Top 10 for 1987

TheBigBlack's Rock Top 10

Twisted Sister
Love Is For Suckers

Hard Rock | Album | 30 June 1987

'Love Is For Suckers' is the fifth studio album by Twisted Sister. It was the band's last album before their breakup and subsequent reunion and release of 'Still Hungry' in 2004. It is also their last album to be composed of entirely new, original material.

Noiseworks
Noiseworks

Rock | Album | 19 June 1987

U2
The Joshua Tree

Rock | Album | 9 March 1987

Jimmy Barnes
Freight Train Heart

Rock | Album | ?? November 1987

Motorhead
Rock 'n' Roll

Hard Rock | Album | 5 September 1987

INXS
Kick

Rock | Album | 19 October 1987

'Kick' is the sixth studio album by INXS. The band's most successful studio album, it has been certified six times platinum by the RIAA and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.

Pink Floyd
A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

Classic Rock | Album | 7 September 1987

Midnight Oil
Diesel And Dust

Rock | Album | 2 August 1987

Def Leppard
Hysteria

Hard Rock | Album | 3 August 1987

'Hysteria' is the fourth album by Def Leppard. The title of the album was conceived by drummer Rick Allen, referring to his 1984 car accident, the amputation of his arm, and the ensuing worldwide media coverage surrounding it. It is the last album to feature guitarist Steve Clark before his death in 1991, although songs co-written by him would appear on the band's next album, 'Adrenalize'. It is their best-selling album to date, selling over 20 million copies worldwide, including 12 million in the U.S., and spawning seven hit singles. The album charted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and the U.K. Albums Chart.

Guns n' Roses
Appetite For Destruction

Hard Rock | Album | 21 July 1987

'Appetite For Destruction' is the debut album by Guns n' Roses. It initially received little mainstream attention, and it was not until the following year that it became a commercial success, after the band had toured and received significant airplay. The album went on to peak at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, and it became the seventh best-selling album of all time in the United States, as well as the best-selling debut album. With over 30 million copies sold worldwide, it is also one of the best-selling albums globally. Although critics were originally ambivalent toward the album, it has received retrospective acclaim and been viewed as one of the greatest albums of all time.

TheBigBlack's Rock Honourable Mentions

Soundgarden
Screaming Life

Grunge Rock | E.P. | 1 October 1987

'Screaming Life' is the debut E.P. by Soundgarden.

The Angels
Live Line

Hard Rock | Album | ?? December 1987

'Live Line' is a live album by The Angels. It reached No. 3 in Australia and No.14 in New Zealand. The double album collection spanned ten years of the band's career. The majority of the album was recorded at the Bankstown R.S.L. Club in Sydney, with some tracks taken from earlier tours featuring John Brewster.

In everyday life we all primarily listen to studio versions of songs, but a band's ability and reputation to hold a crowd at a live show is really what makes or breaks them. Some band build a massive reputation on the live circuit, and many Aussie stalemates proved themselves in the pubs long before they were put on a record. The Angels were one of these bands, and even over a decade and a half into their career Live Line proved that they could still cut it against even the toughest audience. What makes a great live record is the combination of many things - the songs selected, the quality of the performance, the recording quality - but above all else, it has to give the listener the feeling of being there. If you close your eyes, do you feel like you are in the crowd, shoulder to shoulder with other fans bouncing in time to the beat. Live Line does this effortlessly, with performances culled from four different shows ranging from 1981 to 1987, stitched together to form a single cohesive 'concert'. Tracks from the most recent show from March 1987 bristle with electric energy, as the band tear through songs from their current album Howling with focused intent and enjoyment. As good as the performances are though, the stars of the album are undoubtably the tracks from the Narara Music Festival in January 1983. To this day, still one of the biggest Australian music festivals of all time (with a line-up featuring Choirboys, Divinyls, The Church, INXS, Moving Pictures, Australian Crawl, Men At Work, Rose Tattoo, Cold Chisel and many many more), frontman Doc Neeson announced to the band it would be his final performance and beneath a blood-red moon the band played a show like a bunch of men possessed. The songs from that performance carry that energy to the listener perfectly. Needless to say, the band did carry on after that show. From the massive sing-along choruses of 'After The Rain' and 'Comin' Down' to the subtle acoustic performances of 'Love Takes Care' and 'Be With You' even song is played with care and precision, and also the key ingredient in any Angels performance - personality. Neeson makes every show unique with his between song banter and barnstorming vocals on songs 'Like For The Shelter' and 'Face The Day'. And of course, no Angels live album can be complete without the usual audience participation on 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?'. Some live albums are just a product of their time and are quickly forgotten by next studio album, whereas some stand up so well on their own that they become an absolutely critical part of a band's discography. Live Line sits firmly in the latter category.

TheBigBlack's Metal Top 10

Dio
Dream Evil

Heavy Metal | Album | 21 July 1987

'Dream Evil' is the fourth studio album by Dio.

Celtic Frost
Into The Pandemonium

Black Metal | Album | 2 November 1987

'Into The Pandemonium' is the third studio album by Celtic Frost. The album marks the return of bassist and backing vocalist Martin Eric Ain, who appeared on 1984's 'Morbid Tales'. The album is more varied than past releases, with an unlikely cover (Wall Of Voodoo's 'Mexican Radio'), emotionally charged love songs, industrial-influenced rhythmic songs of demons and destruction, and a classical piece with female vocals. Fans were divided by the diversity of the album upon release.

Death Angel
The Ultra-Violence

Thrash Metal | Album | 27 September 1987

'The Ultra-Violence' is the debut album by Death Angel. The album was recorded while all members were under 20, with drummer Andy Galeon just 14 years old. It is considered a classic in the thrash metal genre, listed as number 370 in the 2010 reference book, 'The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time'.

Kreator
Terrible Certainty

Thrash Metal | Album | 22 September 1987

'Terrible Certainty' is the third album by Kreator. Although not as revered as the band's previous album 'Pleasure To Kill', it is still highly regarded as a classic album of the thrash genre.

Blood Feast
Kill For Pleasure

Thrash Metal | Album | 13 February 1987

'Kill for Pleasure' is the debut album by Blood Feast.

Napalm Death
Scum

Death Metal (Grindcore) | Album | 1 July 1987

'Scum' is the debut studio album by Napalm Death. The two sides of the record were recorded by two different lineups in sessions separated by about a year; the only musician in both incarnations was drummer Mick Harris. The two sides are very different, and the two taken together serve to bridge stylistic elements of heavy metal and punk rock. While the songs on the A-side are influenced heavily by hardcore punk and anarcho-punk, the vocals and lower-tuned electric guitars on the B-side anticipate subsequent developments in extreme metal. Loudwire put it in the list of the best 10 metal albums of 1987.

Testament
The Legacy

Thrash Metal | Album | 21 April 1987

'The Legacy' is the debut album by Testament. Prior to the album's recording in January 1987, Testament was known as Legacy with their line-up including Steve 'Zetro' Souza on vocals. Singer Chuck Billy was asked to become their new singer after Souza left to join Exodus. About a month prior to the release of album the band changed their name to Testament after finding out that there was another band using the same name.

Exodus
Pleasures Of The Flesh

Thrash Metal | Album | 7 October 1987

'Pleasures Of The Flesh' is the second album by Exodus. It is the group's first album to feature Steve Souza on vocals after Paul Baloff was fired from the band.

Death
Scream Bloody Gore

Death Metal | Album | 25 May 1987

'Scream Bloody Gore' is the debut album by Death. It is considered by many to be the first true death metal record. Chuck Schuldiner, the band's founder and leader, performed guitar, bass and vocals, and composed all tracks on the album.

Anthrax
Among The Living

Thrash Metal | Album | 27 March 1987

'Among The Living' is the third album by Anthrax. The album is dedicated to Cliff Burton of Metallica, who died in a bus accident six months before its release while Metallica were on tour with Anthrax as the opening act. Veteran engineer Eddie Kramer, at his first venture with a thrash metal act, co-produced the album. Recording proceeded smoothly, but different visions for the sound of the final release created disagreements between Anthrax and the producer during the audio mixing. The album was critically acclaimed, and promoted the band among the "Big Four" of thrash metal.

TheBigBlack's Metal Honourable Mentions

Metallica
The $5.98 E.P. Garage Days Re-Revisited

Thrash Metal | E.P. | 21 August 1987

'The $5.98 E.P., Garage Days Re-Revisited' (released on CD as 'The $9.98 CD, Garage Days Re-Revisited') is the first E.P. by Metallica. It consists of covers of late-'70s and early-'80s New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) bands and punk rock music rehearsed in Lars Ulrich's soundproofed garage and then recorded in Los Angeles over the course of six days. It is the group's first release following the death of bassist Cliff Burton and the first to feature his successor, Jason Newsted.

Mayhem
Deathcrush

Black Metal | E.P. | 16 August 1987