American Music Awards of 1987
Encyclopedia
The 14th Annual American Music Awards
were held on January 26, 1987.
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
were held on January 26, 1987.
Pop/Rock Category
| Subcategory | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist | Lionel Richie Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records... |
Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career... Robert Palmer David Lee Roth David Lee Roth David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time.... |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist | Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among... |
Janet Jackson Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years... Madonna Madonna (entertainer) Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983... Tina Turner Tina Turner Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the... |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group | Huey Lewis & The News Huey Lewis & the News Huey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 top-ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts... |
Genesis Genesis (band) Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years... Heart Heart (band) Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music... Van Halen Van Halen Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart... |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Album | Whitney Houston Whitney Houston (album) Whitney Houston is the debut album of American R&B and pop singer Whitney Houston, released March 14, 1985 on Arista Records. The album initially had a slow commercial response but began getting more popular since the summer of 1985... - Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among... |
Control Control (Janet Jackson album) Control is the third studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released on February 6, 1986 by A&M Records. Her collaborations with songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis resulted in an unconventional sound: a fusion of rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rap vocals,... - Janet Jackson Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun may refer to:* Top Gun is a 1986 film starring Tom Cruise.**Top Gun , soundtrack to the movie**Top Gun , a number of games based on the movie... soundtrack 5150 5150 (album) 5150 is the seventh studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1986 through Warner Bros. Records. The album was the first to be recorded with new lead singer Sammy Hagar who replaced David Lee Roth.... - Van Halen |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Single | "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) "There'll Be Sad Songs " is a 1986 single by Billy Ocean. The song was written and produced by Wayne Brathwaite and Barry Eastmond; Ocean was also credited as a co-writer for the song. It appears on Ocean's 1986 album Love Zone, which was released on Jive Records... " - Billy Ocean Billy Ocean Billy Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s... |
"Live To Tell" - Madonna "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys Pet Shop Boys Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards.... "Higher Love" - Steve Winwood Steve Winwood Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz... |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Video | "Dancing on the Ceiling Dancing on the Ceiling Dancing on the Ceiling is Lionel Richie's third album, which was released on July 15, 1986. The title cut was the second biggest single from the album, reaching #1 in the U.S. and #7 in the UK... " - Lionel Richie |
"Mad About You" - Belinda Carlisle Belinda Carlisle Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments... "When I Think of You" - Janet Jackson "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" - Robert Palmer |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Male Video Artist | Billy Ocean | Peter Gabriel Howard Jones Howard Jones (musician) Howard Jones is a musician, singer and songwriter. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, "Jones is an accomplished singer-songwriter who was a regular chart visitor in the mid 1980s with his brand of synthpop. Jones, who was equally popular in the U.S., appeared at Live... Robert Palmer |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist | Madonna Madonna (entertainer) Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983... |
Belinda Carlisle Whitney Houston Janet Jackson |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group Video Artist | Huey Lewis & The News | Culture Club Culture Club Culture Club are a British rock band who were part of the 1980s New Romantic movement. The original band consisted of Boy George , Mikey Craig , Roy Hay and Jon Moss... Run-D.M.C. Run-D.M.C. Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C... Simple Minds Simple Minds Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the... |
Soul/R&B Category
| Subcategory | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist | Lionel Richie | Freddie Jackson Freddie Jackson Frederick Anthony "Freddie" Jackson is an American soul singer. He was an important figure in R&B during the 1980s and early 1990s... Billy Ocean Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist | Whitney Houston | Anita Baker Janet Jackson Pattie LaBelle |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Band, Duo, or Group | New Edition New Edition New Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync... |
Atlantic Starr Atlantic Starr Atlantic Starr was a 1980s R&B band. Among their biggest hits were "Always" and "Secret Lovers."- History :The group was started in 1976 in White Plains, New York by trumpeter Duke Jones , drummer Porter Carroll Jr., bassist Clifford Archer, percussionist and flautist Joseph Phillips, and three... Cameo Run-D.M.C. |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Album | Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston | Rapture - Anita Baker Control - Janet Jackson Raising Hell - Run-D.M.C. |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Single | "Nasty Nasty (song) "Nasty" is the second single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control . Released in 1986, the single peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and remains one of Jackson's signature songs. Paula Abdul choreographed the music video and appeared... " - Janet Jackson Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years... |
"Word Up" - Cameo "Kiss" - Prince "Rumors" - Timex Social Club Timex Social Club The Timex Social Club was an American R&B/Hip hop group, formed in 1982 by students of Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California. They are perhaps best known for their 1986 hit single, "Rumors" and for being major forerunners to the soon-incipient new jack swing movement.-History:Originally... |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Video | "The Greatest Love of All" - Whitney Houston | "When I Think of You" - Janet Jackson "There'll Will Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" - Billy Ocean "Walk This Way" - Run-D.M.C. |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Male Video Artist | Lionel Richie | James Brown James Brown James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr... Oran "Juice" Jones Billy Ocean |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Female Video Artist | Janet Jackson | Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All... Whitney Houston Tina Turner Tina Turner Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the... |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group Video Artist | Kool & The Gang Kool & the Gang Kool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and... |
Cameo The Jets The Jets (band) The Jets are a family band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, composed of brothers and sisters who specialize in pop, R&B, and dance music, particularly Latin freestyle.The group officially formed in 1985, with the original lineup fizzling out by 1990... Run-D.M.C. |
Country Category
| Subcategory | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Favorite Country Male Artist | Willie Nelson Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized... |
Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s... George Strait George Strait George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional... Hank Williams, Jr. Hank Williams, Jr. Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country... |
| Favorite Country Female Artist | Barbara Mandrell Barbara Mandrell Barbara Ann Mandrell is an American country music singer best known for a 1970s–1980s series of Top 10 hits and TV shows that helped her become one of country's most successful female vocalists of the 1970s and 1980s... |
Reba McEntire Reba McEntire Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma... Juice Newton Juice Newton Judith Kay "Juice" Newton is an American Pop music and Country singer, songwriter and guitarist... Tanya Tucker Tanya Tucker Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13... |
| Favorite Country Band, Duo, or Group | Alabama Alabama (band) Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook... |
The Forester Sisters The Forester Sisters The Forester Sisters are an American country music vocal group consisting of sisters Kathy, June, Kim and Christy Forester. The quartet had commercial success in the 1980s, charting fifteen Top Tens on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including the Number Ones "I Fell in Love Again Last... The Judds The Judds The Judds were an American country music duo composed of Naomi Judd and her daughter, Wynonna Judd. Signed to RCA Records in 1983, the duo released six studio albums between then and 1991. One of the most successful acts in country music history, The Judds won five Grammy Awards for Best Country... Marie Osmond Marie Osmond Olive Marie Osmond is an American singer, actress, doll designer, and a member of the show business family The Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a solo country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s... & Paul Davis Paul Davis (singer) Paul Lavon Davis was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his radio hits and solo career which started worldwide in 1970. His career encompassed soul, country and pop music... |
| Favorite Country Album | Greatest Hits Greatest Hits (Alabama album) Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits package released by the American country music band Alabama. The album was released on RCA Records in 1986, and has since been certified platinum for sales of 5 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America.By the mid-1980s, Alabama had... - Alabama |
Rockin' with the Rhythm Rockin' with the Rhythm Rockin' with the Rhythm is the title of a studio album released by RCA Records in 1985 by the American country music duo The Judds. It features the singles "Have Mercy," "Grandpa ," "Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain" and "Cry Myself to Sleep"; all four singles reached #1 on Billboard's Hot... - The Judds Whoever's in New England Whoever's in New England Whoever's in New England is Reba McEntire's tenth album, and her first #1 album on the Billboard country charts. It also produced two singles that were #1 country hits: "Whoever's in New England" and "Little Rock."... - Reba McEntire Something Special - George Strait |
| Favorite Country Single | "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Old Days)" - The Judds | "Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold) Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold) "Everything That Glitters " is the third and final single released from Dan Seals' 1985 album Won't Be Blue Anymore. It peaked at number-one in both the United States and Canada.-Content:... " - Dan Seals Dan Seals Danny Wayland "Dan" Seals was an American musician. The younger brother of Seals & Crofts member Jim Seals, he first gained fame as the "England Dan" half of the soft rock duo England Dan and John Ford Coley, which charted nine pop and adult contemporary singles between 1976 and 1980, including... "Diggin' Up Bones" - Randy Travis Randy Travis Randy Travis is an American country music singer and actor. Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 22 of which were number one hits... "You Can Dream of Me" - Steve Wariner Steve Wariner Steven Noel "Steve" Wariner is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. He has released eighteen studio albums, including six on MCA Records, and three each on RCA Records, Arista Records and Capitol Records... |
| Favorite Country Video | "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Old Days)" - The Judds | "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" - George Jones George Jones George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette.... "Whoever's in New England Whoever's in New England (song) "Whoever's in New England" is the name of a popular single made famous by Reba McEntire in 1986. The song was considered one of her signature and breakthrough singles.-Song background:... " - Reba McEntire "Honky Tonk Man" - Dwight Yoakam Dwight Yoakam Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music... |
| Favorite Country Male Video Artist | George Jones | Mel McDaniel Mel McDaniel Mel McDaniel was an American country music artist. His chart making years were mainly the 1980s and his hits from that era include "Louisiana Saturday Night", "Big Ole Brew", "Stand Up", the Number One "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On", "I Call It Love", "Stand on It", and a remake of Chuck Berry's... Gary Morris Gary Morris Gary Gwyn Morris is an American country music artist who charted a string of countrypolitan-styled hit songs throughout the 1980s.... George Strait |
| Favorite Country Female Video Artist | Reba McEntire | Janie Fricke Janie Fricke Janie Fricke is an American country music singer, best remembered for a series of country music hits in the early to mid 1980s.... Anne Murray Anne Murray Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies.... Marie Osmond Marie Osmond Olive Marie Osmond is an American singer, actress, doll designer, and a member of the show business family The Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a solo country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s... |
| Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group Video Artist | Alabama | The Forester Sisters The Judds Sawyer Brown Sawyer Brown Sawyer Brown is an American country music band founded in 1981 in Apopka, Florida, by five members of country pop singer Don King's road band: Bobby Randall and Jim Scholten , both from Midland, Michigan; Joe Smyth , Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard , and Mark Miller... |