The “Queen of Soul” becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Aretha Franklin also scored her second Number 1 hit in 1987, with “I Knew You Were Waiting”. It was 20 years after her first Number 1 hit, “Respect”. Other inductees include Bo Diddley, Marvin Gaye, Bill Haley, B.B. King, Clyde McPhatter, Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, Smokey Robinson, Carl Perkins, Muddy Waters and Jackie Wilson.
Sonny Bono runs for Mayor of Palm Springs, California. Whitney Houston’s album, Whitney, debuts at Number 1 on Billboard’s chart. Wham! breaks up with Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael going their separate ways.
The Grammy Awards
Honoring the music of 1986..
- Record of the Year: Steve Winwood & Russ Titelman for “Higher Love”
- Album of the Year: Paul Simon for Graceland
- Song of the Year: Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, writers of “That’s What Friends Are For”
- Best New Artist: Bruce Hornsby and The Range
Number 1 Hits of 1987
- “Didn’t We Almost Have It All”
- Whitney Houston
- “Bad”
- Michael Jackson
- “I Think We’re Alone Now”
- Tiffany
- “The Time of My Life”
- Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
- “Shake You Down”
- Gregory Abbott
- “At This Moment”
- Billy Vera and the Beaters
- “Jacob’s Laddder”
- Huey Lewis & the News
- “Lean On Me”
- Club Nouveau
- “Died in Your Arms”
- Cutting Crew
- “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”
- Kim Wilde
- “Always”
- Atlantic Starr
- “Alone”
- Heart
- “Shakedown”
- Bob Seger
- “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”
- U2
- “Who’s That Girl”
- Madonna
- “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”
- Michael Jackson with Siedah Garrett
- “Here I Go Again”
- Whitesnake
- “Lost in Emotion”
- Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
- “Mony Mony ‘Live'”
- Billy Idol
- “Heaven is a Place On Earth”
- Belinda Carlisle
- “Faith”
- George Michael