1987 in music

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1987.

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Other Chart hit singles

Notable singles

Other Notable singles

Published popular music

• "Last Midnight" w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "Children Will Listen" w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" w.m. Gloria Estefan & E. E. Garcia
• "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" w.m. Franke Previte, Donald Markowitz & John DeNicola

Classical music

• Pascal Bentoiu – Symphony No. 8 ("Imagini"), Op. 30
• John Cage – As Slow as Possible
• Mario Davidovsky – Quartet for flute, violin, viola and violoncello
• James Dillon - Helle Nacht, large orchestra (90 players)
• Joël-François Durand – Lichtung
• Petr Eben – Job, for organ
• Philip Feeney – Mémoire imaginaire (ballet)
• Morton Feldman
• Samuel Beckett, Words and Music, for 2 flutes, vibraphone, piano, violin, viola, and cello
• For Samuel Beckett, for 23 instruments
• Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello
• Brian Ferneyhough - Third String Quartet
• Lorenzo Ferrero
• Ostinato
• Non parto, non resto
• Malcolm Forsyth – Songs from the Qu'appelle Valley
• Karel Goeyvaerts – Aanloop en kreet (Run and Cry), for symphony orchestra and chorus
• Henryk Górecki - Totus Tuus, Op. 60
• Sofia Gubaidulina
• String Quartet No. 2
• String Quartet No. 3
• Toshio Hosokawa - Ferne Landschaft I
• György Kurtág
• Kafka-Fragmente for soprano and violin
• Requiem for a Friend to Poems by Rimma Dalos
• Helmut Lachenmann - Staub for orchestra
• Francisco Llácer Pla – Ricercare Concertante
• Philippe Manoury - Jupiter for flute and live electronics, op. 15a
• Nicholas Maw – Odyssey
• Conlon Nancarrow - String Quartet #3
• Luigi Nono
• 1° Caminantes.....Ayacucho, for alto, flute, small and large chorus, organ, orchestra and live electronics
• 2° No hay caminos, hay que caminar.....Andrej Tarkowskij, for seven ensembles
• Post-prae-ludium No. 1 per Donau, for tuba and live electronics
• Découvrir la subversion. Hommage à Edmond Jabès, for alto, narrator, flute, tuba, French horn and live electronics
• Per NørgÃ¥rd - Violin Concerto No. 1 Helle Nacht
• Henri Pousseur – Traverser la forêt
• Wolfgang Rihm
• Klangbeschreibung I
• Klangbeschreibung II
• Klangbeschreibung III
• Kaija Saariaho - Nymphéa, for string quartet and electronics
• Somei Satoh - Stabat Mater
• Ahmed Adnan Saygun – Cello Concerto
• Byambasuren Sharav – Symphony No. 2
• Juan Maria Solare – Doce variaciones 1987 (for piano)
• Toru Takemitsu
• All in Twilight
• I Hear the Water Dreaming
• Signals from Heaven
• Joan Tower – Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1
• Galina Ustvolskaya - Symphony No. 4 - Prayer, for contralto, piano, trumpet and tam-tam
• Kevin Volans - String Quartet No. 2 Hunting: Gathering
• Iannis Xenakis
• Ata, for orchestra
• À r. (Hommage à Ravel), for piano
• Jalons, for piccolo, oboe, bass clarinet, doublebass clarinet, contrabassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, harp, string quintet
• Kassandra, for baritone/psalterion and percussion
• XAS, for saxophone quartet
• Taurhiphanie, 2-track
• Tracées, for orchestra

Opera

• John Adams – Nixon in China
• Friedrich Cerha – Der Rattenfänger (The Pied Piper)
• Michael Nyman – Vital Statistics
• Judith Weir – A Night at the Chinese Opera, 8 July, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, England

Jazz

Musical theater

• Abyssinia, with music by Ted Kociolek and lyrics by James Racheff – Off-Broadway production at the CSC Repertory Theater
• Up on the Roof by Simon Moore and Jane Prowse—Portsmouth, UK production
• Roza, with music by Gilbert Bécaud and lyrics and book by Julian More based on Romain Gary's novel La vie devant soi – Broadway production opened at the Royale Theatre and closed after only 10 days
• Anything Goes – Broadway revival
• Bless the Bride – West End revival
• Cabaret (Kander and Ebb) – Broadway revival
• Dreamgirls – Broadway revival
• Into the Woods – Broadway production opened at the Martin Beck Theatre and ran for 765 performances
• Les Misérables – Broadway production opened at The Broadway Theatre and ran for a total of 6680 performances, the second-longest run of any Broadway musical after Cats
• Oil City Symphony – off-Broadway production ran for 626 performances
• Stardust musical by Mitchell Parish opens at Biltmore Theater NYC for 102 performances
• Starlight Express (Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe) – Broadway production opened at the Gershwin Theatre and ran for 761 performances

Musical films

• Aria
• Dirty Dancing
• Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll
• Hearts of Fire
• La Bamba
• Mr. India
• Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare
• Sign o' the Times
• Testimony

Births

• January 2 – Syesha Mercado, American singer and actress
• January 7 – Sirusho, Armenian singer
• January 9 – Paolo Nutini, British singer
• January 12
• Naya Rivera, American actress and singer (d. 2020)
• Sunday (Jin Bo-ra), Korean pop singer (TSZX The Grace)
• January 16 – Jake Epstein, Canadian actor and singer
• January 18 – Stefan Filipović, Montenegrin pop singer
• January 19 – Rahma Riad, Iraqi singer
• January 22 – Angel Olsen, American folk and indie rock singer
• January 27
• Katy Rose, American singer-songwriter, producer, musician and actress
• Ashley Grace, American singer-songwriter (Ha*Ash)
• January 31 – Marcus Mumford, British singer-songwriter, musician and producer
• February 1 – Heather Morris, American actress, dancer, singer and model
• February 2
• Heather Bright, American pop singer-songwriter, DJ and record producer
• Victoria Song, Chinese pop singer (f(x))
• February 3 – Elvana Gjata, Albanian singer
• February 5 – Darren Criss, American actor and singer-songwriter
• February 6 – DJ Raiden, Korean DJ and producer
• February 7
• Kerli, Estonian singer-songwriter
• Monika Brodka, Polish singer
• February 10
• Choi Si Won, Korean actor and pop singer
• Poli Genova, Bulgarian singer and TV presenter
• February 12
• O'Ryan (Browner), American R&B singer
• Titanic Sinclair, American director, producer, singer-songwriter and internet personality
• February 17 – Lee Bo-ram, K-pop singer (SeeYa)
• February 23 – Ab-Soul, American rapper (Black Hippy)
• February 24 – Kim Kyu-jong, Korean pop singer (SS501)
• February 25 – Eva Avila, Canadian singer-songwriter
• February 27 – Cory Henry, American jazz organist, pianist, gospel musician, and producer (Snarky Puppy)
• March 1 – Kesha, American singer-songwriter, author, activist, musician
• March 2 – Ken Hung, Hong Kong singer and actor
• March 4 – Aja Volkman, American singer-songwriter and musician.
• March 8 - Tobe Nwigwe, American rapper, singer and actor
• March 9 – Bow Wow, American hip-hop artist, actor
• March 10
• Emeli Sandé, Scottish singer-songwriter
• Mod Sun, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and rapper (Four Letter Lie and Scary Kids Scaring Kids; working with Avril Lavigne (dated), Travis Barker, Bella Thorn, Tana Mongeau, Dove Cameron, Megan Fox and Becky G, blackbear)
• March 12 – Hiroomi Tosaka, Japanese singer
• March 20 – Jonas Rivanno, Indonesian actor, model and singer
• March 25 – Jason Castro, American singer
• March 26 – YUI, Japanese pop singer
• March 27 – Polina Gagarina, Russian singer-songwriter, actress and model
• March 31 – Jeff Montalvo (Seven Lions), American electronic music producer
• April 3 –
• Park Jung-min, Korean pop singer (SS501)
• Rachel Bloom, American actress, comedian, singer, writer, producer, songwriter and mental health activist
• April 9
• Jesse McCartney, American singer-songwriter, musician, voice actor and actor
• Jazmine Sullivan, American singer
• April 10 – Hayley Westenra, New Zealand soprano singer
• April 11
• Lights, Canadian singer-songwriter
• Joss Stone, English soul singer-songwriter
• April 12 – Brendon Urie, American vocalist and musician
• April 15 – Iyaz, British Virgin Islands singer
• April 17 – Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, Canadian actress, disc jockey, singer and television host
• April 18 – Samantha Jade, Australian singer and actress
• April 20 − Anna Rossinelli, Swiss singer-songwriter
• April 21 − Anastasia Prikhodko, Ukrainian folk rock and traditional pop singer
• April 23 – Laura Mvula, British recording artist, songwriter and pianist.
• April 24
• Jessica Pratt, American singer-songwriter
• Sharon Doorson, Dutch singer-songwriter (Twenty 4 Seven)
• April 30 – Nikki Webster, Australian pop singer/businesswoman/actress
• May 2 – Nana Kitade, Japanese singer
• May 4 – Anjeza Shahini, Albanian singer
• May 6
• Moon Geun-young, South Korean actress
• Meek Mill, American rapper
• May 7 – Asami Konno, Japanese singer
• May 13
• Hunter Parrish, American actor and singer
• Candice King, American actress and singer
• Charlotte Wessels, Dutch singer-songwriter (Delain, Phantasma, Kamelot)
• May 15
• Ammo, American record producer and songwriter
• Jennylyn Mercado, Filipina actress, singer, television personality
• May 16 – Can Bonomo, Turkish-Jewish singer
• May 17 – DJ Akademiks, Jamaican-American blogger who covers hip-hop
• May 18 – Luisana Lopilato, Argentine actress, singer and model (Michael Buble)
• May 21 – Hit-Boy, American record producer, rapper and singer-songwriter
• May 24 – Jimena Barón, Argentine actress and singer
• May 29 – Ak'Sent, American rapper
• May 30 – Joyce Cheng, Hong Kong singer and actress
• June 2 – Matthew Koma, American songwriter-singer, DJ and record producer (married to Hilary Duff)
• June 8 – Ty Segall, American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and record producer
• June 10 – Dotter, Swedish singer-songwriter
• June 12 – Ryu Deok-hwan, South Korean actor
• June 16
• Diana DeGarmo, singer, American Idol contestant
• Ali Stroker, American musician, singer, actress and advocate
• June 17 – Kendrick Lamar, American rapper and songwriter (Black Hippy)
• June 17 – Nozomi Tsuji, Japanese singer (Morning Musume)
• June 19 – Miho Fukuhara, Japanese singer and actress (Sweetbox)
• June 21
• Khatia Buniatishvili, Georgian pianist
• Kim Ryeowook, Korean pop singer (Super Junior)
• June 22 – Oh Yeon-seo, South Korean singer and actress (Luv)
• June 23
• Jacob Lusk, American singer
• Caitlin Rose, American country singer
• June 27 – Tomoya Kanki, Japanese musician (One Ok Rock)
• July 1 – Yoga Lin, Taiwanese pop singer, One Million Star, Season 1 winner
• July 4 – Jah Prayzah, Zimbabwean musician
• July 6 – Kate Nash, English pop singer-songwriter and musician
• July 9 – Rebecca Sugar, American animator, director, screenwriter, producer and songwriter
• July 10 - Buck Meek, American Musician and member of Big Thief, (works with and was married to Adrianne Lenker)
• July 11 – Shigeaki Kato, Japanese singer and actor (NEWS and K.K.Kity)
• July 13 – Eva Rivas, Russian-Armenian singer
• July 14
• Drew Fortier, American musician, songwriter, filmmaker and actor
• Dan Reynolds, American singer-songwriter, activist (Imagine Dragons and Egyptian)
• Peter Vives, Spanish actor, singer and classical pianist
• July 17
• Chloe Lowery, American singer-songwriter
• Jeremih, American recording artist and producer
• July 19 – Nicola Benedetti, Scottish violinist
• July 23 – Felipe Dylon, Brazilian singer
• July 25
• Alan Dawa Dolma (better known as "Alan"), Chinese singer
• Jax Jones, English singer, producer and DJ
• Gor Sujyan, Armenian rock singer, lead singer of Dorians
• Mitchell Burgzorg, Dutch footballer and rapper
• July 26 – Evelina SaÅ¡enko-Statulevičienė, Lithuanian jazz singer of Polish-Ukrainian descent
• July 28
• Sevak Khanagyan, Russian-Armenian singer
• John Stevens, American singer
• July 29 - Illangelo, Canadian record producer, songwriter, musician and mixing engineer (The Weeknd, Grimes)
• July 30 – Elise Estrada, Canadian singer
• August 2
• Nayer, American pop singer
• Jessie Daniels, American actress, songwriter and musician
• August 3 – Kim Hyung-jun, South Korean singer and DJ
• August 6 – Aditya Narayan, Bollywood actor and singer
• August 6 – Sezairi Sezali, Singaporean musician and singer-songwriter
• August 9 – Noonie Boa, Swedish singer-songwriter and record producer
• August 19
• John Ryan, also known as John the Blind and JRY, American singer-songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist (Niall Horan, Sabrina Carpenter, One Direction, De;ta Goodrem)
• Anaïs Lameche, Swedish singer (Play)
• August 21 – Kim Kibum, Korean actor and pop singer
• August 24 – Daichi Miura, Japanese singer-songwriter, dancer and choreographer
• August 26 – Gin Lee, Malaysian singer based in Hong Kong
• September 1
• Dann Hume, New Zealand musician, music producer, mix engineer and songwriter (Amy Shark)
• Sevdaliza, Irish Dutch singer-songwriter and record producer
• September 2
• Audrey Tait, Scottish drummer (Franz Ferdinand, Hector Bizerk)
• Spencer Smith, American musician, songwriter and talent agent (Panic! at the Disco)
• September 6 – Ramiele Malubay, Filipino-American singer
• September 7 – Evan Rachel Wood, American singer and actress
• September 8 – Wiz Khalifa, American rapper and singer
• September 9 – Afrojack, Dutch DJ, record producer and remixer
• September 13 – Snoh Aalegra, Swedish singer based in Los Angeles
• September 16 – Sarah Hay, American ballerina and actress
• September 18 – Luísa Sobral, Portuguese singer and songwriter
• September 19 – Sam Ellis, Canadian singwriter and record producer
• September 21 – Elly, Japanese dancer, rapper, choreographer (Sandaime J Soul Brothers)
• September 22 – Tom Felton, English actor and musician
• September 23 – Skylar Astin, American actor and singer
• September 26 – Rosie Munter, Swedish vocalist and dancer
• September 28
• Hilary Duff, American singer-songwriter, author and actress (married to Matthew Koma, sister of Haylie Duff, Sutton Foster)
• Chloë Hanslip, English violinist
• September 29 – Gryffin, American musician, DJ, record producer.
• October 3
• Starley, Australian singer-songwriter
• Kaci Battaglia, American singer, songwriter and dancer
• Zuleyka Rivera, Puerto Rivan actress, television host, dancer, model and beauty queen
• October 7 – Lauren Mayberry, Scottish singer-songwriter, writer and journalist (Chvrches)
• October 17 – Stephanie (Kim Bo-kyung), American-born Korean pop singer (TSZX The Grace)
• October 18 – Zac Efron, American actor, dancer, singer, musical star
• October 23 – Faye, Swedish singer, songwriter and model (Play)
• October 28 – Frank Ocean, American singer-songwriter
• October 29 – Tove Lo, Swedish singer-songwriter, dancer and activist
• October 29 – Makoto Ogawa, Japanese singer and actress (Morning Musume)
• November 3 – Courtney Barnett, Australian singer-songwriter/musician
• November 4
• Tim Douwsma, Dutch singer
• T.O.P, Korean rapper
• November 5 – Kevin Jonas, American musician (Jonas Brothers)
• November 9 – Zahara, South African Afro-soul singer-songwriter (d. 2023)
• November 10 – Charles Hamilton, American rapper and producer
• November 12 – Jamison Ross, American drummer and vocalist
• November 20 – Siouxsie Medley, American musician (Dead Sara)
• November 24 – Sermstyle, English singer-songwriter, remixer, record producer and DJ
• November 25 – Dolla, American rapper
• November 26 – Kat DeLuna, American singer-songwriter and dancer
• November 29 – Cashmere Cat, Norwegian DJ, record producer, musician and turntablist (Ariana Grande)
• November 30 – Dougie Poynter, English pop-rock bass guitarist (McFly)
• December 1 – Vance Joy, Australian musician
• December 2 – Teairra Mari, American R&B singer-songwriter, dancer, model and actress
• December 7 – Aaron Carter, American pop singer and rapper (d. 2022)
• December 14 - Alex Gaskarth, English-born American singers-songwriter
• December 15 - Lady Leshurr, British hip-hop grime dancehall rapper, singer-songwriter and producer
• December 18 – Ayaka, Japanese pop singer
• December 20 – Barrie-James O'Neill, Scottish singer-songwriter, working with Lana Del Rey
• December 22 – Lisa Andreas, English-Cypriot singer
• December 25 – Julian Lage, American guitarist and composer
• December 27 – Yui Okada, Japanese pop singer
• Unknown: Fabiana Palladino, English singer-songwriter and musician

Deaths

• January 6 – Jaidev, Bollywood composer, 67
• January 10 – Marion Hutton, singer and actress, 67
• January 15 – Ray Bolger, Wizard of Oz actor, 83 (cancer)
• January 30 – Harold Loeffelmacher, musician and bandleader (Six Fat Dutchmen), 81
• February 2
• Spike Hughes, jazz double bass player, composer and journalist, 78
• Alfred Lion, record executive and co-founder of Blue Note Records, 78
• February 4 – Liberace, US pianist, 67 (AIDS-related)
• February 8 – Tony Destra, glam metal drummer, 32 (car accident)
• February 18 – Dmitri Kabalevsky, composer
• February 23 – Zeca Afonso, folk musician, 57
• March 3 – Danny Kaye, actor, singer, dancer and comedian, 76
• March 6 – Eddie Durham, jazz musician, 80
• March 7 – Evelyn Dove, singer, 85
• March 15 – Don Gant, singer/songwriter, record producer, 44 (complications following boating accident)
• March 18 – Elizabeth Poston, composer, 82
• March 20 – Rita Streich, coloratura soprano, 66
• March 21
• Dean Paul Martin, singer and actor, 35 (plane crash)
• Robert Preston, actor and singer, 68
• March 28 – Maria von Trapp, subject of The Sound of Music, 82
• March 29 – Felix Prohaska, conductor
• April 2 – Buddy Rich, American jazz drummer, 69 (brain tumor)
• April 7 – Carlton Barrett, Jamaican reggae drummer (The Wailers), 36 (murdered)
• April 8 – Anni Frind, German lyric soprano, 87
• April 14 – Karl Höller, German composer, 79
• May 2 – Larry Clinton, US bandleader and songwriter, 75
• May 3 – Dalida, singer, actress and Miss Egypt 1954, 54 (suicide)
• May 4 – Paul Butterfield, blues vocalist and harmonica player, 44 (drug overdose)
• May 5 – Allen Jones, record producer (heart attack)
• May 13
• Signe Amundsen, operatic soprano, 87
• Ismael Rivera, salsa composer and singer, 55 (heart attack)
• May 14 – Rita Hayworth, dancer and film star, 68
• May 24 – Hermione Gingold, actress and singer
• May 26 – Robert Wilkins, blues guitarist and singer, 91
• May 29 – Phyllis Tate, avant-garde composer, 76
• June 3 – Andrés Segovia, guitar virtuoso, 94
• June 18 – Kid Thomas Valentine, jazz trumpeter & bandleader, 91
• June 21 – Abram Chasins, pianist and composer, 84
• June 22
• Fred Astaire, dancer, actor and singer, 88
• Frank Rehak, jazz trombonist
• June 25 – Boudleaux Bryant, Hall of Fame songwriter, 67
• June 26
• Henk Badings, composer, 80
• Gábor Rejtő, cellist, 70
• July 1 – Snakefinger, guitarist, 38 (heart attack)
• July 7
• Tibor FreÅ¡o, composer, 69
• Germaine Thyssens-Valentin, pianist, 85
• July 10 – John Hammond, producer and musician, 76
• July 15 – Pete King, drummer (After The Fire, BAP), 28 (testicular cancer)
• July 25 – Alex Sadkin, saxophonist and record producer, 37 or 38 (motor accident)
• July 26 – Joe Liggins, R&B, jazz and blues pianist, 72
• July 30 – Ramón González Barrón, composer and choral conductor, 89
• August 2 – David Martin, bassist (Sam the Sham), 50 (heart attack)
• August 12 – Sally Long, Ziegfeld Follies star, 85
• August 14 – Vincent Persichetti, composer, 72
• August 27
• Bruce Holder, violinist, conductor and composer, 82
• Scott La Rock, hip-hop DJ and producer, 25 (shot)
• September 3 – Morton Feldman, composer, 51 (pancreatic cancer)
• September 11 – Peter Tosh, reggae musician, 42 (shot and killed in a house invasion/robbery)
• September 21 – Jaco Pastorius, jazz bassist, 35 (brain damage resulting from fight)
• September 23 – Bob Fosse, dancer, choreographer and director of musicals, 60 (heart attack)
• September 29 – Sebastian Peschko, pianist, 77
• October 3 – Hans Gál, composer, 97
• October 13 – Kishore Kumar, singer, actor, filmmaker, writer, musician and composer, 58
• October 14 – Rodolfo Halffter, composer, 86
• October 19 – Jacqueline du Pré, English cellist, 42 (multiple sclerosis)
• October 28 – Woody Herman, US jazz clarinetist and bandleader, 74
• November 12 – Cornelis Vreeswijk, Swedish singer-songwriter, 50 (liver cancer)
• November 16 – Zubir Said, composer, 80
• November 22 – Verna Arvey, librettist and pianist
• November 23 – Joseph Beer, composer, 79
• December 5 – Pappy Daily, country music entrepreneur and record producer, 85
• December 8 – Annelies Kupper, operatic soprano, 81
• December 10 – Jascha Heifetz, violinist
• December 12 – Clifton Chenier, zydeco singer and accordionist, 62
• December 18 – Conny Plank, record producer, 47
• December 21 – John Spence, ska musician, 18 (suicide)
• December 22 – Luca Prodan, rock musician, 34 (cirrhosis of the liver)
• Unknown – Emani Sankara Sastry, veena player and composer, 65

Awards

• The following artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The Coasters, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Bill Haley, B. B. King, Clyde McPhatter, Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Smokey Robinson, Big Joe Turner, Muddy Waters, and Jackie Wilson

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1987

Country Music Association Awards

• 1987 Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1987

Glenn Gould Prize

• R. Murray Schafer (laureate)

Charts

• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1987
• 1987 in British music#Charts
• List of Oricon number-one singles of 1987

See also

References