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

Audra

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)

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