May 2May 2 Author 20 minutes ago, Jessie Where said:It's a fantastic song, just one I kinda don't want to hear again as it's so omnipresent. I think this is one song that could potentially be remembered and known a thousand years down the line though.Watching the video always makes me feel a bit sad, seeing her so full of life and vitality and knowing what became of her I agree, she looks so happy and seems so fresh and alive.
May 2May 2 Great song, full of joy, upbeat and exuberant. One of Whitney’s very best singles along with those of her 1999 resurgence.
May 2May 2 The Whitney Houston record is the other one which would be in my bottom 2. I didn't think much of it at the time but the number of times I've heard it since has made it more and more irritating. I'm not just talking radio or nights out, my wife loves it so I can't even escape it at home.Now a 50/50 chance our favourite number one of 1987 is the same.
May 3May 3 It sounded great at the time and went top 10 for me, a fun pop track, but nearly 40 years of non-stop radio play have left me feeling unkind towards hearing it ever again. Even the greatest records of all-time pall with overplay, so those that slot in a few notches less than that are at a real disadvantage, I will turn it off these days. I'll happily hear Saving All My Love For You, though! That's not overplayed 😎I'm not going to moan about the top 3 slot though as it is well-loved fairly obviously and lots of people, as proven every christmas, love hearing familiar old faves forever and a day! Whitney's peak years are late 90's/early 00's for me though.
May 3May 3 Author 12 hours ago, My Random Music said:The Whitney Houston record is the other one which would be in my bottom 2. I didn't think much of it at the time but the number of times I've heard it since has made it more and more irritating. I'm not just talking radio or nights out, my wife loves it so I can't even escape it at home.Now a 50/50 chance our favourite number one of 1987 is the same.That was my guess on your other bottom 2! Your wife has good taste 😁
May 3May 3 Author 2. The Bee Gees - You Win Again (Score - 10/10)4 weeks at number 1Kept off number 1: Full Metal Jacket - I Want To Be Your Drill Instructor, Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme & George Micheal - FaithSo, crunch time with the top 2! The runner up is by far the best Bee Gees song and their only 80s chart topper (this got them the accolade of having number 1s in the 60s, 70s and the 80s). Let the drumbeat begin!By the mid‑1980s the Bee Gees were in a strange cultural limbo, still writing global hits for other artists like Chain Reaction, Islands in the Stream and Heartbreaker, yet as performers they were still carrying the stigma of the disco backlash that had unfairly turned them into shorthand for an entire genre’s collapse. They were respected but not fashionable, admired but not embraced. You Win Again became the moment they decided to reclaim their identity on their own terms, and they did it by crafting a single that sounded like nothing else in 1987.The key to the track’s impact is the drum sound, which the brothers obsessed over. Barry, Robin and Maurice wanted something that felt like a physical jolt — not a typical LinnDrum or Simmons pad, but a beat that hit like a weapon. They built it using a LinnDrum LM‑1 as the base, then heavily processed it with gated reverb, compression and manual EQ sculpting to create that “cannon‑shot” effect Maurice described. They layered additional percussive samples, pitched and distorted them, and pushed the attack so hard that the drum almost becomes a hook in itself. It’s mechanical, but it pulses with intent — a heartbeat turned into a war drum.Over that foundation, the brothers delivered one of their most confident late‑career melodies. Barry’s lead vocal is controlled but urgent, carrying the emotional weight of a relationship where surrender feels inevitable. Robin’s quivering harmonies add tension, and Maurice’s production instincts keep everything sleek and modern without losing the warmth of their classic sound. The lyrics frame love as a battlefield, but the delivery gives it a triumphant swagger — the “defeat” in the title feels almost playful, as if the narrator knows he’s already lost but is choosing to lose with style.When the song was released, radio programmers were sceptical. The Bee Gees weren’t supposed to sound contemporary anymore, and the industry didn’t quite know what to do with a track that felt both futuristic and unmistakably them. But the public responded instantly. You Win Again shot to No. 1 in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and across Europe, giving the Bee Gees their first UK chart‑topper since Tragedy in 1979. The song’s success effectively rebooted their career. It reminded the world that the Bee Gees were not relics of the disco era but master craftsmen capable of reinventing themselves whenever they chose. Today, You Win Again stands as one of their most important late‑period singles — a bold, muscular, meticulously produced track that proved the brothers still had the power to surprise, innovate and dominate the charts long after the trends they’d once defined had moved on.I love how the Bee Gees did something different and how successful this was for them - its a huge earworm and rightfully stands as thier best song for me.A word on what was kept off the top of the charts, Jan Hammer's Crocketts Theme is one of the best 80s number 2s imo, a brilliant instrumental and its a real shame that it didn't quite reach it to the top. The Full Metal Jacket song is just shouty noise and of course Faith is a classic.
May 3May 3 Author 1. Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin (Score 10/10)3 weeks at number 1Kept off number 1: Bruce Willis - Under The BoardwalkNumber 1 time at last and the second best Pet Shop Boys song of 1987 and my favourite number of the 80s. A pretty clear winner for me amoungst an incredibly stong top 4.Few singles in the Pet Shop Boys’ catalogue carry the sheer dramatic weight of It’s A Sin, a song that transforms Neil Tennant’s memories of Catholic school guilt into a towering, operatic synth‑pop confession. Written in a burst of inspiration — Tennant has said the lyrics poured out in about 15 minutes — the track channels years of internalised judgement into something both deeply personal and theatrically grand. It’s a song where autobiography becomes spectacle, and where the Pet Shop Boys’ signature cool detachment is fused with overwhelming emotional force. The production is Chris Lowe at his most maximalist. The track opens with ominous synth chords that feel like the doors of a cathedral swinging shut, followed by thunderous electronic drums, orchestral stabs, and a choral arrangement that evokes the grandeur of a Latin mass.The arrangement is deliberately over the top — almost baroque in its scale — but the band lean into the drama with total conviction. Tennant’s vocal, cool and precise, cuts through the bombast with lines that turn personal shame into a kind of defiant performance. The contrast between his deadpan delivery and the apocalyptic production is what gives the song its power: he sings about sin with such clarity that the whole thing becomes a critique rather than a confession. Released in 1987 as the lead single from Actually, It’s A Sin became one of the Pet Shop Boys’ biggest hits, spending three weeks at No. 1 in the UK and resonating strongly across Europe. Its themes of guilt, repression and identity struck a chord with LGBTQ+ listeners in particular, even though Tennant didn’t publicly come out until years later.The song’s emotional core — the sense of being judged simply for existing — gave it a resonance far beyond the charts, turning it into an anthem of defiance for anyone who had ever been told they were “wrong” for who they were. The track also generated controversy. A theology professor accused the band of plagiarising Catholic hymns, a claim so absurd that the Pet Shop Boys responded with characteristic wit by donating money to charity in his name. The incident only reinforced the song’s status as a cultural flashpoint — a pop record that dared to confront the institutions that shaped (and scarred) its writer. Decades later, It’s A Sin remains one of the most iconic singles of the 1980s, a moment where pop music, personal history and social commentary collided with spectacular force. It’s grand, it’s camp, it’s serious and it captures the Pet Shop Boys at the height of their powers, turning private pain into a universal, unforgettable pop statement.What a strong 1987 for the Pet Shop Boys - their best song kept off the top of the charts (What Have I Done To Deserve This?), the best number of the 80s (It's A Sin), the Christmas number 1 (Always On My Mind). The final single from Actually is also superb - Rent. Amazing!I have nothing to add about the Bruce Willis song at number 2.
May 3May 3 I've really gotten into this over the last year or so, what a phenomenal song. That chorus is so addictive!*Edit - Bee Gees Edited May 3May 3 by Jessie Where
May 3May 3 Author Thanks for commenting everyone!1 Pet Shop Boys - It's a Sin2 The Bee Gees - You Win Again3 Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)4 Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now5 Mel and Kim - Respectable6 Michael Jackson - I Just Can't Stop Loving You7 Pet Shop Boys - Always on My Mind8 Madonna - La Isla Bonita9 Aretha Franklin & George Michael - I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)10 T'Pau - China in Your Hand11 Ben E. King - Stand by Me12 Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up13 M/A/R/R/S - Pump up the Volume14 Los Lobos - La Bamba15 Madonna - Who's That Girl16 Jackie Wilson - Reet Petite17 The Firm - Star Trekkin'18 Steve 'Silk' Hurley - Jack Your Body19 Boy George - Everything I Own20 Ferry Aid - Let It Be
May 3May 3 'It's A Sin' is just masterful and iconic, one of the greatest acts of all-time at the height of their powers.Thanks for hosting! I've really enjoyed following this and reading the commentary.
May 3May 3 Author 6 minutes ago, Jessie Where said:'It's A Sin' is just masterful and iconic, one of the greatest acts of all-time at the height of their powers.Thanks for hosting! I've really enjoyed following this and reading the commentary.Thanks for your comments throughout!
May 3May 3 That’s an excellent top 2, and what a wonderful year for number 1s 1987 was! I like nearly all, and love many of them.At the time I seem to remember the Bee Gees resurgence didn’t get the critical acclaim their 70s disco peak had, by now they had become more successful as songwriters for other artists like for Chain Reaction. But I always felt You Win Again was a fantastic song, as you say the drums the synths, the great harmonies and uplifting chorus. It was a joy to see them chart topping again.It’s A Sin is one of those wonderful songs I love when an artist decides to go ‘all in’, with massive production, huge sound and the lyrical subject. Though to be fair, they had always managed to tackle big issues. The PSBs were at the peak of their powers and could do no wrong in my eyes, even such a brilliant song was only my 3rd favourite of theirs that year!Thanks for hosting Jester, I’ve really enjoyed reading your commentary and listening along to the songs as you announced them.My order would go something like:-M/A/R/R/S - Pump up the VolumePet Shop Boys - Always on My MindSteve 'Silk' Hurley - Jack Your BodyPet Shop Boys - It's a SinThe Bee Gees - You Win AgainT'Pau - China in Your HandBen E. King - Stand by MeWhitney Houston - I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)Madonna - La Isla BonitaAretha Franklin & George Michael - I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)Jackie Wilson - Reet PetiteMel and Kim - RespectableLos Lobos - La BambaThe Firm - Star Trekkin'Michael Jackson - I Just Can't Stop Loving YouRick Astley - Never Gonna Give You UpStarship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us NowMadonna - Who's That GirlBoy George - Everything I OwnFerry Aid - Let It Be
May 3May 3 Great top 3, It's a Sin would be very high up my own ranking too, wonderful sense of drama and turned out to gain a lot of new meaning over time. You Win Again is one of my favourites from the Bee Gees as well, great that they could still bring out a classic fairly late into their career.I do like 3rd and 4th as well - Whitney's one is overplayed, but it has a pretty undeniable sense of joy and Starship is one of those much maligned songs I've always quite liked, it's very quintessential cheesy 80s.Thanks for this Jester! I think my top 10 would look like this:MARRS - Pump Up The VolumePet Shop Boys - It's a SinBen E King - Stand By MePet Shop Boys - Always On My MindBee Gees - You Win AgainMadonna - La Isla BonitaSteve 'Silk' Hurley - Jack Your BodyStarship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us NowT'Pau - China In Your HandRick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (why not x)
May 3May 3 I agree that It's A Sin is the best number 1 single from 1987. I think my order would look like this:1 Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin2 Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind3 T'Pau - China In Your Hand4 The Bee Gees - You Win Again5 M/A/R/R/S - Pump Up The Volume6 Mel and Kim - Respectable7 Steve 'Silk' Hurley - Jack Your Body8 Ben E. King - Stand By Me9 Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now10 Jackie Wilson - Reet Petite11 Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)12 Los Lobos - La Bamba13 Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up14 The Firm - Star Trekkin'15 Aretha Franklin & George Michael - I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)16 Madonna - La Isla Bonita17 Michael Jackson - I Just Can't Stop Loving You18 Madonna - Who's That Girl19 Boy George - Everything I Own20 Ferry Aid - Let It Be
May 3May 3 Our number ones are the same. I have memories of being a kid in the kitchen hearing this on the radio and thinking wow. It was probably the song that got me started on my journey as a music nerd.
May 3May 3 It's a, it's a, it's a.....Worthy winner. But You Win Again is very good too. Edited May 3May 3 by TheSnake
May 3May 3 Great number one. Would say I prefer 'Always On My Mind' of the two but both classics from PSB. I think Bee Gees might be my 1 so glad to see that strong in the top 2. I think that's actually their best song period come to think of it.Elsewhere my other main faves from an otherwise good top 10 are Whitney and Madonna. Both superb.Thanks for presenting this Jester!
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