# List of UK top-ten albums in 1987

The UK Albums Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling albums of the week in the United Kingdom. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical albums. This list shows albums that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart during 1987, as well as albums which peaked in 1986 and 1988 but were in the top 10 in 1987. The entry date is when the album appeared in the top ten for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
The first new number-one album of the year was The Whole Story by Kate Bush. Overall, twenty different albums peaked at number-one in 1987.

## Top-ten albums
### Key

| Symbol | Meaning |
| ‡ | Album peaked in 1986 but still in chart in 1987. |
| ♦ | Album released in 1987 but peaked in 1988. |
| Entered | The date that the album first appeared in the chart. |
| Peak | Highest position that the album reached in the UK Albums Chart. |
| Entered (week ending) | Weeks in top 10 | Single | Artist | Peak | Peak reached (week ending) | Weeks at peak |
| Albums in 1986 |||||||
| 31 May 1986 | 10 | So ‡ | Peter Gabriel | 1 | 31 May 1986 | 2 |
| 31 May 1986 | 19 | Picture Book ‡ | Simply Red | 2 | 7 June 1986 | 1 |
| 21 June 1986 | 18 | Invisible Touch ‡ | Genesis | 1 | 21 June 1986 | 3 |
| 12 July 1986 | 36 | True Blue ‡ | Madonna | 1 | 12 July 1986 | 6 |
| 12 July 1986 | 21 | Revenge ‡ | Eurythmics | 3 | 12 July 1986 | 4 |
| 30 August 1986 | 28 | Silk & Steel ‡ | Five Star | 1 | 27 September 1986 | 1 |
| 13 September 1986 | 33 | Graceland ‡ | Paul Simon | 1 | 4 October 1986 | 8 |
| 20 September 1986 | 10 | Slippery When Wet ‡ | Bon Jovi | 6 | 29 November 1986 | 2 |
| 8 November 1986 | 11 | Every Breath You Take: The Singles ‡ | The Police | 1 | 8 November 1986 | 2 |
| 8 November 1986 | 4 | Get Close | The Pretenders | 6 | 31 January 1987 | 1 |
| 22 November 1986 | 8 | Hits 5 ‡ | Various artists | 1 | 22 November 1986 | 2 |
| 22 November 1986 | 14 | The Whole Story | Kate Bush | 1 | 17 January 1987 | 2 |
| 6 December 1986 | 9 | Now That's What I Call Music! 8 ‡ | Various artists | 1 | 6 December 1986 | 6 |
| 13 December 1986 | 16 | Live Magic | Queen | 3 | 24 January 1987 | 1 |
| Albums in 1987 |||||||
| 3 January 1987 | 1 | The Singing Detective (Music from the BBC TV serial) | Various artists | 10 | 3 January 1987 | 1 |
| 17 January 1987 | 7 | Different Light | The Bangles | 3 | 31 January 1987 | 2 |
| 24 January 1987 | 4 | Sweet Freedom | Michael McDonald | 6 | 7 February 1987 | 1 |
| 24 January 1987 | 1 | The House of Blue Light | Deep Purple | 10 | 24 January 1987 | 1 |
| 31 January 1987 | 4 | No More the Fool | Elkie Brooks | 5 | 7 February 1987 | 1 |
| 7 February 1987 | 7 | August | Eric Clapton | 3 | 14 February 1987 | 1 |
| 7 February 1987 | 1 | The Very Best of Elkie Brooks | Elkie Brooks | 10 | 7 February 1987 | 1 |
| 14 February 1987 | 1 | The Cost of Loving | The Style Council | 2 | 14 February 1987 | 1 |
| 21 February 1987 | 7 | The Phantom of the Opera | Original London Cast | 1 | 21 February 1987 | 3 |
| 21 February 1987 | 7 | The Very Best of Hot Chocolate | Hot Chocolate | 1 | 14 March 1987 | 1 |
| 28 February 1987 | 7 | Give Me the Reason ♦ | Luther Vandross | 3 | 5 March 1988 | 2 |
| 28 February 1987 | 2 | The Final Countdown | Europe | 9 | 7 March 1987 | 1 |
| 7 March 1987 | 3 | The World Won't Listen | The Smiths | 2 | 7 March 1987 | 1 |
| 14 March 1987 | 1 | Wild Frontier | Gary Moore | 8 | 14 March 1987 | 1 |
| 21 March 1987 | 28 | The Joshua Tree | U2 | 1 | 21 March 1987 | 2 |
| 21 March 1987 | 7 | Men and Women | Simply Red | 2 | 21 March 1987 | 1 |
| 21 March 1987 | 6 | Move Closer | Various artists | 4 | 28 March 1987 | 2 |
| 28 March 1987 | 12 | Running in the Family | Level 42 | 2 | 28 March 1987 | 1 |
| 4 April 1987 | 8 | Now That's What I Call Music! 9 | Various artists | 1 | 4 April 1987 | 5 |
| 11 April 1987 | 2 | Sign o' the Times | Prince | 4 | 11 April 1987 | 1 |
| 11 April 1987 | 2 | The Circus | Erasure | 6 | 11 April 1987 | 1 |
| 11 April 1987 | 1 | Whitesnake 1987 | Whitesnake | 8 | 11 April 1987 | 1 |
| 11 April 1987 | 1 | Into the Fire | Bryan Adams | 10 | 11 April 1987 | 1 |
| 18 April 1987 | 13 | Raindancing | Alison Moyet | 2 | 18 April 1987 | 2 |
| 18 April 1987 | 1 | Electric | The Cult | 4 | 18 April 1987 | 1 |
| 25 April 1987 | 11 | F.L.M. | Mel and Kim | 3 | 25 April 1987 | 2 |
| 25 April 1987 | 38 | Tango in the Night | Fleetwood Mac | 1 | 31 October 1987 | 5 |
| 25 April 1987 | 2 | This Time – The First Four Years | Culture Club | 8 | 2 May 1987 | 1 |
| 2 May 1987 | 1 | Never Let Me Down | David Bowie | 6 | 2 May 1987 | 1 |
| 9 May 1987 | 13 | Keep Your Distance | Curiosity Killed the Cat | 1 | 9 May 1987 | 2 |
| 9 May 1987 | 9 | Solitude Standing | Suzanne Vega | 2 | 9 May 1987 | 4 |
| 23 May 1987 | 7 | It's Better to Travel | Swing Out Sister | 1 | 23 May 1987 | 2 |
| 6 June 1987 | 7 | Live in the City of Light | Simple Minds | 1 | 6 June 1987 | 1 |
| 6 June 1987 | 1 | Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me | The Cure | 6 | 6 June 1987 | 1 |
| 13 June 1987 | 23 | Whitney | Whitney Houston | 1 | 13 June 1987 | 6 |
| 13 June 1987 | 3 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | The Beatles | 3 | 13 June 1987 | 1 |
| 13 June 1987 | 2 | Licensed to Ill | The Beastie Boys | 7 | 13 June 1987 | 2 |
| 20 June 1987 | 1 | Friends and Lovers: Sixteen Love Songs | Various artists | 10 | 20 June 1987 | 1 |
| 27 June 1987 | 6 | The Return of Bruno | Bruce Willis | 4 | 11 July 1987 | 1 |
| 4 July 1987 | 2 | Clutching at Straws | Marillion | 2 | 4 July 1987 | 1 |
| 4 July 1987 | 3 | Atlantic Soul Classics | Various artists | 9 | 4 July 1987 | 2 |
| 11 July 1987 | 2 | Control | Janet Jackson | 8 | 11 July 1987 | 2 |
| 11 July 1987 | 1 | Hits Revival | Various artists | 10 | 11 July 1987 | 1 |
| 18 July 1987 | 1 | Echo & the Bunnymen | Echo & the Bunnymen | 4 | 18 July 1987 | 1 |
| 18 July 1987 | 1 | The Island Story | Various artists | 9 | 18 July 1987 | 1 |
| 25 July 1987 | 23 | Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby | Terence Trent D'Arby | 1 | 25 July 1987 | 9 |
| 25 July 1987 | 9 | Hits 6 | Various artists | 1 | 1 August 1987 | 5 |
| 25 July 1987 | 5 | Bad Animals | Heart | 7 | 8 August 1987 | 3 |
| 25 July 1987 | 6 | Sixties Mix | Various artists | 3 | 15 August 1987 | 2 |
| 1 August 1987 | 6 | Who's That Girl: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Madonna and Various artists | 4 | 1 August 1987 | 1 |
| 8 August 1987 | 5 | Hearsay ♦ | Alexander O'Neal | 4 | 26 March 1988 | 1 |
| 22 August 1987 | 1 | Dream Evil | Dio | 8 | 22 August 1987 | 1 |
| 29 August 1987 | 4 | Hysteria | Def Leppard | 1 | 29 August 1987 | 1 |
| 29 August 1987 | 4 | Substance 1987 | New Order | 3 | 29 August 1987 | 2 |
| 29 August 1987 | 4 | Presley – The All Time Greatest Hits | Elvis Presley | 4 | 29 August 1987 | 1 |
| 5 September 1987 | 5 | Changing Faces – The Very Best of 10cc and Godley & Creme | 10cc and Godley & Creme | 4 | 19 September 1987 | 1 |
| 12 September 1987 | 38 | Bad | Michael Jackson | 1 | 12 September 1987 | 5 |
| 12 September 1987 | 1 | Darklands | The Jesus and Mary Chain | 5 | 12 September 1987 | 1 |
| 19 September 1987 | 15 | Actually | Pet Shop Boys | 2 | 19 September 1987 | 1 |
| 19 September 1987 | 2 | A Momentary Lapse of Reason | Pink Floyd | 3 | 19 September 1987 | 1 |
| 26 September 1987 | 5 | Dancing with Strangers | Chris Rea | 2 | 26 September 1987 | 1 |
| 26 September 1987 | 4 | Wonderful Life | Black | 3 | 26 September 1987 | 2 |
| 26 September 1987 | 4 | Always Guaranteed | Cliff Richard | 5 | 26 September 1987 | 1 |
| 26 September 1987 | 2 | Between the Lines | Five Star | 7 | 26 September 1987 | 1 |
| 26 September 1987 | 6 | The Cream of Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton | 3 | 17 October 1987 | 1 |
| 3 October 1987 | 31 | Popped In Souled Out ♦ | Wet Wet Wet | 1 | 16 January 1988 | 1 |
| 3 October 1987 | 3 | Now! Smash Hits | Various artists | 5 | 10 October 1987 | 1 |
| 3 October 1987 | 1 | The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death | The Housemartins | 9 | 3 October 1987 | 1 |
| 10 October 1987 | 2 | Strangeways, Here We Come | The Smiths | 2 | 10 October 1987 | 1 |
| 10 October 1987 | 1 | Music for the Masses | Depeche Mode | 10 | 10 October 1987 | 1 |
| 17 October 1987 | 4 | Tunnel of Love | Bruce Springsteen | 1 | 17 October 1987 | 1 |
| 17 October 1987 | 1 | Red | The Communards | 4 | 17 October 1987 | 1 |
| 24 October 1987 | 3 | ...Nothing Like the Sun | Sting | 1 | 24 October 1987 | 1 |
| 24 October 1987 | 3 | E.S.P. | Bee Gees | 5 | 24 October 1987 | 2 |
| 24 October 1987 | 1 | Alphabet City | ABC | 7 | 24 October 1987 | 1 |
| 31 October 1987 | 13 | The Christians | The Christians | 2 | 31 October 1987 | 2 |
| 7 November 1987 | 18 | Bridge of Spies | T'Pau | 1 | 21 November 1987 | 1 |
| 7 November 1987 | 7 | The Best of UB40 – Volume One | UB40 | 3 | 7 November 1987 | 3 |
| 7 November 1987 | 1 | Crazy Nights | Kiss | 4 | 7 November 1987 | 1 |
| 7 November 1987 | 4 | Best Shots | Pat Benatar | 6 | 7 November 1987 | 1 |
| 7 November 1987 | 1 | Mainstream | Lloyd Cole and the Commotions | 9 | 7 November 1987 | 1 |
| 7 November 1987 | 9 | The Singles | The Pretenders | 6 | 14 November 1987 | 1 |
| 14 November 1987 | 8 | Faith | George Michael | 1 | 14 November 1987 | 1 |
| 14 November 1987 | 9 | All the Best! | Paul McCartney | 2 | 14 November 1987 | 2 |
| 14 November 1987 | 1 | Bête Noire | Bryan Ferry | 9 | 14 November 1987 | 1 |
| 14 November 1987 | 1 | Cloud Nine | George Harrison | 10 | 14 November 1987 | 1 |
| 21 November 1987 | 1 | Savage | Eurythmics | 7 | 21 November 1987 | 1 |
| 21 November 1987 | 1 | From Motown with Love | Various artists | 9 | 21 November 1987 | 1 |
| 21 November 1987 | 1 | Hold Your Fire | Rush | 10 | 21 November 1987 | 1 |
| 28 November 1987 | 15 | Whenever You Need Somebody | Rick Astley | 1 | 28 November 1987 | 1 |
| 28 November 1987 | 2 | You Can Dance | Madonna | 5 | 28 November 1987 | 1 |
| 28 November 1987 | 1 | Floodland | The Sisters of Mercy | 9 | 28 November 1987 | 1 |
| 5 December 1987 | 7 | Now That’s What I Call Music! 10 | Various artists | 1 | 5 December 1987 | 6 |
| 5 December 1987 | 6 | Hits 7 | Various artists | 2 | 12 December 1987 | 2 |