The UK Albums Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling albums of the week in the United Kingdom. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical albums. This list shows albums that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart during 1987, as well as albums which peaked in 1986 and 1988 but were in the top 10 in 1987. The entry date is when the album appeared in the top ten for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
The first new number-one album of the year was The Whole Story by Kate Bush. Overall, twenty different albums peaked at number-one in 1987.
Top-ten albums Key SymbolMeaning‡Album peaked in 1986 but still in chart in 1987.♦Album released in 1987 but peaked in 1988.EnteredThe date that the album first appeared in the chart.PeakHighest position that the album reached in the UK Albums Chart.
Entered (week ending)Weeksintop10 Single ArtistPeak Peakreached (week ending)WeeksatpeakAlbums in 1986 10So ‡Peter Gabriel 1 2 19Picture Book ‡Simply Red 2 1 18Invisible Touch ‡Genesis 1 3 36True Blue ‡Madonna 1 6 21Revenge ‡Eurythmics 3 4 28Silk & Steel ‡Five Star 1 1 33Graceland ‡Paul Simon 1 8 10Slippery When Wet ‡Bon Jovi 6 2 11Every Breath You Take: The Singles ‡The Police 1 2 4Get CloseThe Pretenders 6 1 8Hits 5 ‡Various artists 1 2 14The Whole StoryKate Bush 1 2 9Now That's What I Call Music! 8 ‡Various artists 1 6 16Live MagicQueen 3 1Albums in 1987 1The Singing Detective (Music from the BBC TV serial)Various artists 10 1 7Different LightThe Bangles 3 2 4Sweet FreedomMichael McDonald 6 1 1The House of Blue LightDeep Purple 10 1 4No More the FoolElkie Brooks 5 1 7AugustEric Clapton 3 1 1The Very Best of Elkie BrooksElkie Brooks 10 1 1The Cost of LovingThe Style Council 2 1 7The Phantom of the OperaOriginal London Cast 1 3 7The Very Best of Hot ChocolateHot Chocolate 1 1 7Give Me the Reason ♦Luther Vandross 3 2 2The Final CountdownEurope 9 1 3The World Won't ListenThe Smiths 2 1 1Wild FrontierGary Moore 8 1 28The Joshua TreeU2 1 2 7Men and WomenSimply Red 2 1 6Move CloserVarious artists 4 2 12Running in the FamilyLevel 42 2 1 8Now That's What I Call Music! 9Various artists 1 5 2Sign o' the TimesPrince 4 1 2The CircusErasure 6 1 1Whitesnake 1987Whitesnake 8 1 1Into the FireBryan Adams 10 1 13RaindancingAlison Moyet 2 2 1ElectricThe Cult 4 1 11F.L.M.Mel and Kim 3 2 38Tango in the NightFleetwood Mac 1 5 2This Time – The First Four YearsCulture Club 8 1 1Never Let Me DownDavid Bowie 6 1 13Keep Your DistanceCuriosity Killed the Cat 1 2 9Solitude StandingSuzanne Vega 2 4 7It's Better to TravelSwing Out Sister 1 2 7Live in the City of LightSimple Minds 1 1 1Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss MeThe Cure 6 1 23WhitneyWhitney Houston 1 6 3Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandThe Beatles 3 1 2Licensed to IllThe Beastie Boys 7 2 1Friends and Lovers: Sixteen Love SongsVarious artists 10 1 6The Return of BrunoBruce Willis 4 1 2Clutching at StrawsMarillion 2 1 3Atlantic Soul ClassicsVarious artists 9 2 2ControlJanet Jackson 8 2 1Hits RevivalVarious artists 10 1 1Echo & the BunnymenEcho & the Bunnymen 4 1 1The Island StoryVarious artists 9 1 23Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'ArbyTerence Trent D'Arby 1 9 9Hits 6Various artists 1 5 5Bad AnimalsHeart 7 3 6Sixties MixVarious artists 3 2 6Who's That Girl: Original Motion Picture SoundtrackMadonna and Various artists 4 1 5Hearsay ♦Alexander O'Neal 4 1 1Dream EvilDio 8 1 4HysteriaDef Leppard 1 1 4Substance 1987New Order 3 2 4Presley – The All Time Greatest HitsElvis Presley 4 1 5Changing Faces – The Very Best of 10cc and Godley & Creme10cc and Godley & Creme 4 1 38BadMichael Jackson 1 5 1DarklandsThe Jesus and Mary Chain 5 1 15ActuallyPet Shop Boys 2 1 2A Momentary Lapse of ReasonPink Floyd 3 1 5Dancing with StrangersChris Rea 2 1 4Wonderful LifeBlack 3 2 4Always GuaranteedCliff Richard 5 1 2Between the LinesFive Star 7 1 6The Cream of Eric ClaptonEric Clapton 3 1 31Popped In Souled Out ♦Wet Wet Wet 1 1 3Now! Smash HitsVarious artists 5 1 1The People Who Grinned Themselves to DeathThe Housemartins 9 1 2Strangeways, Here We ComeThe Smiths 2 1 1Music for the MassesDepeche Mode 10 1 4Tunnel of LoveBruce Springsteen 1 1 1RedThe Communards 4 1 3...Nothing Like the SunSting 1 1 3E.S.P.Bee Gees 5 2 1Alphabet CityABC 7 1 13The ChristiansThe Christians 2 2 18Bridge of SpiesT'Pau 1 1 7The Best of UB40 – Volume OneUB40 3 3 1Crazy NightsKiss 4 1 4Best ShotsPat Benatar 6 1 1MainstreamLloyd Cole and the Commotions 9 1 9The SinglesThe Pretenders 6 1 8FaithGeorge Michael 1 1 9All the Best!Paul McCartney 2 2 1Bête NoireBryan Ferry 9 1 1Cloud NineGeorge Harrison 10 1 1SavageEurythmics 7 1 1From Motown with LoveVarious artists 9 1 1Hold Your FireRush 10 1 15Whenever You Need SomebodyRick Astley 1 1 2You Can DanceMadonna 5 1 1FloodlandThe Sisters of Mercy 9 1 7Now That’s What I Call Music! 10Various artists 1 6 6Hits 7 2 2
See also 1987 in British music List of number-one albums from the 1980s (UK)
References General
Specific
External links 1987 album chart archive at the Official Charts Company (click on relevant week)