1987 in music

• 1987 in British music
• 1987 in Norwegian music

• 1987 in country music
• 1987 in heavy metal music
• 1987 in hip hop music
• 1987 in jazz

• See Musical groups established in 1987

• See Musical groups disestablished in 1987

• The Doobie Brothers
• Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Prism

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

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	Los Lobos	La Bamba	1987		UK 1 – Jul 1987, US BB 1 – Jul 1987, Switzerland 1 – Aug 1987, Italy 1 of 1987, Republic of Ireland 1 – Jul 1987, New Zealand 1 for 7 weeks Aug 1987, Australia 1 for 7 weeks Apr 1988, Netherlands 2 – Aug 1987, Australia 2 of 1987, Austria 4 – Oct 1987, Norway 4 – Aug 1987, US BB 8 of 1987, POP 8 of 1987, Germany 9 – Aug 1987, US CashBox 11 of 1987, Sweden 12 – Aug 1987, Poland 17 – Sep 1987, South Africa 17 of 1987, Scrobulate 75 of Latin, KROQ 81 of 1987, RYM 116 of 1987, Party 227 of 1999, Acclaimed 2050
2	Rick Astley	Never Gonna Give You Up	1987		UK 1 – Aug 1987, US BB 1 – Jan 1988, Netherlands 1 – Sept 1987, France 1 – Aug 1987, Norway 1 – Oct 1987, Germany 1 – Sept 1987, New Zealand 1 for 1 weeks Feb 1988, Australia 1 for 7 weeks Jun 1988, South Africa 1 of 1988, US CashBox 2 of 1988, Switzerland 2 – Sept 1987, Sweden 3 – Sept 1987, Austria 4 – Nov 1987, Australia 5 of 1988, Italy 13 of 1987, US BB 34 of 1988, POP 61 of 1988, Germany 140 of the 1980s, OzNet 765
3	Whitney Houston	I Wanna Dance with Somebody Who Loves Me	1987		UK 1 – May 1987, US BB 1 – May 1987, Netherlands 1 – May 1987, Switzerland 1 – May 1987, Norway 1 – May 1987, Germany 1 – May 1987, New Zealand 1 for 4 weeks Jun 1987, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Jan 1988, US CashBox 2 of 1987, Sweden 2 – May 1987, Austria 3 – Jun 1987, Poland 4 – Jun 1987, South Africa 4 of 1987, France 10 – Jun 1987, Italy 10 of 1987, Australia 11 of 1987, POP 22 of 1987, Germany 67 of the 1980s
4	Pet Shop Boys	It's a Sin	1987		Sweden 1 – Oct 1987, Austria 1 – Oct 1987, Switzerland 1 – Nov 1987, Norway 1 – Nov 1987, Poland 1 – Nov 1987, Germany 1 – Dic 1987, Republic of Ireland 1 – Dic 1987, Netherlands 3 – Dic 1987, France 5 – Jan 1988, US BB 9 – Jan 1988, South Africa 18 of 1987, Italy 21 of 1987, KROQ 27 of 1987, RYM 34 of 1987, Germany 94 of the 1980s, Acclaimed 1308
5	Madonna	Who's That Girl	1987		US BB 1 – Apr 1987, Poland 1 – Mar 1987, Republic of Ireland 1 – Apr 1987, Netherlands 2 – Mar 1987, UK 4 – Mar 1987, Sweden 5 – Apr 1987, Europe 5 of the 1980s, RYM 6 of 1987, Germany 7 – Apr 1987, KROQ 9 of 1987, Switzerland 10 – Apr 1987, POP 10 of 1987, US CashBox 12 of 1987, US BB 14 of 1987, Poland 14 of all time, Austria 15 – Jun 1987, Belgium 24 of all time, OzNet 44, TheQ 47, Scrobulate 93 of rock, WXPN 116, Rolling Stone 131, Party 168 of 2007, Acclaimed 309

• "¿A quién le importa?" – Alaska y Dinarama (Spain)
• "Bring Him Back Home" – Hugh Masekela (South Africa)
• "Beds Are Burning" – Midnight Oil (Australia)
• "Hey, Matthew" – Karel Fialka (India)
• "In The Dutch Mountains" – The Nits (Netherlands)
• "Je ne veux pas" – Céline Dion (Canada)
• Jeg Ved En Lærkerede" – Kim Larsen (Denmark)
• "Keine Sterne In Athen" – Stephan Remmler (Germany)
• "The Irish Rover" – The Pogues & The Dubliners (Ireland)
• "Pour en arriver là" – Dalida (France)
• "Premier Baiser" – Emmanuelle Mottaz (France)
• "The Return of the Juju King" – King Sunny Ade (Nigeria)

• "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

• Pascal Bentoiu – Symphony No. 8 ("Imagini"), Op. 30
• John Cage – As Slow as Possible
• Mario Davidovsky – Quartet for flute, violin, viola and violoncello
• Joël-François Durand – Lichtung
• Philip Feeney – Mémoire imaginaire (ballet)
• 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
• Francisco Llácer Pla – Ricercare Concertante
• Nicholas Maw – Odyssey
• Henri Pousseur – Traverser la forêt
• Ahmed Adnan Saygun – Cello Concerto
• Byambasuren Sharav – Symphony No. 2
• Juan Maria Solare – Doce variaciones 1987 (for piano)
• Joan Tower – Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1

• 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

• Abyssinia, with music by Ted Kociolek and lyrics by James Racheff – New York 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
• Starlight Express (Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe) – Broadway production opened at the Gershwin Theatre and ran for 761 performances

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

• January 2 – Syesha Mercado, American singer and actress
• January 7 – Sirusho, Armenian singer
• January 9 – Paolo Nutini, British singer
• January 12
  • Sunday (Jin Bo-ra), Korean pop singer (TSZX The Grace)
  • Naya Rivera, American actress and singer (d. 2020)
• January 16 – Jake Epstein, Canadian actor and singer
• January 18 – Stefan Filipović, Montenegrin pop 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, singer and songwriter
• February 7
  • Kerli, Estonian singer and 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
• 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
• March 1 – Kesha, American singer-songwriter, author, activist, musician
• March 4 – Aja Volkman, American singer, songwriter, and musician,
• March 9 – Bow Wow, American Hip-Hop artist, actor
• March 10 – Emeli Sandé, Scottish singer and songwriter
  • Mod Sun, American rapper
• March 20 – Jonas Rivanno, Indonesian actor, model and 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 (musician), Canadian singer and 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 30 – Nikki Webster, Australian pop singer/businesswoman/actress
• May 2 – Nana Kitade, Japanese singer
• May 4 – Anjeza Shahini, Albanian singer
• 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 (musician), American record producer and songwriter
  • Jennylyn Mercado, Filipina actress, singer, television personality
• May 16 – Can Bonomo, Turkish-Jewish singer
• May 18 – Luisana Lopilato, an Argentine actress, singer and model (Michael Buble)
• May 21 – Hit-Boy, American record producer, rapper, singer and songwriter
• May 24 – Jimena Barón, Argentine actress and singer
• May 29 – Ak'Sent, American rapper
• June 2 – Matthew Koma, American songwriter-singer, DJ, record producer (Married to Hilary Duff)
• June 8 – Ty Segall, American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and record producer
• June 16 – Diana DeGarmo, American Idol contestant, singer
  • Ali Stroker, American musician, singer, actress and advocate
• June 17 – Kendrick Lamar, American rapper and songwriter (Black Hippy)
• June 19 – Miho Fukuhara, Japanese singer and actress (Sweetbox)
• June 21
  • Khatia Buniatishvili, Georgian pianist
  • Kim Ryeowook, Korean pop singer (Super Junior)
• June 23 – Caitlin Rose, American country singer
• 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 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 (American singer), 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
• July 26 – Evelina Sašenko-Statulevičienė, Lithuanian jazz singer of Polish-Ukrainian descent
• 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 21 – Kim Kibum, Korean actor and pop singer
• September 1 – Dann Hume, New Zealand musician, music producer, mix engineer and songwriter (Amy Shark)
  • Sevdaliza, Irish Dutch singer-songwriter and record producer
• September 7 – Evan Rachel Wood, American singer and actress
• September 16 – Sarah Hay, American ballerina and actress
• 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 (singer), Australian singer and songwriter
• 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 28 – Frank Ocean, American singer-songwriter
• October 29 – Tove Lo, Swedish singer-songwriter, dancer and activist
• 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 10 – Charles Hamilton, American rapper and producer
• November 24 – Sermstyle, English singer-songwriter, remixer, record producer and DJ
• November 29 – Cashmere Cat, Norwegian DJ, record producer, musician and turntablist (Ariana Grande)
• November 30 – Dougie Poynter, English 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
• December 18 – Ayaka, Japanese pop singer
• December 20 – Barrie-James O'Neill, Scottish singer-songwriter
• December 27 – Yui Okada, Japanese pop singer

• January 6 – Jaidev, Bollywood composer, 67[2]
• January 10 – Marion Hutton, singer and actress, 67[3]
• January 15 – Ray Bolger, Wizard of Oz actor, 83 (cancer)[4]
• January 30 – Harold Loeffelmacher, musician and bandleader (Six Fat Dutchmen), 81
• February 2
  • Spike Hughes, jazz double bass player, composer and journalist, 78[5]
  • Alfred Lion, record executive and co-founder of Blue Note Records, 78[6]
• February 4 – Liberace, US pianist, 67 (AIDS-related)[7]
• February 8 – Tony Destra, glam metal drummer, 32 (car accident)
• February 18 – Dmitri Kabalevsky, composer
• February 23 – Zeca Afonso, folk musician
• February 24 – Jim Connors, radio DJ, 46 (car crash)
• 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, jazz drummer, 69 (brain tumor)
• April 7 – Carlton Barrett, reggae drummer (The Wailers), 36 (murdered)
• April 14 – Karl Höller, composer, 79
• May 2 – Larry Clinton, US bandleader and songwriter, 75
• May 3 – Dalida, singer, actress and Miss Egypt 1954, 54 (suicide)[8][9]
• May 4 – Paul Butterfield, blues vocalist and harmonica player, 44 (drug overdose)
• May 5 – Allen Jones, record producer (heart attack)[10]
• 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 Frešo, 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
• 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

• 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

• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1987 (U.S.)

• Record labels established in 1987