Looking Back: Summer 1987

June

The summer of 1987 kicked off with several upbeat #1 hits. First their was Kim Wilde with her energetic remake of the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hanging On" followed by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam's first and biggest #1 hit "Head to Toe." Both still sound great today.



Summer's biggest dance pop landed at #1 at the end of June, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston. It was the first single from Whitney's second album, Whitney, and Houston's 4th consecutive #1 hit--a run that would last for three more singles, setting up a still unbroken record seven # hits in a row. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" is tuneful, joyous, frothy pop at its best and remains one of my favorite singles from 1987. It was the year's fourth biggest hit. Check out her poodle 'do in the video.



Other big hits from June include Atlantic Starr's #1 ballad "Always," Genesis's fifth and final Invisible Touch single, "In Too Deep," and Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive." Somewhat forgotten it would seem was Herb Alpert Featuring Janet Jackson's top 10 hit "Diamonds" (video above). I hadn't even heard this song until recently, and it's not bad. It was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, so musically it goes quite well along the Control singles of the era. This song is not available on iTunes and was not included on Janet Jackson's 1995 greatest hits collection.

July



With Whitney remaining at #1 for a second week, the only new #1 single for the month of July was "Alone" by Heart, which spent 3 weeks at #1 becoming the year's second biggest hit. It was heart's second (and last) #1 hit, following "These Dreams" from 1986. It's a great '80s big rock ballad.

Instrumental hits are rare, but Kenny G had one in 1987, "Songbird," his biggest single. Expose offered their second single, "Point of No Return;" better than "Come Go With Me," it became their second top 5 hit. The System offered poppy "Don't Disturb This Groove," which you wouldn't be faulted for thinking was titled "Hang This Sign Up on The Door."

August



August is key, for we're finally up to the point in 1987 that I started listening to popular music. And who was there to greet me at this critical juncture? Madonna of course, who had her 6th #1 with "Who's that Girl." The first of two US singles from the movie sountrack, "Who's that Girl" is slightly Spanish-influenced pure '80s dance pop, sounding similar to the music on her album from the previous year, True Blue. The video is one of Madonna's odder ones. She seems strangely serene for her, a frumpily dressed, and the clip seems more of an opportunity to showcase scenes from the film than scenes of her--something that future Madonna soundtrack singles would not do. While not a classic, it is a solid Madonna '80s single.

August had two other #1 hits, "Shakedown" by Bob Seger from the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop II, one of the year's biggest hit movies, and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," U2's second #1 hit of the year and a Grammy nominee for record of the year. Like "With or Without You" it's a slow burning rock track that doesn't grab you at first, but sinks in after repeat listens.



"I Want Your Sex" was the height of controversy in 1987. George Michael's first single from his solo debut, Faith, the track and its sexy video pushed the limit of acceptable raciness. A closer listen to the lyrics though shows that those who criticized it probably weren't playing close attention--the song is a celebration of the joy of sex in a committed relationship ("Sex is best when it's one one one"), with Michael writing "explore monogamy" in lipstick on a model. Of course we since learned that he didn't actually want her sex, but that's a story for later.

August was indeed a busy month. Other notable tracks include Suzanne Vega's domestic abuse story, "Luka," also a Grammy nominee for record of the year; "Heart & Soul" by T'Pau, a band named after a Vulcan priestess from Star Trek; "The Pleasure Principle," Janet Jackson's final Control single; Jet's "Cross My Broken Heart"; and "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You," Gloria Estefan's first Let it Loose single, one of four from that album to hit the top 10.