Top 25 Albums Of 1987 (Nos. 21-25)

A few weeks back, a Brat bravely postulated that 1987 was the greatest year in the history of music. After the laughter died down, we took a closer look at the albums released twenty-five years ago and you know what?

He may very be correct.

See if he's correct. We compiled the twenty-five greatest albums from twenty-five years ago, 1987. Tell us what you think when you get down to #1. And let us know if you would've ordered them differently.

Here are Numbers 21-25:

25. 10,000 Maniacs, In My Tribe

I was too busy chasing the David Lee Roth/Poison tour to notice In My Tribe when it came out. My freshman roommate in college introduced me to it as an alternative to his endless supply of Grateful Dead bootlegs. But though I initially resisted its lack of electrical bombast, I found myself years later coming back to it time and again. Nathalie Merchant has a transcendent voice, not so much in her range or clarity, but in the way it evokes an emotion both celestial and earthly. If In My Tribe didn't create the Bohemian folk-pop strain of college music, it certainly solidified and popularized it, and to this day remains the high water mark of every Birkenstock wearer's record collection.--CroutonBoy

24. Bruce Springsteen, Tunnel Of Love

One of the great tragedies of rock and roll is the degree to which this Springsteen masterpiece is overlooked even by his own fans. Granted, it's hard to stand out in a catalog that includes Born To Run, Nebraska, and Born In The U.S.A., but it deserves and demands just as much recognition and devotion as those classics. It was a more somber and introspective album than its predecessor, and had some of that late '80s polish which doomed so much of the decade's music, but each of the songs swells with the same heartache, triumph, and real world storytelling that marks the Boss's best music. Don't believe me? Go back and listen to "Brilliant Disguise," "One Step Up," or "Tougher Than The Rest" one more time and tell me you're not awash in cherished memories and heart-stopping emotion. You'll thank me for it.--CroutonBoy

23. The Cult, Electric

Their third and arguably most ass-kicking release, The Cult's Electric was the much anticipated foot-stomping follow-up to the much beloved and seminal Love. I spent days, no weeks, holed up in my room listening to Ian's guttural wail, dreaming of his Morrison-like stage presence and wondering where I could purchase an awesome humanely-made fur hat like the one he sported on the album cover. Songs like "Wildflower," "Lil' Devil," and the always good for a bar brawl anthem, "Love Removal Machine," cemented their place in my heart and earned a permanent slot on my college rotation list. This album still gets me going whenever I load it up and play it like it was meant to be listened to: LOUD.--Dufmanno

22. Jody Watley, Jody Watley

As a pop/r&b singer, Jody Watley had a lot of competition. 1987 was also the year of the Debbie Gibson/Tiffany explosion, and there was Whitney Houston to contend with. I saw Jody as the anti-Whitney; where Whitney was fresh-faced, hopeful about love, and inspiration, Jody was fierce, direct, and her songs had a sharper edge, i.e., "Looking For A New Love." Although her debut album had good hits, a lot of what I loved was Jody's dance movies and wardrobe. No one could rock the bustier and leather jacket like Jody, not to mention her signature enormous hoop earrings, which I ran to the mall to buy immediately after I saw her videos.--Robin

21. Midnight Oil, Diesel And Dust

Midnight Oil may seem like a one-hit (or maybe three-hit) wonder to most Americans, but they've been cranking out politically-charged, fists-in-the-air anthems for decades in Australia. A few years back I started picking up their back-catalog and it's some of the richest and most bracing music you'll ever hear. And while other angry young men like Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson aged into elder statesmen, Midnight Oil wore their beliefs like a bloody badge. Diesel & Dust, with it's aboriginal influences and in-your-face stance, is a powerful reminder that great bands can deliver a message that's original, accessible, and utterly enjoyable.--CroutonBoy

Nos. 16-20 >>