More great classic slow songs, plus we’re getting into the heart of my hip-hop phase. Yep.
In 1988 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted, among others, The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Bob Dylan. Also in ’88, Andy Gibb died (March 10), Sonny Bono becomes Mayor of Palm Springs, California, and Michael Jackson becomes the first artist to have five songs from the same album reach No.1 on the Billboard 100 (Dirty Diana, Bad, Man in the Mirror, I Just Can’t Stop Loving You and The Way You Make Me Feel). The California Raisins also hit it big this year. It was also the year I began high school!
Another weird music fact from 1988 – John Fogerty was sued by his former label for… copying himself. His 1985 hit The Old Man Down the Road was “too similar” to his 1970 CCR song Run Through the Jungle. Fogerty won the lawsuit.
Unlike most rankings, I haven’t been simply tossing these up in a numerical order. Because I know better than anybody that on some days, some songs kick more ass than other songs. A song that is ranked 14th today could very well rank first tomorrow, if it suddenly comes on the radio during the perfect moment and I start singing along. You understand. So I group them instead of presenting a hard-and-fast order:
Awesome
Great
Solid
Not Bad
…with inter-group splitting.
First, a look at some videos of the best from that year
12 Solid Songs from 1988
One – Metallica
A much-beloved song by rock fans around the world.
Kokomo – The Beach Boys
A Little Respect – Erasure
There She Goes – The La’s
Pop Song ’89 – R.E.M.
Cult of Personality – Living Colour
Bad Medicine – Bon Jovi
Angel Of Harlem – U2
Angel Eyes – The Jeff Healey Band
Finish What Ya Started – Van Halen
18 Great Songs from 1988
I’ll Be There For You – Bon Jovi
Finest Worksong – R.E.M.
In Your Room – Bangles
A song I had forgotten. Listening to this, I realize how much I love Susanna Hoffs’ voice. They should be in the R’n’R Hall of Fame
I Hate Myself For Loving You – Joan Jett
Desire – U2
Copperhead Road – Steve Earle
Used To Love Her – Guns N’ Roses
Orange Crush – R.E.M.
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers
Gypsy Road – Cinderella
American Dream – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Groovy Kind of Love – Phil Collins
The Look – Roxette
Handle With Care – The Traveling Wilburys
It would have been amazing to sit in that warehouse and watch these guys jam. You could see their love of music in their faces. Legendary.
All I Want Is You – U2
The Flame – Cheap Trick
End Of The Line – The Traveling Wilburys
Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone) – Cinderella
11 Truly Awesome tunes from 1988
Rave On – John Mellencamp
I really love this version. Always have, right from the start. The perfect song for his music style and voice.
What I Am – Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
Straight Outta Compton – N.W.A
Stand – R.E.M.
Jane Says – Jane’s Addiction
Just Like Paradise – David Lee Roth
Eternal Flame – Bangles
Coming Home – Cinderella
Patience – Guns N’ Roses
One of the best slow songs of all time, for my money
Every Rose Has Its Thorn – Poison
Beds Are Burning – Midnight Oil
I put the above songs into a YouTube playlist here
Check out my kickass Spotify playlists here
Here are all the worthy songs that were released or popularized in 1988…
| Awesome – 1 | Beds Are Burning | – | Midnight Oil |
| Awesome – 1 | Every Rose Has Its Thorn | – | Poison |
| Awesome – 1 | Patience | – | Guns N’ Roses |
| Awesome – 1 | Coming Home | – | Cinderella |
| Awesome – 1 | Eternal Flame | – | Bangles |
| Awesome – 1 | Just Like Paradise | – | David Lee Roth |
| Awesome – 1 | Jane Says | – | Jane’s Addiction |
| Awesome – 7 | Stand | – | R.E.M. |
| Awesome – 7 | Straight Outta Compton | – | N.W.A |
| Awesome – 7 | What I Am | – | Edie Brickell & New Bohemians |
| Awesome – 7 | Rave On | – | John Mellencamp |
| Great – 12 | Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone) | – | Cinderella |
| Great – 12 | End Of The Line | – | The Traveling Wilburys |
| Great – 12 | The Flame | – | Cheap Trick |
| Great – 12 | All I Want Is You | – | U2 |
| Great – 12 | Handle With Care | – | The Traveling Wilburys |
| Great – 12 | The Look | – | Roxette |
| Great – 12 | Groovy Kind of Love | – | Phil Collins |
| Great – 19 | American Dream | – | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young |
| Great – 19 | Gypsy Road | – | Cinderella |
| Great – 19 | I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) | – | The Proclaimers |
| Great – 19 | Orange Crush | – | R.E.M. |
| Great – 19 | Used To Love Her | – | Guns N’ Roses |
| Great – 19 | Copperhead Road | – | Steve Earle |
| Great – 19 | Desire | – | U2 |
| Great – 19 | I Hate Myself For Loving You | – | Joan Jett |
| Great – 19 | In Your Room | – | Bangles |
| Great – 19 | Finest Worksong | – | R.E.M. |
| Great – 19 | I’ll Be There For You | – | Bon Jovi |
| Solid – 30 | Finish What Ya Started | – | Van Halen |
| Solid – 30 | Angel Eyes | – | The Jeff Healey Band |
| Solid – 30 | Angel Of Harlem | – | U2 |
| Solid – 30 | Bad Medicine | – | Bon Jovi |
| Solid – 30 | Cult of Personality | – | Living Colour |
| Solid – 30 | Pop Song ’89 | – | R.E.M. |
| Solid – 30 | There She Goes | – | The La’s |
| Solid – 30 | A Little Respect | – | Erasure |
| Solid – 30 | Kokomo | – | The Beach Boys |
| Solid – 30 | One | – | Metallica |
| Solid – 40 | Funky Cold Medina | – | Tone-Loc |
| Solid – 40 | Big League | – | Tom Cochrane & Red Rider |
| Solid – 40 | Chains of Love | – | Erasure |
| Solid – 40 | Devil Inside | – | INXS |
| Solid – 40 | Lay Your Hands On Me | – | Bon Jovi |
| Solid – 40 | Never Tear Us Apart | – | INXS |
| Solid – 40 | Tall Cool One | – | Robert Plant |
| Solid – 40 | When It’s Love | – | Van Halen |
| Solid – 40 | Five Long Years | – | Colin James |
| Solid – 40 | F*ck the Police | – | N.W.A |
| Solid – 40 | Another Part Of Me | – | Michael Jackson |
| Solid – 40 | Turn You Inside Out | – | R.E.M. |
| Solid – 40 | Fast Car | – | Tracy Chapman |
| Solid – 40 | Where Is My Mind? | – | Pixies |
| Not Bad – 54 | Don’t Worry Be Happy | – | Bobby McFerrin |
| Not Bad – 54 | Fat | – | Weird Al Yankovic |
| Not Bad – 54 | Kissing A Fool | – | George Michael |
| Not Bad – 54 | Make Me Lose Control | – | Eric Carmen |
| Not Bad – 54 | Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) | – | Enya |
| Not Bad – 54 | Roni | – | Bobby Brown |
| Not Bad – 54 | Simply Irresistible | – | Robert Palmer |
| Not Bad – 54 | Hands Up | – | Sway |
| Not Bad – 54 | My Song | – | Glass Tiger |
| Not Bad – 54 | Voodoo Thing | – | Colin James |
| Not Bad – 54 | Chick and Cars (and the Third World War) | – | Colin James |
| Not Bad – 54 | I’m Your Pusher | – | Ice T |
| Not Bad – 54 | Doctorin’ The Tardis | – | The Timelords |
| Not Bad – 54 | Gimme Hope Jo’anna | – | Eddy Grant |
| Not Bad – 54 | Hands To Heaven | – | Breathe |
| Not Bad – 54 | Wind Beneath My Wings | – | Bette Midler |
| Not Bad- 70 | Close My Eyes Forever | – | Ozzy Osbourne and Lita Ford |
| Not Bad- 70 | Colors | – | Ice T |
| Not Bad- 70 | Bring Me Some Water | – | Melissa Etheridge |
| Not Bad- 70 | Don’t Be Cruel | – | Bobby Brown |
| Not Bad- 70 | Every Little Step | – | Bobby Brown |
| Not Bad- 70 | Forever Young | – | Rod Stewart |
| Not Bad- 70 | Helter Skelter | – | U2 |
| Not Bad- 70 | I Know You’re Out There Somewhere | – | The Moody Blues |
| Not Bad- 70 | I’m Your Man | – | Leonard Cohen |
| Not Bad- 70 | It Takes Two | – | Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock |
| Not Bad- 70 | Like the Way I Do | – | Melissa Etheridge |
| Not Bad- 70 | Look Away | – | Chicago |
| Not Bad- 70 | My Prerogative | – | Bobby Brown |
| Not Bad- 70 | Nothin’ But a Good Time | – | Poison |
| Not Bad- 70 | Parents Just Don’t Understand | – | DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince |
| Not Bad- 70 | Perfect World | – | Huey Lewis & the News |
| Not Bad- 70 | Plug Tunin’ | – | De La Soul |
| Not Bad- 70 | Potholes in My Lawn | – | De La Soul |
| Not Bad- 70 | Roll With It | – | Steve Winwood |
| Not Bad- 70 | Straight Up | – | Paula Abdul |
| Not Bad- 70 | The Living Years | – | Mike + the Mechanics |
| Not Bad- 70 | Two Hearts | – | Phil Collins |
| Not Bad- 70 | What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy) | – | Information Society |
| Not Bad- 70 | Wild Thing | – | Tone-Loc |
| Not Bad- 70 | Wild Wild West | – | The Escape Club |
| Not Bad- 70 | I’m Still Searching | – | Glass Tiger |
| Not Bad- 70 | Love Changes Everything | – | Honeymoon Suite |
| Not Bad- 70 | As Long As You Follow | – | Fleetwood Mac |
| Not Bad- 70 | I Don’t Want Your Love | – | Duran Duran |
| Not Bad- 70 | I Wish I Had a Girl | – | Henry Lee Summer |
| Not Bad- 70 | Walk On Water | – | Eddie Money |
| Not Bad- 70 | I Don’t Wanna Go On With You Like That | – | Elton John |
| Not Bad- 70 | I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love | – | Chicago |
| Not Bad- 70 | One Good Woman | – | Peter Cetera |
| Not Bad- 70 | Alphabet St. | – | Prince |
| Not Bad- 70 | When We Was Fab | – | George Harrison |
| Not Bad- 70 | Don’t You Know What the Night Can Do? | – | Steve Winwood |
| Not Bad- 70 | 2 Hype | – | Kid ‘N Play |
| Not Bad- 70 | Baby I Love Your Way/Freebird | – | Will to Power |
| Not Bad- 70 | You Got It (The Right Stuff) | – | New Kids On the Block |
| Not Bad- 70 | Tomorrow People | – | Ziggy Marley |
| Not Bad- 70 | When Love Comes To Town | – | BB King & U2 |
| Not Bad- 70 | Domino Dancing | – | Pet Shop Boys |
Dobber's Take 
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