4 Debut Singles That Lit up the Charts in 1987

New artists often have a hard time breaking through to a wider audience without a ton of hype surrounding their debuts. The year 1987 was smack dab in the middle of the prime era for many all-time pop greats. That year should have been particularly difficult for breakouts from newcomers.

Yet the charts from 1987 reveal several artists who came right out of the gate with huge hits. See if you remember these four acts who immediately won over the mainstream.

“Shake You Down” by Gregory Abbott

Gregory Abbott was already in his 30s when he struck big with “Shake You Down”. By that age, most pop stars have established themselves with a pretty sizable catalog. Instead, Abbott, while dabbling in music prior to his breakthrough, held down other jobs. He was even a college professor before committing full-time to being an entertainer. Once he made that decision, he had accumulated all the skills necessary to be self-contained. Not only did he write “Shake You Down”, but he also played all the instruments as well as doing the singing. He found a way to update the Quiet Storm sound of the 70s for the day-glo 80s. And he went right to the top of the charts on his first try.

“C’est La Vie” by Robbie Nevil

Like Abbott, Robbie Nevil was a bit long in the tooth (by pop music standards) when he became an overnight sensation. He was 28 when he released “C’est La Vie” as his debut single in late 1986. By that time, a cover version done by a gospel artist named Beau Williams was already a couple of years old. Nevil had been writing and producing for others for a while. He did a version of “C’est La Vie” with some bold production touches one day while feeling frustrated that his career had somewhat stagnated. By 1987, Nevil was storming the charts as an artist with the song. It eventually made it all the way to No. 2. After his solo career subsequently stalled, Nevil went back to thriving behind the scenes.

“I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany

When written back in the 60s by Ritchie Cordell, “I Think We’re Alone Now” was a slow ballad. Tommy James, who knocked out the original hit version of the song in 1967, insisted on speeding up the tempo. That move helped the song’s status as a trailblazer in the bubblegum pop genre. Twenty years later, Tiffany Darwish took the song all the way to No. 1 as her debut single. Tiffany initially balked at recording the song, feeling that the sentiments were a bit too old-fashioned for an 80s teen-pop audience. Luckily, she was convinced otherwise by George Tobin’s bouncy production, which made this one perfect for dance floors back in the day.

“Only In My Dreams” by Debbie Gibson

All at once, a wave of teenage female pop artists erupted in the latter half of the 80s. We just talked about a No. 1 hit by Tiffany. Meanwhile, Debbie Gibson set herself somewhat apart from others in that pack because she wrote her own stuff. Aged 16 when “Only In My Dreams” was released, Gibson had actually written the song a few years earlier than that. The song captures the excitement and fervor of a high school crush. It also features the rhythmic propulsion to get fans of Gibson’s age (and beyond) off their seats to try out their dance moves. It’s fitting that Gibson and Tiffany appear on this list together since they were sort of the Beatles/Stones of that particular 80s niche.

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