1987 - an ambiguous page of Italo Disco history. On one hand the genre is still high, hits are coming out, audiences are listening. On the other, this is the last full year of the classic era. By 1988-1989 Italo Disco was visibly giving way to Eurodance and house. We gathered the ten best tracks of 1987 - compositions on the edge of peak and decline, each deserving a place in the anthology.
1. Sabrina - "Boys Boys Boys"
The main hit of 1987. The Italian Sabrina Salerno built not just a track but a cultural phenomenon - with a provocative video, a press scandal, mass sales. This is late Italo Disco in its most commercial form, where visual marketing worked on par with the music.
The track moved millions of copies, hit the UK, Italian, German, and French charts. For Sabrina it was a breakthrough commercial success. On YouTube the "Boys Boys Boys" video by 2024 gathered more than 100 million views - a telling number for a forty-year-old composition.
2. Modern Talking - "In 100 Years"
One of the last big hits from the duo before their first breakup. "In 100 Years" continues the Modern Talking formula - Thomas Anders's high vocal, melodic simplicity, a dance rhythm - but now with more drama.
For Eastern European audiences this track stayed one of the classic Modern Talking compositions. During Thomas Anders's 2023 anniversary tour "In 100 Years" was a mandatory number in the program.
3. Mike Mareen - "Dance Control"
A German artist who worked in the Italo Disco aesthetic. "Dance Control" became one of his main hits and a classic of the late-period genre. An energetic beat, a memorable chorus, signature synth parts - everything worked.
The track earned cult status in Eastern Europe, especially Poland and the USSR. For post-Soviet audiences Mike Mareen remains one of the recognizable figures of the Italo Disco era, despite the relatively modest scale of his pan-European career.
4. Silent Circle - "Touch in the Night"
A German project in the Italo Disco aesthetic with a classic hit from 1986-1987. "Touch in the Night" is a melancholic, dramatic composition that hit the charts in dozens of countries. Close in mood to Savage, but in a German production interpretation.
For genre collectors Silent Circle is an important name. Their work represents the German-Italian hybrid of the genre in its mature form, with all the signature traits honed to perfection.
5. Fancy - "Flames of Love"
A continuation of Manfred Müller-Schalk's career after "Slice Me Nice." "Flames of Love" from 1987 is a more mature work showing the artist's evolution. Melodic depth, dramatic delivery, professional production.
The track was especially loved in Eastern Europe. At concerts Fancy still performs this composition - it remains one of the mandatory numbers in his program even after almost 40 years.
6. Sandy Marton - "Love Synchronicity"
A late hit from Alexander Marton. "Love Synchronicity" continues his signature "beach" aesthetic, but with a more serious mood. A romantic track with the sunny melancholy characteristic of the artist.
The composition didn't repeat the mass success of "People From Ibiza," but in professional circles it's highly valued. For Sandy Marton fans - a mandatory second-tier work.
7. Radiorama - "Chance to Desire"
Another hit from the productive Italian team. "Chance to Desire" is a mature Radiorama work, showing the group's honed formula. An energetic beat, signature synths, professional backing vocals.
The track became one of the standards of European discos in 1987. In post-Soviet retro culture it remains an important composition, especially for audiences who value the "working" Italo Disco tracks rather than the main hits.
8. Gazebo - "Wall Street"
Paul Mazzolini in 1987 released "Wall Street" - a more experimental work than his classic hits. A composition with a social subtext, touching financial speculation (a coincidence with Oliver Stone's film from the same year).
That shows Gazebo's evolution. The artist didn't want to repeat "I Like Chopin" endlessly - he tried new themes, new approaches. "Wall Street" is less known to the masses but important for understanding his creative development.
9. Italian Boys - "Forever Lovers"
A team with a nostalgic, romantic direction. "Forever Lovers" is one of their main hits, a classic Italo Disco ballad in dance packaging. Melodic, emotional, without complex arrangement experiments.
Italian Boys were never in the front rows of the genre, but their work makes up the "body" of the Italo Disco era. For a full understanding of the 1987 sound, such "middle" teams are just as important as the stars.
10. Valerie Dore - "Lancelot"
A late track from Monia Monti, released before her long pause. "Lancelot" is an atmospheric, cinematic composition with elements of medieval aesthetics. More serious than her early hits.
For Valerie Dore fans this work is an important part of the catalog. It shows how the artist developed inside the Italo Disco format, trying new thematic and sonic solutions.
Other Notable Works
1987 gave many other meaningful compositions:
- Baltimora "Key Key Karimba" - one of the project's last releases.
- Tracy Spencer "Love Is Like a Game" - a composition from her San Remo appearance.
- Ken Laszlo "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8" - a numeric chorus, memorable from the first listen.
- Miko Mission "Toc Toc Toc" - a continuation of the artist's hit series.
- Fred Ventura "Wind of Change" - one of his best works.
The End of the Classic Era
1987 is the next-to-last peak year of Italo Disco in classic form. By 1988 the genre would visibly tire of itself. Hits would still come out, but fewer each month. Eurodance would appear, house would arrive, and Italo Disco would start moving into a niche.
1987 tracks are the mature professionalism of the genre, but already with the first signs of formula fatigue. Producers knew what worked but started repeating themselves. Audiences loved the genre but were slightly oversaturated.
Technological Trends
In 1987 digital technology began to notably influence production. Samplers became more accessible, more advanced drum machines appeared, Fairlight was already at its peak. The sound of Italo Disco was turning more "digital" and less "analog."
That created unevenness among the year's tracks. Some compositions still sounded in the classic analog aesthetic of the '80s. Others carried more digital coldness. A listener can tell these nuances apart if they pay attention.
The Female Voice Gets Louder
In 1987 there were noticeably more female voices in the genre than at the start of the decade. Sabrina, Valerie Dore, Tracy Spencer, Lian Ross - all active. That reflected general trends in the pop industry - female artists were getting more room.
For Italo Disco it was an important development. If in 1983-1984 the genre was distinctly male, by 1987 the gender balance had shifted noticeably. The female compositions of this year are one of the most interesting cross-sections of the era.
Eastern Europe: Peak Love
In 1987-1988 Italo Disco was at its absolute peak popularity in the Eastern Bloc. Gorbachev's glasnost opened the Soviet market to more Western music; discos in East Germany, Poland, Hungary actively spun Italian hits.
For post-Soviet audiences 1987 is the soundtrack of youth, first love, first discos. The tracks of this year carry a special emotional attachment to a specific era in the lives of millions.
Collector Value
Original 12-inch singles from 1987 are more accessible than 1983 compositions. Mass production at the peak of the era left large runs. Discogs prices: from 15 to 80 euros for ordinary releases, from 50 to 200 for rarer ones.
For a collector, 1987 is a "solid" period. Most classic compositions can be found without much trouble. Rarities are more likely obscure artists or promo versions than mass hits.
Legacy of 1987
1987 tracks keep working in modern digital space. On Spotify most of the main compositions carry from 5 to 80 million streams. Sabrina's "Boys Boys Boys" is one of the most popular retro tracks of the '80s overall.
In Italo Disco retro playlists 1987 is broadly represented. It was the last year the genre worked at full mass power. Everything that came after was either a niche or a different genre altogether. 1987 is the final page of the classic era, worth studying before moving on to what came next.