JANUARY
Top hit
Walk Like An Egyptian · The Bangles
Top album
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band 1975-1985 · Bruce Springsteen
Year
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One moment while we pull together the music from this year.
Hip-hop mainstream breakthrough
1987
Hip-hop stops asking permission and starts collecting plaques while U2, Whitney Houston, and hair metal keep the mainstream glittering from every angle.
Rap Goes Platinum
Hip-hop stops asking for permission and starts collecting plaques — the culture that started on park benches now outsells half the rock aisle. U2 and Whitney Houston deliver event albums while hair metal and synth-pop keep the mainstream glittering. The charts begin to look like the country actually sounds. The charts begin to look like the country actually sounds when nobody gets to gatekeep the dial.
- hip-hop
- U2
- Whitney Houston
- hair metal
- crossover
- Beastie Boys' 'Licensed to Ill' becomes first rap album at No. 1
- U2's 'The Joshua Tree' makes stadium rock spiritual
- Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' defines pop joy
- Michael Jackson's 'Bad' follows 'Thriller' at global scale
Hot 100 · weeks at #1
Top songs
Album chart · weeks at #1
Top albums
Through the year
Tap a month to drill into chart weeks.
FEBRUARY
Top hit
Open Your Heart · Madonna
Top album
Slippery When Wet · Bon Jovi
MARCH
Top hit
Livin' On A Prayer · Bon Jovi
Top album
Licensed To Ill · Beastie Boys
APRIL
Top hit
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now · Starship
Top album
Licensed To Ill · Beastie Boys
MAY
Top hit
(I Just) Died In Your Arms · Cutting Crew
Top album
The Joshua Tree · U2
JUNE
Top hit
You Keep Me Hangin' On · Kim Wilde
Top album
The Joshua Tree · U2
JULY
Top hit
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) · Whitney Houston
Top album
Whitney · Whitney Houston
AUGUST
Top hit
Shakedown (From "Beverly Hills Cop II") · Bob Seger
Top album
Whitney · Whitney Houston
SEPTEMBER
Top hit
La Bamba · Los Lobos
Top album
Whitney · Whitney Houston
OCTOBER
Top hit
Didn't We Almost Have It All · Whitney Houston
Top album
Bad · Michael Jackson
NOVEMBER
Top hit
I Think We're Alone Now · Tiffany
Top album
Tunnel Of Love · Bruce Springsteen
DECEMBER
Top hit
Heaven Is A Place On Earth · Belinda Carlisle
Top album
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