I like ‘I Just Can’t Stop…’ one of MJs best ballads, and even at the time I thought it was a brave choice of 1st single off Bad when you think of all the massive songs that were available on that album.

Always On My Mind would be around the same slot for me or slightly higher, it's oddly singalong thanks to the synths and pumping beats, guaranteed to get a crowd going, and that video is taken from clips from their forgotten movie It Can't Happen Here, out in 1988. They really were in their imperial phase, and all it took to put a stop to that was a vaguely homo-erotic video for a fab latin-beats Miami-inspired single and a patchwork quilt Trevor Horn-produced masterpiece...oops!

I love I Just Cant Stop Loving You, I love a good melody and this one is a goodie. I wouldnt rate it top 5 of the year but it's still better than some of Bad - but not as great as the one that should have been single one, Man In The Mirror - written by Siedah and a US chart-topper. I guess that's why she's on this one, as thanks for the donation.

5. Mel & Kim - Respectable (Score: 9/10)

1 week at number 1

Onto my top 5 number 1s of 1987 and we start with Respectable (the tay-tay song) which was the first number 1 for the duo and also the first number 1 for Stock Aitken and Waterman (SAW) as songwriters (not producers though).

Respectable was the second single from sisters Mel and Kim, the follow up to Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend). Its theme was inspired by tabloid stories resurfacing old glamour photos of Mel; instead of shying away, the sisters leaned into humour and defiance, which shaped the song’s attitude and lyrics. One of the track’s most distinctive features, the stuttering “tay‑tay‑tay‑tay” vocal hook, was initially opposed by their label but strongly defended by SAW. After an early TV performance in the Netherlands proved how effective it was, the hook stayed. The bursts of laughter heard throughout the track were genuine studio moments between Mel, Kim and the producers, captured without the sisters realising they would be used in the final mix.

By early 1987, Mel & Kim were one of the UK’s fastest‑rising pop acts. Showing Out had already established them as a fresh, street‑styled duo with strong club appeal, and Respectable arrived just as they were becoming household names. Publicly, they were at their peak: charismatic, fashionable and central to the PWL pop machine. Privately, Mel was beginning to experience the early symptoms of the illness that would later halt their career, though this was not known at the time. Respectable became a major commercial success, reaching No.1 on the UK Singles Chart in March 1987 and spending 16 weeks in the Top 100. It was SAW’s second UK No.1 as producers and their first as songwriters. The single also topped charts across Europe and Oceania, including Australia, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and West Germany.

Stock Aitken Waterman’s input was central to the song’s identity - a blend of Eurobeat, house‑influenced rhythms and bright, hook‑driven pop. The stutter vocal effect became one of their signature production touches and the chemistry between the producers and the sisters helped shape the track’s playful personality. Respectable marked a turning point for SAW, proving they could deliver chart‑topping hits they had written as well as produced. The official music video reinforced Mel & Kim’s distinctive visual identity, featuring bold colours, coordinated outfits, hats and gloves. The choreography was loose and personality‑driven, emphasising their humour and confidence rather than polished dance routines. The video echoed the song’s message of self‑assurance and cheekiness, with the sisters laughing, posing and interacting in a way that felt spontaneous and authentic (even the cheesy line 'hey they're hot!').

Respectable endures because it captures Mel & Kim at their peak, blends club energy with mainstream pop, and represents one of SAW’s most iconic productions. Its message of confidence and humour, rooted in real‑life tabloid pressure, gives it a lasting appeal beyond its chart success. This was my first real introduction to SAW and their brand of music and as an 11-year-old this fed right into my taste for pure pop music. I find this song endures due to the sheer fun of it and also acts as a fitting tribute to Mel Appleby.

Out of my top 5, this is the one song I loved at the time which is why it has clung ahead of other songs that I have come to love and appreciate since.

There's definitely a distinction between Mel and Kim's sound though compared to the rest of Stock, Aitken and Waterman's productions. Mel and Kim were more house music influenced.

Respectable is a good and fun dance-pop song!

Edited April 21Apr 21 by TheSnake

"Respectable" is a great song. I wish it was more remembered nowadays... it seems a bit underrated to me? My favourite Appleby related song was Kim's solo debut "Don't Worry" though. It's unfortunate that was pipped to the top spot in the 90s.

5 minutes ago, Josh! said:

"Respectable" is a great song. I wish it was more remembered nowadays... it seems a bit underrated to me? My favourite Appleby related song was Kim's solo debut "Don't Worry" though. It's unfortunate that was pipped to the top spot in the 90s.

I loved Don’t Worry at the time. Haven’t heard it in years!

"Respectable" is one of my bottom 2, is that one you were expecting to be in it?

I was too young to be biased at the time and though I was aware of Stock Aitken & Waterman I don't think I knew which songs were there's until later. I also don't dislike everything Stock Aitken & Waterman did but I have found that a lot of the songs that irritating my young self back then were produced by them and this was one of them.

S/A/W became more generic and cheesy in 1988 really, before that they were mostly pretty cool in comparison.

2 hours ago, Jester said:

The stutter vocal effect became one of their signature production touches

Just realised that Duran Duran might have started the trend with The Reflex in 1984!

Edited April 21Apr 21 by TheSnake

Iconic classic ♥️

Released on the day I was born (according to Wikipedia) - almost as if the writing was on the wall from the get-go!

9 hours ago, My Random Music said:

"Respectable" is one of my bottom 2, is that one you were expecting to be in it?

I was too young to be biased at the time and though I was aware of Stock Aitken & Waterman I don't think I knew which songs were there's until later. I also don't dislike everything Stock Aitken & Waterman did but I have found that a lot of the songs that irritating my young self back then were produced by them and this was one of them.

Yes haha. I think I know the other!

Respectable, along with You Spin Me Round, is one of my favourite SAW number ones. I think I preferred the more House leaning music of their releases. Plus Mel & Kim always seemed to have infectious joy.

That's a respectable top 5 placing, oops sorry! Its a great pop track, and I never had an issue with SAW as a thing - some tracks were great, some were a bit underwhelming, some were rubbish. Mel & Kim could have been a lot bigger if not for Mel's illness and tragic early death I expect they might have ended up with some of the best SAW tracks around 1988-90, and I also love Don't Worry.

Unfortunately 'I Just Can't Stop Loving You' is one of the less essential Bad singles for me, but what a treasure trove that track list is on the whole, pretty much reading as a greatest hits. No mean feat after already pulling off a pseudo-greatest hits in Thriller! I discovered Siedah Garrett's 'Do You Want It Right Now' in the BJSC Movies spin-off a few years ago, which I am more fond of; it was later sampled in Armand Van Helden's 'I Want Your Soul'.

I wrongly assumed 'Respectable' was Mel & Kim's debut single for years! It's a bit too cheesy for me on the whole but I do appreciate the house components.

Bee Gees and Pet Shop Boys still in ❤️

3 really good songs to come and that Whitney one. It is certainly ok song but this was a really strong year of no 1s so it would miss my top ten.

Edited April 23Apr 23 by JackJones

4. Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (Score 10/10)

4 weeks at number 1

Kept off number 1: Judy Boucher - Can't Be With You Tonight & Tom Jones - A Boy From Nowhere

Power ballad alert!

Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now became one of Starship’s biggest global hits and a defining power ballad of the decade. Written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond, the song was recorded for the band’s album No Protection and served as the theme for the 1987 romantic‑comedy film Mannequin, starring Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall. The film follows McCarthy’s character, a struggling artist who discovers that a mannequin he created comes to life as Emmy, an Egyptian woman under an ancient spell; the song plays a central role in the film’s fantasy‑romance tone and helped drive its popularity through heavy MTV rotation. Commercially, the single was a major success.

t reached No.1 on the UK Singles Chart and stayed there for four consecutive weeks, ultimately becoming the UK’s second‑best‑selling single of 1987. It also topped the charts in the US, Canada and Ireland, marking Diane Warren’s first-ever No.1 hit as a songwriter. A key milestone came with Grace Slick, who shared lead vocals with Mickey Thomas. At 47 years old, she became the oldest woman ever to reach No.1 in the UK at that time, a record later surpassed by Cher in 1998.

For Starship, 1987 represented the peak of their polished, radio‑friendly pop‑rock era. The band had evolved dramatically from their origins as Jefferson Airplane and later Jefferson Starship, moving from psychedelic and experimental rock into a glossy, synth‑driven AOR sound. This shift had already produced major hits such as We Built This City and Sara and Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now arrived as the commercial high point of this phase. Internal tensions and lineup changes would follow in the late ’80s, but at this moment the group were firmly established as mainstream hitmakers.

The song’s creation also carries a personal backstory: co‑writer Albert Hammond has explained that its theme of unstoppable love was inspired by his own long-delayed marriage, finally made possible after years of legal complications. Combined with Narada Michael Walden’s expansive production and the vocal chemistry between Slick and Thomas, the track became one of the quintessential power ballads of the 1980s. Its chart dominance, its association with Mannequin, and Grace Slick’s record‑breaking achievement have all helped cement Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now as one of the most enduring soundtrack hits of the era.

I have really grown to love this song over the years. Its video, with clips of Mannequin is perfect and shows the band coming to life then returning to dummies at the end. Kim Cattrall is utterly gorgeous in the film and video and it really makes the film seem better than it is frankly! The vocals are so on point and it makes the quintessential 80s power ballad. This could easily be my favourite of the year in any other year but this IS 1987 so.....!

The songs kept off the top of the charts are nothing special imo, so kudos to Starship!

All my top four are 10/10 moments, so it’s been tough ranking them.

Great 80s power ballad, wouldn’t be one of my favourites of ‘87 but then again the level is so high. Looking forward to your top 3

Starship would be lower down for me, I like it but it's a bit overdone on oldies radio - Albert Hammond I'm a fan of, Diane Warren's songwriting always professional, and Grace Slick could be epic (Dreams), but all concerned have done even better stuff. (But not We Built This City yuk!)