U2: Running to Stand Still (1987)

The song, like "Bad,"  is about heroin addiction. In fact, Adam Clayton called it "Bad Part II." It reminds me of high school and a time now long gone. However, the theme still resonates as drug addiction continues...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvUI-s4Azw4

Bruce Springsteen: Brilliant Disguise (1987)

I always thought this was one of Springsteen's rawest songs. In it, Bruce admits the failings and doubts of his marriage. He divorced in 1988.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idnJnjV_8rg

Fleetwood Mac: Little Lies (1987)

"Little Lies" is a plea from one person to her significant other to lie rather than tell the truth about their feelings or situation. To date, it is Fleetwood Mac's last Top 10 hit in America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5HkuhSEnPQ

Alone by Heart (1987)

Ann Wilson really cuts loose in this song. "Alone" became the band's biggest hit and still receives airplay today. It spent three weeks at #1 and was the #2 song of 1987. "Alone" also has one of rock's great screams.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cw1ng75KP0

Sammy Hagar: Eagles Fly (1987)

Sammy Hagar owed his label an album. So he recorded I Never Said Goodbye with help from his Van Halen bandmates. The album featured "Give to Live", "Boys Night Out", and "Eagles Fly." The song reached #82 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #22 on the rock charts. Hagar would not release another solo album until 1997.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuGboEKUOF8

John Mellencamp: Rain on the Scarecrow (1987)

John Mellencamp wanted to shed light on the plight of American farmers. "Rain on the Scarecrow" recounts the trials and troubles of farmers in the modern era. Decreased profits, foreclosures, and empty farmhouses riddle the country. Mellencamp took his efforts a step further when he helped found the Farm Aid charity. The song reached #21 on the charts. Something like this probably would not sniff the Hot 100 today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joNzRzZhR2Y

Bruce Springsteen: Spare Parts (1987)

Springsteen did not release "Spare Parts" as a single in the U.S. The song is about an unwed mother abandoned by her boyfriend. She considers killing the infant by drowning, but decides to baptize the child instead. Most of the Tunnel of Love album is rather understated, but "Spare Parts" is right in your face and upfront.

Studio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ool5NhBjYko


Live:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwGMyArC7Mk

Bryan Adams: In the Heat of the Night (1987)

The song was inspired by an Orson Welles film and a trip Adams took to Berlin in 1986. The Third Man is a noir classic remembered for its atmosphere and music.  The story revolves around a suspicious death. Meanwhile, Adams Berlin trip took place before the wall came down and “In the Heat of the Night” reflects the dark atmosphere of postwar East Berlin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2bE6jzACFQ

R.E.M.: Welcome to the Occupation (1987)

“Welcome to the Occupation” is critical of the Reagan Administration’s Central American policy. “Fire on the Hemisphere below” is a direct link to the region as is references to sugar and coffee. At the time, the U.S. had been engaged in attempts to overthrow the communist regime in Nicaragua. The Administration went as far as selling arms to Iran and using the funds to help the rebels. It was a major controversy for a brief spell before dissipating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJsRRlchFzQ

INXS and Jimmy Barnes: Good Times (1987)

Jimmy Barnes and INXS co-wrote “Good Times”, which became an Australian anthem. The song spread to America thanks to the Joel Schumacher film, The Lost Boys, starring Jason Patric, Keifer Sutherland, and the two Coreys, Feldman and Haim. The film is a 80s cult classic. I watched it one night in (probably 1988) with friends, one of which ran all the way home afterward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1YlviwvrxQ

John Mellencamp: Paper in Fire (1987)

“Paper in Fire” was Mellencamp’s lead single off The Lonesome Jubilee album. The album spawned a number of hit songs and was influenced by Mellencamp’s uncle’s death.  The album seemed more personal and influenced by folk music as opposed to his earlier efforts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myo9wXrNUP4

 

Def Leppard: Gods of War (1987)

Most pop metal bands of the era avoided politics. Def Leppard eschewed this and critiqued Reagan-Thatcherism in "Gods of War." The song appears on their seminal album, Hysteria, and features soundbites from both Reagan and Thatcher. By the time the album was released, the Cold War seemed to be thawing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBZbO-SS-3Q
 

Midnight Oil: Beds Are Burning (1987)

"Beds Are Burning" is considered one of music's most important songs. It deals turning indigeonous lands back to Australian native peoples. In particular, many were moved in the 1950s and 60s to the Papunya Settlement. Midnight Oil argues that the government should return the land to its people.

I always thought it was about Euro colonialism.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejorQVy3m8E

Guns n Roses: It's So Easy (1987)

Duff McKagan wrote "It's So Easy" when the band had little money, but a lot groupies. So, the band lived off the groupies and hangers on. Slash changed the song from a hippie ode to a hard rocker. The song helped define GnR when they broke back in '87.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUwW7RI3U0w&ob=av3n

Pink Floyd: The Dogs of War (1987)

"The Dogs of War" is reminiscent of "Money" in its structure. It switches from 12/8 time to 4/4 time in the way "Money" goes from 7/4 to 4/4. Thematically, the song is about politicians waging war for money.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdBtwsSPgW4

Sammy Hagar: Give to Live (1987)

Sammy Hagar joined Van Halen in 1985, but still owed his record company an album. In 1987, he released I Never Said Goodbye, which featured the hit singles "Give to Live" and "Where Eagles Fly." The two songs became part of the Van Halen live show and later Sammy's solo shows. "Give to Live" peaked at #23 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the rock charts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y0QtTWG_vc

819. Hazy Shade of Winter by Simon and Garfunkel (1966)

In 1966, Simon and Garfunkel decided to depress us with a song evoking the imagery of the onset of winter. While many people enjoy winter, it brings on a certain level of sadness in most. S&G tap into that sadness. There is also a feeling of failure in the main character's rant, "see what's become of me."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSd4QJBEMvk

The Bangels covered the song in 1987.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFRx4PkXeVM

864. Lost in the Shadows by Lou Gramm (1987)

The Lost Boys soundtrack contained several popular songs and covers. Foreigner's Lou Gramm chipped in "Lost in the Shadows" for the film. He also filmed a promotional video. Although the theme song was "Cry Little Sister" by Gerald McMahon, Gramm's song captured the frantic nature of the film's battle against vampires. The film remains a cult classic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSG_uYkExHY

915. Seven Wonders by Fleetwood Mac (1987)

Fleetwood Mac's second single from the Tango in the Night album hit #19 on the charts (#2 on the rock charts). The song ties the ancient seven wonders to the protangonist's personal history.  Stevie Nicks provides lead vocals..."If I live to see the seven wonders..."



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b4F_ppjnKU&ob=av2e