On this day in 1987: Tiffany was enjoying her first of two weeks at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’. The song was written by Ritchie Cordell and was initially a 1967 (#4) hit for Tommy James & the Shondells. At age 15, Tiffany became the youngest act to score a U.S. #1 hit since Michael Jackson’s ‘Ben’, in 1972.

Tiffany’s manager and producer George Tobin gave her the cassette of the original version by Tommy James & the Shondells, Tiffany hated the idea of recording a version of her own for her album, mostly because she thought the song was neither modern enough nor hip enough. According to Tiffany, she also did not know that the song is about the prohibition of teenage sex. The producers then remade the song as a dance track, and when Tiffany played this for her friends, they started to dance to it. Tiffany returned the next day to record the song in around four takes.

“I Think We’re Alone Now” proved to be Tiffany’s biggest hit once she did record and release it. Her version of the song spent two weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (coincidentally, another Tommy James & the Shondells cover, Billy Idol’s version of ‘Mony Mony’) followed it on the top spot). The music video was directed entirely by Tobin and shot in numerous shopping malls in Utah, which echoed the way her early career had been promoted. Fashion Place Mall (Murray, Utah), Crossroads Mall (Salt Lake City, Utah), 49th Street Galleria (Murray, Utah) and Ogden City Mall (Ogden, Utah). 

Here’s a look at the complete Top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1987:

1 3 I THINK WE’RE ALONE NOW –•– Tiffany (MCA)-11 (1) (1 Week at #1)
2 2 CAUSING A COMMOTION –•– Madonna (Sire)-9 (2)
3 4 MONY MONY –•– Billy Idol (Chrysalis)-10 (3)
4 6 LITTLE LIES –•– Fleetwood Mac (Warner Brothers)-11 (4)
5 1 BAD –•– Michael Jackson (Epic)-8 (1)
6 12 (I’ve Had) THE TIME OF MY LIFE –Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes (RCA)-7 (6)
7 9 BREAKOUT –•– Swing Out Sister (Mercury)-13 (7)
8 10 BRILLIANT DISGUISE –•– Bruce Springsteen (Columbia)-6 (8)
9 7 LET ME BE THE ONE –•– Expose (Arista)-13 (7)
10 11 IT’S A SIN –•– Pet Shop Boys (EMI-America)-10 (10)

11 15 HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH –•– Belinda Carlisle (MCA)-7 (11)
12 5 CASANOVA –•– Levert (Atlantic)-13 (5)
13 14 WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME –•– U2 (Island)-9 (13)
14 17 SHOULD’VE KNOWN BETTER –•– Richard Marx (Manhattan)-7 (14)
15 16 DON’T MAKE ME WAIT FOR LOVE –•– Kenny G (Arista)-11 (15)
16 21 I’VE BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE –•– Cutting Crew (Virgin)-10 (16)
17 8 U GOT THE LOOK –•– Prince with Sheena Easton (Paisley Park)-15 (2)
18 24 THE ONE I LOVE –•– R.E.M. (I.R.S.)-8 (18)
19 25 I WON’T FORGET YOU –•– Poison (Enigma)-10 (19)
20 28 WE’LL BE TOGETHER –•– Sting (A&M)-5 (20)