Cheung's career ascended to a new peak in 1987, when he released his first album under Cinepoly, "Summer Romance". The album was the best-selling Cantopop release of the year, earning seven times platinum certification from the IFPI Hong Kong and sold over 350,000 copies. Its lead single, "Sleepless Night" (), won the Gold Song Gold Award at the 1987 Jade Solid Gold Awards. The next two albums, "Virgin Snow" and "Hot Summer", both were released in 1988 and sold well, receiving gold and platinum certifications from the IFPI Hong Kong. He also had starring roles in the films "A Chinese Ghost Story" and "Rouge". The performance of Cheung and his co-star Anita Mui in "Rouge" consolidated the pair's reputation as the top Hong Kong entertainers. Yiu-wai Chu, author of the book "Hong Kong Cantopop: A Concise History" (2017), noted that Cheung and Mui formed an "unprecedented" chemistry showcasing "mystic power of charisma", not only in films but also on stage performances together. The two were also close friends in real life.