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This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.

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Contents[]

 [hide*1 Events

Events[edit][]

January–March[edit][]

April–June[edit][]

July–September[edit][]

October–December[edit][]

Also in 1988[edit][]

Bands formed[edit][]

Bands disbanded[edit][]

See Musical groups disestablished in 1988

Albums released[edit][]

January–March[edit][]

Date Album Artist Notes
J

A N U A R Y

4 L.A. Guns L.A. Guns -
B'Sides Themselves Marillion B-sides compilation
11 Pontiac Lyle Lovett -
The Road: Live The Kinks Live
15 History of a Time to Come Sabbat -
18 Blow Up Your Video AC/DC Australia
19 So Far, So Good... So What! Megadeth -
Tell It to My Heart Taylor Dayne -
25 Shove It The Cross -
26 Skyscraper David Lee Roth -
If I Should Fall from Grace with God The Pogues -
Never Die Young James Taylor -
Tear Down These Walls Billy Ocean -
F

E B R U A R Y

1 Ain't Misbehavin' UFO mini-album
2 Lita Lita Ford -
Live+1 Frehley's Comet Live EP +1 studio track
14 Today Galaxie 500 Debut Album
16 All About Eve All About Eve -
Starfish The Church -
Nada como el sol Sting EP
17 Making Trouble Geto Boys -
23 Goin' Off Biz Markie -
29 The Frenz Experiment The Fall -
Now and Zen Robert Plant -
Falling Up Kevin Ayers -
Hard Machine Stacey Q -
Idlewild Everything but the Girl -
I'm Your Man Leonard Cohen -
If You Can't Lick 'Em...Lick 'Em Ted Nugent -
Pinker and Prouder Than Previous Nick Lowe -
M

A R C H

1 The Seventh One Toto -
7 Past Masters, Volume One The Beatles Compilation
Past Masters, Volume Two The Beatles Compilation
13 Don't Blow Your Top KMFDM -
14 Viva Hate Morrissey UK
From Langley Park to Memphis Prefab Sprout -
16 Green Thoughts The Smithereens -
21 Surfer Rosa Pixies UK
23 No Exit Fates Warning -
Up Your Alley Joan Jett and the Blackhearts -
Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm Joni Mitchell -
28 Out of the Silent Planet King's X -
Odyssey Yngwie Malmsteen -
29 He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince -
Simple Pleasures Bobby McFerrin -
Heart Attack Krokus -
Kingdom Come Kingdom Come -
On Target Fastway -
The Pictorial Jackson Review Felt -
Push Bros -
Tattooed Beat Messiah Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction -

April–June[edit][]

Date Album Artist Notes
A

P R I L

2 Now That's What I Call Music 11 (UK series) Various Artists Compilation
3 Heart of Gold Sofia Rotaru -
Naked Talking Heads -
5 Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman -
Conscious Party Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers -
11 Hairway to Steven Butthole Surfers -
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Iron Maiden -
12 Lap of Luxury Cheap Trick -
Even Worse "Weird Al" Yankovic -
This Note's for You Neil Young and the Bluenotes -
13 Diamond Sun Glass Tiger -
15 Colors Various Artists Soundtrack
18 Crossroads Eric Clapton Box Set
Eden Alley Timbuk3 -
The Innocents Erasure -
Savage Amusement Scorpions -
Reba Reba McEntire -
21 Hang Time Soul Asylum -
25 The Xenon Codex Hawkwind -
26 Racing after Midnight Honeymoon Suite -
Shadowland k.d. lang -
Guitar Frank Zappa Live
27 Flirt Evelyn King -
Operation: Mindcrime Queensrÿche -
Ainsi Soit Je... Mylène Farmer -
Aliens Ate My Buick Thomas Dolby -
All That Jazz Breathe -
Barbed Wire Kisses The Jesus and Mary Chain Compilation
In Effect Mode Al B. Sure! -
In Heat Black 'N Blue -
Lefty Art Garfunkel -
Life's Too Good The Sugarcubes -
The Mona Lisa's Sister Graham Parker -
Over the Edge Hurricane -
M

A Y

1 The First of a Million Kisses Fairground Attraction -
Stay on These Roads a-ha -
2 Melissa Etheridge Melissa Etheridge -
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back Public Enemy -
Big Deal Killer Dwarfs US; released May 9 in Canada
3 Scenes from the Southside Bruce Hornsby and the Range -
Vivid Living Colour -
The Madness The Madness -
Open Up and Say...Ahh! Poison -
10 Lovesexy Prince -
Joy Teddy Pendergrass -
The New Order Testament -
12 Invisible Lantern Screaming Trees -
14 Stronger Than Pride Sade UK
16 You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 Frank Zappa Live
17 Perfect Machine Herbie Hancock -
In the City of Angels Jon Anderson -
Ram It Down Judas Priest -
18 Golden Throats: The Great Celebrity Sing-Off! Various Artists Compilation
Battalions of Fear Blind Guardian -
23 Out of Order Rod Stewart -
Up Your Alley Joan Jett and the Blackhearts -
24 Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart Camper Van Beethoven -
Second Sighting Frehley's Comet -
OU812 Van Halen -
30 Down in the Groove Bob Dylan -
The Abbey Road E.P. Red Hot Chili Peppers EP
By All Means Necessary Boogie Down Productions -
A Bell Is a Cup... Until It Is Struck Wire -
Greatest Hits Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel Compilation
Ooh Yeah! Hall and Oates -
Total Devo Devo -
J

U N E

6 Provision Scritti Politti -
Sur la Mer The Moody Blues -
13 Forever Your Girl Paula Abdul -
Survive Nuclear Assault -
Conscience Womack and Womack -
17 Open All Night The Georgia Satellites -
18 Ain't Complaining Status Quo -
19 Outrider Jimmy Page -
20 Chicago 19 Chicago -
Confessions of a Pop Group The Style Council -
Don't Be Cruel Bobby Brown -
Instinct Iggy Pop -
Irish Heartbeat Van Morrison & The Chieftains -
Reg Strikes Back Elton John -
Roll with It Steve Winwood -
21 Lullaby Book of Love -
Information Society Information Society -
Long Live the Kane Big Daddy Kane -
22 Heavy Nova Robert Palmer -
27 20 Years of Jethro Tull Jethro Tull Box Set
Outside the Gate Killing Joke -
Riders Radio Theater Riders in the Sky -
28 Lead Me On Amy Grant -
In God We Trust Stryper -
30 Indispensable: The Best of Michael Franks Michael Franks Compilation
Close Kim Wilde -
Coming Back Hard Again The Fat Boys -
Dream of Life Patti Smith -
The House of Love The House of Love -
Tighten Up, Vol. 88 Big Audio Dynamite -
Y Kant Tori Read Y Kant Tori Read featuring Tori Amos

July–September[edit][]

Date Album Artist Notes
J

U L Y

4 Kylie Kylie Minogue -
5 Long Cold Winter Cinderella -
Temple of Low Men Crowded House -
South of Heaven Slayer -
11 Substance Joy Division Compilation
Wings of Heaven Magnum -
UB40 UB40 -
Wild Wild West The Escape Club -
12 Brian Wilson Brian Wilson -
18 Time Odyssey Vinnie Moore -
23 Now That's What I Call Music 12 (UK series) Various Artists Compilation
25 View from the House Kim Carnes -
Follow the Leader Eric B & Rakim -
29 Cocktail Soundtrack Various Artists Soundtrack
Britny Fox Britny Fox -
Imaginos Blue Öyster Cult -
The Indescribable Wow Sam Phillips -
Let It Roll Little Feat -
Nobody's Perfect Deep Purple Live
Reek of Putrefaction Carcass -
Streets of This Town Steve Forbert -
Wide Awake in Dreamland Pat Benatar -
A

U G U S T

2 Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room Dwight Yoakam -
Greatest Hits Live Carly Simon Live
People Hothouse Flowers -
A Salt with a Deadly Pepa Salt-n-Pepa -
8 Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Robert Cray -
Dragon's Kiss Marty Friedman Debut
Straight Outta Compton N.W.A. -
9 Danzig Danzig -
Out of This World Europe -
10 Winger Winger Debut
15 Short Sharp Shocked Michelle Shocked -
23 Dangerous Age Bad Company -
Nothing's Shocking Jane's Addiction -
Two Nuns and a Pack Mule Rapeman -
24 Young Man Running Corey Hart -
25 ...And Justice for All Metallica -
27 So Good Mica Paris -
30 Other Roads Boz Scaggs -
Strictly Business EPMD -
Chameleon Days Yanni -
Chimes of Freedom Bruce Springsteen Live EP
Don't Forget the Struggle, Don't Forget the Streets Warzone -
Greg Howe Greg Howe -
In Battle There Is No Law Bolt Thrower -
Interior Design Sparks -
Revolutions Jean Michel Jarre -
16 Lovers Lane The Go-Betweens -
Small World Huey Lewis and the News -
Sunshine on Leith The Proclaimers -
Viva Santana! Santana Compilation with unreleased tracks
S

E P T E M B E R

5 Peepshow Siouxsie and the Banshees -
Rank The Smiths Live
6 Hangin' Tough New Kids on the Block -
8 Suffer Bad Religion -
12 VIVIsectVI Skinny Puppy -
Ancient Heart Tanita Tikaram -
13 How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today Suicidal Tendencies -
New Jersey Bon Jovi -
Power Ice-T -
See the Light Jeff Healey Band -
Truth and Soul Fishbone -
16 Eazy-Duz-It Eazy-E -
Tougher Than Leather Run-D.M.C. -
Spirit of Eden Talk Talk -
18 State of Euphoria Anthrax -
19 Blow My Fuse Kix -
Blue Bell Knoll Cocteau Twins -
Staring at the Sun Level 42 UK
Tender Prey Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds -
Watermark Enya -
20 Any Love Luther Vandross -
Workers Playtime Billy Bragg -
25 Lincoln They Might Be Giants -
26 Boingo Alive Oingo Boingo Compilation + Live
27 Land of Dreams Randy Newman -
28 Let's Get It Started MC Hammer Capitol re-release of 1987 debut
Big Time Tom Waits Live
Buster: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Phil Collins et al. Soundtrack
It Takes Two Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock -
La pistola y el corazón Los Lobos -
Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2 Helloween -
Metal Rhythm Gary Numan -
Peace in Our Time Big Country -
Perpetual Burn Jason Becker -
Vixen Vixen -
What Up, Dog? Was (Not Was) -

October–December[edit][]

Date Album Artist Notes
O

C T O B E R

1 Breakwater Lennie Gallant -
3 Talk Is Cheap Keith Richards -
4 BulletBoys BulletBoys -
Silhouette Kenny G -
No Rest for the Wicked Ozzy Osbourne -
Critical Beatdown Ultramagnetic MCs -
10 Imagine: John Lennon John Lennon et al. Soundtrack
Barcelona Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé -
Rattle and Hum U2 Soundtrack; Studio + Live
11 The Land of Rape and Honey Ministry -
Introspective Pet Shop Boys -
14 Broadway the Hard Way Frank Zappa -
15 Nö Sleep at All Motörhead Live
17 Copperhead Road Steve Earle -
Fisherman's Blues The Waterboys -
New Light Through Old Windows Chris Rea Remixes
18 Big Thing Duran Duran -
Daydream Nation Sonic Youth -
Everything The Bangles -
Giving You the Best That I Got Anita Baker -
Negotiations and Love Songs Paul Simon Compilation
19 Look Sharp! Roxette -
24 The Serpent's Egg Dead Can Dance -
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 Traveling Wilburys -
25 Till I Loved You Barbra Streisand -
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2 Frank Zappa Live
28 Living Years Mike + The Mechanics -
31 Bug Dinosaur Jr. -
Снова в СССР Paul McCartney USSR-only release
I Am Kurious Oranj The Fall -
Quiet Riot Quiet Riot -
Ultramega OK Soundgarden Debut
Amnesia Richard Thompson -
California American Music Club -
Greatest Hits of All Times – Remix '88 Boney M. Remix
Money for Nothing Dire Straits Compilation
Rage T'Pau U.K.
N

O V E M B E R

1 20 Harry Connick, Jr. -
Flying Colours Chris de Burgh -
The Great Adventures of Slick Rick Slick Rick -
Shaday Ofra Haza -
Reach for the Sky Ratt -
7 The Memphis Sessions Wet Wet Wet -
8 Green R.E.M. -
12 CK Chaka Khan -
14 All or Nothing Milli Vanilli Debut, Europe
15 American Dream Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young -
Greatest Hits Fleetwood Mac Compilation
Greatest Hits Journey Compilation
16 Beast from the East Dokken Live
Smashes, Thrashes & Hits Kiss Compilation Remixed +2 new tracks
Kings of Metal Manowar -
Goodbye Girl Miyuki Nakajima -
21 Hold an Old Friend's Hand Tiffany -
22 Delicate Sound of Thunder Pink Floyd Live
Beaches soundtrack Bette Midler Soundtrack
23 Ancient Dreams Candlemass -
28 Hold Me in Your Arms Rick Astley UK
29 G N' R Lies Guns N' Roses -
Bummed Happy Mondays -
Gems Aerosmith Compilation
Hold an Old Friend's Hand Tiffany -
Isn't Anything My Bloody Valentine Debut
Oasis Roberta Flack -
D

E C E M B E R

1 Almost Acoustic Jerry Garcia Live
3 Now That's What I Call Music XIII (UK series) Various Artists Compilation
7 The Trinity Session Cowboy Junkies RCA Re-release
9 Empnefsi! Anna Vissi -
The Best Years of Our Lives Neil Diamond -
Mademoiselle chante... Patricia Kaas -
Sub Pop 200 Various Artists -

Release date unknown[edit][]

Biggest hit singles[edit][]

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1988.

# Artist Title Year Country Chart Entries
1 Phil Collins A Groovy Kind of Love 1988 [1] UK 1 – Sep 1988, US BB 1 – Sep 1988, Netherlands 1 – Sep 1988, Switzerland 1 – Oct 1988, Poland 1 – Sep 1988, Éire 1 – Sep 1988, Norway 2 – Sep 1988, Italy 2 of 1988, Germany 3 – Jan 1989, Sweden 4 – Sep 1988, Austria 6 – Nov 1988, South Africa 11 of 1989, Australia 23 of 1988, US BB 26 of 1988, US CashBox 29 of 1988, POP 65 of 1988, Germany 103 of the 1980s, RYM 193 of 1988
2 Bobby McFerrin Don't Worry Be Happy 1988 [2] US BB 1 – Aug 1988, Austria 1 – Nov 1988, Germany 1 – Jan 1989, Australia 1 for 7 weeks May 1989, Grammy in 1988, UK 2 – Sep 1988, Netherlands 2 – Oct 1988, Switzerland 2 – Oct 1988, Norway 5 – Oct 1988, South Africa 5 of 1989, Sweden 13 – Oct 1988, Poland 13 – Sep 1988, POP 13 of 1988, Germany 23 of the 1980s, US CashBox 28 of 1988, Scrobulate 92 of happy, RYM 94 of 1988, Italy 97 of 1989, RIAA 301
3 Pet Shop Boys Always On My Mind 1988 [3] UK 1 – Dec 1987 (3 weeks), Sweden 1 – Dec 1987 (8 weeks), Switzerland 1 – Jan 1988 (18 weeks), Poland 1 – Jan 1988 (20 weeks), Germany 1 – Jan 1988 (4 months), Canada RPM 1 for 2 weeks – May 1988, Europe 1 for 5 weeks – Jan 1988, Germany 1 for 6 weeks – Jan 1988, Austria 2 – Feb 1988 (5 weeks), Belgium 2 – Dec 1987 (11 weeks), Netherlands 3 – Dec 1987 (10 weeks), Norway 3 – Jan 1988 (10 weeks), US Billboard 4 – Mar 1988 (15 weeks), UK Gold (certified by BPI in Jan 1988), Germany Gold (certified by BMieV in 1988), South Africa 11 of 1988, Switzerland 15 of 1988, KROQ 18 of 1988, RYM 33 of 1987, POP 38 of 1988, Italy 58 of 1988, US Radio 69 of 1988 (peak 4 7 weeks), Germany 136 of the 1980s (peak 1 11 weeks)
4 Belinda Carlisle Heaven is a Place On Earth 1988 [4] UK 1 – Dec 1987, US BB 1 – Oct 1987, Sweden 1 – Jan 1988, Switzerland 1 – Jan 1988, Norway 1 – Jan 1988, New Zealand 1 for 4 weeks Feb 1988, Germany 4 – Jan 1988, South Africa 4 of 1988, Netherlands 7 – Jan 1988, Austria 10 – Mar 1988, Australia 10 of 1988, Poland 15 – Nov 1987, US BB 17 of 1987, Italy 31 of 1988, RYM 53 of 1987, POP 72 of 1987, Germany 344 of the 1980s
5 Enya Orinoco Flow 1988 [5] UK 1 – Oct 1988, Netherlands 1 – Nov 1988, Switzerland 1 – Nov 1988, Éire 1 – Oct 1988, Scrobulate 1 of new age, Poland 2 – Dec 1988, Germany 1 – Jan 1989, Sweden 1 – Nov 1988, Norway 1 – Nov 1988, Austria 1 – Dec 1988, France 1 – Oct 1988, RYM 18 of 1988, US BB 24 – Mar 1989, POP 34 of 1989, Germany 242 of the 1980s

U.S. best selling singles[edit][]

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in the U.S. in 1988.

Position Song Title Artist Highest Position weeks at #1
1 Faith George Michael 1 4
2 Need You Tonight INXS 1 1
3 Got My Mind Set On You George Harrison 1 1
4 Never Gonna Give You Up Rick Astley 1 2
5 Sweet Child O' Mine Guns N' Roses 1 2

Top selling albums of the year in the US[edit][]

  1. George Michael – Faith
  2. Soundtrack – Dirty Dancing
  3. Michael Jackson – Bad
  4. Guns N' Roses – Appetite for Destruction

Singles released[edit][]

Classical music[edit][]

Concerto for Piano four hands and Orchestra
Piano Quartet
Symphony No. 5 (Concerto Grosso No. 4)
Klingende Buchstaben

Opera[edit][]

Musical theater[edit][]

Musical films[edit][]

Births[edit][]

Deaths[edit][]

Awards[edit][]

Grammy Awards[edit][]

Eurovision Song Contest[edit][]

Charts[edit][]

See also[edit][]

References[edit][]

  1. Jump up^ Persall, Steve (June 16, 1988). "A Pair of Sixxes?". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.) (528): 30.
  2. Jump up^ "Jackson Rules Charts". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.) (525): 22. May 5, 1988.
  3. Jump up^ DeCurtis, Anthony (June 16, 1988). "McGhee Placed on Probation". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.) (528): 29.
  4. Jump up^ Pond, Steve (June 30, 1988). "Atlantic's Birthday Bash". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.) (529): 48–50, 66.
  5. Jump up^ Ressner, Jeffrey (August 11, 1988). "Motown Records Sold". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.) (532): 17.
  6. Jump up^ "August". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.) (541/542): 84. December 15, 1988.
  7. Jump up^ Ressner, Jeffrey (November 3, 1988). "James Brown Arrested After Car Chase". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.) (538): 27.
  8. Jump up^ Dietmar N. Schmidt (ed.): Das Theater von Alvar Aalto in Essen. Baedeker, Essen 1988, ISBN 3-920138-03-1
  9. Jump up^ About Cairo Opera House. Accessed 7 March 2013
  10. Jump up to:a b Goldberg, Michael (January 12, 1989). "Fogerty Wins Unusual Self-Plagiarism Suit". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.) (543): 15.
  11. Jump up^ Dörte Schmidt, "Ruzicka, Peter", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillian Publishers, 2001).
  12. Jump up^ Alan Blyth, "Davis, Sir Andrew (Frank)", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillian Publishers, 2001).
  13. Jump up^ According to Encyclopaedia MetallumExodus' album Fabulous Disaster was released in Europe in 1988 by UK label Music for Nations, and in the US in January 1989 by Combat/Relativity Records.
  14. Jump up^ magle.dk. "Frederik Magle - Scrapbook". Retrieved 29 June 2012.

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