| The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1987 |
| TOP 50 BLACK CONTEMPORARY ALBUMS (As published in the December 26, 1987, issue) |
| POS | TITLE – Artist (Label) |
| 1 | JUST LIKE THE FIRST TIME – Freddie Jackson (Capitol) |
| 2 | GIVE ME THE REASON – Luther Vandross (Epic) |
| 3 | RAPTURE – Anita Baker (Elektra) |
| 4 | BIGGER AND DEFFER – L. L. Cool J (Def Jam/Columbia) |
| 5 | LFE, LOVE & PAIN – Club Nouveau (Warner Bros./King Jay) |
| 6 | LICENSED TO ILL – Beastie Boys (Def Jam/Columbia) |
| 7 | ONE HEARTBEAT – Smokey Robinson (Motown) |
| 8 | JUST GETS BETTER WITH TIME – The Whispers (Solar) |
| 9 | WORD UP – Cameo (Atlanta Artists) |
| 10 | A LOT OF LOVE – Melba Moore (Capitol) |
| 11 | WHITNEY – Whitney Houston (Arista) |
| 12 | IF I WERE YOUR WOMAN – Stephanie Mills (MCA) |
| 13 | JODY WATLEY (MCA) |
| 14 | KEEP YOUR EYE ON ME – Herb Alpert (A&M) |
| 15 | SIGN ‘O’ THE TIMES – Prince (Paisley Park) |
| 16 | ALL IN THE NAME OF LOVE – Atlantic Starr (Warner Bros.) |
| 17 | CONTROL – Janet Jackson (A&M) |
| 18 | THE BIG THROWDOWN – Levert (Atlantic) |
| 19 | HEARSAY – Alexander O’Neal (Tabu) |
| 20 | CRUSHIN’ – Fat Boys (Tin Pan Apple) |
| 21 | SHIRLEY MURDOCK! – Shirley Murdock (Elektra) |
| 22 | BAD – Michael Jackson (Epic) |
| 23 | LONG TIME COMING – Ready For The World (MCA) |
| 24 | DUOTONES – Kenny G (Arista) |
| 25 | SMOOTH SAILIN’ – The Isley Brothers (Warner Bros.) |
| 26 | SPANISH FLY – Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam (Columbia) |
| 27 | SHAKE YOU DOWN – Gregory Abbott (Columbia) |
| 28 | ZAGORA – Loose Ends (MCA) |
| 29 | PAID IN FULL – Eric B. & Rakim (4th & B’way) |
| 30 | EVERLASTING – Natalie Cole (Manhattan) |
| 31 | LETHAL – UTFO (Select) |
| 32 | DANCING ON THE CEILING – Lionel Richie (Motown) |
| 33 | ARETHA – Aretha Franklin (Arista) |
| 34 | LILLO – Lillo Thomas (Capitol) |
| 35 | TOUCH AND GO – Force M.D.’s (Tommy Boy) |
| 36 | NAJEE’S THEME – Najee (EMI America) |
| 37 | UNDER THE BLUE MOON – New Edition (MCA) |
| 38 | DANA DANE WITH FAME – Dana Dane (Profile) |
| 39 | HOT, COOL & VICIOUS – Salt-N-Pepa (Next Plateau) |
| 40 | LIVING ALL ALONE – Phyllis Hyman (Philadelphia Int’l) |
| 41 | SURFACE (Columbia) |
| 42 | RAISING HELL – Run-D.M.C. (Profile) |
| 43 | LET ME TOUCH YOU – The O’Jays (Philadelphia Int’l) |
| 44 | DON’T DISTURB THIS GROOVE – The System (Atlantic) |
| 45 | JONATHAN BUTLER (Jive) |
| 46 | KING OF STAGE – Bobby Brown (MCA) |
| 47 | MARVIN SEASE (London) |
| 48 | ALL BY MYSELF – Regina Belle (Columbia) |
| 49 | BREAK EVERY RULE – Tina Turner (Capitol) |
| 50 | SHEILA E. (Paisley Park) |