1987
The year in music, movies, TV, fads & memories
In 1987, “Walk Like an Egyptian” by The Bangles topped the Billboard year-end Hot 100 and The Joshua Tree by U2 and Bad by Michael Jackson were on every turntable. The Princess Bride, Dirty Dancing and Predator were in theaters, and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Full House and Married... with Children were on TV.
The headlines: Reagan: 'Tear down this wall'. New that year: Apple Macintosh II launches. Fads of the year: Koosh balls debut and Nintendo Power magazine. Gas was 95¢ a gallon, a stamp was 22¢ and a movie ticket ran ~$3.91. On the shelf: a Fruit Roll-Up, a Mello Yello and a Care Bear, with G.I. Joe on Saturday morning.
🎂 What music raised you?
Drop your birthday and we'll rewind to your golden era — the years the songs imprinted for life.
🔙 Backtrack — 1987
The world around the music — what was on screen, and what was on the shelf.
🎬 Set the scene
1987 smelled like screen static, warm sidewalks, a Fudge Stripe cookie, and a can of Hawaiian Punch.
🎬 At the movies
📼 Saturday cartoons
- He-Man and the Masters of the Universe👕 tee →
- ThunderCats👕 tee →
- G.I. Joe👕 tee →
- The Smurfs👕 tee →
- The Real Ghostbusters👕 tee →
- DuckTales👕 tee →
- Inspector Gadget
- Voltron👕 tee →
- Muppet Babies
- Alvin and the Chipmunks
📰 Headlines
- Reagan: 'Tear down this wall'
- Black Monday crash (Oct 19)
- Iran-Contra hearings
- INF Treaty signed
- Gary Hart scandal
💡 Tech & Firsts
- Apple Macintosh II launches
- Microsoft Windows 2.0
- Final Fantasy debuts (Japan)
- PowerPoint first released
- Sony 8mm camcorders spread
🏆 Sports
- Twins win the World Series
- Lakers win the NBA title
- Giants win Super Bowl XXI
- Oilers win the Stanley Cup
- Leonard beats Hagler
🤪 Crazes & fads
- Koosh balls debut
- Nintendo Power magazine
- Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
- Pogo ball
- California Raisins
👖 Clothes
- Stonewashed & ripped jeans
- Bolo ties
- Leggings & oversized tops
- Big shoulder pads
- Hair scrunchies
💵 What it cost
- Gas: 95¢/gal
- Stamp: 22¢
- Movie ticket: ~$3.91
- New car avg: ~$12,500
- Median home: ~$85,000
🧸 Toy chest
🍬 On the shelf
Billboard Year-End Hot 100
📊 Full chart →- 1
Walk Like an EgyptianThe Bangles - 2
AloneHeart - 3
Shake You DownGregory Abbott - 4
I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)Whitney Houston - 5
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us NowStarship - 6
C'est La VieRobbie Nevil - 7
Here I Go AgainWhitesnake - 8
The Way It IsBruce Hornsby & The Range - 9
ShakedownBob Seger - 10
Livin' on a PrayerBon Jovi - 11
La BambaLos Lobos - 12
Everybody Have Fun TonightWang Chung - 13
Don't Dream It's OverCrowded House - 14
AlwaysAtlantic Starr - 15
With or Without YouU2 - 16
Looking for a New LoveJody Watley - 17
Head to ToeLisa Lisa & Cult Jam - 18
I Think We're Alone NowTiffany - 19
Mony MonyBilly Idol - 20
At This MomentBilly Vera & The Beaters - 21
The Lady in RedChris de Burgh - 22Didn't We Almost Have It AllWhitney Houston
- 23
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking ForU2 - 24
I Want Your Sex, Pts. 1 & 2George Michael - 25
NotoriousDuran Duran
More from 1987
🎤 Big in 1987
🎚️ 1987 genres
🎛️ Behind the boards & the pen — 1987
The hands behind 1987 — the producers and songwriters who actually shaped that year's records. Madonna was on 4 of them.
🎬 Movies of 1987
All soundtracks →The soundtracks that scored 1987 — every song and where it played.
🎚️ Related vibes
All themes →Themed rooms that lean on the sound of 1987.
🌀 Things 1987 remembers wrong
All Glitch Files →Mandela-effect cases that were on the shelf, the screen or the radio in 1987. Which do you remember?
What does 1987 remind you of?
The drive, the dance, the heartbreak, the summer. Add a memory of 1987.
Community Memories
How well do you remember 1987?
7 quick questions — the songs, the artists, the year. No cheating. 😏
📼 Take this tape with you
Build this in your own Spotify in two taps — free, no account needed here. (For Apple Music or YouTube, open songs one-by-one below.)
Then open the free helper
🎵 1987 albums on vinyl
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📻 80s gear
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