These were the Top Ten selling singles in the UK this week in 1987. I've evaluated each song for its quality (a not entirely subjective exercise) and legacy (whether it has fallen into obscurity, unjustly or not.) For simplicity the grading is purely binary:
"Don't bore us get to the chorus" is an old adage in the pop industry. It doesn't apply to U2 at number 4. Bono doesn't sing a note until 1'46". That way he leaves room for one of the great atmospheric openings of any single (and album). Great song title too, a reference to a utopia where no-one is defined by their religion or creed.
Name a song that sounds similar to the PSB record at number 3. I can't think of one. The three main musical sections are quite different. The song title has no melody. Yet it all fits together so well.
I love the blend of spoken word and melody in the verse of Heart & Soul. It's a terrific record, overshadowed in the UK by its follow-up China In Your Hand.
Perhaps the Sinitta record is a guilty pleasure. Or perhaps I'm being mischievous...