Monday, February 20, 2017

The Best Albums of 1987


Every two months we will be taking a look back at great albums of years gone by - and we are incredibly excited to share with you the first year, which happens to be celebrating its 30th anniversary: 1987. And what a year it was! Not only did Sarah and I choose & rank our Top 15 (10 was just not enough), but we enlisted the help of several of our regular contributors and a couple of new ones. Everyone selected a track from each album on their list, and they are all collected on a killer Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page (unfortunately there are a few albums not available on Spotify - we encourage you to locate those elsewhere). If you'd like to share your own 1987 favorites, please comment below. Sarah and I will be back at the end of the week with a list of our honorable mentions (check it out here). Oh yeah, stay tuned to see which year is coming next!

Bret Helm
Life on this Planet | Audra

15. Bel Canto - White-Out Conditions
14. Pieter Nooten and Michael Brook - Sleeps with the Fishes
13. Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses
12. Shelleyan Orphan - Helleborine
11. Lowlife - Diminuendo
10. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands
09. Echo & the Bunnymen - s/t
08. The Psychedelic Furs - Midnight to Midnight
07. Love and Rockets - Earth, Sun, Moon
06. Sinead O'Connor - The Lion and the Cobra
05. The Sound - Thunder Up
04. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come
03. The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
02. Jane's Addiction - s/t
01. U2 - The Joshua Tree

Sarah Quarrie
Life on this Planet

15. Pulp - Freaks
14. The Wedding Present - George Best
13. Lowlife - Diminuendo
12. Wire - The Ideal Copy
11. Public Image Ltd - Happy?
10. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come
09. Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses
08. The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland
07. Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun
06. Sinead O'Connor - The Lion and the Cobra
05. Echo & the Bunnymen - s/t
04. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands
03. Love and Rockets - Earth, Sun, Moon
02. The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
01. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Through the Looking Glass

Ron Marrs
New Orleans, Louisiana

15. Live Skull - Dusted
14. Death in June - Brown Book
13. Area - Radio Caroline
12. U2 - The Joshua Tree
11. Terrence Trent D'Arby - Introducing the Hardline According to Terrence Trent D'Arby
10. INXS - Kick
09. Sinead O'Connor - The Lion and the Cobra
08. Jane's Addiction - s/t
07. Pet Shop Boys - Actually
06. Midnight Oil - Diesel and Dust
05. R.E.M. - Document
04. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come
03. The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland
02. Guns 'N Roses - Appetite for Destruction
01. Opal - Happy Nightmare Baby


Kari Niebell
San Diego, California

15. Flesh for Lulu - Long Live the New Flesh
14. Pet Shop Boys - Actually
13. Skinny Puppy - Cleanse Fold and Manipulate
12. Front 242 - Official Version
11. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands
10. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come
09. The Tear Garden - Tired Eyes Slowly Burning
08. The Psychedelic Furs - Midnight to Midnight
07. Echo & the Bunnymen - s/t
06. Sinead O'Connor - The Lion and the Cobra
05. Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses
04. Public Image Ltd - Happy?
03. The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland
02. Love and Rockets - Earth, Sun, Moon
01. The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me


Rob Clark
Rockford, Illinois

15. Nitzer Ebb - That Total Age
14. Lyle Lovett - Pontiac
13. The Housemartins - The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death
12. Warren Zevon - Sentimental Hygiene
11. R.E.M. - Document
10. David Sylvian - Secrets of the Beehive
09. The Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me
08. The Art of Noise - In No Sense? Nonsense!
07. Negativland - Escape From Noise
06. The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland
05. Echo & the Bunnymen - s/t
04. U2 - The Joshua Tree
03. Sinead O'Connor - The Lion and the Cobra
02. Steve Earle & The Dukes - Exit 0
01. John Hiatt - Bring the Family

Jason Jones
Okinawa, Japan

15. The Psychedelic Furs - Midnight to Midnight
14. Echo & the Bunnymen - s/t
13. Love and Rockets - Earth, Sun, Moon
12. INXS - Kick
11. The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland
10. Prince - Sign o' the Times
09. R.E.M. - Document
08. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands
07. George Michael - Faith
06. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come
05. Sinead O'Connor - The Lion and the Cobra
04. Public Image Ltd - Happy?
03. Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses
02. The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
01. U2 - The Joshua Tree


Sierra Anna Jones
Okinawa, Japan

15. Skinny Puppy - Cleanse Fold and Manipulate
14. Sad Lovers and Giants - The Mirror Test
13. Pink Turns Blue - If Two Worlds Kiss
12. Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun
11. NON - Blood & Flame
10. The Psychedelic Furs - Midnight to Midnight
09. Fleetwood Mac - Tango in the Night
08. Public Image Ltd - Happy?
07. Death in June - Brown Book
06. Echo & the Bunnymen - s/t
05. The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland
04. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come
03. Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses
02. The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
01. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands


John Magness
Uttoxeter, England

15. George Michael - Faith
14. 10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe
13. Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat
12. Aztec Camera - Love
11. Robbie Robertson - s/t
10. The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
09. The Cars - Door to Door
08. Thomas Lang - Scallywag Jaz
07. Pet Shop Boys - Actually
06. Van Morrison - Poetic Champions Compose
05. U2 - The Joshua Tree
04. The Psychedelic Furs - Midnight to Midnight
03. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come
02. Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse of Reason
01. Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love


Hannah Marrs
New Orleans, Louisiana

15. Pulp - Freaks
14. Sonic Youth - Sisters
13. The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland
12. Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me
11. Death in June - Brown Book
10. Love and Rockets - Earth, Sun, Moon
09. Opal - Happy Nightmare Baby
08. R.E.M. - Document
07. The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
06. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands
05. Jane's Addiction - s/t
04. Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses
03. Pixies - Come On Pilgrim
02. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come
01. 10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe

Jason DeWolfe Barton

15. Bathory - Under the Sign of the Black Mark
14. Celtic Frost - Into the Pandemonium
13. Metallica - Garage Days Re-Revisited
12. The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
11. Echo & the Bunnymen - s/t
10. Destruction - Release from Agony
09. Sixth Comm - Content with Blood
08. Death in June - Brown Book
07. Cabaret Voltaire - Code
06. Coil - Gold is the Metal (with the Broadest Shoulders)
05. Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun
04. The Housemartins - The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death
03. For Against - Echelons
02. U2 - The Joshua Tree
01. The Durutti Column - The Guitar and Other Machines

Jesse Deitermann
Saturday Night Music Club

15. The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland
14. The Cult - Electric
13. Sonic Youth - Sister
12. R.E.M. - Document
11. My Bloody Valentine - Ecstasy
10. Bel Canto - White-Out Conditions
09. INXS - Kick
08. The Mighty Lemon Drops - Out of Hand EP
07. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come
06. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands
05. Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses
04. The Wedding Present - George Best
03. The Essence - A Monument of Trust
02. The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
01. U2 - The Joshua Tree

76 different albums appeared in this feature. Here's a breakdown of the ones that made it onto the most lists: The Cure (9), The Smiths (9), The Sisters of Mercy (8), Depeche Mode (7), Echo & the Bunnymen (7), The Jesus and Mary Chain (7), U2 (7), Sinead O'Connor (6), Love and Rockets (5), The Psychedelic Furs (5) and R.E.M. (5)




If you're a vinyl enthusiast, check out our feature on the Spin Clean Vinyl Record Cleaning Machine (click image below)

Follow us on Facebook / Twitter / YouTube

2 comments:

  1. Although technically a compilation, I'd add "New Order - Substance" somewhere in there. It breathed new life into its tracks and felt fresh to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A great release for sure. Since it was a comp - as you said - We put it in our Honorable Mentions: http://brethelm.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-best-albums-of-1987-honorable.html

      Delete