5 Rock Songs From 1987 That Sound Even Cooler Today

The year 1987 was a rich and colorful time in the world of rock music. Big-name bands were finding ways to incorporate electronic layers into their guitar-based sounds in order to keep up with the times. Meanwhile, other acts were reaching back for a more foundational take on rock as a unique American art form. Somewhere in the middle, groups found a way to balance old and new and assert their rock status without losing their place in the evolving scene.

No matter where your tastes fell, the best rock music of 1987 had something for all musical palates. But some songs seem sealed in a time capsule, sounding even cooler today than they did back then. For a song to attain such a status, it has to carry a strong structure that doesn't give in to trends or fads and lyrics that aren't mired in period slang or filled with dated references. Each tune also needs to rock solidly enough to stir your nervous system even more ferociously now than it did when you first listened. From the funkified groove of INXS' "Devil Inside" to the soaring, plaintive strains of Heart's "Alone," here are five rockers from 1987 that sound cooler than when they dropped all those years ago.

INXS was an act that set trends rather than following them, which explains why the funk-rock fusion of the band's magnificent 1987 album "Kick" remains such a timeless spin. Drop a needle on any track, and the same infectious energy that sprang forth the first time you listened still crackles through the speakers. In particular, the slinky, energetic "Devil Inside" sounds like a rock song from the future that has premium footing in the 21st century, even more than it did in the late '80s.

How does a nearly 40-year-old song manage to sound like a new release? A big part of the magic is the skillful arrangement, with a skeletal structure during the verse that becomes a chugging curtain of unified noise as the chorus arrives. The call to darkness that becomes the chorus via the repeated line, "Devil inside, the devil inside, every single one of us, the devil inside," sounds like we're all being given permission to cut loose.

Michael Hutchence's growling and howling in front of the Farriss brothers' driving rhythm section is a sweet summation of melodic rock that leaves out the fluffy bits that might make it sound dated. The inimitable singer turned out to be a rock star who hid a tragic secret for years, dying by suicide in 1997 at the still-getting-started age of 37. The fact that he would only be alive for another 10 years makes this evergreen song even more meaningful.

U2 has been dire and self-important since day one. But in 1987, the group channeled its energy into a more sunshine-soaked sound for a few minutes with this utterly upbeat piece of celebratory magic from its breakthrough album, "The Joshua Tree." Listening again reminds old U2 fans that the music was the reason we fell in love with the band, even if the heavy-handed messages can get grating.

"I wanna run, I want to hide," Bono sings as the song opens, "I wanna tear down these walls that hold me inside." He aptly captures the mixed feelings of wanting to be free and unseen at the same time, a timeless sensation all generations have encountered. When you tie it to the smartphone generation, who many times seem to be hiding behind a manufactured image, the paradox is even more relatable.

Despite genre-hopping through the '90s and coming up with some intriguing subject matter, U2 didn't sound this triumphantly upbeat again until "Beautiful Day" arrived 13 years later. Fortunately, "Where the Streets Have No Name" carried listeners through the experimental years to become a fixture in our all-time playlist. It's the escape anthem you should have rolling when you set off on a grand adventure, no matter where those nameless streets lead you.

Art-prog rock pioneers Pink Floyd found commercial success with the 1987 winner "Learning to Fly," a mid-tempo crossover success that showed off the band's growth and songwriting maturity. By this time, the group had fallen apart, and the final album, "A Momentary Lapse of Reason," was a patchwork put together by guitarist David Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason. But decades after its release, the lead single from the record hasn't lost its sophisticated luster. 

The straightforward melody delivers a sweetness that pairs nicely with dreamlike lyrics that describe a piloted aircraft taking off while making it sound like a human becoming airborne. It really doesn't matter if you hear it as an airplane or a soul that's taking flight lessons — the underlying message is one of an "earthbound misfit" becoming overwhelmed by the prospect of flight. As a metaphor for overcoming gravity and ascending to the heights, the song offers a poetic message of hope for anyone trying to overcome obstacles.

It may not have been the Pink Floyd song that topped the Hot 100 (it only reached No. 70), but it's an eternal chart-topper in our personal ranking of songs that make the year feel as if it never ended. It also gives Pink Floyd a bit of a sentimental send-off. Sure, it may rock softer than the band did in its earlier days, but it still holds its own after years of hanging on.

Heart had already established itself as a renewed force in rock music when it dropped the new standard for power ballads with 1987's "Alone." This scorcher followed in the vein of "What About Love?" — the massive comeback hit that changed this band's fate. It also returned Heart to its power position of being the pursuer and declaring exactly what it wants, an approach that made earlier hits like "Crazy On You" so compelling.

This time around, rather than wondering if her paramour was interested, the inimitable Ann Wilson took the bull by the horns with a more direct approach to love, wondering quite forcefully how she could get some much-needed one-on-one time. "I never really cared until I met you," Wilson confesses, having become a bit obsessed. "And now it chills me to the bone / How do I get you alone?" The fact that Wilson can pull so many syllables out of the word "alone" is a testament to the emotion her voice summons.

Another move that keeps the freshness in this singable selection is letting the piano speak during the more tender verses and giving the guitars big voices for the soaring chorus. It's an anthemic layout that takes listeners for an emotional roller coaster ride. "Alone" deserves loud play on a powerful sound system to deliver a bravura performance that feels like the band stepped out of the recording session just last week.

Whoever said rock 'n' roll was just three chords and the truth didn't realize a rock band as agile as The Call could do it with just two chords and three notes. It's the simplicity of the structure and melody in "I Don't Wanna" that gives the song a timeless presentation and puts a steel backbone in the notion of rock 'n' roll no matter what era it's played in. The fact that this is an upside-down take on a love number makes it even more power-packed.

The basic guitar-bass-drums-synth setup in this thumper provides the sort of controlled mayhem that never goes out of style. Then there's Michael Been's lyrical slap in the face, which alerts the subject of his unrequited love that there will be no coddling or begging here. Every line is a declaration of what he will not do for love: "I ain't gonna watch your every move / I ain't gonna dog your every step / I ain't here to shape your every mood / I ain't here to keep your secrets kept." This is no sappy Hallmark card.

When Been finishes up with the line, "I ain't gonna pray for you to love me / Because I know you will," what first seemed harsh and impenetrable now seems like self-protection. In the end, listeners are left on a hopeful upswing. Fire it up today, and the aching sentiment backed by a roaring rock quartet is the perfect driving tune for the lovelorn who haven't given up hope.

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