Best albums of 1987
A double album of one man playing everything, a debut from the loudest band in Los Angeles, and hip-hop working out that it could be a weapon rather than a party. Three records with nothing in common except that each one moved its own genre permanently.
According to Riffiter listeners, the best album of 1987 is Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses, rated 4.3/5 by 52 listeners.
- 2
Under the Sign of the Black MarkBathory · 19874.2 score · 4.4 avg · 9 ratings4.24.4 avg · 9 ratings
- 3
Among the LivingAnthrax · 19874.2 score · 4.3 avg · 24 ratings4.24.3 avg · 24 ratings
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HysteriaDef Leppard · 19874.2 score · 4.5 avg · 4 ratings4.24.5 avg · 4 ratings
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Paid in FullEric B. & Rakim · 19874.1 score · 4.4 avg · 4 ratings4.14.4 avg · 4 ratings
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Killing TechnologyVoivod · 19874.1 score · 4.3 avg · 5 ratings4.14.3 avg · 5 ratings
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One Way HomeThe Hooters · 19874.1 score · 4.3 avg · 6 ratings4.14.3 avg · 6 ratings
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Fighting the WorldManowar · 19874.1 score · 4.1 avg · 18 ratings4.14.1 avg · 18 ratings
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Hot ParadoxMartin Dupont · 19874.1 score · 4.2 avg · 5 ratings4.14.2 avg · 5 ratings
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Louder Than BombsThe Smiths · 19874.1 score · 4.1 avg · 140 ratings4.14.1 avg · 140 ratings
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Sign "O" the TimesPrince · 19874.0 score · 4.1 avg · 14 ratings4.04.1 avg · 14 ratings
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BadMichael Jackson · 19874.0 score · 4.0 avg · 117 ratings4.04.0 avg · 117 ratings
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WhitneyWhitney Houston · 19874.0 score · 4.0 avg · 20 ratings4.04.0 avg · 20 ratings
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MammothMammoth · 19874.0 score · 4.2 avg · 3 ratings4.04.2 avg · 3 ratings
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Happy?Public Image Ltd. · 19874.0 score · 4.2 avg · 3 ratings4.04.2 avg · 3 ratings
- 16
SisterSonic Youth · 19874.0 score · 4.1 avg · 4 ratings4.04.1 avg · 4 ratings
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Strangeways, Here We ComeThe Smiths · 19874.0 score · 4.1 avg · 5 ratings4.04.1 avg · 5 ratings
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TributeOzzy Osbourne · 19874.0 score · 4.1 avg · 6 ratings4.04.1 avg · 6 ratings
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Rock the HouseDJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince · 19874.0 score · 4.1 avg · 6 ratings4.04.1 avg · 6 ratings
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Music for the MassesDepeche Mode · 19874.0 score · 4.0 avg · 11 ratings4.04.0 avg · 11 ratings
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The Joshua TreeU2 · 19874.0 score · 4.0 avg · 53 ratings4.04.0 avg · 53 ratings
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Dream EvilDio · 19874.0 score · 4.0 avg · 3 ratings4.04.0 avg · 3 ratings
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ScumNapalm Death · 19874.0 score · 4.0 avg · 3 ratings4.04.0 avg · 3 ratings
- 24
Oh My Gawd!!!… The Flaming LipsThe Flaming Lips · 19873.9 score · 3.9 avg · 4 ratings3.93.9 avg · 4 ratings
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SchizophreniaSepultura · 19873.9 score · 3.8 avg · 3 ratings3.93.8 avg · 3 ratings
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Smooth Sailin'The Isley Brothers · 19873.9 score · 3.8 avg · 3 ratings3.93.8 avg · 3 ratings
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Jody WatleyJody Watley · 19873.9 score · 3.8 avg · 4 ratings3.93.8 avg · 4 ratings
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DocumentR.E.M. · 19873.9 score · 3.8 avg · 4 ratings3.93.8 avg · 4 ratings
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Join the ArmySuicidal Tendencies · 19873.8 score · 3.7 avg · 3 ratings3.83.7 avg · 3 ratings
- 30
CharactersStevie Wonder · 19873.8 score · 3.6 avg · 4 ratings3.83.6 avg · 4 ratings
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So Emotional (Remixes)Whitney Houston · 19873.8 score · 3.6 avg · 4 ratings3.83.6 avg · 4 ratings
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The LegacyTestament · 19873.8 score · 3.7 avg · 9 ratings3.83.7 avg · 9 ratings
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Scream Bloody GoreDeath · 19873.8 score · 3.7 avg · 9 ratings3.83.7 avg · 9 ratings
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Permanent VacationAerosmith · 19873.8 score · 3.5 avg · 3 ratings3.83.5 avg · 3 ratings
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The Ultra-ViolenceDeath Angel · 19873.7 score · 3.3 avg · 3 ratings3.73.3 avg · 3 ratings
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Priest... Live!Judas Priest · 19873.6 score · 3.3 avg · 6 ratings3.63.3 avg · 6 ratings
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AbigailKing Diamond · 19873.5 score · 2.7 avg · 3 ratings3.52.7 avg · 3 ratings
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Free as a BirdSupertramp · 19873.4 score · 2.8 avg · 5 ratings3.42.8 avg · 5 ratings
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A Momentary Lapse of ReasonPink Floyd · 19873.3 score · 2.8 avg · 7 ratings3.32.8 avg · 7 ratings
- 40
BabacarFrance Gall · 19872 ratings2 ratings
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Tunnel of LoveBruce Springsteen · 19872 ratings2 ratings
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Tango in the NightFleetwood Mac · 19872 ratings2 ratings
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Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss MeThe Cure · 19872 ratings2 ratings
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NightfallCandlemass · 19872 ratings2 ratings
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The BeginningMercyful Fate · 19872 ratings2 ratings
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Rhyme PaysIce-T · 19872 ratings2 ratings
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Even If and Especially WhenScreaming Trees · 19872 ratings2 ratings
- 48
Hall of the Mountain KingSavatage · 19872 ratings2 ratings
- 49
Strange CargoWilliam Orbit · 19872 ratings2 ratings
- 50
The ZZ Top SixpackZZ Top · 19872 ratings2 ratings
Disagree with the ranking?
Rate these albums and the chart reshuffles around the community. Or collect your own pick of them into a list or tier.
Build a list or tier of your ownBest albums of 1987 by genre
The genres that carried the period here, each with what listeners rate highest inside it.
Best Rock albums of 1987
364 albums from 1987
Best Classical albums of 1987
345 albums from 1987
Best Pop albums of 1987
211 albums from 1987
Best Jazz albums of 1987
168 albums from 1987
Best Electronic albums of 1987
145 albums from 1987
The artists of 1987
Everyone who put a record out then, ordered by how listeners rate their catalog rather than by that one release.
1987, month by month
Not everything that came out, just where the weight fell. Some months carried a year; some were quiet and worth knowing about.
June
September
FAQ
- What are the best albums of 1987?
- On Riffiter, the highest-rated album of 1987 is Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (4.3/5). The ranking below orders the year's releases by community rating.
- How is the 1987 ranking decided?
- By Riffiter listeners. Each album's community rating sets its place. Until a release has enough ratings, its popularity stands in, and the order shifts as more people rate.
- Does the best-of-1987 list change?
- Yes. It's built from live community ratings, so the order updates as people rate 1987 releases. The page refreshes a few times a day.





























