1987 – the year nobody put baby in the corner!

 

Welcome to my rate of the 20 UK number 1 singles of 1987. It was a pretty eventful year for news and a transitional year for music. Notable news included the General Election in June, giving Margaret Thatcher her third term in office, the great storm in October, precluded by a classic blooper weather forecast (what, no hurricane?)

The Herald of Free Enterprise ferry disaster in March shocked the nation (more on that later) as did the Kings Cross underground fire in November and the Hungerford massacre prompted a national debate on firearms along with the Enniskillen Remembrance Day bombings, a dark day for the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Black Monday hit the stock markets in October, giving a financial shock to the City and the country.

 

In terms of music, pop still ruled but the first shoots of dance and Stock Aitken and Waterman’s Hit Factory appeared while US divas ruled with sophisti-pop and oddball number 1s still took the country by storm. Re-issues and nostalgia took off, powered by film tie ins and adverts and a hankering for 60s retro sounds.

Talking of films, big hitters included Dirty Dancing, The Lost Boys, Stand By Me, Lethal Weapon, Beverly Hills Cop II and Three Men and a Baby. Watch for some film tie ins!  

 

Personally, this was the year I started big school – I was terrified and rightly so it turned out! As a naïve child of 11, I wasn’t really into much music, it would be the year after I found my mojo with the SAW explosion. I should also mention an awful family holiday in North Wales where it rained for two weeks and the house we stayed in had literally nothing to do. Still scarred.

 

I hope you enjoy my countdown, buckle up for a journey into the mid/late 80s!

20. Ferry Aid – Let It Be (score 1/10)

Number 1 for 3 weeks

Kept off number 1: Prince – Sign ‘O’ The Times

This charity number 1 was a fundraiser for the Hearald of Free Enterprise ferry disaster in March 1987. The ferry capsized in Zeebrugge harbour in the Netherlands, killing 193 passengers and crew. The disaster was due to the rear bay doors being left open, resulting in the sinking of the ferry and its now iconic and tragic view of the ferry on its side in relatively shallow water. As you can imagine, this awful tragedy resulted in a massive safety review and such disasters are thankfully rare now.

Back to the music though. This single was the result of a collaboration between The Sun newspaper (it had sold cheap tickets for the ferry that day) and Stock Aitken and Waterman as producers. This is of course a cover of the Beatles classic, resulting in the direct involvement of Paul McCartney (it turned out he donated his recording of the song from 1970 to this project and didn’t actually record anything new!).

On paper, this could have been a Do They Know It’s Christmas, but unfortunately it is not. Despite such luminaries as Boy George, Andy Bell, Nick Kershaw, Kate Bush and two Beatles (McCartney being joined by George Harrison) to name a few, it’s a damp squib of a song that never reaches the heights it should. I always find charity songs cringeworthy as each one tries to catch the lightning in the bottle of Band Aid and failing spectacularly and this is no exception to this.

This was the 13th best seller of the year so clearly it was popular as a 3 week chart topper, but I suspect more the charity aspect than actual appreciation of the music.

This kept the wonderful Sign ‘O’ the Times from Prince from the top of the charts – a travesty as one of the purple one’s better songs of the late 80s.

Looking forward to this. Went to the US for a month in June.

Ferry Aid was okay but the great Prince song should have been a No.1. too.

Edited March 12Mar 12 by CRAZY CHRIS

I haven't looked at the list so I don't know whether or not I would have put this last but I think it's very likely. Most of these charity records from the 80s were good for raising some money but not worth listening to more than once.

Not surprised this one's fallen first, it is very naff. I'm always surprised when Kate Bush turns up on it. And when I say "always", I think listening just now is probably only the third time I've ever heard it 😂

1987 is such a stacked year for UK #1s.

I didn't know whether Boy George or Ferry Aid would be first in this for you!

1987 is definitely one of the better late 80s years for number 1s, there are some real classics and turning points in the development of certain genres.

Correct last placer (yes, better than a certain other song still to come x), a bland, formulaic charity cover with a lot of pointless oversinging, the one part I like is Kate Bush's, a rare moment of subtlety in it that works.

Ahhh my birth year and some absolute classics. Looking forward to following along!

I became reacquainted with this fairly recently when Now somehow managed to license it for Yearbook 87 (it's not on streaming).

It's a fairly plodding cover in the Band Aid style but really oversung and hammy in places so not going to argue with it being last.

On 12/03/2026 at 22:07, Chez Wombat said:

1987 is definitely one of the better late 80s years for number 1s, there are some real classics and turning points in the development of certain genres.

Correct last placer (yes, better than a certain other song still to come x), a bland, formulaic charity cover with a lot of pointless oversinging, the one part I like is Kate Bush's, a rare moment of subtlety in it that works.

Intrigued what you think is better than this!!

On the plus side, the original Let It Be was stuck at 2 unjustly so the song grabs the top spot at last, on the down side it in turn prevented Sign O The Times from topping, thats a classic. Kate doesnt do many covers, but when she pops up on one it's good - her bit on this, Rocket Man, The Man I Love. She really ought to do a covers album to fill in those annoying 20-year gaps between albums.....

19. Boy George - Everything I Own (score 1.5/10)

Number 1 for 2 weeks

Kept off number 1: I Get The Sweetest Feeling – Jackie Wilson (number 3 peak)

This is one of those songs that have been covered multiple times and hit number 1 twice by two different artists. Originally released by Bread in 1972, it was a minor hit in the UK (peaking at 32) but managed a number 5 peak on US the Billboard Hot 100. The song relates to David Yates of Bread’s memory of his father and how proud he was of his success. The line comes from a gift he gave his mother of an orchid when he was broke and his father wrote back saying he could have ‘anything they owned’ in return.

Fast forward to 1974, the song was given a reggae makeover by Jamaican Ken Boothe and hit the top of the UK charts in October of that year, for 3 weeks. The lyric was slightly tweaked in this version to ‘I would give anything I own’. Other artists that have covered the song over the years include Andy Williams, Joe Stampley (US country music singer), Olivia Newton-John and *NSYNC.

Back to 1987, Boy George was seeking the perfect song for his solo debut after he departed from the mega success of Culture Club. He chose to cover the Ken Boothe version of Everything I Own – a reason imo why I struggle with this song. Culture Club of course had released songs with a reggae flavour over the years (most famously Do You Really Want To Hurt Me) due to various influences from other band members, but I feel that the somehow almost fake reggae he sings here is just not authentic without the rest of Culture Club.

However, this hit the top of the charts for 2 weeks and was no doubt helped by his arrest for heroin possession at the time giving perfect press coverage. This was Boy George’s only solo number 1 and biggest success (the follow up peaked at number 29). Indeed, he wouldn’t trouble the UK top 10 again until the top 5 success of Culture Club’s comeback of I Just Wanna Be Loved in 1998.

The song kept at 3 for both weeks was part of the 60s nostalgia resurrection in favour at the time when promoted by advert use.

Most of the charity songs in the 80s were quite boring. Also Boy George's cover version does not add much - always better to listen to the Ken Boothe version. Agree with these ratings.

I really dislike that Boy George track, it's just sooooo dull.

Ooh only just spotted this thread! Looking forward to the countdown.

A fair last placer, I appreciate the charity aspect but a shame that version has a #1 peak to its name when The Beatles' original stalled at #2.

That Boy George cover does absolutely nothing for me so can't complain about that in the bottom 2 either!

Ken Boothe's cover is the best version of the gorgeous Bread original - reggae acts made an industry out of getting hit covers of completely different originals in those days, which often the gave the songs a very different and equally good vibe. George's cover was lazy identikit Ken cover, and he was way better if one looks to his lesser hits of the late 80's and 90's, especially the ballads and Jesus Loves You stuff, or the Pet Shop Boys production of a proper cover in The Crying Game. This bit of fluff is pretty lame in comparison.

No complaints about this bottom two. I'm hoping a certain song doesn't appear too soon!

'Sign 'O' The Times' is a classic (Prince's best song for me), but it peaked at #10 before Ferry Aid was released then moved 12-15-21 during those 3 weeks at #1, so that didn't keep it from the top.

37 minutes ago, jimwatts said:

No complaints about this bottom two. I'm hoping a certain song doesn't appear too soon!

'Sign 'O' The Times' is a classic (Prince's best song for me), but it peaked at #10 before Ferry Aid was released then moved 12-15-21 during those 3 weeks at #1, so that didn't keep it from the top.

Google lied to me!

This was the year that I started following the charts.. Music just took over my life. There's plenty of great songs to come.

I don't I remember ever hearing Let It Be and I am shocked that Kate turned up.

One thing I will say about ensemble charity singles - they're wonderful reminders of long forgotten singers rubbing shoulders with the greats. Pepsi & Shirlie and Kate Bush on the same song!

9 minutes ago, Colm said:

This was the year that I started following the charts.. Music just took over my life. There's plenty of great songs to come.

I don't I remember ever hearing Let It Be and I am shocked that Kate turned up.

One thing I will say about ensemble charity singles - they're wonderful reminders of long forgotten singers rubbing shoulders with the greats. Pepsi & Shirlie and Kate Bush on the same song!

I feel it's wrong to single out Pepsi & Shirlie when The Nolans, Anne Diamond, Gloria Hunniford, Linda Lusardi, Ruth Madoc and Mike Read are all present 😆