Echo And The Bunnymen - bring on the dancing horses extended mix, 1987

"Bring On the Dancing Horses" is a single by the English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen, released on 7 October 1985. It was the only single from their compilation album Songs to Learn & Sing (1985) and was recorded for the John Hughes teen romantic comedy-drama film Pretty in Pink (1986). The song reached number 21 on the UK singles chart and number 15 on the Irish Singles Chart."

The Smiths - i won't share you, 1987

"Recording at the Wool Hall provided a more relaxed atmosphere, with a fully stocked wine cellar often emptied after long sessions by the band and Street. While Morrissey typically retired early, Street recalled that overdubs would continue late into the night, often followed by partying. The sessions were marked by a shift in musical approach and ongoing communication about the band's evolving sound. Ed Power wrote in The Independent that "everyone else was more than willing to join [Marr] in this new love affair. Parties at Wool House became a nightly event. With Morrissey tucked up in bed with his favourite Sylvia Plath anthology, the musicians would cover their favourite Spinal Tap songs into the wee hours".

The Sound - acceleration group, 1987

"Acceleration Group" is a song by the English post-punk band The Sound, featured as the opening track on their fifth and final studio album, Thunder Up, released on December 28, 1987, by the Belgian label Play It Again Sam. Written by frontman Adrian Borland, the song embodies the band’s signature blend of new wave, pop rock, and post-punk, with lyrics that evoke themes of persistence, defiance, and breaking free from stagnation. Lines like “The flames will flicker and the wanting will waver / But there's something in this somewhere / That's going to go on forever” and references to the “acceleration group with the acceleration groove” suggest a restless energy and a refusal to conform. The track runs for 3:34 and was recorded at Elephant Studio in London. Thunder Up marked a shift toward a more polished guitar-pop sound compared to the band’s earlier, rawer work, though it retained their emotional intensity. Despite critical praise—Melody Maker called it a magnification of “the intensity of expression,” and band members like drummer Michael Dudley and bassist Graham Bailey considered it their finest work—the album was not commercially successful. The subsequent tour, marred by Borland’s mental health struggles, led to the band’s breakup in early 1988."

The Sound - hand of love, 1987

"Borland's initial influences can be traced through his work with The Outsiders into punk bands of the 70s, such as the Sex Pistols. However, it is clear that he had a broader appreciation for other forms of rock parallel to this; his admiration for The Stooges and Iggy Pop was reaffirmed on several occasions. Other influences included The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, Jim Morrison and Joy Division and David Bowie. In terms of admiration for contemporaries, mid-show interview in 1984, he cited New Order, Soft Cell and Eurythmics. His favourite bands from the eighties were The Waterboys and Talk Talk. He also lauded Ride in the early 1990s."

The Sound - iron years, 1987

"Thunder Up is the fifth and final studio album by English post-punk band the Sound, released in 1987 on Belgian record label Play It Again Sam. Two singles were released from the album: "Hand of Love" and "Iron Years". The album and its subsequent tour precipitated the band's breakup in early 1988. Like the Sound's previous records, the album was not commercially successful, but the band largely considered it to be their best work."

The Housemartins - i bit my lip, 1987

"I Bit My Lip" by The Housemartins was released as the B-side to their 1987 single "Me and the Farmer" on Go! Discs (catalog: GOD 19). It’s a jangle pop/indie pop track, consistent with their sound, featuring Paul Heaton’s socially aware lyrics about aspiration and frustration in a working-class context. The song’s lyrics, like “I bit my lip until it bled / ‘Yes please’ was all I ever said,” reflect themes of suppressed emotion and hope for a better life."

Enya - to go beyond two, 1987

"...reflection on the future..."

Pet Shop Boys - always on my mind seven version cover, 1987

"In 1987, the Pet Shop Boys performed a synth-pop version of "Always on My Mind" in Love Me Tender, a television special produced by Central Independent Television for ITV in the United Kingdom. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of Presley's death, the programme featured various popular acts of the time performing cover versions of his songs. The Pet Shop Boys' performance was so well-received that the duo decided to record the song and release it as a single."

The Smiths - oscillate wildly, 1987

"Initially the very notion of instrumentals was motivated by me. I suggested that 'Oscillate Wildly' should be an instrumental; up until that point Johnny had very little interest in non-vocal tracks. There was never any political heave-hoing about should we - shouldn't we have an instrumental and it was never a battle of powers between Johnny and myself. The very assumption that a Smiths instrumental track left Morrissey upstairs in his bedroom stamping his feet and kicking the furniture was untrue! I totally approved but, obviously, I didn't physically contribute."

The Jesus And Mary Chain - happy when it rains, 1987

"Happy When It Rains" is a song by Scottish alternative rock group the Jesus and Mary Chain, released as the second single from their second studio album, Darklands."

The Jesus And Mary Chain - cherry came too, 1987

"Time has proven Darklands itself to be underrated. Across its modest 10 songs the now-increasingly-shared vocal performances of brothers Jim and William Reid gained a smoothness and warmth not always captured in the group’s more overt Lou Reedisms, while songs like “Cherry Came Too” elevate gorgeous guitar work to the status of a major plot point. Meanwhile, “April Skies” laid the rumbling-rocker template JAMC would ride into the sunset on later albums."

The Go-Betweens - right here, 1987

"the song is about two friends of his, who worked in a funeral parlour and the constant exposure to the chemicals used in the preparation of the bodies turned them into addicts. Stating "I thought this would be a good subject to write about in a pop song." The song's title is derived from the chorus of Forster's song "You've Never Lived" (Spring Hill Fair 1984)."

Echo And The Bunnymen - bombers bay, 1987

"Not sure of the meaning, but it's a happy sounding song with not so happy lyrics."

The Jesus And Mary Chain - april skies, 1987

"April Skies" is a song by Scottish alternative rock group the Jesus and Mary Chain and the first single from the group's second studio album, Darklands (1987). The song was released by Blanco y Negro Records in April 1987, reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 6 in Ireland, and No. 16 in New Zealand, making it the band's highest-charting single in all three countries."

The Triffids - wide open road live, 1987

"This song has a specific meaning, a specific narrative and at the same time a universal story. It could be set, if you think about it, anywhere."

Enya - portrait out of the blue, 1987

"‘Portrait’ was first released in its original length of 1:23 on’ ENYA’. Later a new extended and re-recorded version of 3:12 was released as ‘Out of the Blue’ on the ‘Orinoco Flow’ single and as ‘Portrait (Out Of The Blue)” on ‘The Celts’."

Echo And The Bunnymen - lost and found, 1987

"The band's attempt to reach a wider audience worked out when they splattered the hook-heavy reverb bomb "Lips Like Sugar" all over American college radio, but the backward guitar solo on "Lost and Found" is more representative of the album as a whole. The sunnier production watered the band's sound down a bit, but they still managed to turn out "All in Your Mind", a throbbing beast of a pop song swimming in twitching guitar and aggressive synth bass, and god, that is so obviously Ray Manzarek of The Doors playing organ on "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo" that you don't even need the liners to clue you in-- it works almost purely on improbability."+

REM - femme fatale cover, 1987

"Nico, whose native language is minority French, would say "The name of this song is 'Fahm Fatahl'." Lou and I would sing it our way. Nico hated that. I said, "Nico, hey, it's my title, I'll pronounce it my way"

The Housemartins - the light is always green, 1987

"'The Light Is Always Green' offers a sharp critique of modern society's obsession with speed, materialism, and superficiality. The lyrics paint a picture of a world where people prioritize appearances and possessions over genuine human connections and meaningful experiences."

The Triffids - jerdacuttup man, 1987

"Mid-80s and among current bands my music choices run to The Smiths, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Pogues, New Order, Talking Heads, The Fall, BAD, Propaganda. Happy Mondays and the revolution they’re going to bring about in my taste and my life are a couple of years in the future. But there’s one other band who I, my brother and a few mates are into and all know are going to be huge, and they’re The Triffids. Successors to the Birthday Party as Australia’s best band but nowhere as in-your-face because as well as new wave influences there’s folk and traditional blues in there, even a bit of folky psychedelia."