The number one single of 1987 was a carry over from 1986. Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram spent three weeks at number one in December 1986, ranking #61 for the year. "Somewhere Out There'" spent the first week of January 1987 at the top then fell out only to return to number one 11 weeks later. In 1987 the single scored enough points to make it the top single of the year, edging out Whitney Houston's "Didn't We Almost Have It All" by only two points. Whitney Houston dominated the charts in 1987 from May to the end of the year, earning three number one singles along the way. She also displaced Madonna as the top act of the year. Madonna had earned the honors in 1985 and 1986. Madonna herself earned a solid second place finish by scoring five top 5 singles including a pair of number ones ("Open Your Heart" and "Causing A Commotion"). Jon Bon Jovi led his band to the top twice in 1987 ("Living On A Prayer" and "Wanted Dead Or Alive"). Both singles landed in the year end top ten and helped make Bon Jovi the top group of 1987. Patty Smyth's first solo hit, "Never Enough", earned her a number one single and her biggest hit since 1984's "The Warrior".
