One thing that is initially apparent is that I am already much more knowledgable and own much more music from 1987 than I did 1986. After listening to tons of 1986 music throughout 2016, here is the top 10 list I came up with.
I have known my favorite album of 1987 for as long as I can remember, as it is one of my favorite albums of all time; U2's Joshua Tree. It is the first LP I ever purchased on vinyl; a used copy at a record store in Auburn, Alabama in the Spring of 1997. Crazy that it was 10 years old when I bought it, and that it is now 30 years old.
In college, probably around that time, U2 was on tour supporting Pop (maybe my least favorite album from them) and a few of my friends went to see them. They asked me to come along, but I turned down the chance to purchase a $100 ticket. The comment I made at the time, and rang true for years and years, was: "I'd love to see U2, but only if I could go back in time to 1987."
In college I acquired a cassette tape copy of a U2 bootleg called Rock's Biggest Ticket (named after the TIME magazine article). It is regarded as one of the best U2 bootlegs ever recorded. In fact, while researching this post, I found that it can still be downloaded for free all over the place. The bootleg was recorded live in Chicago, on April 29, 1987 at Rosemont Horizon.
As you have probably seen by now, U2 is doing a 30th anniversary tour this year in which they will play Joshua Tree in full. I am dying to go, but I seriously doubt I would be able to afford it. However, after having a conversation with my wife about it, she agreed that if we were ever going to see them, this is the time. For one, they are getting old, and two, she also enjoys Joshua Tree more than the rest of their work.
1987 albums, listed alphabetically by category:
Own on Vinyl
Altar Boys- Against the Grain
Connells- Boylan Heights
Def Leppard- Hysteria
Fleetwood Mac- Tango in the Night (purchased two days ago used on eBay)
Leslie Phillips- The Turning
R.E.M.- Document
Starship- No Protection
Steve Taylor- I Predict 1990
U2- Joshua Tree
Own on Cassette
10, 000 Maniacs- In My Tribe
Guns 'N' Roses- Appetite for Destruction
L.S.Underground- Shaded Pain
The 77's- Seventy Sevens
Own on CD
The Crucified- Nailed (2009 re-release)
Jesus and Mary Chain- Darklands
Don't own but will listen to and maybe buy in 2017:
The Alarm- Eye of the Hurricane (never heard)
The Cure- Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (heard some of)
Dead Can Dance- Within the Realm of a Dying Sun (never heard)
Depeche Mode- Music for the Masses (heard some of)
Echo and the Bunnymen- Echo and the Bunnymen (heard some of)
Dinosaur Jr.- You're Living All Over Me (never heard)
The Flaming Lips- Oh My Gawd! (never heard)
Hüsker Dü,-Warehouse: Songs and Stories (never heard)
INXS- Kick (heard some of)
Love and Rockets- Earth, Sun, Moon (never heard)
Michael Jackson- Bad (heard much of)
George Michael- Faith (heard some of)
Midnight Oil- Diesel and Dust (never heard)
Sinead O’Connor- The Lion and the Cobra (never heard)
Pet Shop Boys- Actually (heard some of)
Pixies- Come On Pilgrim (never heard)
Prince- Sign O the Times (heard some of)
The Replacements- Pleased to Meet Me (never heard)
Rites of Spring- All Through A Life EP (never heard)
The Smiths- Strangeways Here We Come (heard some of)
Sonic Youth- Sister (never heard)
