3 Female-Fronted Pop Songs That Hit No. 1 in 1987

In the 1980s, it seemed that with every passing year, pop music became more and more of a fan favorite. If you track the Hot 100 charts in the decade, you can see classic rock music rise and fall as the era progresses. And it’s pop music that takes over in major ways. Not only that, but as the years unfolded, the number of women to be featured at the top of the charts also increased. Below, we wanted to examine the top of the Hot 100 charts in 1987. We wanted to see who was rising up the ranks as the 80s were coming to a close. Who were the new stars of the day? Let’s explore just that. Indeed, these are three female-fronted pop songs that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1987.

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“I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” by Aretha Franklin from ‘Aretha’ (1986)

What an unlikely but fun pair! Aretha Franklin and George Michael? Who would have guessed that their powers combined would turn into a No. 1 song in 1987? Or maybe we should have known… but either way, their pop collaboration hit the top spot on the Hot 100 in 1987, and it stayed there for two weeks at the end of April. Aretha’s giant vocals mixed with Michael’s knack for pop sensibilities—that’s a duet for the ages.

“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” by Kim Wilde from ‘Another Step’ (1986)

While this song was originally released in 1966 by The Supremes, some 20 years later, Kim Wilde brought it back and garnered a No. 1 spot in 1987 for her efforts. Supplying a very 80s new wave rock feel to the track, Wilde made the offering her own. She brought passion and even a sense of desperation, and those emotions came through in the recording. They make us, as audience members, feel the urgency that Wilde displays so vividly. What a pop track!

“Heaven Is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisle from ‘Heaven On Earth’ (1987)

Welcome to your favorite karaoke track. Belinda Carlisle wrote a pop song for the ages with this tune. And she earned her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 in 1987 when “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” found the top spot in early December of the year. If you haven’t been in a bar and sung this song at the top of your lungs with 100 close friends, you really haven’t lived! Go and try it tonight—do it for Belinda!

Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns