Best of the '80s Redux — April 20, 2020 at 7:55 am

Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s Redux: Vote for your favorite songs of 1987

We’re nearing the home stretch of our Best of the ’80s Redux series of year-by-year song polls as we move on to the year 1987, giving Slicing Up Eyeballs readers the chance to vote for their 25 favorites as we rank the 100 best songs released that year.

The Best of the ’80s Redux polls launched in 2015 and covered 1980 and 1981 before fizzling out (the whole site went on hiatus for almost two years). But in 2018 we resurrected the series, and relaunched it with polls over the last two years that ranked the best songs of 19821983, 1984, 1985 and 1986.

VOTING: For the album polls (and our subsequent artist discography polls), we presented a list, sometimes hundreds of titles long, to choose from, plus the ability to offer write-ins. We inevitably missed titles, and some argued this skewed the results. So for the song polls, it’s a (mostly) free-for-all. You may vote for any songs you’d like — singles, B-sides, album cuts, etc. It’s all fill-in-the-blanks, not multiple choice.

A few important things to note:

  • To be eligible, songs must have been released in some format — whether it be on an album, EP or a single — somewhere in the world for the first time during the year 1987. For example, The Church’s “Under the Milky Way” was released as a single in Australia and New Zealand in 1987, but nowhere else until 1988, after which it became a hit. That makes it eligible for the 1987 poll only. Splitting hairs? Sure, but we have to draw the line somewhere.
  • But wait! There’s an exception. The so-called “Radio Free Europe” rule. Just as we allowed R.E.M.’s twice-released debut single to be voted on in two different years, we’ll let people vote twice for songs that are re-released in re-recorded versions — such as a-ha’s “Take On Me” and Pet Shop Boys’ “West End Girls,” which made the 1984 and 1985 lists.
  • With the album polls, acknowledging the theme of this website, we limited voting to artists that fall under the very loose and ill-defined “alternative” banner, generally acts from the punk, post-punk, goth, college rock, indie, synthpop, industrial, New Wave and related genres. Not the case anymore — although that’s still likely how the results will skew. For the song polls, vote for whatever you want.
  • Well, there is one limit. To prevent one-note fans from, say, simply listing every track off Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, you may only vote for a maximum of two songs by the same artist when filling out your Top 25. Any ballots submitted with more than two songs by the same artist will be disqualified.

DEADLINE: Voting will be open through 5 p.m. EDT Friday, May 1, and results will be posted at some point thereafter — after which we’ll launch the 1988 poll and take it from there.

Sound good? Then vote away via the survey widget posted below. And if you have trouble with that embedded widget, you may vote directly on Crowdsignal’s site.

And because there’s not a pre-set list to choose from, we encourage you to lobby for your picks (list your whole ballot if you want), and maybe sway some votes, in the comments below.

Finally, if you’re drawing a blank on what came out that year, take a look back at our Top 100 albums of 1987 poll results, or check out these other resources:

 

 

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139 Comments

  1. Fraser Mitchell

    ‘Never Let Me Down Again’ by DM and ‘Just Like Heaven’ both combine the best of light vs darkness for both bands and signpost the critical/commercial peaks to follow of ‘Violator’ and ‘Disintegration’. And both of their legacies outstrip their orginksk chart positions that should have been higher….

  2. For Your Consideration: Just a few songs from 1987 that you may have forgotten.

    Pop Goes The World – Men Without Hats
    Big Decision – That Petrol Emotion
    Driving Away From Home – It’s Immaterial

    Happy voting!

  3. Don’t forget peeps that Come on Pilgrim was released in 87 as was the Sugarcubes debut album.
    Just sayin’

    • Birthday by the Sugarcubes was released as a single in 1987, but the album “Life’s Too Good” was released in 1988.

  4. My ballot:
    01 New Order “True Faith”
    02 Sinéad O’Connor “Troy”
    03 The Cure “Just Like Heaven”
    04 Prince “If I Was Your Girlfriend”
    05 U2 “With Or Without You”
    06 Depeche Mode “Never Let Me Down Again”
    07 M/A/R/R/S “Pump Up The Volume”
    08 INXS “Need You Tonight”
    09 Suzanne Vega “Luka”
    10 U2 “Where The Streets Have No Name”
    11 Pet Shop Boys “Always On My Mind”
    12 Guns ’N’ Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine”
    13 Eric B & Rakim “Paid In Full (Seven Minutes Of Madness – The Coldcut Remix)”
    14 George Michael “I Want Your Sex”
    15 Depeche Mode “Strangelove”
    16 Sisters Of Mercy “This Corrosion”
    17 The Cure “Hot Hot Hot!!!”
    18 Bangles “Hazy Shade Of Winter”
    19 INXS “Never Tear Us Apart”
    20 Salt-N-Pepa “Push It”
    21 Sinéad O’Connor f. MC Lyte “I Want Your (Hands On Me)”
    22 LL Cool J “Going Back To Cali”
    23 George Michael “Faith”
    24 R.E.M. “The One I Love”
    25 Pet Shop Boys “It’s A Sin”

  5. Paul Carpenter

    Prince, “Sign o the Times”
    R.E.M., “The One I Love”
    New Order, “True Faith”
    The Pogues, “Fairytale of New York”
    Depeche Mode, “Never Let Me Down Again”
    Prince, “If I Was Your Girlfriend”
    The Sisters of Mercy “This Corrosion”
    The Cult, “Love Removal Machine”
    Inxs, “Never Tear Us Apart”
    Tom Waits, “Innocent When You Dream”
    The Wedding Present, “My Favourite Dress”
    The Smiths, “I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish”
    The Smiths, “Shop Lifters of the World Unite”
    Fleetwood Mac, “Big Love”
    Black, “Sweetest Smile”
    Bruce Springsteen, “Tougher than the Rest”
    Deacon Blue, “Dignity”
    The Cure, “Catch”
    Public Enemy, “Rebel Without a Pause”
    Spear of Destiny, “Never Take me Alive”
    Eric B Rakim, “Paid in Full”
    The Christians, “Forgotten Town”
    Pixies, “Vamos”
    Butthole Surfers, “Human Cannonball”

  6. Troy Heiner

    My ballot:

    1. Don’t Dream It’s Over – Crowded House
    2. Where The Streets Have No Name – U2
    3. Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns ‘N’ Roses
    4. With Or Without You – U2
    5. Mary’s Prayer – Danny Wilson
    6. Alex Chilton – The Replacements
    7. Need You Tonight – INXS
    8. True Faith – New Order
    9. Just Like Heaven – Cure
    10. Welcome To The Jungle – Guns N’ Roses
    11. It’s The End Of The World As We Know It – R.E.M.
    12. Sugar Mice – Marillion
    13. Cherry Bomb – John Mellencamp
    14. Jane Says – Jane’s Addiction
    15. Here I Go Again – Whitesnake
    16. Man In The Mirror – Michael Jackson
    17. The Way It Is – Bruce Hornsby and the Range
    18. Over the Hills and Far Away – Gary Moore
    19. Sign ‘O” the Times – Prince & the Revolution
    20. Girls, Girls, Girls – Mötley Crüe
    21. Pour Some Sugar On Me – Def Leppard
    22. Running In The Family – Level 42
    23. Love Removal Machine – The Cult
    24. Don’t Shed A Tear – Paul Carrack
    25. Mission – Rush

    Paradise City would have also made my Top 25, but it was against the rules. Luka by Suzanne Vega just missed.

    • You can make room for “Luka” as “Don’t Dream It’s Over” was released in 1986 and made #6 on that year’s poll.

  7. 1987 was a great year! I look forward to the results.

  8. As RobC just pointed out on Twitter, The Church’s “Under the Milky Way” was released as a single in Australia and New Zealand in 1987. So that makes it eligible for this poll, not the 1988 poll. Be warned.

  9. 25. “Time Stand Still” by Rush24. “Everyday” by Guided by Voices23. “Innocent When You Dream (Barroom)” by Tom Waits22. “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” by Prince21. “Sheila Take a Bow” by The Smiths 20. “Ironbound/Fancy Poultry” by Suzanne Vega19. “Alex Chilton” by The Replacements
    18. “Preposterous Tales” by I, Ludicrous17. “Lips Like Sugar” by Echo and the Bunnymen16. “Exhuming McCarthy” by R.E.M.15. “Paint a Rainbow” by My Bloody Valentine14. “Sign O’ the Times” by Prince13. “Nimrod’s Son” by The Pixies12. “Hey, Hey Spaceman” by Guided by Voices11. “Gun” by Siouxsie and the Banshees10. “Solitude Standing” by Suzanne Vega9. “Son of a Gun” by The Vaselines8. “It’s the End of the World As We Know It” by R.E.M.7. “Isla de Encanta” by The Pixies6. “Captain’s Dead” by Guided by Voices5. “Catch” by The Cure4. “Vanishing Girl” by Dukes of Stratosphere3. “How Beautiful You Are” by The Cure2. “I’ve Been Tired” by The Pixies1. “Transfiguration” by Screaming Trees

    • Michael Reed

      The Ballad of Dorothy Parker! RESPECT

      • Thanks! Unfortunately, I totally cocked up my ballot by including three songs each by The Pixies and Guided by Voices. Had I read the rules carefully, I also would have seen that The Church’s “Under the Milky Way” was first officially released in 1987… and that would be my number one pick. So I replaced “Every Day” and “Nimrod’s Son” with “Under the Milky Way” and The Smith’s “The Death of a Disco Dancer”, resubmitted, and started hoping for the best.

  10. The Old New Waver

    In no particular order

    The Cult Lil Devil
    Flesh for Lulu I Go Crazy
    INXS Never Tear Us Apart
    Gary Numan Radio Heart
    New Order All Day Long
    PIL Seattle
    Pseudo Echo Living in a Dream
    Love and Rockets Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven
    Divinyls Hey Little Boy
    Pet Shop Boys What I Have I Done to Deserve This
    Wall of Voodoo Do It Again
    INXS with Jimmy Barnes Good Times
    Echo and The Bunnymen People are Strange
    Depeche Mose Route 66 Beatmasters Mix
    Dream Academy Indian Summer
    The Cars You are the Girl
    Icehouse Electric Blue
    Bryan Ferry Kiss and Tell
    Screaming Blue Messiahs I Wanna Be a Flintstone
    Echo and the Bunnymen Bedbugs and Ballyhoo
    New Order 1963
    U2 One Tree Hill
    Oingo Boingo Pain
    New Order True Faith
    Sisters of Mercy This Corrosion
    Psychedelic Furs Angels Don’t Cry
    Squeeze Hourglass
    Men Without Hats Pop Goes The World
    X 4th of July
    Mignight Oil Beds are Burning
    The Bangles Hazy Shade of Winter
    The Bolshoi Please
    Peter Murphy All Night Long
    PIL Rules and Regulations
    INXS Need You Tonight/Mediate
    The Cure Why Can’t I be You

  11. TOP 25 SONGS OF 1987 (THE YEAR I WAS BORN!)

    1. The Smiths – Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before
    2. The Cure – Like Cockatoos
    3. Echo + the Bunnymen – Bedbugs and Ballyhoo
    4. Guns N’ Roses – It’s So Easy
    5. Mötley Crüe – Girls, Girls, Girls
    6. Happy Mondays – 24-Hour Party People
    7. Def Leppard – Animal
    8. Siouxsie + the Banshees – The Wheel’s On Fire
    9. U2 – The Sweetest Thing
    10. Public Image Ltd. – Seattle
    11. Eric Carmen – Hungry Eyes
    12. Pet Shop Boys – Always On My Mind
    13. Anthrax – Indians
    14. New Order – True Faith
    15. For Against – Daylight
    16. The Jesus + Mary Chain – April Skies
    17. George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You
    18. That Petrol Emotion – Big Decision
    19. Icehouse – Electric Blue
    20. Fleetwood Mac – Little Lies
    21. Tom Petty + the Heartbreakers – Jammin’ Me
    22. The Grateful Dead – Touch of Grey
    23. Dead Can Dance – Summoning of the Muse
    24. The Cars – You Are the Girl
    25. Sting – Be Still My Beating Heart

    BONUS 10

    1. Sisters of Mercy – Emma
    2. X – 4th of July
    3. Depeche Mode – Strangelove
    4. Smokey Robinson – One Heartbeat
    5. Prince and Sheena Easton – U Got the Look
    6. The Sugarcubes – Birthday
    7. T’Pau – Heart and Soul
    8. Throwing Muses – Reel
    9. Whitney Houston – So Emotional
    10. The Church – Under the Milky Way

  12. Just so you know, Under The Milky Way was first released in 1987 in Australia.

  13. Joshua May

    1. The Smiths, “Stop Me If You Think That You’ve Heard This One Before”
    2. New Order, “True Faith”
    3. The Replacements, “Alex Chilton”
    4. The Cure, “Just Like Heaven”
    5. Sisters of Mercy, “This Corrosion”
    6. The Smiths, “Unhappy Birthday”
    7. Prince, “U Got The Look”
    8. Echo & The Bunnymen, “Lips Like Sugar”
    9. Eric B. & Rakim, “Paid In Full”
    10. Testament, “Do or Die”
    11. The Jesus and Mary Chain, “Happy When It Rains”
    12. Public Enemy, “Miuzi Weighs a Ton”
    13. The Cure, “Catch”
    14. The Replacements, “The Ledge”
    15. Love & Rockets, “No New Tale to Tell”
    16. Suzanne Vega, “Luka”
    17. 10,000 Maniacs, “Peace Train”
    18. Eric B. & Rakim, “I Know You Got Soul”
    19. Gene Loves Jezebel, “The Motion of Love”
    20. The Cult, “Love Removal Machine”
    21. Boogie Down Productions, “The Bridge Is Over”
    22. Pet Shop Boys, “It’s a Sin”
    23. Midnight Oil, “Beds Are Burning”
    24. Depeche Mode, “Strangelove”
    25. X, “4th of July”

  14. Guadalcanal Diary – Litany (Life Goes On)
    The Replacements – Alex Chilton
    Jesus & Mary Chain – April Skies
    The Cure – Just Like Heaven
    New Order – True Faith
    The Smiths – Stop Me …
    U2 – In God’s Country
    Dukes of Stratosphear – Vanishing Girl
    Grapes Of Wrath – O Lucky Man
    Julian Cope – St. Julian
    Love & Rockets – No New Tale To Tell
    Sisters of Mercy – Leucretia My Reflection
    Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again
    The Nils – River Of Sadness
    For Against – Get On With It
    The Go Betweens – Bye Bye Pride
    Midnight Oil – Dreamworld
    Game Theory – The Real Sheila
    REM – Fireplace
    The Cult – Love Removal Machine
    X – Fourth of July
    The Pixies – Levitate Me
    Redd Kross – Lovedoll Superstar
    Hoodoo Gurus – What’s My Scene?
    Husker Du – Could You Be The One?
    Dumptruck – Carefree
    O Positive – Not Enough
    Dramarama – Steve & Edie
    The Connells – Try
    The Chills – Wet Blanket
    Echo & The Bunnymen – Lost & Found
    Beat Farmers – God Is Here Tonight
    The Silencers – Painted Moon
    P.I.L. – Seattle
    The Godfathers – Birth School Work Death
    Siouxsie & The Banshees – Song From the Edge of the World
    Blue Aeroplanes – Warhol’s 15
    Housemartins – People Who Grinned Themselves to Death
    Oingo Boingo – We Close Our Eyes
    Figures on a Beach – No Stars
    House Of Love – Shine On
    Screaming Tribesmen – Casualty Of Love
    The Reivers – In Your Eyes
    The Silos – Mary’s Getting Married
    Dinosaur Jr. – Raisans
    Butthole Surfers – Sweet Loaf
    Sonic Youth – I Got a Catholic Block
    Caterwaul – Connamon Color of My Heart
    The Ramones – Something To Believe In
    Big Dipper – She’s Fetching
    Psychedelic Furs – Midnight To Midnight
    Railway Children – A Gentle Sound
    Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper – Elvis Is Everywhere
    Scruffy The Cat – Land of 1000 Girls
    Screaming Blue Messiahs – Sweet Water Pools
    Dead Milkmen – Bitchin Camaro
    Downsiders – Curl of Hair
    Huxton Creepers – Autumn Leaves
    Ups & Downs – The Living Kind

    • Luv me some Nils!!! I think Doughboys’ debut Whatever was also released in 1987 as well. Both great Montreal bands. Also, Sweet Water Pools, yes!!! Great selection of 25 errrr 59 songs, whatever. Lol

    • Jim Turoczy

      Heads up, Ups & Downs, “The Living Kind” was released in 1986.

  15. My list:

    Marc Almond – Mr. Sad
    Camouflage – The Great Commandment
    Cocteau Twins – Crushed
    The Communards – Tomorrow
    The Cure – How Beautiful You Are…
    The Cure – One More Time
    Depeche Mode – I Want You Now
    Depeche Mode – Strangelove
    Echo & the Bunnymen – Bedbugs and Ballyhoo
    Erasure – Hideaway
    Eurythmics – Shame
    INXS – Mystify
    New Order – Touched by the Hand of God
    Sinead O’Connor – Troy
    Pet Shop Boys – Always on my Mind
    Pet Shop Boys – It’s a Sin
    Siouxsie and the Banshees – The Hall of Mirrors
    Siouxsie and the Banshees – This Wheel’s on Fire
    The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection
    The Smiths – A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours
    The Smiths – Sheila Take a Bow
    A Split Second – Colonial Discharge
    10,000 Maniacs – Don’t Talk
    This Mortal Coil – Acid, Bitter and Sad
    The Young Gods – Did You Miss Me?

    • oh, OUTSTANDING catch on Crushed by the Cocteaus! the Lonely Is an Eyesore comp was indeed released in ’87. that record was epic. i’m going to add this song and Throwing Muses’ Fish to my final list!

  16. Shane Tucker

    Great year for some fine independent music…

  17. MATTHEW JOHNSON

    1 HUSKER DU – Could You Be the One?
    2 LOS LOBOS – Is This All There Is?
    3 R.E.M. – The One I Love
    4 FIREHOSE – Sometimes
    5 ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN – Lips Like Sugar
    6 X – Fourth of July
    7 REPLACEMENTS – Alex Chilton
    8 ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN – Bedbugs and Ballyhoo
    9 REM – Finest Worksong
    10 JESUS & MARY CHAIN – April Skies
    11 THE SILOS – Get Back my Name
    12 LOVE AND ROCKETS – No New Tale to Tell
    13 SMITHS – Girlfriend In a Coma
    14 JULIAN COPE – World Shut Your Mouth
    15 DINOSAUR JR. – In a Jar
    16 THE THE – Infected
    17 DEPECHE MODE – Never Let Me Down Again
    18 THE CURE – Just Like Heaven
    19 U2 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
    20 WORLD PARTY – Ship of Fools
    21 SISTERS OF MERCY – This Corrosion
    22 THE CULT – Li’l Devil
    23 GENE LOVES JEZEBEL – Desire (Come and Get It)
    24 SUGAR CUBES – Birthday
    25 MIDNIGHT OIL – Beds are Burning

    • Matthew;

      World Shut Your Mouth, Ship of Fools and Desire (Come & Get It) are all 1986. They all made the 1986 list. You’ve gor three more choices if you haven’t sent in your ballot, yet.

    • Also, Infected came out in 1986 and made that list. 4 choices

  18. Charles Conner

    may as well post mine:

    THE CURE “JUST LIKE HEAVEN”
    DEPECHE MODE “STRANGELOVE”
    AMERICAN MUSIC CLUB “OUTSIDE THIS BAR”
    THE SMITHS “STOP ME IF YOU THINK YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE”
    R.E.M. “EXHUMING MCCARTHY”
    INXS “NEW SENSATION”
    10,000 MANIACS “DON’T TALK”
    BRYAN FERRY “THE RIGHT STUFF”
    X ” 4TH OF JULY”
    SQUEEZE “HOURGLASS”
    ABC “WHEN SMOKEY SINGS”
    LOS LOBOS “SET ME FREE(ROSA LEE)”
    PAUL KELLY AND THE COLOURED GIRLS “DUMB THINGS”
    THE POGUES “FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK”
    THE COLOURFIELD “RUNNING AWAY”
    ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN “LIPS LIKE SUGAR”
    THE ALARM “RAIN IN THE SUMMERTIME”
    U2 “WITH OR WITHOUT YOU”
    TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY “IF YOU LET ME STAY”
    SUZANNE VEGA “LUKA”
    HOODOO GURUS “I WAS THE ONE”
    PRINCE “HOUSEQUAKE”
    THE STYLE COUNCIL “IT DIDN’T MATTER”
    SQUEEZE “FOOTPRINTS”
    X “SEE HOW WE ARE”

  19. Bill Smith

    I can tell already the final results will piss me off, but here are your correct answers:

    1. Wedding Present: Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft
    2. The Chills: Night Of Chill Blue
    3. Julian Cope: Spacehopper
    4. Dramarama: Worse Than Being By Myself
    5. I Ludicrous: Preposterous Tales
    6. Psychedelic Furs: All Of The Law
    7. The Fleshtones: Way Down South
    8. Guadalcanal Diary: Litany (Life Goes On)
    9. Jerry Harrison: Man With A Gun
    10. The Replacements: Can’t Hardly Wait
    11. Red Hot Chili Peppers: Behind The Sun
    12. Motorhead: Eat The Rich
    13. The Mad Daddys: I Rock
    14. Echo and the Bunnymen: Rollercoaster
    15. Wire: Ahead
    16. Painters and Dockers: Nude School
    17. Luxuria: Redneck
    18. Screaming Blue Messiahs: Sweet Water Pools
    19. Carmaig De Forest: Crack’s No Worse Than The Fascist Threat
    20. Stan Ridgway: The End Of The Line
    21. Sisters Of Mercy: Dominion/Mother Russia
    22. Paul Kelly and the Messengers: Big Heart
    23. Jane’s Addiction: Pigs In Zen
    24. Wooden Soldiers: The Highway Talking
    25. Joe Satriani: Surfing With The Alien

    • Neil Carver

      I have “Man With a Gun” on ’88… “Rev It Up” was released prior to the album in 87, but all I read is “Man With a Gun” is ’88. Your source?

      • Bill Smith

        Hmmm, looks like I nerfed that one; swear when I researched it I saw both singles came out in ’87 before the album in ’88. Alas, swap out Gun for Rev It Up.

    • Luxuria!!! great forgotten record by Howard Devoto. and Noko’s guitar work on that record was excellent. saw them open for the Fall and it was a good show.

    • Jim Turoczy

      Stan Ridgway: The End Of The Line, I have “Bing Can’t Walk” from the Slam Dance Soundtrack.

    • “All Of The Law”: The most underrated song from one of the most underrated bands ever.

    • Wedding Present’s George Best was the best LP of 1987.

  20. addictedtonoise

    It does feel weird having to make sure that songs more associated with 1988 have to get added here in order to be counted (see last three songs).
    My list in no particular order:
    The Smiths – Stop Me If…
    Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again
    U2 – With Or Without You
    U2 – I Still Haven’t Found…
    R.E.M. – The One I Love
    R.E.M. – It’s The End Of The World…
    Jesus And Mary Chain – April Skies
    Replacements – Alex Chilton
    Replacements – The Ledge
    The Cure – Just Like Heaven
    Sinead O’Connor – Mandinka
    INXS – Need You Tonight
    The Cult – Love Removal Machine
    Love And Rockets – No New Tale To Tell
    Siouxsie & The Banshees – The Passenger
    10,000 Maniacs – Like The Weather
    Echo & The Bunnymen – Lips Like Sugar
    Wire – Ahead
    New Order – True Faith
    Dinosaur Jr – Little Fury Things
    Sonic Youth – Schizophrenia
    Pixies – Caribou
    Sugarcubes – Birthday
    The Church – Under The Milky Way
    The Pogues – Fairytale Of New York

  21. Some of the links are pointing at 1986 lists instead of ’87.

  22. Well, here we go again to another poll:

    1 – The Bolshoi – Please
    2 – The Cure – Just like heaven
    3 – Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again
    4 – The Smiths – Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before
    5 – REM – Finest Worksong
    6 – INXS – Need You Tonight
    7 – Echo & The Bunnymen – Lips Like Sugar
    8 – Jesus & Mary Chain – Happy When It Rains
    9 – Sisters of Mercy – Dominion
    10 – Pet Shop Boys – Rent
    11 – Erasure – The Circus
    12 – Housemartins – Build
    13 – Bryan Ferry – Kiss & Tell
    14 – Suzanne Vega – Solitude Standing
    15 – Oingo Boingo – Not My Slave
    16 – David Bowie – Never Let Me Down
    17 – Gene Loves Jezebel – Suspicious
    18 – Laibach – Geburt Einer Nation
    19 – Marc Almond – Ruby Red
    20 – Pet Shop Boys – It’s A Sin
    21 – U2 – Bullet The Blue Sky
    22 – Depeche Mode – Behind The Wheel
    23 – New Order – True Faith
    24 – Boy George – Sold
    25 – Camouflage – The Great Commandment

    Bonus Tracks:
    Level 42 – Running in the Family
    Midnight Oil – Bed Are Burning
    Indochine – La Chevauchée Des Champs de Blés
    REM – The One I Love
    Sisters of Mercy – This Corrosion
    REM – It’s The End Of The World As We Know It
    Terence Trent D’Arby – Wishing Well
    M/A/R/R/S – Pump Up The Volume
    George Michael – Faith
    Cabaret Voltaire – Here To Go
    Dead Or Alive – Son of a Gun
    Nitzer Ebb – Let Your Body Learn

  23. Can anyone verify that the following are frome 1987 and thus qualify?

    Understanding Jane – The Icicle Works
    Girlfriend in a Coma – The Smiths
    Balloon Man – Robyn Hitchcock
    The Passenger – Siouxsee and the Banshees

    Limiting the list to 25 is proving to be brutal — moreso than usual.

    • Ok, per Discogs, Understanding Jane was released as a single in 1986, even though the album it’s from was released in 87, it’s ineligible for 1987.

      Per Discogs, Balloon Man wasn’t realeased as a single and on the Box of Frogs albums until 1988.

      So, you have two songs for 1987 and one for 1988.

      • Thanks. As much as I hate to do it, it’s bye-bye to “Undesrtanding Jane” but at least that makes room something else in a difficult process.

        “Balloon Man” was indeed released as single, and in the US two. I still have the 45 of it. Will do some digging for a date.

  24. i definitely know that Girlfriend in a Coma and The Passenger are both from 1987. I’ll check the other two.

  25. Neil Carver

    Man… missed this being posted… sad I didn’t get my list up earlier.

    Here is my first pass… then I’ll go through and look at what others have posted for what I missed.

    All songs vetted on Wikipedia primarily and limited to one per artist for more diversity.

    25. Hunters & Collectors, “Faraway Man”
    24. The Alarm, “Rain in the Summertime”
    23. Depeche Mode, “Strangelove (album version)”
    22. The Apartments, “The Shyest Time”
    21. X, “4th of July”
    20. Suzanne Vega, “In the Eye”
    19. R.E.M. “It’s the End of the World as We Know It”
    18. Midnight Oil, “Beds are Burning”
    17. Immaculate Fools, “Tragic Comedy”
    16. Marillion, “Sugar Mice”
    15. U2, “With or Without You”
    14. Age of Chance, “Kiss”
    13. Love & Rockets, “No New Tale to Tell”
    12. The Cult, “Love Removal Machine”
    11. INXS, “Need You Tonight”
    10. Terence Trent D’Arby, “Wishing Well”
    9. The Replacements, “Alex Chilton”
    8. Drivin’ & Cryin’, “The Friend Song”
    7. Sisters of Mercy, “Lucretia My Reflection”
    6. Echo and the Bunnymen, “Lips Like Sugar”
    5. Bourgeois Tagg, “I Don’t Mind at All”
    4. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, “My Bag”
    3. Sinead O’Conner, “Troy”
    2. The Cure, “Just Like Heaven”
    1. Robbie Robertson, “Broken Arrow”

    • Neil Carver

      Almost Rans

      The Smiths, “Shoplifters of the World Unite”
      Guns ‘n Roses, “Paradise City”
      Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Fight Like a Brave”
      Prince, “U Got the Look”
      The Psychedelic Furs, “
      Flesh for Lulu, “I Go Crazy”
      The Dead Milkmen, “Instant Club Hit (You’ll Dance to Anything)
      Squeeze, “Hourglass”
      Eurythmics, “Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)”
      Julian Cope, “Planet Ride”
      Bryan Ferry, “Kiss and Tell”
      Pixies, “I’ve Been Tired”
      Billy Bragg, “The Milkman of Human Kindness”
      Sting, “Little Wing”
      Pet Shop Boys, “What Have I Done to Deserve This?”
      Curiosity Killed the Cat, “Ordinary Day”
      Level 42, “It’s Over”
      10,000 Maniacs, “What’s the Matter Here?”
      Jesus & Mary Chain, “Cherry Came Too”
      The Housemartins, “The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death”
      Warren Zevon, “Sentimental Hygiene”
      Icehouse, “Crazy”
      Marshall Crenshaw, “Somebody Crying”

      One Too Many

      Depeche Mode, “Never Let Me Down” (or several other tracks off of Music for the Masses)
      Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, “Detroit City”
      Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, “Hey Rusty”
      Sinead O’Connor, “Jerusalem” (or basically anything off of The Lion & the Cobra)
      The Replacements, “Can’t Hardly Wait”
      R.E.M., “Disturbance at the Heron House”

      • Andy Patterson

        Great lists and other comments, Neil. Am curious: What was your Psychedelic Furs choice?

        • Neil Carver

          Thanks! These polls are a blast and seeing other’s choices is great. I end up expanding my collection after every year’s results are posted, and discussing music that was (and is) so important to us… good times.

          My choice for the Psych Furs was either, “All of the Law” or “Shock” (a bit of guilty pleasure that second one). Probably why I forgot to fill that out, as I was still trying to decide.

          • Agreed, agreed, agreed!!!

            Those were also the two Furs songs I considered. I played “All of the Law” first, then hit repeat again and again, and never looked back! It still sounds so GREAT. But I need to revisit “Shock” before submission time, since that was my original plan. Thanks for the reminder, man!

      • Bill Smith

        Hey Rusty came soooo close to making my list; best on that record by far.

    • Neil Carver

      Ok… with “Under the Milky Way” and “Birthday” both requiring spots on the ’87 list… I also need a ruling on “Man With a Gun” from Jerry Harrison. Those are essential votes. Both Wikipedia and Discogs put it at ’88, but I don’t want to miss my chance to vote for it. https://www.discogs.com/Jerry-Harrison-Casual-Gods-Man-With-A-Gun/master/105869

      I now feel i should post my ’88 list just to see what else actually belongs in ’87.

      • I think you’re safe. Rev It Up was the first single and the album didn’t come out until February, 1988

  26. Scott Harrison

    Not seeing any Eurythmics tracks on these lists!!!! It’s one of their best albums! I’m going to have an incredibly difficult time with this year, it means more to me than any other year of music.

  27. Bill Smith

    For what it’s worth, WFMU had an advance recording of Robyn Hitchcock’s Vibrating in fall of ‘87. Not available to the public unless you taped it from Our Old Pal Irwin.

  28. steinomite

    1987 (What the F*ck Is Going On?)

    1. New Order – True Faith
    2. New Order – Touched by the Hand of God
    3. Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again
    4. Depeche Mode – Strangelove
    5. Nitzer Ebb – Join in the Chant
    6. Stockholm Monsters – Partyline
    7. Happy Mondays – 24 Hour Party People
    8. Happy Mondays – Tart Tart
    9. Echo & The Bunnymen – Lips Like Sugar
    10. The Cure – Just Like Heaven
    11. The Smiths – Sheila Take A Bow
    12. The Smiths – Stop Me…
    13. Erasure – It Doesn’t Have To Be
    14. Wire – Ahead
    15. Felt – She Lives by the Castle
    16. Felt – The Final Resting of the Ark
    17. M|A|R|R|S – Pump Up The Volume
    18. The Wake – Gruesome Castle
    19. The Wake – Pale Spectre
    20. Pixies – Nimrod’s Son
    21. A.R. Kane – Lollita
    22. Renegade Soundwave – Cocaine Sex
    23. Pet Shop Boys – It’s A Sin
    24. Pet Shop Boys – Always on my Mind
    25. Rhythim Is Rhythim – Nude Photo

  29. John Thomas

    The Church – Under the milky way
    New Order – True Faith
    The Cure – Just Like Heaven
    Bangles – Hazy Shade of Winter
    Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down
    Echo and the Bunnymen – Lips Like Sugar
    Pet Shop Boys – What have I done to deserve this
    Prince – U Got the look
    Siouxsie and the Banshees – The Passenger
    U2 – With or Without You
    Depeche Mode – Strangelove
    INXS – New Sensation
    Men without hats – pop goes the world
    New Order – 1963
    Pet Shop Boys – It’s a Sin
    U2 – I still haven’t found what I’m Looking for
    When In Rome – The Promise
    REM – It’s the end of the world
    Replacements – Alex Chilton
    Depeche Mode – Behind the Wheel
    Camouflage – The great commandment
    Figures on a beach – No stars
    Alarm – Rain in the summertime
    Flesh For Lulu – I go crazy
    Squeeze – Hourglass

  30. Andy Patterson

    What a year! And what a fantastic, albeit tough, batch of songs to choose from. But here goes nothing (which I nearly chose as a second Depeche Mode entry :P)!

    The Alarm, “Rain in the Summertime”
    David Bowie, “Time Will Crawl”
    The Church, “Under the Milky Way”
    The Cure, “Just Like Heaven”
    Depeche Mode, “Never Let Me Down Again”
    Echo and the Bunnymen, “Lips Like Sugar”
    Bryan Ferry, “Kiss and Tell”
    Flesh for Lulu, “I Go Crazy”
    Gene Loves Jezebel, “Vagabond (A New Adventure)”
    Michael Hutchence, “Rooms for the Memory”
    Icehouse, “Crazy”
    INXS, “Need You Tonight”
    INXS, “Never Tear Us Apart”
    The Jesus and Mary Chain, “Darklands”
    New Order, “True Faith”
    Public Image Ltd, “Seatte”
    The Psychedelic Furs, “All of the Law”
    R.E.M., “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”
    R.E.M., “The One I Love”
    The Replacements, “Alex Chilton”
    The Replacements, “Can’t Hardly Wait”
    The Smiths, “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”
    Sting, “We’ll Be Together”
    U2, “One Tree Hill”
    U2, “With or Without You”

    • good list!

      • Andy Patterson

        Thanks, man. And more thanks for the “Fragile” mention elsewhere. That slip is another reminder that it really has been 33 years! 

        • one band you forgot though: TRIUMPH. seriously man, TRIUMPH had an album and two singles that year! hell yeah, TRIUMPH!

          • D’OH!!! A major, major oversight on my part. But the good news is I haven’t submitted my selections, yet! Cue two Triumph-ant votes! And “Surveillance” will also be getting my vote for Best Album Cover of 1987. 

    • Neil Carver

      See… this is what is so great… not only did our comments here get me listening to “Midnight to Midnight” front to back again… but now I’m listening to PIL’s “Seattle” which I’d probably not listened to in twenty years. Great song.

      • Andy Patterson

        Cool! Yeah, I love “Seattle”–both song AND city. And it’s also one of those tunes you can file under that unique category of great songs with titles that don’t appear in the lyrics, like “Space Oddity,” “Pop Song 89,” “How Soon Is Now?” and friends.

  31. pretty predictable this year, probably owing to the surplus of legitimately good songs that somehow also became hits, and i still need to pare this down to 25. still:

    New Order – True Faith
    The Cure – Just Like Heaven
    The Cure – Why Can’t I Be You
    Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down
    Depeche Mode – Strangelove
    The Smiths – Sheila Take a Bow
    The Smiths – Shoplifters of the World Unite
    Game Theory – The Real Sheila
    Game Theory – Together Now, Very Minor
    REM – ITEOTWAWKI(AIFF)
    REM – The One I Love
    The Replacements – Alex Chilton
    The Replacements – Can’t Hardly Wait
    The Church – Under the Milky Way
    Husker Du – Could You Be the One
    Throwing Muses – Reel
    JMC – April Skies
    Echo & the Bunnymen – Lips Like Sugar
    American Music Club – Outside this Bar
    X – Fourth of July
    Wire – Ahead
    10,000 Maniacs – What’s the Matter Here
    Pixies – Caribou
    The Gun Club – Breaking Hands
    The Gun Club – Bill Bailey
    M/A/R/R/S – Pump Up the Volume
    The Fall – Hit the North
    Psychedelic Furs – Heartbreak Beat
    Skinny Puppy – Addiction
    Sisters of Mercy – This Corrosion
    Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection

    • Game Theory!

      • damn right, Game Theory! Lolita Nation was epic and got a lot of college airplay too. i thin Spin magazine wrote up Lolita Nation and Guns n Roses in the same issue, if you can believe that. what times those were!

  32. And Also The Trees – Shaletown
    The Cure – Just Like Heaven
    Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again
    The Fall – Hit The North
    Front 242 – Masterhit
    House of Love – Shine On
    The Invincible Spirit – Make A Device
    INXS – Devil Inside
    Jesus & Mary Chain – April Skies
    Jesus & Mary Chain – Happy When It Rains
    Lowlife – A Sullen Sky
    Lowlife – Eternity Road
    New Model Army – The Charge
    New Order – True Faith
    One Thousand Violins – If I Were A Bullet (Then For Sure I’d Find A Way To Your Heart)
    One Thousand Violins – Locked Out Of The Love In
    Psyche – Uncivilised
    R.E.M – The One I Love
    Sad Lovers & Giants – Seven Kinds Of Sin
    Salt n Pepa – Push It
    Sisters of Mercy – Dominion/Mother Russia
    Sisters of Mercy – Flood II
    The Smiths – Stop Me If You Think…
    Stone Roses – Sally Cinnamon
    U2 – Bullet The Blue Sky

  33. My tentative list. If anyone could be so kind as to let me know if there is anything on it that is ineligible before I officially submit it I would be grateful. (The order may change as well.) 1987 was such an important year for me personally, so I want to get it right!

    I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2
    Fairytale of New York – The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
    A Campfire Song – 10,000 Maniacs
    With Or Without You – U2
    The One I Love – R.E.M.
    Dreamworld – Midnight Oil
    Strangelove – Depeche Mode
    Like The Weather – 10,000 Maniacs
    Welcome To The Occupation – R.E.M.
    Beds Are Burning – Midnight Oil
    Big Decision – That Petrol Emotion
    Pop Goes The World – Men Without Hats
    Troy – Sinead O’Connor
    A Hazy Shade Of Winter – The Bangles
    True Faith – New Oder
    Girlfriend In A Coma – The Smiths
    Driving Away From Home – It’s Immaterial
    Beethoven (I Love To Listen To) – Eurythmics
    4th of July – X
    The Passenger – Siouxsee and the Banshees
    Under The Milky Way – The Chruch
    Build – The Housemartins
    Just Like Heaven – The Cure
    Luka – Suzanne Vega
    A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours – The Smiths

  34. Michael Reed

    I’ve dedicated my Top 25 to songs that might not get as much love as they should. Perhaps there are a few you might want to add to your list?

    Shelleyan Orphan, “Anatomy of Love”
    Big Pig, “I Can’t Break Away
    Prince, “The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker
    Cindy Lee Berryhill, “Damn, Wish I Were A Man
    Corps Diplomatique, “The Picture”
    Danielle Dax, “Big Hollow Man”
    The Rainmakers, “Snakedance”
    Roger Waters, “Radio Waves”
    The Reivers, “In Your Eyes”
    Blue Rodeo, “Til I Am Myself Again”
    The Bolshoi, “Please”
    Deacon Blue, “Chocolate Girl”
    The Dream Academy, “The Lesson Of Love”
    Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, “Can’t Promise You The World”
    Fishbone, “It’s A Wonderful Life (Gonna Have A Good Time)”
    Guadalcanal Diary, “Litany (Life Goes On)”
    Hoodoo Gurus, “What’s My Scene”
    The Housemartins, “Five Get Over-Excited”
    Jon Astley, “Jane’s Getting Serious”
    Thrashing Doves, “Beautiful Imbalance”
    Wendy And Lisa, “Waterfall”
    Wet Wet Wet, “Wishing I Was Lucky”
    The Lucy Show, “A Million Things”
    The Mighty Lemon Drops, “The Other Side Of You”
    Screaming Blue Messiahs, “I Wanna Be A Flintstone”

    • Neil P Carver

      Damn… both Big Pig and Danielle Dax were on my 88 list… but they have these non-North America releases that put them on ’87. Well, they can’t make the cut for this year. Too bad.

      • But the Big Pig debut album, “Bonk” was not released until 1988. Some of those cuts will almost certainly make my 1988 list.

        Whatever happened to Big Pig anyway?

        One album I have forgotten was 1987 was Lone Justice’s “Shelter.” Not nearly as good as the debut but “I Found Love” and/or “Dixie Storms” might bump a song or two out of my top 25 list.

        Ugh. This really is brutal.

        • Neil Carver

          Yeah… I knew ’87 would be tough, but that was before all these ’88 songs got bumped up a year… now it is truly grueling. I’m having to choose simply based on what I remember enjoying the most at the time, vs. any kind of arguable artistic merit.

          • Yeah, this triage is just agony.

            I just remembered another song that must make my 25:

            “Pick Up The Pieces” by The BoDeans.

    • I have Danielle Dax on my list, even though I didn’t hear the song until 1988. Amazing song.

    • Bill Smith

      I had Big Hollow Man on my pre-cutdown list, but I’m keeping my powder dry for Cat House.

  35. My list in alphabetical order:

    Butthole Surfers – Sweat Loaf
    The Cure – Catch
    Danielle Dax – Big Hollow Man
    Dinosaur Jr. – Little Fury Things
    Echo & the Bunnymen – Lips Like Sugar
    Eurythmics – I Need a Man
    Bryan Ferry – Kiss and Tell
    The Godfathers – Birth, School, Work, Death
    Husker Du – Could You Be the One?
    The Jesus & Mary Chain – April Skies
    Love & Rockets – No New Tale To Tell
    My Bloody Valentine – Strawberry Wine
    Nitzer Ebb- Join In the Chant
    Sinead O’Connor – Mandinka
    Pixies – Caribou
    R.E.M. – Finest Worksong
    Siouxsie & the Banshees – The Passenger
    The Sisters of Mercy – This Corrosion
    The Smiths – Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before
    Sonic Youth – (I Got A) Catholic Block
    The Sugarcubes – Birthday
    The Vaselines – Son of a Gun
    Suzanne Vega – Tom’s Diner
    Wire – Ahead
    X – 4th of July

    Birth School Work Death by the Godfathers, like the Sugarcubes Birthday came out as a single in 1987 even though the album it’s the title track of cane out in 1988.

    • Neil Carver

      Yeah, the Godfather’s were on my ’88 list as well… now they don’t make the cut for ’87. It is sad.

  36. My picks for the best songs of 1987:

    Happy Mondays – “24 Hour Party People”
    New Order, “True Faith”
    New Order, “Touched by the Hand of God”
    The Cure, “Just Like Heaven”
    The Church, “Under the Milky Way”
    Echo and the Bunnymen, “Lips Like Sugar”
    Echo and the Bunnymen, “The Game”
    The Pogues, “Fairytale of New York”
    Jesus and Mary Chain, “Happy when it Rains”
    Jesus and Mary Chain, “April Skies”
    The Vaselines, “Son of a Gun”
    The Vaselines, “Rory Rides Me Raw”
    Rodney Allen, “Happy Sad”
    REM, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It”
    World Party, “Ship of Fools”
    Siouxsie and the Banshees, “The Passenger”
    Love and Rockets, “No New Tale to Tell”
    Sisters of Mercy, “This Corrosion”
    Sisters of Mercy, “Lucretia My Reflection”
    Front 242, “Quite Unusual”
    Sinead O’Connor, “Mandinka”
    Sinead O’Connor, “Just Like You Said it Would Be”
    10,000 Maniacs, “Like the Weather”
    REM, “Finest Worksong”
    Men Without Hats, “Pop Goes the World”
    Dead Milkmen, “Instant Club Hit”

    Can’t choose between what Smiths songs or Depeche songs to put down, they are both brilliant albums. Like choosing a favorite child, best not thought about.

  37. Neil Carver

    Ah NO! I just realized another song I had for ’88 is actually from ’87.

    Public Enemy’s “Bring the Noise” was issued on the Less Than Zero in 1987, prior to ’88s “… Nation of Millions…” and the rerelease of the single.

    This is a must have.

  38. I missed Faith No More’s We Care a Lot. The Radio Free Europe role would apply to it as it is a re-recording of the title track of their 1985 album. I think they had a different lead singer by 87, too. Wish I had remembered it!

    • Neil Carver

      Yeah, I have mixed feelings about the “Radio Free Europe” scenarios… as with “Take on Me” and “West End Girls”. I feel anyone voting for the earlier, basically unknown and often significantly worse version is either a) trying to be hipster, b) revisionist to say they even knew about that original version back then, or c) most likely confused and not realizing that they aren’t voting for the song they actually know and like.

      The ’81 RFE was noteworthy, but in the case of the two above, and “We Care a Lot” as you mentioned… the second version was the good version, and it screws up the voting tremendously to have the good one compete with the lesser original. I voted for We Care a Lot on ’85 because I saw others note it… not realizing that it wasn’t actually the song I knew and loved.

      Same thing with Hunters and Collectors “Throw Your Arms Around Me”… they re-recorded that almost a half-dozen times, and it was a later version that was quite different that was the more notable version.

      I mean, I know this is all meaningless fandom, but I’d like to see the votes accurately reflected.

      I honestly think one of the coolest things would be, once we are through ’89, that the Top 100 songs of the decade (inevitably a poll in the future) can be constructed from ALL the votes across the ten years. Even if someone voted for “Bitchin’ Camaro” in ’87 while it was actually from ’85, that vote counts for the decade. (Just to reflect something I saw here.)

      You might get a more pure reflection of “favorite songs of the 80’s” that way. If nothing else would be cool to see how that plays out compared to what ultimately is voted on.

      • Actually, I can think of one example of this where the original recording was by far the best, Pretty in Pink by the Psychedelic Furs. The original is wonderful. The rerecording for the movie is so watered-down and blah.

        • Neil Carver

          Fair point. I actually like both, but I agree the original is better… but I’d also think it is likely that 99% of people only know the soundtrack rerecording. Though the people voting here are the ones who likely do know them both, and the difference.

          I have no idea how known/popular the original was, as I didn’t discover it until I’d heard the movie version. I didn’t discover them until ’85ish when I got to college. It was all “The Ghost in You” and other Mirror Moves tracks. I remember a few years later being amazed when I discovered the original Pretty In Pink and how edgy and different it was.

      • Bill Smith

        Add “Bedbugs and Ballyhoo” to that as well; the original b-side is a curiosity, no more.

      • With “We Care a Lot,” I really think it depends on the station you listened to. I was actually ONLY familiar with the original version and didn’t find out that it had been re-recorded until way later, as my station (San Francisco) didn’t really play the 1987 version OR the Mike Patton version. (I just went back and listened and yeah, the 1985 version is the one I’m familiar with)

        This rule really threw me on some early Go-Go’s songs.
        /s/ Not a Hipster ;)

  39. SO many great songs this year!!!! Can’t wait for ’88 and ’89 either. Thanks Matt for all your hard work. I love listening to your Dark Wave shows. I wish Darkwave had its own Sirius station. My list, in alphabetical order:

    Camouflage, “The Great Commandment”
    The Church, “Under The Milky Way”
    The Cure, “Catch”
    The Cure, “Just Like Heaven”
    Depeche Mode, “Behind the Wheel”
    Depeche Mode, “Nothing”
    Echo And The Bunnymen, “Bedbugs and Ballyhoo”
    Echo And The Bunnymen, “Lips Like Sugar”
    Front 242, “Masterhit”
    INXS, “Mystify”
    INXS, “Never Tear Us Apart”
    The Jesus And Mary Chain, “April Skies”
    Love And Rockets, “Mirror People”
    Love And Rockets, “No New Tale To Tell”
    Midnight Oil, “Beds Are Burning”
    New Order, “Touched By The Hand of God”
    New Order, “True Faith”
    Pailhead, “I Will Refuse”
    Pet Shop Boys, “Rent”
    Pet Shop Boys, “What Have I Done to Deserve This?”
    Siouxsie And The Banshees, “The Passenger”
    Siouxsie And The Banshees, “This Wheel’s On Fire”
    The Sisters of Mercy, “Lucretia My Reflection”
    The Sisters of Mercy, “This Corrosion”
    The Smiths, “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me”

  40. Rann Xeroxx

    Sisters of Mercy, “Lucretia My Reflection”
    Sisters of Mercy, “Dominion / Mother Russia”
    The Smiths, “Death of a Disco Dancer”
    The Smiths, “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me”
    The Cure, “Just Like Heaven”
    The Cure, “Hot, Hot, Hot!!!”
    Midnight Oil, “Put Down That Weapon”
    Midnight Oil, “Dreamworld”
    Front 242, “Quite Unusual”
    Depeche Mode, “Strangelove”
    Depeche Mode, “Never Let Me Down Again”
    R.E.M, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”
    Echo & The Bunnymen, “Lips Like Sugar”
    The Replacements, “Can’t Hardly Wait”
    Dead Can Dance, “Xavier”
    Dead Can Dance, “Dawn of the Iconoclast”
    Pet Shop Boys, “It’s a Sin”
    Pet Shop Boys, “Heart”
    Siouxsie and the Banshees, “The Passenger”
    10,000 Maniacs, “Like the Weather”
    Nitzer Ebb, “Join In the Chant”
    INXS, “Never Tear Us Apart”
    The Church, “Under the Milky Way”
    New Order, “True Faith”
    Love and Rockets, “No New Tale to Tell”

  41. December 7, 1987. Baltimore. Johns Hopkins University. Shriver Hall. 10,000 Maniacs,

    I was there.

    Wish I could include all 12 songs off of “In My Tribe”on my list, but oh well.

  42. Jacob’s Ladder – Huey Lewis & The News
    The Way it Is – Bruce Hornsby & The Range
    True Faith – New Order

  43. 01 New Order – True Faith
    02 U2 – With or Without You
    03 U2 – Where the Streets Have No Name
    04 The Smiths – Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before
    05 Prince – U Got the Look
    06 Prince – I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
    07 R.E.M. – Finest Worksong
    08 INXS – Need You Tonight
    09 Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again
    10 Depeche Mode – Behind the Wheel
    11 The Cure – Hot Hot Hot!!!
    12 The Cure – All I Want
    13 Pet Shop Boys – It’s a Sin
    14 Pet Shop Boys – What Have I Done to Deserve This?
    15 10,000 Maniacs – Hey Jack Kerouac
    16 Def Leppard – Armageddon It
    17 Midnight Oil – The Dead Heart
    18 Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning
    19 Erasure – Victim of Love
    20 Echo + the Bunnymen – Lips Like Sugar
    21 R.E.M. – The One I Love
    22 INXS – Devil Inside
    23 Echo + the Bunnmen – Bedbugs and Ballyhoo
    24 The Smiths – Sheila Take a Bow
    25 Sisters of Mercy – Dominion/Mother Russia

  44. Initially thought I’d end up with a more dance-oriented list.
    Then I came across an old 120 Minutes video and fell down an American indie rabbit hole.
    Of course those had to cram in with the songs that are just too big to fail. Corporate America, amirite?

    All Going Out Together/ Big Dipper
    Back From Somewhere / Husker Du
    Birth School Work Death / The Godfathers
    Brilliant Disguise / Bruce Springsteen
    Clean Sheets / Descendents
    Don’t Talk / 10,000 Maniacs
    Eat The Rich / Motorhead
    Eternal Ice / Yung Wu
    Geburt Einer Nation / Laibach
    Going Back to Cali / LL Cool J
    In Spite of These Times / Close Lobsters
    Just Like Heaven / The Cure
    Les histoires d’a / Les Rita Mitsouko
    Love Removal Machine / The Cult
    Moonhead / Thin White Rope
    Never Let Me Down / Depeche Mode
    Pump Up The Volume / M/A/R/R/S
    Starfish and Coffee / Prince
    The Breaking Hands / Gun Club
    There’s a Ghost in My House / The Fall
    True Faith / New Order
    Under the Milky Way / The Church
    We Care A Lot / Faith No More
    What Have I Done To Deserve This? / Pet Shop Boys
    Your Gonna Get Yours / Public Enemy

    I’m going to let the marinate a couple of days before submitting. But it’s close.

  45. patrick karlsson

    The Wedding Present “Give My Love to Kevin”
    The Cure “Just Like Heaven”
    McCarthy “God Made the Virus”
    The Smiths “Girlfriend in a Coma”
    Front 242 “Quite Unusual”
    Joe Strummer “The Unknown Immortal”
    Sinéad O’Connor “Jackie”
    Hunters & Collectors “Do You See What I See?”
    Pet Shop Boys “Rent”
    The Triffids “A Trick Of The Light”
    Depeche Mode “Behind the Wheel”
    The Jesus and Mary Chain “Happy When It Rains”
    R.E.M. “Finest Worksong”
    Siouxsie and the Banshees “Hall Of Mirrors”
    David Bowie “Never Let Me Down”
    Sisters of Mercy “Lucretia My Reflection”
    Swans “Children of God”
    Spear Of Destiny “Never Take Me Alive”
    The Fall “Hit The North”
    Nitzer Ebb “Let Beauty Loose”
    The Housemartins “Me And The Farmer”
    The Replacements “Alex Chilton”
    Green on Red “Sixteen Ways”
    The Screaming Blue Messiahs “I Wanna Be a Flintstone”
    Wire “Advantage In Height”

  46. It says a lot about what a great year 1987 was that songs near the bottom of my ranked list would have likely made the top ten in other years. Here is the top 25 list I submitted, with an extension to 40 of 15 songs that just couldn’t quite make it. Making this list was probably the hardest one yet. The extended portion of the list sticks with the no more than two songs per album poll.

    1 I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2
    2 Fairytale of New York – The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
    3 A Campfire Song – 10,000 Maniacs
    4 One Tree Hill – U2
    5 The One I Love – R.E.M.
    6 Dreamworld – Midnight Oil
    7 Strangelove – Depeche Mode
    8 Like The Weather – 10,000 Maniacs
    9 Welcome To The Occupation – R.E.M.
    10 Put Down That Weapon – Midnight Oil
    11 Big Decision – That Petrol Emotion
    12 Pop Goes The World – Men Without Hats
    13 Troy – Sinead O’Connor
    14 A Hazy Shade Of Winter – The Bangles
    15 True Faith – New Oder
    16 Girlfriend In A Coma – The Smiths
    17 Driving Away From Home – It’s Immaterial
    18 Beethoven (I Love To Listen To) – Eurythmics
    19 The Passenger – Siouxsee and the Banshees
    20 Under The Milky Way – The Chruch
    21 Build – The Housemartins
    22 Pick Up The Pieces – The BoDeans
    23 Luka – Suzanne Vega
    24 Gypsy – Suzanne Vega
    25 A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours – The Smiths

    26. Just Like Heaven – The Cure
    27. Dixie Storms – Lone Justice
    28. I Found Love – Lone Justice
    29. Tougher Than The Rest – Bruce Springsteen
    30. Big Love – Fleetwood Mac
    31. Fragile – Sting
    32. Jackie – Sinead O’Conner
    33. Don’t Shed A Tear – Paul Carrack
    34. I Don’t Mind At All – Bourgeois Tagg
    35. I Got My Mind Set On You – George Harrison
    36. I Need A Man – Eurythmics
    37. Five Get Overexcited – The Housemartins
    38. Hot, Hot, Hot – The Cure
    39. Hot, Hot, Hot – Buster Poindexter
    40. Never LEt Me Down – Depeche Mode

    • Neil Carver

      Great selection as always. And finally… someone else at least mentions Bourgeois Tagg. That album is tremendous, and “I Don’t Mind At All” simply amazing.

      I honestly do not own any Lone Justice. I remember them, but they never reached the “gotta buy ’em” level. I’ll have to reacquaint myself with them.

      • Thanks!

        Lone Justice only made two studio albums. The first one is the one to start with. The second tried to be a bit more radio friendly with more polished production, but some of the songs, like the two listed above, were excellent.

        I remember listening to the debut album in college in my dorm room. Other guys on the hall when stop by and say “what is that?” Some in an awed way, some in a totally didn’t get it sort of way.

        Yeah, I don’t get why “I Don’t Mind At All” isn’t well remembered. Had it been a weaker year for music it would have easily made my top 25. Leaving it off was painful.

        • Neil Carver

          Ok… did some brief Lone Justice research… and I can see how they were a decade ahead of when their core southern roots/country influenced songs would have been huge. And you can hear on “Shelter” how they were pushing her into a Stevie Nicks vibe, which sounds great, but really isn’t what they are all about.

          • Yeah, “Shelter” was a blatant play for commercial radio attention, and the rest of the album was sort of a mix of that and attempts to stay true to their roots. That album has some good stuff on it, but it is the debut that really put them on the map — well, my map, at least!

          • I’d also add that in regards to Bourgeois Tagg, not only are both their albums out a print in any physical format, there are not available on either Apple or Amazon streaming. “I Don’t Mind At All” is a forgotten gem.

          • Saw Lone Justice open up for U2 at the Cow Palace in ’87. A great double bill for a mere $16.50. Again, what a year!

    • Neil Carver

      Too late, but I just realized that It’s Immaterial “Drive Away From Home” is from ’86.

  47. Robert Dom

    I know half these songs won’t make the list, but all of them deserve to be there.

    Jon Astley – Jane’s Getting Serious
    Big Black – Bad Penny
    The Church – Under the Milky Way
    The Cure – Just Like Heaven
    Dead Milkmen – Instant Club Hit (You’ll Dance to Anything)
    Echo & the Bunnymen – People Are Strange
    Eleventh Dream Day – Cascade
    Eurythmics – Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)
    Faith No More – We Care a Lot
    The Fall – Australians in Europe
    Guadalcanal Diary – Litany (Life Goes On)
    My Bloody Valentine – (Please) Lose Yourself in Me
    Sinead O’Connor – Just Call Me Joe
    Oingo Boingo – Not My Slave
    Pailhead – I Will Refuse
    Pixies – Levitate Me
    R.E.M. – Fireplace
    The Replacements – Alex Chilton
    Screeching Weasel – Experience the Ozzfish
    Siouxsie & the Banshees – Song From the Edge of the World
    The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection
    The Smiths – Sheila Take a Bow
    Sonic Youth – Schizophrenia
    Soundgarden – Nothing to Say
    Suzanne Vega- Solitude Standing

    • Damn. I could I have forgotten Guadalcanal Diary?

      In any case, had the no more than two songs per album not been in place the following albums would have almost certainly had more than two songs on my list.

      The Joshua Tree – U2
      In My Tribe – 10,000 Maniacs
      Document – R.E.M.
      Diesel and Dust – Midnight Oil
      The Lion And The Cobra – Sinead O’Conner

      • Robert Dom

        I try to limit myself to one per artist, so I can vote for more artists. Love the last three albums you posted.

  48. john anderson

    My list in no particular order; all singles (and one B-side that got heavy airplay):
    U2, “In God’s Country”
    Grateful Dead, “Touch of Grey”
    Johnny Hates Jazz, “Shattered Dreams”
    Squeeze, “Hourglass”
    Bruce Springsteen, “Brilliant Disguise”
    Los Lobos, “La Bamba”
    The Stone Roses, “Sally Cinnamon”
    The Replacements, “Can’t Hardly Wait”
    Suzanne Vega, “Luka”
    Bruce Hornsby & The Range, “The Way it Is”
    Rhythim Is Rhythim aka Derrick May, “Strings of Life”
    Pat Metheny Group, “Last Train Home”
    World Party, “Ship of Fools”
    Danny Wilson, “Mary’s Prayer”
    Phuture, “Acid Tracks”
    The Wedding Present, “My Favorite Dress”
    Hoodoo Gurus, “What’s My Scene?”
    U2, “The Sweetest Thing”
    The Fall, “Hit the North”
    Bomb The Bass, “Beat Dis”
    Pet Shop Boys, “It’s A Sin”
    R.E.M., “The One I Love”
    INXS, “Never Tear Us Apart”
    The Sugarcubes, “Birthday”
    10,000 Maniacs, “Like The Weather”

    Hard list to make, but I decided to go with my gut and boost some more of my “underdog” favorites. I could easily list at least 100 – 150 singles from ’87 that I really, really enjoy. And then there’s all those great album cuts. What an excellent year for music.

    • Neil Carver

      Love seeing “What’s My Scene?” on here.

      Also, “Ship of Fools” was on the ’86 list (released as a single in ’86) so that frees up a spot if you haven’t voted, yet.

  49. john anderson

    Argh! Wikipedia lied to me, (had said January ’87 single release)…

  50. I’ve got it down to 100 from over 400. Now I just have to cut out 75 of these. At least 30 or so probably have no chance of making the final list, so I won’t bother voting for those, but that still leaves at least another 40 I have to cut.

    ABC – When Smokey Sings
    Eric B. & Rakim – Paid In Full (Seven Minutes Of Madness – The Coldcut Remix)
    The Bodines – Skankin Queens
    The Cat Heads – Hangin Around
    The Chesterfield Kings – Baby Doll
    Cleaners From Venus – A Mercury Girl
    Close Lobsters – Just Too Bloody Stupid
    Julian Cope – Trampolene
    Marshall Crenshaw – Somebody Crying
    Marshall Crenshaw – This Is Easy
    The Cure – Hot Hot Hot !!!
    The Cure – Why Can’t I Be You?
    Martha Davis – Don’t Tell Me The Time
    Danielle Dax – Inky Bloaters
    Danielle Dax Big Hollow Man
    The Downsiders – Another Horn’s Cry (Count On Your Hands)
    The Dukes Of Stratosphear – Collideascope
    The Dukes Of Stratosphear – Vanishing Girl
    Echo & The Bunnymen – The Game
    Echo & The Bunnymen – People Are Strange
    Flesh For Lulu – I Go Crazy
    Frazier Chorus – Sloppy Heart
    The Groove Farm – Surfin’ Into Your Heart
    Guadalcanal Diary – Get Over It
    George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You
    The Heart Throbs – Bang
    Hoodoo Gurus – What’s My Scene
    The Housemartins – Five Get Over Excited
    The Jesus And Mary Chain – Happy When It Rains
    Joan Jett (aka The Barbusters) – Light Of Day
    Kid Creole And The Coconuts – Dancin’ At The Bains Douches
    Lime Spiders – Just One Solution
    Lime Spiders – Weirdo Libido
    Los Lobos – Shakin’ Shakin’ Shakes
    Love And Rockets – Mirror People
    Love And Rockets – No New Tale To Tell
    Paul McCartney – Dont Get Around Much Anymore
    John Cougar Mellencamp – Paper In Fire
    Men Without Hats – Pop Goes The World
    Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning
    Midnight Oil – The Dead Heart
    The Mighty Lemon Drops – Out Of Hand
    Mighty Mighty – Built Like A Car
    Alison Moyet – Love Letters
    My Bloody Valentine – Strawberry Wine
    The Nomads – (I Can’t Use) The Stuff I Used To Use
    Oingo Boingo – Elevator Man
    Oingo Boingo – We Close Our Eyes
    Oingo Boingo – Pain
    Opal – Magick Power
    Primal Scream – Gentle Tuesday
    Primal Scream – Imperial
    The Primitives – Stop Killing Me
    Public Image Limited – Seattle
    Rank And File – Black Book
    Redd Kross – Play My Song
    Redd Kross – Neurotica
    Red Lorry Yellow Lorry – Open Up
    R.E.M. – It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
    R.E.M. – Exhuming McCarthy
    The Replacements – I Dont Know
    The Replacements – Can’t Hardly Wait
    Stan Ridgway – Bing Cant Walk
    Stan Ridgway – End Of The Line
    Royal Crescent Mob – Get On The Bus
    The Screaming Blue Messiahs – Bikini Red
    The Screaming Blue Messiahs – I Wanna Be A Flintstone
    The Silencers – Painted Moon
    Siouxsie & The Banshees – The Passenger
    Sisters Of Mercy – Dominion/Mother Russia
    Sisters Of Mercy – This Corrosion
    The Smiths – Girlfriend In A Coma
    The Smiths – I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish
    The Soup Dragons – Head Gone Astray
    Squeeze – Hourglass
    Squeeze – Footprints
    Chris Stamey – Cara Lee
    The Stems – Sad Girl
    The Stone Roses – Sally Cinnamon
    The Stranglers – All Day And All Of The Night
    The Style Council – Wanted
    The Sugarcubes – Birthday
    Swing Out Sister – Twilight World
    Talulah Gosh – Talulah Gosh
    Tot Taylor – The Wrong Idea
    10,000 Maniacs – Like The Weather
    10,000 Maniacs – Peace Train
    That Petrol Emotion – Genius Move
    That Petrol Emotion – Big Decision
    They Might Be Giants – Were The Replacements
    Thompson Twins – Get That Love
    Toy Dolls – How Do You Deal With Neal?
    Toy Dolls – Fisticuffs In Frederick Street
    Transvision Vamp – Revolution Baby
    The Weather Prophets – Why Does The Rain
    The Windbreakers – Better Left Unsaid
    Peter Wolf – Come as You Are
    Stevie Wonder – Skeletons
    The Wylde Mammoths – I’m Going Out
    Yello – Call It Love

    • Neil Carver

      Great to see someone else mentioning Marshall Crenshaw. (Doesn’t get the love he should.) And I love the call out to Transvision Vamp.

  51. My 25 in no particular order:

    INXS “New Sensation”
    Jimmy Barnes and INXS “Good Times”
    U2 “One Tree Hill”
    U2 — “Running to Stand Still”
    The Cure — “Just Like Heaven”
    The Bangles — “Hazy Shade of Winter”
    The Smiths — “Half a Person”
    The Smiths — “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”
    The Jesus and Mary Chain — “April Skies”
    The Jesus and Mary Chain — “Cherry Came Too”
    10,000 Maniacs — “Don’t Talk”
    10,000 Maniacs — “Peace Train”
    Guadalcanal Diary — “Litany (Life Goes On)”
    The House of Love — “Shine On”
    R.E.M. — “Exhuming McCarthy”
    R.E.M. — “Disturbance at the Heron House”
    Gene Loves Jezebel — “The Motion Of Love”
    Gene Loves Jezebel — “20 Killer Hurts”
    Camouflage — “The Great Commandment”
    Echo & the Bunnymen — “People Are Strange”
    Midnight Oil — “Beds Are Burning”
    The Stone Roses — “Sally Cinnamon”
    Depeche Mode — “Never Let Me Down Again”
    Midnight Oil — “The Dead Head”
    Icehouse — “Crazy”

  52. 1 The Wedding Present – My Favourite Dress
    2 The Wedding Present – A Million Miles
    3 The Cure – Just Like Heaven
    4 The Jesus and Mary Chain – Happy When It Rains
    5 The Smiths – Death of a Disco Dancer
    6 Echo and the Bunnymen – Bombers Bay
    7 The Smiths – Shoplifters Of The World Unite
    8 New Order – Temptation (1987 ver.)
    9 The Cure – The Kiss
    10 The Stone Roses – Sally Cinnamon
    11 Echo and the Bunnymen – The Game
    12 The Jesus and Mary Chain – April Skies
    13 Flesh for Lulu – I Go Crazy
    14 The Church – Under the Milky Way
    15 Flesh for Lulu – Postcards From Paradise
    16 The Replacements – Alex Chilton
    17 The Cult – Love Removal Machine
    18 Dinosaur Jr – Tarpit
    19 The Psychedelic Furs – All of the Law
    20 Love and Rockets – No New Tale to Tell
    21 The Replacements – Skyway
    22 The Cult – Aphrodisiac Jacket
    23 The Stone Roses – All Across the Sands
    24 Jane’s Addiction – Whores
    25 R.E.M. – King of Birds

  53. Jim Turoczy

    My list, self debated and changed far too many times.

    Camouflage, “The Great Commandment”
    The Communards, “Don’t Leave Me This Way”
    The Cure, “Why Can’t I Be You”
    Depeche Mode, “Behind The Wheel”
    Depeche Mode, “Strangelove”
    The Dukes Of Stratosphear, “You’re a Good Man Albert Brown”
    Flesh For Lulu, “Postcards From Paradise”
    The Housemartins, “Caravan Of Love”
    Icehouse, “Crazy”
    Icehouse, “Electric Blue”
    It’s Immaterial, “Driving Away From Home”
    Midnight Oil, “Beds Are Burning”
    Midnight Oil, “Dead Heart”
    New Order, “Shellshock”
    New Order, “True Faith”
    Oingo Boingo, “Not My Slave”
    Paul Kelly And The Coloured Girls, “Dumb Things”
    Pet Shop Boys, “Always On My Mind”
    Pet Shop Boys, “What Have I Done To Deserve This”
    The Smiths, “Girlfriend in a Coma”
    The Smiths, “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”
    Squeeze, “Hourglass”
    Stan Ridgway, “Bing Can’t Walk”
    Stan Ridgway, “End Of The Line”
    Wire, “Ahead”

  54. Interesting that numerous people have selected the song Alex Chilton by The Replacements but no one has mentioned Alex Chilton himself. I had a couple of his songs on an earlier list (Dalai Lama and Take It Off), but those got cut along with lots of other great music just to get to my final 100.

  55. Meat Puppets “Automatic Mojo”
    Meat Puppets “Sexy Music”
    Replacements “Nightclub Jitters”
    Replacements “Skyway”
    dBs “Today Could be the Day”
    dBs “Molly Says”
    Chris Stamey “It’s Alright”
    Chris Stamey “If You Hear my Voice”
    Alex Chilton “Take it Off”
    Alex Chilton “Make a Little Love”

  56. Chrismix

    Awesome list, here is mine, in no particular order

    New Order – True Faith
    Sinead O’Connor – Mandinka Instr. Dub Mix
    U2 – With Or Without You
    The Smiths – Paint A Vulgar Picture
    The Cult – Love Removal Machine
    The Jesus and Mary Chain – April Skies
    Erasure – Victim of Love
    The Cure – Catch
    Echo and Bunnymen – Lips Like Sugar
    INXS – Mystify
    Psychedelic Furs – Heartbreak Beat
    Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again
    Camouflage – The Great Commandment
    Flesh For Lulu – I Go Crazy
    Love and Rockets – Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven
    The Silencers – I Can’t Cry
    The Sisters Of Mercy – This Corrosion
    Pet Shop Boys – Always On My Mind
    That Petrol Emotion – Big Decision
    Men Without Hats – Pop Goes The World
    Public Image Limited – Seattle
    A-ha – The Living Daylights
    The Housemartins – Build
    Icehouse – Electric Blue
    Midnight Blue – Lou Gramm

  57. Bob Bouche

    submitted as my final list, but ran out of time to do a thorough research, will likely have some other / additional picks for my personal Spotify list once its final

    The Chills, “Wet Blanket”
    The Chills, “Look For The Good In Others And They’ll See The Good In You”
    Descendents, “Clean Sheets”
    That Petrol Emotion, “Big Decision”
    The Wedding Present, “My Favourite Dress”
    Big Dipper, “Younger Bums”
    Mighty Lemon Drops, “Out of Hand”
    Front 242, “Master Hit (parts 1 and 2)”
    Dukes of Stratosphear, “Vanishing Girl”
    Faith No More, “Anne’s Song”
    Guadalcanal Diary, “Litany (Life Goes On)”
    Hoodoo Gurus, “What’s My Scene”
    Housemartins, “People Who Grinned Themselves to Death”
    Hüsker Dü, “Could You Be The One?”
    It’s Immaterial, “Driving Away From Home”
    O Positive, “Talk About Love”
    Pailhead, “I Will Refuse”
    Pixies, “Levitate Me”
    Public Image Ltd, “Seattle”
    Siouxsee and the Banshees, “The Passenger”
    Sisters of Mercy, “This Corrosion”
    The Bolshoi, “Please”
    The Damned, “Alone Again Or”
    The Fall, “Hit The North”
    Wire, “Ahead”

  58. Neil P Carver

    I see several votes for It’s Immaterial – “Driving Away From Home” but it is from ’86 as far as my collections and Discogs indicates.

    https://www.discogs.com/Its-Immaterial-Driving-Away-From-Home/master/96669

  59. Jeff MacDonald

    My 25 in no particular order
    Sugarcubes – Birthday
    The Church – Milky Way
    Screaming Blue Messiahs – I Wanna Be a Flintstone
    Echo & The Bunnymen – Lips Like Sugar
    R.E.M. – The One I Love
    U2 – Where the Streets Have No Name
    Replacements – I Don’t Know
    The Cure – Just Like Heaven
    The Smiths – Sheila Take A Bow
    The Triffids – Bury Me Deep in Love
    Sinead O’Connor – Mandinka
    The Go-Betweens – Right Here
    The Housemartins – Five Get Over Excited
    Midnight Oil – Dreamworld
    10,000 Maniacs – Don’t Talk
    The Pogues – Fairytale of New York
    New Order – True Faith
    The Cult – Wildflower
    Hoodoo Gurus – What’s My Scene?
    Lloyd Cole & The Commotions – My Bag
    Julian Cope – Trampolene
    Husker Du – Could You Be The One?
    The Wonder Stuff – Unbearable
    Love And Rockets – Mirror People
    Hunters & Collectors – Do You See What I See?

    Tried to pick one track off of the great albums released in 1987. I thought alt music was slowing down but this list just shows there still some great music being made.

    Honorable mentions:
    54-40 – One Day In Your Life
    Pixies – Nimrod’s Son
    Screaming Blue Messiahs – Sweet Water Pools
    Bryan Ferry – Kiss and Tell
    Lots of Cure, Smiths, R.E.M. Replacements, U2, Echo, the Nils, Doughboys, some INXS, some Depeche.

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