"Well I guess it would be nice, if I could touch your body..." Given George Michael's restroom high jinks in early 1998, those words from "Faith" sound pretty funny, but they sounded fresh and exciting blasting out of car radios in 1987. Michael's stunning solo debut (after four years in the lightweight British duo Wham!) sold seven million copies and yielded a plehora of hits. Some of those were among the decade's best pop, including the hiccuping title track, the heartfelt ballad "Father Figure" and the wicked R&B groove of "I Want Your Sex". Unlike so much 1980s treacle, this album hold ups surprisingly well--even if Michael hasn't always done so himself. --Michael Ruby