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Tag: 1987

  • 1987 Top Ten Music Charts

    1987 Top Ten Music Charts

    1987’s Biggest Artists and Songs

    Bruce Hornsby and the Range (1986 Best New Artist Grammy Winner, presented in 1987)
    Paul Simon (Grammy for Album of the Year)
    Higher Love – Steve Winwood (Grammy for Record of the Year)
    New Artists in the Pop Charts Included:
    LL Cool J, Patty Smyth, Pepsi and Shirlie, New Order, Will ToPower, The Fat Boys, The Beastie Boys, Poison, Samantha Fox, SuzanneVega and Tiffany

    1987’s Retro Top 10 Hits

    1. Oh Yeah – Yello
    2. At This Moment – Billy Vera and the Beaters
    3. Shake You Down – Gregory Abbott
    4. The Lady In Red – Chris DeBurgh
    5. Catch Me (I’m Falling) – Pretty Poison
    6. Shake Your Love – Debbie Gibson
    7. Lost In Emotion – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
    8. I Want Your Sex – George Michael
    9. La Isla Bonita – Madonna
    10. Sign ‘O’ The Times – Prince

    1987’s ‘One Hit Wonders’

    1. Oh Yeah – Yello
    2. Heat and Soul – T’Pau
    3. Boom Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back to My Room) – Paul Lekakis
    4. Serious – Donna Allen
    5. The Honeythief – Hipsway
    6. Keep Your Hands To Yourself – Georgia Satellites
    7. Fascinated – Company B
    8. Don’t Leave Me This Way – The Communards
    9. Right on Track – The Breakfast Club
    10. Montego Bay – Amazulu

    1987’s Dance Top 10 Hit List

    1. I Wanna Dance With Somebody Who Loves Me – Whitney Houston
    2. It’s Tricky – Run-D.M.C.
    3. Bad – Michael Jackson
    4. Fascinated – Company B
    5. Lean On Me – Club Nouveau
    6. Come Go With Me – Expose
    7. Brass Monkey – Beastie Boys
    8. Serious – Donna Allen
    9. Looking For A New Love – Jodi Watley
    10. Boom Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back To My Room) – Paul Lekakis

    More of 1987’s Dance Top Hits

    Living In A Box – Living In A Box
    Show Me – Cover Girls

    1987’s Pop Rock Top 10 Hit List

    1. Living On A Prayer – Bon Jovi
    2. You Gotta Fight For Your Right (To Party) – Beastie Boys
    3. I Still haven’t Found What I Was Looking For – U2
    4. Wanted Dead Or Alive – Bon Jovi
    5. Keep Our hands To Yourself – Georgia Satellites
    6. Faith – George Michael
    7. Brilliant Disguise – Bruce Springsteen
    8. Midnight Blue – Lou Gramm
    9. La Bamba – Los Lobos
    10. Right On Track – The Breakfast Club

    1987’s Alternative Pop Rock Top 10 Hit List

    1. True Faith – New Order
    2. The One I Love – R.E.M.
    3. Don’t Give Up – Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush
    4. Why Can’t I Be You? – The Cure
    5. Funky Town – Pseudo Echo
    6. Heart and Soul – T’Pau
    7. Since You’ve Been Gone – The Outfield
    8. Luka – Suzanne Vega
    9. Don’t Leave Me This Way – The Communards
    10. World Shut Your Mouth – Julian Cope

    More of 1987’s Alternative Pop Songs

    I’m Not Perfect But I’m Perfect For You – Grace Jones

    1987’s Album Rock Top 10 Hit List

    1. Girls, Girls, Girls – Motley Crue
    2. Talk Dirty To Me – Poison
    3. Where The Streets Have No Name – U2
    4. I’m No Angel – Gregg Allman Band
    5. Touch of Grey – Grateful Dead
    6. Here I Go Again – Whitesnake
    7. Back In The High Life Again – Steve Winwood
    8. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight – Genesis
    9. The Final Countdown – Europe
    10. Land of Confusion – Genesis

    More of 1987’s Album Rock Hits

    Rock Me – Great White
    Smoking Gun – The Robert Cray Band
    The Boy In The Bubble – Paul Simon

    1987’s Bubblegum Pop Music Top Ten

    1. Lean On Me – Club Nouveau
    2. Only In My Dreams – Debbie Gibson
    3. I Think We’re Alone Now – Tiffany
    4. Faith – George Michael
    5. C’est La Vie – Robbie Neille
    6. You Got It All – The Jets
    7. We Connect – Stacy Q
    8. You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon
    9. Head To Toe – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
    10. Somewhere Out There – Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram

    PCM’s 1987 Top 10 Hit List

    1. Living On A Prayer – Bon Jovi
    2. Mony Mony – Billy Idol (1st released in 1981)
    3. (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life – Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
    4. Lean On Me – Club Nouveau
    5. Songbird – Kenny G
    6. Always – Atlantic Starr
    7. Oh Yeah – Yello
    8. La Bamba – Los Lobos
    9. You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon
    10. With Or Without You – U2
  • Pop Culture Trivia Quiz: What Happened In 1987?

    Pop Culture Trivia Quiz: What Happened In 1987?

    Pop Culture Trivia Quiz: What Happened In 1987?

    1987 Trivia: Relive the Blockbuster Hits and Cultural Shifts of This Iconic Year!

    1987 was a time of unforgettable pop culture moments, groundbreaking entertainment, and historical events. From big-screen favorites to chart-topping hits, this year brought us timeless classics and set the stage for the modern era. This trivia page challenges your knowledge of 1987’s biggest milestones!

    Think you know the year inside and out? See if you can answer questions like Which comedy film became one of the year’s highest-grossing movies? What new TV show launched with a beloved alien? Which famous musician shattered records with an unforgettable concert tour? And what memorable product debuted that defined a generation of gaming?

    Here’s some bonus trivia to spark your memory:

    • Fatal Attraction, starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close, terrified audiences and sparked endless discussions about infidelity and obsession.
    • The world fell in love with The Princess Bride, a fantasy-adventure film that blended romance, humor, and action into an enduring cult classic.
    • Full House, the heartwarming sitcom about a widowed dad and his unconventional family, made its TV debut, introducing us to the Tanners.
    • In music, U2’s “The Joshua Tree” topped the charts, with hits like “With or Without You” becoming instant classics.
    • Nintendo introduced The Legend of Zelda, an epic fantasy game that became a cornerstone of the gaming world.

    1987 wasn’t just about entertainment. It was a year of global significance: The Simpsons debuted as a short on The Tracey Ullman Show. A US President famously challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall,” symbolizing the push to end the Cold War.

    Whether you’re gearing up for trivia night or simply reminiscing about the glory days of the ’80s, this page has everything you need to relive the excitement of 1987. We had it all this year, from blockbuster movies and iconic music to historical events and quirky pop culture moments.

    So, how much do you remember about 1987? Take the trivia challenge now and relive this unforgettable year’s fun, drama, and excitement!

    87 Trivia Questions 1987 History

    (answers)

    1. Who was the biggest musical artist of 1987?

    2. Who was the biggest solo musical artist of the 1980s?

    3. This film was loosely based on the experiences of AFRS DJ Adrian Cronauer. Name that film.

    4. Who played the role of Adrian Cronauer?

    5. What does AFRS stand for?

    6. Name the song that won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for a 1987 film.

    7. Dirty Dancing’s most popular quote is, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” What is Baby’s real name?

    8. The Fox network premiered its first two prime-time television shows in 1987. You get one point for each, which you can name.

    9. One of television’s most famous families debuted on The Tracy Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. Name that family.

    10. Who was the biggest pop music duo of the 1980s?

    11. What is the nickname for fans of the Greenbay Packers?

    12. What was the successor to Windows 1.0?

    13. On January 25, 1987, a question was asked live on TV: “BLANK, you’ve just won the Super Bowl. What are you doing next?” Fill in the blank with the correct name.

    14. Who said this: “Hello. My name is BLANK. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

    15. What is “NCC-1701-D” better known as?

    16. On which network did Full House originally air?

    17. What event led Danny Tanner to seek help raising his daughters?

    18. This 1987 comedy/horror film’s ensemble cast included Corey Feldman, Jami Gertz, Corey Haim, Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, and Dianne Wiest. Name that film.

    19. The Lost Boys’ title referred to what earlier play?

    20. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1987?

    21. Who was People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1987?

    22. Who is the American hip hop artist known for his yells of “Yeah, boyeeeeee!” when performing?

    23. What style of sunglasses was a top trend in 1987, inspired by Tom Cruise in Top Gun?

    24. What new drink was introduced by Snapple in 1987?

    25. What arcade game introducing the character Chun-Li debuted in 1987?

    26. Name the band that said “No Sleep till Brooklyn.”

    27. Name the two gentlemen who created the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. You get one point for each, which you can name.

    28. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have a vague connection to a Marvel Superhero. Name that Marvel character.

    29. Who was the choreographer for Dirty Dancing (1987) and The High School Musical Series (2006-2008)?
    HINT: He was also the director for Hocus Pocus (1993)

    30. Name the real-life company that produced He-Man and She-Ra toys.

    31. What future A-Lister leading man appeared as a policeman out to catch suspected jewel thieves on The Golden Girls?

    32. The Golden Girl’s theme by Cynthia Fee was a remake of a 1978 hit by a male singer. Name the artist and song.

    33. In Stephen King’s Misery, who is held captive by Annie Wilkes?

    34. Introduced in 1987, what drink “gives you wings”?

    35. What product was advertised with the phrase “The best things come to those who wait” in 1987?

    36. Who starred in the first Predator film?

    37. What phrase from the film is Arnold best known for?

    38. What significant event involved an 18-month-old girl named Jessica McClure in October 1987?

    39. This syndicated children’s show follows Scrooge McDuck, his three grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and others on adventures. Name that program.

    40. Who was the comic book artist who created Uncle Scrooge, Huey, Dewey, and Louie?

    41. Who were the NBA Champions in 1987?

    42. Touchstone Films, owned by Disney, released the first Disney-owned PG-13 film. Name that movie.

    43. Who did Kevin Costner play as the real-life Federal Agent in The Untouchables?

    44. Name the real-life gangster who was the target in The Untouchables.

    45. What do they call the gold-colored Canadian coin introduced in 1987?

    46. Who played Miracle Max in The Princess Bride?

    47. What still-popular phrase does Vizzini repeatedly exclaim during The Princess Bride?

    48. Name the soap opera that premiered on CBS in 1987 and continues to air today.

    49. This film won three Oscars: Best Actress (Cher), Best Supporting Actress (Olympia Dukakis), and Best Original Screenplay (John Patrick Shanley). Name that film.

    50. Who played the role of Ronny Cammareri in Moonstruck?

    51. We ask, “Where’s Waldo?” in North America. Who are they looking for in the UK?

    52. This television crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. Who were they?

    53. In 1987, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?

    54. What toy company manufactured the Popples‘ toy line?

    55. Name the film franchise with Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh as two LA Policemen.

    56. Which actors portray Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh, and who plays which character?

    57. What rank do Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh hold in the LAPD?

    58. What was the third sequel to Galaxian?

    59. Michael Jackson released an album on August 31, 1987. What was it called?

    60. Who asked Mr. Gorbachev to tear down that wall?

    61. Name the product spokesanimal Spuds MacKenzie promoted.

    62. Doctor Noonien Soong created this self-aware, sentient, and anatomically fully functional male android. Name him.

    63. Name the series of eight novels, one novella, and a children’s book by American author Stephen King.

    64. Who directed the film Wall Street?

    65. Which actor portrayed the character Gordon Gekko?

    66. Initially created for Macintosh computers only in 1987, this popular program is now a component of the Microsoft Office suite. Name it.

    67. What film centers on police officer Alex Murphy (Weller), who is murdered by a gang of criminals and revived by the megacorporation Omni Consumer Products?

    68. In what city does Robocop take place?

    69. This film was a sequel to Beverly Hills Cop. Name that film.

    70. You get one point for each of the three sequels to Beverly Hills Cop you can name.

    71. Between 1987 and the late 1990s, what was the name of the toy company that produced the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures?

    72. Who was the President in 1987?

    73. The Lost Boys had two sequels. You get one point for each you can list.

    74. Name the characters Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas played in Miami Vice.

    75. Who played the role of Billy Rosewood in Beverly Hills Cop?

    76. Who won the World Series in 1987?

    77. Where did Golden Girl Rose (played by Betty White) grow up?

    78. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1987?

    79. How many people lived in the United States in 1987?

    80. How many people lived in the World in 1987?

    81. Name the highest-grossing film of 1987.

    82. Who were the three male stars of Three Men and a Baby?

    83. Who was the Vice-President in 1987?

    84. Who were the Stanley Cup Champions in 1987?

    85. What team won the Super Bowl in 1987?

    86. This film follows Dan Gallagher, an attorney who cheats on his wife, Beth. Name that film.

    87. What is the name of the villainous prince in The Princess Bride?

    Trivia Team Bonus Questions

    1. Who wrote the novel The Princess Bride on which the movie is based?

    2. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1987?

    3. Who were the official mascots of the 1992 Summer Olympics and the 1992 Summer Paralympics held in Barcelona, Spain?

    4. What is the gem in the Sword of Omens known as?

    5. Who was the Pope in 1987?

    6. Name the song featured in Beverly Hills Cop that was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

    7. Who wrote the theme song for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon?

    8. Name the first rap album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1987.

    9. What country opened the first Starbucks store outside the United States in 1987?

    10. What significant event happened in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21?

    The Answers:

    87 Trivia Answers For 1987 History

    (answers)

    1. Who was the biggest musical artist of 1987?
    Madonna

    2. Who was the biggest solo musical artist of the 1980s?
    Michael Jackson

    3. This film was loosely based on the experiences of AFRS DJ Adrian Cronauer. Name that film.
    Good Morning, Vietnam

    4. Who played the role of Adrian Cronauer?
    Robin Williams

    5. What does AFRS stand for?
    Armed Forces Radio Service

    6. Name the song that won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for a 1987 film.
    (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life, performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes

    7. Dirty Dancing’s most popular quote is, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” What is Baby’s real name?
    Frances

    8. The Fox network premiered its first two prime-time television shows in 1987. You get one point for each, which you can name.
    Married… with Children and The Tracey Ullman Show

    9. One of television’s most famous families debuted on The Tracy Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. Name that family.
    The Simpsons

    10. Who was the biggest pop music duo of the 1980s?
    Hall and Oates

    11. What is the nickname for fans of the Greenbay Packers?
    Cheeseheads

    12. What was the successor to Windows 1.0?
    Windows 2.0

    13. On January 25, 1987, a question was asked live on TV: “BLANK, you’ve just won the Super Bowl. What are you doing next?” Fill in the blank with the correct name.
    Phil Simms (“I’m gonna go to Disney World!”)

    14. Who said this: “Hello. My name is BLANK. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
    Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin in The Princess Bride)

    15. What is “NCC-1701-D” better known as?
    The USS Enterprise (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

    16. On which network did Full House originally air?
    ABC

    17. What event led Danny Tanner to seek help raising his daughters?
    The death of his wife, Pam Tanner.

    18. This 1987 comedy/horror film’s ensemble cast included Corey Feldman, Jami Gertz, Corey Haim, Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, and Dianne Wiest. Name that film.
    The Lost Boys

    19. The Lost Boys’ title referred to what earlier play?
    Peter Pan (Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up)

    20. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1987?
    Walk Like An Egyptian by The Bangles

    21. Who was People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1987?
    Harry Hamlin

    22. Who is the American hip hop artist known for his yells of “Yeah, boyeeeeee!” when performing?
    Flavor Flav

    23. What style of sunglasses was a top trend in 1987, inspired by Tom Cruise in Top Gun?
    Aviators

    24. What new drink was introduced by Snapple in 1987?
    Snapple Iced Tea

    25. What arcade game introducing the character Chun-Li debuted in 1987?
    Street Fighter

    26. Name the band that said “No Sleep till Brooklyn.”
    The Beastie Boys

    27. Name the two gentlemen who created the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. You get one point for each, which you can name.
    Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird

    28. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have a vague connection to a Marvel Superhero. Name that Marvel character.
    Daredevil. The ooze that mutated the turtles is depicted as the same substance that blinded young Matt Murdock (Daredevil).

    29. Who was the choreographer for Dirty Dancing (1987) and The High School Musical Series (2006-2008)?
    HINT: He was also the director for Hocus Pocus (1993)
    Kenny Ortega

    30. Name the real-life company that produced He-Man and She-Ra toys.
    Mattel

    31. What future A-Lister leading man appeared as a policeman out to catch suspected jewel thieves on The Golden Girls?
    George Clooney

    32. The Golden Girl’s theme by Cynthia Fee was a remake of a 1978 hit by a male singer. Name the artist and song.
    Thank You For Being a Friend by Andrew Gold.

    33. In Stephen King’s Misery, who is held captive by Annie Wilkes?
    Novelist Paul Sheldon

    34. Introduced in 1987, what drink “gives you wings”?
    Red Bull

    35. What product was advertised with the phrase “The best things come to those who wait” in 1987?
    Heinz Ketchup

    36. Who starred in the first Predator film?
    Arnold Schwarzenegger

    37. What phrase from the film is Arnold best known for?
    “Get to the choppa!”

    38. What significant event involved an 18-month-old girl named Jessica McClure in October 1987?
    She fell into a well in Midland, Texas, and was rescued after 58 hours.

    39. This syndicated children’s show follows Scrooge McDuck, his three grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and others on adventures. Name that program.
    DuckTales

    40. Who was the comic book artist who created Uncle Scrooge, Huey, Dewey, and Louie?
    Carl Barks

    41. Who were the NBA Champions in 1987?
    Los Angeles Lakers

    42. Touchstone Films, owned by Disney, released the first Disney-owned PG-13 film. Name that movie.
    Adventures in Babysitting

    43. Who did Kevin Costner play as the real-life Federal Agent in The Untouchables?
    Eliot Ness

    44. Name the real-life gangster who was the target in The Untouchables.
    Al Capone

    45. What do they call the gold-colored Canadian coin introduced in 1987?
    Loonie

    46. Who played Miracle Max in The Princess Bride?
    Billy Crystal

    47. What still-popular phrase does Vizzini repeatedly exclaim during The Princess Bride?
    “Inconceivable!”

    48. Name the soap opera that premiered on CBS in 1987 and continues to air today.
    The Bold and the Beautiful

    49. This film won three Oscars: Best Actress (Cher), Best Supporting Actress (Olympia Dukakis), and Best Original Screenplay (John Patrick Shanley). Name that film.
    Moonstruck

    50. Who played the role of Ronny Cammareri in Moonstruck?
    Nicolas Cage

    51. We ask, “Where’s Waldo?” in North America. Who are they looking for in the UK?
    Where’s Wally

    52. This television crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. Who were they?
    The A-Team

    53. In 1987, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
    Men – 71.3 years, Women – 78.4 years

    54. What toy company manufactured the Popples‘ toy line?
    Mattel

    55. Name the film franchise with Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh as two LA Policemen.
    Lethal Weapon

    56. Which actors portray Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh, and who plays which character?
    Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover).

    57. What rank do Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh hold in the LAPD?
    Both are detectives (Sergeants)

    58. What was the third sequel to Galaxian?
    Galaga 88 (following Galaga, and Gaplus)

    59. Michael Jackson released an album on August 31, 1987. What was it called?
    Bad

    60. Who asked Mr. Gorbachev to tear down that wall?
    Ronald Reagan

    61. Name the product spokesanimal Spuds MacKenzie promoted.
    Bud light beer

    62. Doctor Noonien Soong created this self-aware, sentient, and anatomically fully functional male android. Name him.
    Data (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

    63. Name the series of eight novels, one novella, and a children’s book by American author Stephen King.
    The Dark Tower

    64. Who directed the film Wall Street?
    Oliver Stone.

    65. Which actor portrayed the character Gordon Gekko?
    Michael Douglas.

    66. Initially created for Macintosh computers only in 1987, this popular program is now a component of the Microsoft Office suite. Name it.
    PowerPoint

    67. What film centers on police officer Alex Murphy (Weller), who is murdered by a gang of criminals and revived by the megacorporation Omni Consumer Products?
    Robocop

    68. In what city does Robocop take place?
    Detroit (although primarily filmed in Texas)

    69. This film was a sequel to Beverly Hills Cop. Name that film.
    Beverly Hills Cop II

    70. You get one point for each of the three sequels to Beverly Hills Cop you can name.
    Beverly Hills Cop II, Beverly Hills Cop III and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

    71. Between 1987 and the late 1990s, what was the name of the toy company that produced the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures?
    Playmates Toys

    72. Who was the President in 1987?
    Ronald Reagan (January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989)

    73. The Lost Boys had two sequels. You get one point for each you can list.
    Lost Boys: The Tribe and Lost Boys: The Thirst

    74. Name the characters Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas played in Miami Vice.
    James “Sonny” Crockett (Don Johnson )and Thomas as Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas)

    75. Who played the role of Billy Rosewood in Beverly Hills Cop?
    Judge Reinhold

    76. Who won the World Series in 1987?
    Minnesota Twins

    77. Where did Golden Girl Rose (played by Betty White) grow up?
    St. Olaf, Minnesota

    78. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1987?
    The Tommyknockers by Stephen King

    79. How many people lived in the United States in 1987?
    242,288,918

    80. How many people lived in the World in 1987?
    5,040,984,495

    81. Name the highest-grossing film of 1987.
    Three Men and a Baby

    82. Who were the three male stars of Three Men and a Baby?
    Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson

    83. Who was the Vice-President in 1987?
    George H. W. Bush (January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989)

    84. Who were the Stanley Cup Champions in 1987?
    Edmonton Oilers

    85. What team won the Super Bowl in 1987?
    New York Giants

    86. This film follows Dan Gallagher, an attorney who cheats on his wife, Beth. Name that film.
    Fatal Attraction (Michael Douglas and Anne Archer)

    87. What is the name of the villainous prince in The Princess Bride?
    A: Prince Humperdinck

    Trivia Team Bonus Questions

    1. Who wrote the novel The Princess Bride on which the movie is based?
    William Goldman

    2. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1987?
    Alysheba

    3. Who were the official mascots of the 1992 Summer Olympics and the 1992 Summer Paralympics held in Barcelona, Spain?
    Cobi (1992 Summer Olympics) and Petra (1992 Summer Paralympics)

    4. What is the gem in the Sword of Omens known as?
    The Eye of Thundera

    5. Who was the Pope in 1987?
    John Paul II (October 16, 1978 – April 2, 2005)

    6. Name the song featured in Beverly Hills Cop that was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.
    Shakedown by Bob Seger

    7. Who wrote the theme song for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon?
    Chuck Lorre

    8. Name the first rap album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1987.
    Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill

    9. What country opened the first Starbucks store outside the United States in 1987?
    The first international Starbucks opened in Vancouver, Canada.

    10. What significant event happened in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21?
    Peter Parker married Mary Jane Watson

  • 1987 Number One Hits

    1987 Number One Hits

    1987 Billboard Number One Hits:

    December 20, 1986 – January 16, 1987:
    Walk Like an Egyptian – The Bangles
    January 17 – January 23:
    Shake You Down – Gregory Abbott
    January 24 – February 6:
    At this Moment – Billy Vera and The Beaters
    February 7 – February 13:
    Open Your Heart – Madonna
    February 14 – March 13:
    Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi
    March 14 – March 11:
    Jacob’s Ladder – Huey Lewis & the News
    March 21 – April 3:
    Lean On Me – Club Nouveau
    April 4 – April 17:
    Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now – Starship
    April 18 – May 1:
    I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) – Aretha Franklin & George Michael
    May 2 – May 15:
    (I Just) Died In Your Arms – Cutting Crew
    May 16 – June 5:
    With Or Without You – U2
    June 6 – June 12:
    You Keep Me Hangin’ On – Kim Wilde
    June 13 – June 19:
    Always – Atlantic Starr
    June 20 – June 6:
    Head to Toe – Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
    June 27 – July 10:
    I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) – Whitney Houston
    July 11 – July 31:
    Alone – Heart
    August 1 – August 7:
    Shakedown – Bob Seger
    August 8 – August 21:
    I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2
    August 22 – August 28:
    Who’s That Girl – Madonna
    August 29 – September 18:
    La Bamba – Los Lobos
    September 19 – September 25:
    I Just Can’t Stop Loving You – Michael Jackson
    September 26 – October 9:
    Didn’t We Almost Have It All – Whitney Houston
    October 10 – October 16:
    Here I Go Again – Whitesnake
    October 17 – October 23:
    Lost In Emotion – Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
    October 24 – November 6:
    Bad – Michael Jackson
    November 7 – November 20:
    I Think We’re Alone Now – Tiffany
    November 21 – November 27:
    Mony Mony “Live” – Billy Idol
    November 28 – December 4:
    (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
    December 5 – December 11:
    Heaven Is a Place On Earth – Belinda Carlisle
    December 12, 1987 January 8, 1988:
    Faith – George Michael

    (Data is compiled from various charts including Billboard’s “Pop,” “Rock,” “Airplay,” “R&B/Dance” and “Singles” Charts. The “Hot 100” is the primary chart used for this list.)

  • 1987 History Trivia and Fun Facts

    1987 History Trivia and Fun Facts

    1987 History, Facts and Trivia

    Quick Facts from 1987:

    • World Changing Event: The Black Monday crash on Oct. 19, 1987, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 508 points or 22.6%.
    • The Top Song was Faith by George Michael
    • The Movies to Watch include The Princess Bride, Good Morning Vietnam, Moonstruck, Dirty Dancing, Wall Street, and Lethal Weapon.
    • The Most Famous Person in America was probably Robin Williams.
    • Notable books include Misery by Stephen King and Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
    • The price of a daily newspaper in 1987 was 25 cents
      Videocassette, VHS: $3.49
      Gummi Bears: $2.99/pound
    • The Giants defeated the Broncos 39-20, and Simms was named MVP of Super Bowl XXI. He is credited for being the first to use the phrase “I’m going to Disney World!” At Super Bowl XXI, Phil Simms was named MVP of Super Bowl XXI. He is credited for being the first to use the phrase “I’m going to Disney World!”
    • The Funny Late Night Host: Johnny Carson
      The Funny Lady: Roseanne Barr
    • The Unusual TV Show Factoid of 1987: Valerie Harper was fired from her sitcom Valerie. It was the first time an actor was fired from a show named for them and replaced with a different lead actor.
    • The Simpsons started as an animated short on The Tracey Ullman Show, and Tracey Ullman was the original voice of Marge Simpson.
    • The Conversation: All eyes were on 18-month-old Jessica McClure, who fell into a well in Midland, Texas. After two days, she made it out alive.

    Top Ten Baby Names of 1987:

    Jessica, Ashley, Amanda, Jennifer, Sarah, Michael, Chris, Topher, Matthew, Joshua, David

    Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols:

    Elle Macpherson

    Hollywood Hunks and Leading Men:

    Johnny Depp, Michael Jackson, Sean Connery, Mel Gibson, Michael Hutchence, Morrissey, Mickey Rourke, Patrick Swayze, Tom Jones

    “The Quotes”

    “I’m going to Disney World.”
    – Phil Simms after winning Super Bowl XXI

    “This is your brain… This is drugs… This is your brain on drugs.”

    “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”
    – Michael Douglass, as Gordon Gekko, in Wall Street

    “Snap out of it!”
    – Cher, in Moonstruck

    “Nobody puts ‘Baby’ in a corner.”
    – Patrick Swayze, in Dirty Dancing

    “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”
    – Ronald Reagan requesting the elimination of the Berlin Wall

    Time Magazine’s Man of the Year:

    Mikhail Gorbachev

    Miss America:

    Kellye Cash (Memphis, TN)

    Miss USA:

    Michelle Royer (Texas)

    The Scandals:

    Jim Bakker resigned as the PTL (Praise The Lord) Club host in 1987 after a scandal involving former secretary Jessica Hahn.

    Gary Hart, a Democrat, abandoned his 1988 campaign for U.S. president after details of his alleged affair with Donna Rice became public. Prior, he challenged reporters to “Follow me” around, and they did.

    budd-dwyerRobert “Budd” Dwyer was a former Pennsylvania politician who, on January 22, committed suicide by shooting himself in the mouth with a handgun during a live televised press conference.

    Iran-Contra – Reagan security advisor Ollie North was part of a plan to help anti-communist Contra guerrillas in Nicaragua with funds from Iran, which directly (or indirectly) got hostages out of Iran. Israel may or may not have been involved in the deal as well. It was much more confusing than it sounds here.

    Pop Culture Facts & History:

    Eli Lilly & Company’s Prozak was first sold to the public.

    The Garbage Pail Kids were made into a live-action movie in 1987, with a cast of little people.

    Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill album made history in 1987 as the first rap album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and it spent seven straight weeks at No.1.

    Red M&Ms were discontinued in 1976 in response to the “red dye scare” over Red Dyes #2 and #4, which had been considered cancerous. M&M’s were made with Red Dye #40, but the public was afraid of any food being dyed red. Red M&M’s were reintroduced in 1987.

    1987 was the year that Red Bull started accelerating parties.

    Actress Jamie Lee Curtis invented and patented (#4,753,647) a diaper modification, a moisture-proof pocket containing wipes for easy access. She refused to allow it to be marketed until companies started selling biodegradable diapers; the patent expired in 2007 and is now in the public domain.

    The heaviest newspaper ever delivered was the September 14, 1987 edition of the New York Times. It weighed 12 lbs. and contained 1,612 pages.

    In 1987, Steve Rothstein bought a lifetime unlimited first-class American Airlines ticket. He flew over 10,000 flights, costing the company $21,000,000. They terminated his ticket in 2008. In addition to his AAirpass for $250,000, he got a companion ticket for $150,000 more.

    Italy’s Andrea de Cesaris, the driver who placed 3rd in the 1987 Belgian Grand Prix, finished the race by pushing his car over the finish line because the car had run out of gas.

    In 1987, 50% of the US population had access to 9-1-1 emergency service numbers.

    When the Pope visited Arizona in 1987, 75,000 Catholics attended mass at a local university’s stadium. The stadium’s name and the mascot’s image had to be covered because their mascot is the devil holding a pitchfork, and the stadium’s name was Sun Devil Stadium.

    During their 1987 Joshua Tree tour, the Irish rock band U2 occasionally appeared on stage as a “local” country band known as “The Dalton Brothers,” complete with wigs and costumes.

    A new word, “Borked,” came into the political arena, meaning “railroaded through an interview, with no chance of being approved.”

    Some 7 million American children suddenly disappeared in 1987 when the IRS started demanding that their Social Security numbers be included on the tax returns of those claiming them as dependents.

    In 1987 Harvey Comics sued Columbia Pictures for $50 million, claiming that the Ghostbusters logo was too reminiscent of Fatso from ‘Casper the Friendly Ghost’. The court ruled in Columbia’s favor, citing the “limited ways to draw a figure of a cartoon ghost.”

    Roger Cadenhead registered the domain name benedictxvi.com several weeks before Pope Benedict XVI chose the name. He said he would give it to the Vatican for a miter and “complete absolution, no questions asked, for the third week of March 1987”. His offer was declined, and he donated the domain to ModestNeedsorg.

    Since 1720, the Baltic Sea has frozen over 20 times, and the most recent case was in early 1987.

    Tennis bracelets became known as ‘tennis bracelets’ in 1987 when that type of bracelet became popular after the tennis player Chris Evert lost her bracelet on air at the US Open.

    In 1987, Bruce Willis released a Motown R&B album called The Return of Bruno, with Respect Yourself reaching #5 on the US Billboard Pop Chart.

    Steven Spielberg’s film Empire of the Sun (1987), about a boy surviving Japanese occupation during World War II, received six Oscar nominations but lost all of them to The Last Emperor ( also 1987), the story of the final Emperor of China.

    There is no national minimum drinking age in the United States. Instead, a law called the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 punishes states that allow anyone under 21 to purchase alcohol by cutting their federal highway funds by 10%. The last state to comply was Louisiana in 1987.

    To lower the retail price of the VHS release of Top Gun in 1987 to a more affordable $27, Pepsi sponsored a 60-second ad before the film. $27 is $60 in today’s dollars.

    Bras were not shown on live models in TV commercials until 1987… before that, they had to be displayed on headless/armless mannequins.

    A treasure hunter named Tommy Thompson located a ship that sank in 1857 called the SS Central America. The ship carried several tons of gold; in 1987, he recovered up to $1 billion worth of gold. He never paid back his crew or investors.

    Tom’s Restaurant, the inspiration for Suzanne Vega’s 1987 song Tom’s Diner, is the same diner used as the exterior for the fictional Monk’s Café in the television sitcom Seinfeld.

    In 1987 someone wearing a Max Headroom mask interrupted 2 TV broadcasts in Chicago. The FBI investigation was never solved.

    Jon Bon Jovi’s parents were attending a wedding in 1987 when they recommended the wedding singer try out for Jon’s friend’s band. The singer was Sebastian Bach, and that band became Skid Row.

    The tallest unoccupied building in the world is a 3,000-room hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea. Construction on the 1,082-foot Ryugyong Hotel began in 1987 and was halted in 1992. After many attempts to resurrect the project, the hotel still hasn’t opened 28 years after construction began.

    Bebop & Rocksteady were added to the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon primarily because the toy company wanted more characters to sell.

    Thousands of cans filled with 1.5 kg of pot started washing ashore on the coast of Rio and São Paulo. In total, there were 22 tons of marijuana dumped by traffickers scared of the DEA while parked near Brazil. The cans were collected at the beaches. The Summer of 1987 was known as the ‘Summer of the Can.’

    The 1987 Porsche 944 was the first car sold with standard driver and passenger-side airbags.

    Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx suffered a heroin overdose that left him legally dead for two minutes. One of his paramedics, who was a Crüe fan, revived him with two shots of adrenaline. This is what motivated the song “Kickstart My Heart”.

    In 1987, Mike Hayes convinced 2.8 million people to send him a penny each for his college education at the University of Illinois. Some people sent more. He raised $29,000, one thousand more than his target.

    The famous “Keyboard Cat” video was originally filmed in 1984, and its star, Fatso, died in 1987, twenty years before it was posted on YouTube.

    300,000+ People joined on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to celebrate its 75th anniversary. The sheer weight of all those people flattened the bridge and caused the middle to sag 7 feet (or 15 feet, depending on who is telling the story).

    Until 1987, surgeries could be performed on babies with no anesthesia, as it was commonly thought that babies could not feel pain. #wut

    “Baby Jessica” (Jessica McClure), who fell down a well in October of 1987 and was rescued after 58 hours, received $1.2 million for a trust fund from multiple donations. She used part of those funds at age 25 to purchase a home but lost most of what was left in the stock market crash in 2008.

    Cost of a Super Bowl ad in 1987: $600,000

    Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, has gone through 9 name changes since being built in 1987.
    Joe Robbie Stadium (August 16, 1987 – August 25, 1996)
    Pro Player Park August (26, 1996 – September 9, 1996)
    Pro Player Stadium (September 10, 1996 – January 9, 2005)
    Dolphins Stadium (January 10, 2005 – April 7, 2006)
    Dolphin Stadium (April 8, 2006 – May 7, 2009)
    Land Shark Stadium (May 8, 2009 – January 5, 2010)
    Dolphin Stadium (January 6, 2010 – January 19, 2010)
    Sun Life Stadium (January 20, 2010 – January 31, 2016)
    New Miami Stadium (February 1, 2016 – August 16, 2016)
    Hard Rock Stadium (August 17, 2016–present)

    The Spy:

    In 1987, FBI agent Robert Hanssen was tasked by his superiors to find a mole within the agency after the FBI’s moles in the KGB were caught. He was the mole, working with the KGB since 1979. He was caught in 2001.

    The Feuds:

    Singer/songwriter Debbie ‘Foolish Beat’ Gibson vs Tiffany, who sang Tommy James’ I Think We’re Alone Now.
    (not really; they barely knew each other, but they did battle it out a few years later on Syfy’s Mega Python vs. Gatoroid in 2011)

    After two and a half seasons, David and Maddie ‘did it’ on TV’s Moonlighting. Then, the audience stopped watching the show.
    At this point, Stars Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepard were barely speaking in real life.

    The U.S. Senate rejected Robert Bork as a Ronald Reagan Supreme Court Justice.

    The Habit:

    Watching Moonlighting until about 1/2 way through the season.

    Nobel Prize Winners:

    Physics – J. Georg Bednorz, Karl Alexander Müller
    Chemistry – Donald J. Cram, Jean-Marie Lehn, Charles J. Pedersen
    Medicine – Susumu Tonegawa
    Literature – Joseph Brodsky
    Peace – Óscar Arias Sánchez
    Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel – Robert Solow

    1st Appearances & 1987’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents:

    Double Loves transforming plush animals, Jenga, Koosh ball, and Pictionary (Pictionary has been available in small markets since 1985)

    Spuds MacKenzie first appeared in Bud Light beer advertisements.

    Popular and Best-selling Books From 1987:

    A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
    Beloved – Toni Morrison
    Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
    The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King
    The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
    Fine Things by Danielle Steel
    The Haunted Mesa by Louis L’Amour
    Hatchet by Gary Paulson
    Heaven and Hell by John Jakes
    I Am Not Going to Get Up Today! by Dr. Seuss and James Stevenson
    It by Stephen King
    Kaleidoscope by Danielle Steel
    Leaving Home by Garrison Keillor
    Misery by Stephen King
    New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
    Patriot Games by Tom Clancy
    Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow
    Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy
    The Tommyknockers by Stephen King
    Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
    Where’s Waldo? by Martin Handford
    Windmills of the Gods by Sidney Sheldon

    Broadway Show:

    Les Miserables (Musical) Opened on March 12, 1987, and closed on May 18, 2003

    Best Film Oscar Winner:

    Platoon (presented in 1987)

    The Bomb (Movie):

    Ishtar starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman

    The Bomb (Television):

    Shelly Long Quit the popular NBC TV Show Cheers

    The Big Movies: (according to boxofficemojo)

    1. Three Men and A Baby
    2. Fatal Attraction
    3. Beverly Hills Cop II
    4. Good Morning, Vietnam
    5. Moonstruck
    6. The Untouchables
    7. The Secret Of My Success
    8. Stakeout
    9. Lethal Weapon
    10. The Witches of Eastwick

    1987 Most Popular TV Shows:

    1. The Cosby Show (NBC)
    2. Roseanne (ABC)
    3. A Different World (NBC)
    4. Cheers (NBC)
    5. 60 Minutes (CBS)
    6. The Golden Girls (NBC)
    7. Who’s the Boss? ( ABC)
    8. Murder, She Wrote (CBS)
    9. Empty Nest (NBC)
    10. Anything But Love (ABC)

    1987 Billboard Number One Songs:

    December 20, 1986 – January 16, 1987:
    Walk Like an Egyptian – The Bangles

    January 17 – January 23:
    Shake You Down – Gregory Abbott

    January 24 – February 6:
    At this Moment – Billy Vera and The Beaters

    February 7 – February 13:
    Open Your Heart – Madonna

    February 14 – March 13:
    Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi

    March 14 – March 11:
    Jacob’s Ladder – Huey Lewis & the News

    March 21 – April 3:
    Lean On Me – Club Nouveau

    April 4 – April 17:
    Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now – Starship

    April 18 – May 1:
    I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) – Aretha Franklin & George Michael

    May 2 – May 15:
    (I Just) Died In Your Arms – Cutting Crew

    May 16 – June 5:
    With Or Without You – U2

    June 6 – June 12:
    You Keep Me Hangin’ On – Kim Wilde

    June 13 – June 19:
    Always – Atlantic Starr

    June 20 – June 6:
    Head to Toe – Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

    June 27 – July 10:
    I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) – Whitney Houston

    July 11 – July 31:
    Alone – Heart

    August 1 – August 7:
    Shakedown – Bob Seger

    August 8 – August 21:
    I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2

    August 22 – August 28:
    Who’s That Girl – Madonna

    August 29 – September 18:
    La Bamba – Los Lobos

    September 19 – September 25:
    I Just Can’t Stop Loving You – Michael Jackson

    September 26 – October 9:
    Didn’t We Almost Have It All – Whitney Houston

    October 10 – October 16:
    Here I Go Again – Whitesnake

    October 17 – October 23:
    Lost In Emotion – Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

    October 24 – November 6:
    Bad – Michael Jackson

    November 7 – November 20:
    I Think We’re Alone Now – Tiffany

    November 21 – November 27:
    Mony Mony “Live” – Billy Idol

    November 28 – December 4:
    (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes

    December 5 – December 11:
    Heaven Is a Place On Earth – Belinda Carlisle

    December 12, 1987 – January 8, 1988:
    Faith – George Michael

    Sports:

    World Series Champions: Minnesota Twins
    Super Bowl XXI Champions: New York Giants
    NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
    Stanley Cup Champs: Edmonton Oilers
    U.S. Open Golf Scott Simpson
    U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Ivan Lendl/Martina Navratilova
    Wimbledon (Men/Women): Pat Cash/Martina Navratilova
    NCAA Football Champions: Miami
    NCAA Basketball Champions: Indiana
    Kentucky Derby: Alysheb

    More 1987 Facts and History Resources:

    Most Popular Baby Names (BabyCenter.com)
    Popular and Notable Books (popculture.us)
    Broadway Shows that Opened in 1987X
    1987 Calendar, courtesy of Time and Date.com
    Everything 80s Podcast 1987
    Fact Monster
    Back In Time 1980s Timeline Thoughtco.com
    1980s, Infoplease.com World History
    1987 in Movies (according to IMDB)
    1987 Top Movies (according to BoxOfficeMojo)
    Retrowaste Vintage Culture
    The 80s(History.com)
    80s and 90s Classic NES Games (1985-1994)
    1980s Slang
    Wikipedia 1987

  • 1987 Music – The 100 Most Popular Songs

    1987 Music – The 100 Most Popular Songs

    1987 Top 100 Music Hits Chart

    1. Living On A Prayer – Bon Jovi
    2. Mony Mony – Billy Idol (1st released in 1981)
    3. (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life – Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
    4. Lean On Me – Club Nouveau
    5. Songbird – Kenny G
    6. Always – Atlantic Starr
    7. Oh Yeah – Yello
    8. La Bamba – Los Lobos
    9. You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon
    10. With Or Without You – U2
    11. Faith – George Michael
    12. Don’t Give Up – Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush
    13. Bad – Michael Jackson
    14. It’s Tricky – Run DMC
    15. You Got It All – The Jets
    16. U Got The Look – Prince
    17. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2
    18. Girls, Girls, Girls – Mötley Crüe
    19. Didn’t We Almost Have It All – Whitney Houston
    20. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party) – Beastie Boys
    21. Keep Your Hands To Yourself – Georgia Satellites
    22. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) – Whitney Houston
    23. The Lady In Red – Chris Deburgh
    24. Brass Monkey – Beastie Boys
    25. La Isla Bonita – Madonna
    26. Funky Town – Pseudo Echo
    27. Girls – Beastie Boys
    28. Wanted Dead Or Alive – Bon Jovi
    29. The Final Countdown – Europe
    30. True Faith – New Order
    31. Open Your Heart – Madonna
    32. Where The Streets Have No Name – U2
    33. Casanova – Levert
    34. Looking For A New Love – Jody Watley
    35. In Too Deep – Genesis
    36. Let’s Wait Awhile – Janet Jackson
    37. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight – Genesis
    38. Somewhere Out There – Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram
    39. Rhythm Is Gonna Get You – Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
    40. Shake You Down – Gregory Abbott
    41. Talk Dirty To Me – Poison
    42. Big Time – Peter Gabriel
    43. The Finer Things – Steve Winwood
    44. Land of Confusion – Genesis
    45. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now – Starship
    46. Luka – Suzanne Vega
    47. Dude (Looks Like A Lady) – Aerosmith
    48. I Think We’re Alone Now – Tiffany
    49. Moonlighting Theme – Al Jarreau
    50. Heart and Soul – T’ Pau
    51. Heartbreak Beat – Psychedelic Furs
    52. Caught Up In The Rapture – Anita Baker
    53. Come Go With Me – Expose
    54. Can’t We Try – Dan Hill and Vonda Sheppard
    55. Day In, Day Out – David Bowie
    56. Don’t Leave Me This Way – Communards
    57. Fascinated – Company B
    58. Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back To My Room) – Paul Lekakis
    59. I’m No Angel – Gregg Allman Band
    60. Only In My Dreams – Debbie Gibson
    61. Touch of Grey – Grateful Dead
    62. When Smokey Sings – ABC
    63. I Just Can’t Stop Loving You – Michael Jackson
    64. Graceland – Paul Simon
    65. At This Moment – Billy Vera and the Beaters
    66. Rock Steady – Whispers
    67. Heart and Soul – The Monkees
    68. Why Can’t I Be You – The Cure
    69. Never Say Goodbye – Bon Jovi
    70. Downtown Train – Patty Smyth
    71. Catch Me I’m Falling – Pretty Poison
    72. Heaven Is A Place On Earth – Belinda Carlisle
    73. I Want Your Sex – George Michael
    74. Point Of No Return – Expose
    75. Touch Me (I Want Your Body) – Samantha Fox
    76. Here I Go Again – Whitesnake
    77. I’d Still say Yes – Klymaxx
    78. Don’t Disturb This Groove – The System
    79. Stop To Love – Luthor Vandross
    80. Still Of The Night – Whitesnake
    81. Midnight Blue – Lou Gramm
    82. Learning To Fly – Pink Floyd
    83. Head To Toe – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
    84. The One I Love – R.E.M.
    85. Brand New Lover – Dead Or Alive
    86. Wipe Out – Fat Boys with the Beach Boys
    87. My Baby – The Pretenders
    88. World Shut Your Mouth – Julian Cope
    89. Smoking Gun – Robert Cray Band
    90. I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect For You) – Grace Jones
    91. We Connect – Stacy Q
    92. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now – Samantha Fox
    93. Girlfriend – Bobby Brown
    94. Something In My House – Dead Or Alive
    95. Jane’s Getting Serious – Jon Astley
    96. Never Enough – Patty Smyth
    97. Go See The Doctor – Kool Moe Dee
    98. The Boy In The Bubble – Paul Simon
    99. Young Blood – Bruce Willis
    100. Montego Bay – Amazulu
  • Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate by Ronald Reagan

    Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate by Ronald Reagan

    “Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate”
    by Ronald Reagan, on June 12, 1987, in Berlin


    Chancellor Kohl, Governing Mayor Diepgen, ladies and gentlemen: Twenty four years ago, President John F. Kennedy visited Berlin, and speaking to the people of this city and the world at the city hall. Well since then two other presidents have come, each in his turn to Berlin. And today, I, myself, make my second visit to your city.

    We come to Berlin, we American Presidents, because it’s our duty to speak in this place of freedom. But I must confess, we’re drawn here by other things as well; by the feeling of history in this city- more than 500 years older than our own nation; by the beauty of the Grunewald and the Tiergarten; most of all, by your courage and determination. Perhaps the composer, Paul Linke, understood something about American Presidents. You see, like so many Presidents before me, I come here today because wherever I go, whatever I do: Ich hab noch einen Koffer in Berlin. [I still have a suitcase in Berlin.]

    Our gathering today is being broadcast throughout Western Europe and North America. I understand that it is being seen and heard as well in the East. To those listening throughout Eastern Europe, I extend my warmest greetings and the good will of the American people. To those listening in East Berlin, a special word: Although I cannot be with you, I address my remarks to you just as surely as to those standing here before me. For I join you, as I join your fellow countrymen in the West, in this firm, this unalterable belief: Es gibt nur ein Berlin. [There is only one Berlin.]

    Behind me stands a wall that encircles the free sectors of this city, part of a vast system of barriers that divides the entire continent of Europe. From the Baltic South, those barriers cut across Germany in a gash of barbed wire, concrete, dog runs, and guard towers. Farther south, there may be no visible, no obvious wall. But there remain armed guards and checkpoints all the same- still a restriction on the right to travel, still an instrument to impose upon ordinary men and women the will of a totalitarian state.

    Yet, it is here in Berlin where the wall emerges most clearly; here, cutting across your city, where the news photo and the television screen have imprinted this brutal division of a continent upon the mind of the world.

    Standing before the Brandenburg Gate, every man is a German separated from his fellow men.

    Every man is a Berliner, forced to look upon a scar.

    President Von Weizsäcker has said, “The German question is open as long as the Brandenburg Gate is closed.” Well today- today I say: As long as this gate is closed, as long as this scar of a wall is permitted to stand, it is not the German question alone that remains open, but the question of freedom for all mankind.

    Yet, I do not come here to lament. For I find in Berlin a message of hope, even in the shadow of this wall, a message of triumph.

    In this season of spring in 1945, the people of Berlin emerged from their air-raid shelters to find devastation. Thousands of miles away, the people of the United States reached out to help. And in 1947 Secretary of State- as you’ve been told- George Marshall announced the creation of what would become known as the Marshall Plan. Speaking precisely 40 years ago this month, he said: “Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos.”

    In the Reichstag a few moments ago, I saw a display commemorating this 40th anniversary of the Marshall Plan. I was struck by a sign- the sign on a burnt-out, gutted structure that was being rebuilt. I understand that Berliners of my own generation can remember seeing signs like it dotted throughout the western sectors of the city. The sign read simply: “The Marshall Plan is helping here to strengthen the free world.” A strong, free world in the West- that dream became real. Japan rose from ruin to become an economic giant. Italy, France, Belgium- virtually every nation in Western Europe saw political and economic rebirth; the European Community was founded.

    In West Germany and here in Berlin, there took place an economic miracle, the Wirtschaftswunder [Miracle on the Rhine]. Adenauer, Erhard, Reuter, and other leaders understood the practical importance of liberty- that just as truth can flourish only when the journalist is given freedom of speech, so prosperity can come about only when the farmer and businessman enjoy economic freedom. The German leaders- the German leaders reduced tariffs, expanded free trade, lowered taxes. From 1950 to 1960 alone, the standard of living in West Germany and Berlin doubled.

    Where four decades ago there was rubble, today in West Berlin there is the greatest industrial output of any city in Germany: busy office blocks, fine homes and apartments, proud avenues, and the spreading lawns of parkland. Where a city’s culture seemed to have been destroyed, today there are two great universities, orchestras and an opera, countless theaters, and museums. Where there was want, today there’s abundance- food, clothing, automobiles- the wonderful goods of the Kudamm.1 From devastation, from utter ruin, you Berliners have, in freedom, rebuilt a city that once again ranks as one of the greatest on earth. Now the Soviets may have had other plans. But my friends, there were a few things the Soviets didn’t count on: Berliner Herz, Berliner Humor, ja, und Berliner Schnauze. [Berliner heart, Berliner humor, yes, and a Berliner Schnauze.2]

    In the 1950s- In the 1950s Khrushchev predicted: “We will bury you.”

    But in the West today, we see a free world that has achieved a level of prosperity and well-being unprecedented in all human history. In the Communist world, we see failure, technological backwardness, declining standards of health, even want of the most basic kind- too little food. Even today, the Soviet Union still cannot feed itself. After these four decades, then, there stands before the entire world one great and inescapable conclusion: Freedom leads to prosperity. Freedom replaces the ancient hatreds among nations with comity and peace. Freedom is the victor.

    And now- now the Soviets themselves may, in a limited way, be coming to understand the importance of freedom. We hear much from Moscow about a new policy of reform and openness. Some political prisoners have been released. Certain foreign news broadcasts are no longer being jammed. Some economic enterprises have been permitted to operate with greater freedom from state control.

    Are these the beginnings of profound changes in the Soviet state? Or are they token gestures intended to raise false hopes in the West, or to strengthen the Soviet system without changing it? We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty- the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace.

    There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace.

    General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate.

    Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate.

    Mr. Gorbachev- Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

    I understand the fear of war and the pain of division that afflict this continent, and I pledge to you my country’s efforts to help overcome these burdens. To be sure, we in the West must resist Soviet expansion. So, we must maintain defenses of unassailable strength. Yet we seek peace; so we must strive to reduce arms on both sides.

    Beginning 10 years ago, the Soviets challenged the Western alliance with a grave new threat, hundreds of new and more deadly SS-20 nuclear missiles capable of striking every capital in Europe. The Western alliance responded by committing itself to a counter-deployment (unless the Soviets agreed to negotiate a better solution)- namely, the elimination of such weapons on both sides. For many months, the Soviets refused to bargain in earnestness. As the alliance, in turn, prepared to go forward with its counter-deployment, there were difficult days, days of protests like those during my 1982 visit to this city; and the Soviets later walked away from the table.

    But through it all, the alliance held firm. And I invite those who protested then- I invite those who protest today- to mark this fact: Because we remained strong, the Soviets came back to the table. Because we remained strong, today we have within reach the possibility, not merely of limiting the growth of arms, but of eliminating, for the first time, an entire class of nuclear weapons from the face of the earth.

    As I speak, NATO ministers are meeting in Iceland to review the progress of our proposals for eliminating these weapons. At the talks in Geneva, we have also proposed deep cuts in strategic offensive weapons. And the Western allies have likewise made far-reaching proposals to reduce the danger of conventional war and to place a total ban on chemical weapons.

    While we pursue these arms reductions, I pledge to you that we will maintain the capacity to deter Soviet aggression at any level at which it might occur. And in cooperation with many of our allies, the United States is pursuing the Strategic Defense Initiative- research to base deterrence not on the threat of offensive retaliation, but on defenses that truly defend; on systems, in short, that will not target populations, but shield them. By these means we seek to increase the safety of Europe and all the world. But we must remember a crucial fact: East and West do not mistrust each other because we are armed; we are armed because we mistrust each other. And our differences are not about weapons but about liberty. When President Kennedy spoke at the City Hall those 24 years ago, freedom was encircled; Berlin was under siege. And today, despite all the pressures upon this city, Berlin stands secure in its liberty. And freedom itself is transforming the globe.

    In the Philippines, in South and Central America, democracy has been given a rebirth. Throughout the Pacific, free markets are working miracle after miracle of economic growth. In the industrialized nations, a technological revolution is taking place, a revolution marked by rapid, dramatic advances in computers and telecommunications.

    In Europe, only one nation and those it controls refuse to join the community of freedom. Yet in this age of redoubled economic growth, of information and innovation, the Soviet Union faces a choice: It must make fundamental changes, or it will become obsolete.

    Today, thus, represents a moment of hope. We in the West stand ready to cooperate with the East to promote true openness, to break down barriers that separate people, to create a safer, freer world. And surely there is no better place than Berlin, the meeting place of East and West, to make a start.

    Free people of Berlin: Today, as in the past, the United States stands for the strict observance and full implementation of all parts of the Four Power Agreement of 1971. Let us use this occasion, the 750th anniversary of this city, to usher in a new era, to seek a still fuller, richer life for the Berlin of the future. Together, let us maintain and develop the ties between the Federal Republic and the Western sectors of Berlin, which is permitted by the 1971 agreement.

    And I invite Mr. Gorbachev: Let us work to bring the Eastern and Western parts of the city closer together, so that all the inhabitants of all Berlin can enjoy the benefits that come with life in one of the great cities of the world.

    To open Berlin still further to all Europe, East and West, let us expand the vital air access to this city, finding ways of making commercial air service to Berlin more convenient, more comfortable, and more economical. We look to the day when West Berlin can become one of the chief aviation hubs in all central Europe.

    With- With our French- With our French and British partners, the United States is prepared to help bring international meetings to Berlin. It would be only fitting for Berlin to serve as the site of United Nations meetings, or world conferences on human rights and arms control, or other issues that call for international cooperation.

    There is no better way to establish hope for the future than to enlighten young minds, and we would be honored to sponsor summer youth exchanges, cultural events, and other programs for young Berliners from the East. Our French and British friends, I’m certain, will do the same. And it’s my hope that an authority can be found in East Berlin to sponsor visits from young people of the Western sectors.

    One final proposal, one close to my heart: Sport represents a source of enjoyment and ennoblement, and you may have noted that the Republic of Korea- South Korea- has offered to permit certain events of the 1988 Olympics to take place in the North. International sports competitions of all kinds could take place in both parts of this city. And what better way to demonstrate to the world the openness of this city than to offer in some future year to hold the Olympic games here in Berlin, East and West.

    In these four decades, as I have said, you Berliners have built a great city. You’ve done so in spite of threats- the Soviet attempts to impose the East-mark, the blockade. Today the city thrives in spite of the challenges implicit in the very presence of this wall. What keeps you here? Certainly there’s a great deal to be said for your fortitude, for your defiant courage.

    But I believe there’s something deeper, something that involves Berlin’s whole look and feel and way of life- not mere sentiment. No one could live long in Berlin without being completely disabused of illusions. Something, instead, that has seen the difficulties of life in Berlin but chose to accept them, that continues to build this good and proud city in contrast to a surrounding totalitarian presence, that refuses to release human energies or aspirations, something that speaks with a powerful voice of affirmation, that says “yes” to this city, yes to the future, yes to freedom. In a word, I would submit that what keeps you in Berlin- is “love.”

    Love both profound and abiding.

    Perhaps this gets to the root of the matter, to the most fundamental distinction of all between East and West. The totalitarian world produces backwardness because it does such violence to the spirit, thwarting the human impulse to create, to enjoy, to worship. The totalitarian world finds even symbols of love and of worship an affront.

    Years ago, before the East Germans began rebuilding their churches, they erected a secular structure: the television tower at Alexander Platz. Virtually ever since, the authorities have been working to correct what they view as the tower’s one major flaw: treating the glass sphere at the top with paints and chemicals of every kind. Yet even today when the sun strikes that sphere, that sphere that towers over all Berlin, the light makes the sign of the cross. There in Berlin, like the city itself, symbols of love, symbols of worship, cannot be suppressed.

    As I looked out a moment ago from the Reichstag, that embodiment of German unity, I noticed words crudely spray-painted upon the wall, perhaps by a young Berliner (quote):

    “This wall will fall. Beliefs become reality.”

    Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall, for it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.

    And I would like, before I close, to say one word. I have read, and I have been questioned since I’ve been here about certain demonstrations against my coming. And I would like to say just one thing, and to those who demonstrate so. I wonder if they have ever asked themselves that if they should have the kind of government they apparently seek, no one would ever be able to do what they’re doing again.

    Thank you and God bless you all. Thank you.

  • 1987 Oscars 59th Academy Awards

    1987 Oscars 59th Academy Awards

    1987 Oscars 59th Academy Awards

    • Winners Announced: March 30, 1987
    • Held at: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California
    • Hosts: Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, Paul Hogan
    • Eligibility Year: 1986

    In-Depth Details and Trivia

    • Triple Hosting Power: A unique trio of Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, and Paul Hogan added a mix of humor and charm to the event.
    • Platoon Dominates: Oliver Stone’s Platoon was the big winner, taking home four Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director.
    • Paul Newman Finally Wins: Paul Newman won his first Oscar for Best Actor for his role in The Color of Money, after seven previous nominations.
    • Marlee Matlin’s Historic Win: At 21, Marlee Matlin became the youngest and only deaf actress to win Best Actress for her role in Children of a Lesser God.
    • Top Tunes: Take My Breath Away from Top Gun won Best Original Song, marking a victory for pop music in the Oscars.
    • A Touch of Animation: The Best Animated Short Film was awarded to A Greek Tragedy.
    • Woody Allen Stays Strong: Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters snagged three awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Michael Caine.
    • Special Achievements: Ralph Bellamy received an Honorary Award for his unique artistry and distinguished service to the profession of acting.

    1987 Oscar Nominees and Winners

    Best Picture:
    Platoon – Arnold Kopelson, producer (WINNER)
    Children of a Lesser God – Burt Sugarman and Patrick J. Palmer, producers
    Hannah and Her Sisters – Robert Greenhut, producer
    The Mission – Fernando Ghia and David Puttnam, producers
    A Room with a View – Ismail Merchant, producer
    Best Director:
    Oliver Stone – Platoon (WINNER)
    David Lynch – Blue Velvet
    Woody Allen – Hannah and Her Sisters
    Roland Joffé – The Mission
    James Ivory – A Room with a View
    Best Actor:
    Paul Newman – The Color of Money as “Fast Eddie” Felson (WINNER)
    Dexter Gordon – Round Midnight as Dale Turner
    Bob Hoskins – Mona Lisa as George
    William Hurt – Children of a Lesser God as James Leeds
    James Woods – Salvador as Richard Boyle
    Best Actress:
    Marlee Matlin – Children of a Lesser God as Sarah Norman (WINNER)
    Jane Fonda – The Morning After as Alex Sternbergen
    Sissy Spacek – Crimes of the Heart as Babe Magrath
    Kathleen Turner – Peggy Sue Got Married as Peggy Sue Bodell
    Sigourney Weaver – Aliens as Ellen Ripley
    Best Supporting Actor:
    Michael Caine – Hannah and Her Sisters as Elliott Daniels (WINNER)
    Tom Berenger – Platoon as Sgt. Bob Barnes
    Willem Dafoe – Platoon as Sgt. Elias Grodin
    Denholm Elliott – A Room with a View as Mr. Emerson
    Dennis Hopper – Hoosiers as Wilbur “Shooter” Flatch
    Best Supporting Actress:
    Dianne Wiest – Hannah and Her Sisters as Holly (WINNER)
    Tess Harper – Crimes of the Heart as Chick Boyle
    Piper Laurie – Children of a Lesser God as Mrs. Norman
    Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio – The Color of Money as Carmen
    Maggie Smith – A Room with a View as Charlotte Bartlett
    Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen:
    Hannah and Her Sisters – Woody Allen (WINNER)
    Crocodile Dundee – Screenplay by Paul Hogan, Ken Shadie, and John Cornell; Story by Paul Hogan
    My Beautiful Laundrette – Hanif Kureishi
    Platoon – Oliver Stone
    Salvador – Oliver Stone and Rick Boyle
    Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium:
    A Room with a View – Ruth Prawer Jhabvala based on the novel by E. M. Forster (WINNER)
    Children of a Lesser God – Hesper Anderson and Mark Medoff based on the play by Mark Medoff
    The Color of Money – Richard Price based on the novel by Walter Tevis
    Crimes of the Heart – Beth Henley based on the play by Beth Henley
    Stand by Me – Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Evans based on the novella The Body by Stephen King
    Best Foreign Language Film:
    The Assault (The Netherlands) in Dutch and German – Fons Rademakers (WINNER)
    38 (Austria) in German – Wolfgang Glück
    Betty Blue (France) in French – Jean-Jacques Beineix
    The Decline of the American Empire (Canada) in French – Denys Arcand
    My Sweet Little Village (Czechoslovakia) in Czech – Jirí Menzel
    Best Documentary Feature:
    Artie Shaw: Time Is All You’ve Got – Brigitte Berman (WINNER/TIE)
    Down and Out in America – Joseph Feury and Milton Justice (WINNER/TIE)
    Chile: Hasta Cuando? – David Bradbury
    Isaac in America: A Journey with Isaac Bashevis Singer – Kirk Simon and Amram Nowak
    Witness to Apartheid – Sharon I. Sopher
    Best Documentary Short Subject:
    Women – for America, for the World – Vivienne Verdon-Roe (WINNER)
    Debonair Dancers – Alison Nigh-Strelich
    The Masters of Disaster – Sonya Friedman
    Red Grooms: Sunflower in a Hothouse – Thomas L. Neff and Madeline Bell
    Sam – Aaron D. Weisblatt
    Best Live Action Short Film:
    Precious Images – Chuck Workman (WINNER)
    Exit – Stefano Reali and Pino Quartullo
    Love Struck – Fredda Weiss
    Best Animated Short Film:
    Greek Tragedy – Nicole van Goethem (WINNER)
    The Frog, the Dog and the Devil – Bob Stenhouse
    Luxo Jr. – John Lasseter and William Reeves
    Best Original Score:
    Round Midnight – Herbie Hancock (WINNER)
    Aliens – James Horner
    Hoosiers – Jerry Goldsmith
    The Mission – Ennio Morricone
    Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – Leonard Rosenman
    Best Original Song:
    “Take My Breath Away” from Top Gun – Music and Lyrics by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock (WINNER)
    “Glory of Love” from The Karate Kid Part II – Music by Peter Cetera and David Foster; Lyrics by Peter Cetera and Diane Nini
    “Life in a Looking Glass” from That’s Life! – Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse
    “Mean Green Mother from Outer Space” from Little Shop of Horrors – Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Howard Ashman
    “Somewhere Out There” from An American Tail – Music by James Horner and Barry Mann; Lyrics by Cynthia Weil
    Best Sound Effects Editing:
    Aliens – Don Sharpe (WINNER)
    Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – Mark Mangini
    Top Gun – Cecelia Hall and George Watters II
    Best Sound:
    Platoon – John K. Wilkinson, Richard Rogers, Charles “Bud” Grenzbach, and Simon Kaye (WINNER)
    Aliens – Graham V. Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier, Michael A. Carter, and Roy Charman
    Heartbreak Ridge – Les Fresholtz, Dick Alexander, Vern Poore, and William Nelson
    Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – Terry Porter, Dave Hudson, Mel Metcalfe, and Gene S. Cantamessa
    Top Gun – Donald O. Mitchell, Kevin O’Connell, Rick Kline, and William B. Kaplan
    Best Art Direction:
    A Room with a View – Art Direction: Gianni Quaranta and Brian Ackland-Snow; Set Decoration: Brian Savegar and Elio Altramura (WINNER)
    Aliens – Art Direction: Peter Lamont; Set Decoration: Crispian Sallis
    The Color of Money – Art Direction: Boris Leven (posthumous nomination) ; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara
    Hannah and Her Sisters – Art Direction: Stuart Wurtzel; Set Decoration: Carol Joffe
    The Mission – Art Direction: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Jack Stephens
    Best Cinematography:
    The Mission – Chris Menges (WINNER)
    Peggy Sue Got Married – Jordan Cronenweth
    Platoon – Robert Richardson
    A Room with a View – Tony Pierce-Roberts
    Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – Donald Peterman
    Best Makeup:
    The Fly – Chris Walas and Stephan Dupuis (WINNER)
    The Clan of the Cave Bear – Michael Westmore and Michèle Burke
    Legend – Rob Bottin and Peter Robb-King
    Best Costume Design:
    A Room with a View – Jenny Beavan and John Bright (WINNER)
    The Mission – Enrico Sabbatini
    Otello – Anna Anni and Maurizio Millenotti
    Peggy Sue Got Married – Theadora Van Runkle
    Pirates – Anthony Powell
    Best Film Editing:
    Platoon – Claire Simpson (WINNER)
    Aliens – Ray Lovejoy
    Hannah and Her Sisters – Susan E. Morse
    The Mission – Jim Clark
    Top Gun – Billy Weber and Chris Lebenzon
    Best Visual Effects:
    Aliens – Robert Skotak, Stan Winston, John Richardson, and Suzanne M. Benson (WINNER)
    Little Shop of Horrors – Lyle Conway, Bran Ferren, and Martin Gutteridge
    Poltergeist II: The Other Side – Richard Edlund, John Bruno, Garry Waller, and William Neil
    Honorary Academy Award:
    Ralph Bellamy
    Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award:
    Steven Spielberg
  • 1987 Grammy Award Winners

    1987 Grammy Award Winners

    1987 Grammy Award Winners

    • Winners Announced: February 24, 1987
    • Held at: Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles
    • Host: Billy Crystal
    • Eligibility Year: October 1, 1985 – September 30, 1986

    Trivia

    • Billy Crystal’s Debut: Known for his comedic brilliance, Billy Crystal hosted the Grammys, adding humor and wit to the evening.
    • Paul Simon’s Triumph: Paul Simon’s album Graceland won Album of the Year and was hailed for its eclectic mix of genres, including South African music.
    • Whitney Houston’s Arrival: Whitney Houston won her first Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Greatest Love of All.”
    • Duets and Collaborations: That’s What Friends Are For, performed by Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, and Gladys Knight, won Song of the Year.
    • Jazz Legends Honored: Miles Davis won Best Jazz Instrumental Performance for his album Tutu, continuing his tradition of Grammy wins.
    • Classical Shines: The Best Classical Album was awarded to Horowitz: The Studio Recordings, New York 1985, featuring pianist Vladimir Horowitz.
    • Top Newcomers: Bruce Hornsby and the Range took home the Grammy for Best New Artist.
    • Metal Makes Its Mark: Metallica’s Master of Puppets was released during this eligibility year and though it didn’t win, it was a milestone in bringing metal music into mainstream awareness.

    1987 Grammy Winners

    Record of the Year:
    Higher Love – Steve Winwood
    Album of the Year:
    Graceland, Paul Simon (Warner Bros.)
    Song of the Year:
    That’s What Friends Are For – Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, songwriters
    Best New Artist:
    Bruce Hornsby and the Range
    Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male:
    Higher Love – Steve Winwood
    Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female:
    The Broadway Album, Barbra Streisand
    Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal:
    That’s What Friends Are For – Dionne Warwick and Friends Featuring Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder
    Best Pop Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist):
    Top Gun Anthem – Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens
    Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male:
    Addicted to Love – Robert Palmer
    Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female:
    Back Where You Started – Tina Turner
    Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal:
    Missionary Man – Eurythmics
    Best Rock Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist):
    Peter Gunn – Art of Noise featuring Duane Eddy
    Best Rhythm and Blues Song:
    Sweet Love – Anita Baker, Louis A. Johnson and Gary Bias, songwriters
    Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Male:
    Living in America – James Brown
    Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Female:
    Rapture, Anita Baker
    Best Rhythm and Blues Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal:
    Kiss – Prince and the Revolution
    Best Rhythm and Blues Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist):
    And You Know That – Yellowjackets
    Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male:
    Round Midnight – Bobby McFerrin
    Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female:
    Timeless, Diane Schuur
    Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group:
    Free Fall, 2 + 2 Plus (Clare Fischer and His Latin Jazz Sextet)
    Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist:
    Tutu, Miles Davis
    Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group:
    J Mood, Wynton Marsalis
    Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band:
    The Tonight Show Band With Doc Severinsen, The Tonight Show Band With Doc Severinsen
    Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental:
    Double Vision, Bob James and David Sanborn
    Best Country Song:
    Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days) – Jamie O’Hara, songwriter
    Best Country Vocal Performance, Male:
    Lost in the Fifties Tonight, Ronnie Milsap
    Best Country Vocal Performance, Female:
    Whoever’s in New England – Reba McEntire
    Best Country Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal:
    Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days) – Judds
    Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist):
    Raisin’ the Dickens – Ricky Skaggs
    Best Gospel Performance, Male:
    Triumph, Philip Bailey
    Best Gospel Performance, Female:
    Morning Like This, Sandi Patti
    Best Gospel Performance By a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus:
    They Say – Sandi Patti and Deniece Williams
    Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male:
    Going Away – Al Green
    Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female:
    I Surrender All – Deniece Williams
    Best Soul Gospel Performance By a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus:
    Let My People Go, Winans
    Best Latin Pop Performance:
    Lelolai – José Feliciano
    Best Tropical Latin Performance:
    Escenas, Ruben Blades
    Best Mexican/American Performance:
    Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio, Flaco Jimenez
    Best Traditional Blues Recording:
    Showdown!, Albert Collins, Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland (Alligator)
    Best Traditional Folk Recording:
    Riding the Midnight Train, Doc Watson (Sugar Hill)
    Best Contemporary Folk Recording:
    Tribute to Steve Goodman, Arlo Guthrie, John Hartford, Richie Havens, Bonnie Koloc, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Prine and others (Red Pajamas)
    Best Reggae Recording:
    Babylon the Bandit, Steel Pulse (Elektra)
    Best New Age Recording:
    Down to the Moon, Andreas Vollenweider (FM/CBS)
    Best Polka Recording (tie):
    Another Polka Celebration, Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones (Bel Aire)
    I Remember Warsaw, Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra (Starr)
    Best Arrangement on an Instrumental:
    Suite Memories – Patrick Williams, arranger
    Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s):
    Somewhere – David Foster, arranger
    Best Instrumental Composition:
    Out of Africa (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), John Barry, composer
    Best Musical Cast Show:
    Album Follies in Concert (RCA)
    Best Classical Album:
    Horowitz: The Studio Recordings, New York 1985, Vladimir Horowitz (Deutsche Grammophon)
    Best Contemporary Composition:
    Symphony No. 3, Witold Lutoslawski, composer
    Best Classical Orchestral Recording:
    Liszt, A Faust Symphony, Sir Georg Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (London)
    Best Chamber Music Performance, Instrumental or Vocal:
    Beethoven, Cello and Piano Sonata No. 4 in C Major and Variations, Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax
    Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist(s) (With or Without Orchestra):
    Horowitz, The Studio Recordings, New York 1985, Vladimir Horowitz
    Best Opera Recording:
    Bernstein, Candide, John Mauceri conducting New York City Opera Chorus and Orchestra; solos: Mills, Eisler, Lankston, Castle, Reeve, Harrold, Billings and Clement (New World)
    Best Choral Performance (Other Than Opera):
    Orff, Carmina Burana, James Levine conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
    Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance:
    Mozart, Kathleen Battle Sings Mozart, Kathleen Battle
    Best Comedy Recording:
    Those of You With or Without Children, You’ll Understand, Bill Cosby (Geffen)
    Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording:
    Interviews From the Class of ’55 Recording Sessions, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Sam Phillips, Rick Nelson and Chips Moman (America Record Corp.)
    Best Recording for Children:
    The Alphabet, Sesame Street Muppets; Jim Henson (Golden Books)
    Best Album Package:
    Tutu, Eiko Ishioka, art director (Warner Bros.)
    Best Album Notes:
    The Voice, the Columbia Years 1943 – 1952, Gary Giddins, Wilfrid Sheed, Jonathan Schwartz, Murray Kempton, Andrew Sarris, Stephen Holden and Frank Conroy, annotators (Columbia/CBS)
    Best Historical Album:
    Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947 – 1974 vols. 1 – 7, various artists (Atlantic)
    Best Music Video, Short Form (VHS):
    Dire Straits Brothers in Arms – Dire Straits
    Best Music Video, Short Form (Vhs) (beta) (disk):
    Bring on the Night – Sting
    Producers of the Year (Non-Classical):
    Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
    Classical Producer of the Year:
    Thomas Frost