osbourne- Tribute (English heavy metal/hard rock, live album dedicated to the memory of guitarist Randy Rhoads, whose playing is featured throughout the album)
Sonic Youth - Sister (American alternative rock/post punk)
Happy Mondays - Squirrel and G-Man 24 Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) (English alternative dance/madchester)
Husker Du - Warehouse: Songs and Stories (American punk rock/alternative rock)
Echo & The Bunnymen- Echo & The Bunnymen (English post punk/new wave)
George Michael- Faith (English pop/ r and b, solo debut for former Wham! singer)
Fleetwood Mac- Tango In The Night (British-American pop/rock)
Napalm Death - Scum (English grindcore, debut)
Death - Scream Bloody Gore (American death metal)
The Wedding Present- George Best (English indie rock, debut)
Aerosmith- Permanent Vacation (American hard rock)
The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu - 1987 (What The Fuck Is Going On?) (English hip hop, debut for the group later known for their acid house music as The KLF)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers- Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) (American rock)
Eric B and Rakim - Paid In Full (American hip hop)
Meat Puppets - Huevos (American alternative rock/blues rock)
Meat Puppets- Mirage (American alternative rock/ psychedelic rock)
Jane's Addiction- Jane's Addiction (American alternative metal, live album, debut)
Pet Shop Boys - Actually (English synth pop)
Suzanne Vega - Solitude Standing (American folk rock)
Lemonheads- Hate Your Friends (American punk rock, debut)
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded (American hip hop)
Notes:
As Todd In The Shadows can attest, the top 40 was pretty dire in 1987, but there was still some good music being released. It's not even that there weren't good pop albums coming out, it's just that some of the most iconic ones of the year apparently weren't as popular as you might think, or else took a little while to make an impact. My favorite purely pop albums of the year included Prince's Sign O The Times, Pet Shop Boys' Actually and George Michael's Faith. I might try to do a counterpoint blog for the Todd In The Shadows video I linked to, looking at the same Billboard list he did and picking a top 10 best hits list.
Meanwhile Hip hop was still making some in-roads, and influencing artists outside of the genre (Anthrax's "I'm The Man" was an early example of rap-metal, "Pump Up The Volume" by M|A|R|R|S sampled an Eric B and Rakim song released earlier that year, and even Sonic Youth's "Master-Dik" was sort of a rap-rock song).
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