1988: The Year In Music

1988 – A ceasefire between Iran and Iraq takes effect after 8 years of war. Mikhail Gorbachev becomes Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, effectively head of state of the Soviet Union. Benazir Bhutto is named Prime Minister of Pakistan, the first female leader of a Muslim country. The news was all over the place this year … so let’s hope the music is a bit more focused!

I’ll be looking at the popular and highest-rated songs / albums of the year, giving my opinions on their musicality and longevity as well as an overall verdict for the year as a whole.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Billboard Top 10 (Popular) Singles

Source: Wikipedia

10 – Roll With It (Steve Winwood)

Steve Winwood is known for hits like “Valerie” and “Higher Love”, and as such “Roll with It” feels tame in comparison.

It has a Bluesy appeal, but it’s too simple for my tastes.

9 – Hands to Heaven (Breathe)

Very easy-going, but very forgettable as a result. Maybe a good track to play in the background while you work.

8 – Could’ve Been (Tiffany)

A typical, cheesy 80’s ballad.

I would’ve rather had Tiffany’s other hit “I Think We’re Alone Now” on this list to be honest.

7 – Heaven Is a Place on Earth (Belinda Carlisle)

Unlike all of the songs so far, “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” is still constantly on radios.

It’s overblown and cheesy, sure, but it’s also really catchy.

6 – So Emotional (Whitney Houston)

You can’t go wrong with a bit of Whitney. Her vocals are what make “So Emotional” so great.

5 – Sweet Child O’ Mine (Guns N’ Roses)

I’ve already talked about “Sweet Child O’ Mine” on 1987‘s list. so I’ll keep this brief.

It’s good. I dig it.

4 – Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley)

“Never Gonna Give You Up” has had such a funny journey in pop culture.

At first people liked it in the 80’s, then people hated “Rickrolling” in the 00’s and 10’s, and now people – including me – appreciate it again.

3 – Got My Mind Set on You (George Harrison)

Unless I’m mistaken, I think this is the final solo Beatles song to reach number one in the charts. It’s alright.

It has a nice groove and an infectious chorus, but even a legendary Beatle wasn’t immune to 80’s cheese-itis.

2 – Need You Tonight (INXS)

INXS are such a breath of fresh air amongst a sea of cheese.

It’s sensual and slick, and “Need You Tonight” still sounds great thirty years later.

1 – Faith (George Michael)

George Michael has the honour of being mega successful both as a band and a solo artist, but I would go as far as saying his solo career is what he’s most known for.

One of his best has to be “Faith”, a tight track that shuffles along with a great energy.

FAVOURITE – “Need You Tonight” (INXS)

LEAST FAVOURITE – “Roll With It” (Steve Winwood)

Top-Rated Songs

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

10 – You Made Me Realise (My Bloody Valentine)

The production sounds a bit too messy for my tastes, but “You Made Me Realise” has a furious energy and some surprisingly great songwriting.

9 – Straight Outta Compton (N.W.A)

N.W.A. released one of the most ground-breaking, provocative albums of the decade, and my personal favourite has to be “Straight Outta Compton”.

It’s packed with attitude and flair, and that post-chorus riff is amazing.

8 – Freak Scene (Dinosaur Jr.)

Dinosaur Jr. are back at it again with heavy, Pixies-esque Rock.

It’s not really my thing. It sounds like a precursor of Grunge, but without the intricacy that made Grunge such a welcome surprise.

7 – Fast Car (Tracy Chapman)

“Fast Car” has a great vocal performance and guitar riff (lifted from John Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane”, but whatever …), and a really powerful chorus as well.

6 – Fuck Tha Police (N.W.A)

“Straight Outta Compton” is my favourite from the N.W.A album, but “Fuck Tha Police” is definitely the most iconic.

It doesn’t hold back with its accusatory language, and as such became the ultimate anti-police song.

5 – The Rainbow (Talk Talk)

It’s nine minutes long and opens with two minutes of ambience, so I wasn’t expecting to like “The Rainbow” as much as I did.

That jazzy piano is awesome, and the slow-burn drums and guitar work in its favour.

4 – Under The Milky Way (The Church)

The Church aren’t a particularly well-known band, so I hadn’t heard “Under The Milky Way” before.

It has similar tones to other Rock songs of the era, but the advanced production and instrument choices make it memorable.

3 – One (Metallica)

Other than maybe “Master of Puppets”, I find “One” to be the best, most intelligent, most hard-hitting Metallica song.

It has that perfect mix of slow and heavy sections, with lyrics that cut me deep.

2 – Teen Age Riot (Sonic Youth)

This will go down as one of my hottest takes on this retrospective, but I find Sonic Youth to be quite boring.

It’s similar to Dinosaur Jr. in that it’s not my thing. Sorry!

1 – Where Is My Mind? (Pixies)

“Where Is My Mind?” catapulted to superstardom after its use in “Fight Club”, and I’m so glad it now gets the recognition it deserves.

It sounds gnarly and aggressive in the best ways, and the paranoid lyrics are its most underrated aspect.

BEST SONG OF 1988 – “Where Is My Mind?” (Pixies)

Top-Rated Albums

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

5 – …And Justice For All (Metallica)

“One” is the main attraction on “…And Justice For All”, but there are some other great tracks too.

The opener “Blackened” is a fun start, the title track keeps the energy high, and “Harvester of Sorrow” is another highlight.

4 – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (Public Enemy)

I know N.W.A. get a lot of praise as being a break-through rap act, but I think it was Public Enemy that truly broke down barriers.

It’s full of bangers like “Bring The Noise”, “Don’t Believe The Hype” and “Rebel Without A Pause”, and it all still sounds fresh.

3 – Spirit Of Eden (Talk Talk)

There are only six songs on “Spirit Of Eden”, but I like all of them to a varying degree.

Opener “The Rainbow” is my favourite but the rest is good too.

2 – Surfer Rosa (Pixies)

“Surfer Rosa” is the unfortunate case of a single song outshining the whole album.

“Where Is My Mind?” is the best thing the Pixies ever did, but the rest of the album is a little repetitive by comparison.

1 – Daydream Nation (Sonic Youth)

As I’ve mentioned before, Sonic Youth don’t really do it for me. By extension, “Daydream Nation” is forgettable.

It’s influential and still beloved to this day, but I can’t get behind it. Sorry again to any Sonic Youth fans!

BEST ALBUM OF 1988 – “It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back” (Public Enemy)

Final Thoughts

There were some important albums in 1988, but the hits and individual songs weren’t to my tastes.

Overall Grade: C

Aaaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: