AllMusic Loves 1988
March 3rd, 2009 | 10:45 am est |
Even without running the numbers, it’s evident that there is more of a consensus with our editors’ favorite albums and singles of 1988 than with any other year we’ve covered in our AllMusic Loves series. Daydream Nation, Isn’t Anything, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Surfer Rosa, and Straight Outta Compton came up big. While not one of them is surprising, there were plenty of “non-landmark” releases that, just as much, exemplified the year. For instance, it wasn’t just a great year for “Golden Age” hip-hop. There was a steady supply of excellent pop-rap singles that were all over radio, most of which get at least one mention, including “Supersonic,” “Cars with the Boom,” and “It Takes Two.” 1988 was not a pivotal year — unless, perhaps, you are a house head — yet our editors had no trouble recalling hundreds of releases that remain loved.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Happy Mondays - Bummed
Keith Richards - Talk Is Cheap
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
Morrissey - Viva Hate
R.E.M. - Green
The Smithereens - Green Thoughts
Dinosaur Jr. - Bug
Was (Not Was) - What Up, Dog?
Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary
My Bloody Valentine - Isn’t Anything
Prince - Lovesexy
Crowded House - Temple of Low Men
Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session
Camper Van Beethoven - Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart
The Traveling Wilburys - Vol. 1
Randy Newman - Land of Dreams
Ciccone Youth - The Whitey Album
The Primitives - “Crash”
Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock - “It Takes Two”
The Pogues - “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah”
Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers - “I’m Not Your Man”
The Church - “Under the Milky Way”
Dinosaur Jr. - “Freak Scene”
George Michael - “Father Figure”
Morrissey - “Everyday Is Like Sunday”
LL Cool J - “Going Back to Cali”
Public Enemy - “Don’t Believe the Hype”
Prince - “Alphabet St.”
Talking Heads - “(Nothing But) Flowers”
Guns N’ Roses - “Sweet Child O’ Mine”
Pet Shop Boys - “Left to My Own Devices”
David Lee Roth - “Just Like Paradise”
Bob Dylan - “Silvio”
Robert Plant - “Tall Cool One”
Crowded House - “Better Be Home Soon”
My Bloody Valentine - “Feed Me with Your Kiss”
Jonathan Ball
Jane’s Addiction - Nothing’s Shocking
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
The Mission U.K. - Children
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Tender Prey
The Church - Starfish
Ministry - The Land of Rape and Honey
The Pursuit of Happiness - Love Junk
Various Artists - Just Say Yo
Cocteau Twins - Blue Bell Knoll
Peter Murphy - Love Hysteria
Marty Wilson-Piper - Art Attack
Living Colour - Vivid
Jimmy Page - Outrider
Guns N’ Roses - G N’ R Lies
Circus of Power - Circus of Power
Smashed Gladys - Social Intercourse
Van Halen - OU812
Metallica - …And Justice for All
Winger - “Seventeen”
Depeche Mode - “Behind the Wheel”
The Mighty Lemon Drops - “Inside Out”
U2 - “Desire”
Steve Winwood - “Roll with It”
Poison - “Nothin’ But a Good Time”
INXS - “Devil Inside”
INXS - “New Sensation”
Guns N’ Roses - “Sweet Child O’ Mine”
Love and Rockets - “No New Tale to Tell”
Kingdom Come - “Get It On”
Erasure - “Chains of Love”
The Escape Club - “Wild Wild West”
The Jack Rubies - “Be with You”
The Screaming Tribesmen - “I’ve Got a Feeling”
R.E.M. - “Pop Song 89″
R.E.M. - “The One I Love”
Terence Trent d’Arby - “Wishing Well”
Robert Plant - “Heaven Knows”
Information Society - “What’s on Your Mind (Pure Energy)”
The Communards - “Never Can Say Goodbye”
The Smithereens - “Only a Memory”
John Bush
They Might Be Giants - Lincoln
Morrissey - Viva Hate
Jane’s Addiction - Nothing’s Shocking
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
The Church - Starfish
Front 242 - Front by Front
Ministry - The Land of Rape and Honey
The Fall - The Frenz Experiment
Camper Van Beethoven - Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart
Beat Happening - Jamboree
Galaxie 500 - Today
EPMD - Strictly Business
Ultramagnetic MC’s - Critical Beatdown
Biz Markie - Goin’ Off
They Might Be Giants - “Ana Ng”
They Might Be Giants - “Purple Toupee”
They Might Be Giants - “Snowball in Hell”
They Might Be Giants - “We’re the Replacements”
The Church - “Under the Milky Way”
Morrissey - “Everyday Is Like Sunday”
The Go-Betweens - “Streets of Your Town”
R.E.M. - “Orange Crush”
The Fall - “Big New Prinz”
Mudhoney - “Touch Me I’m Sick”
Front 242 - “Headhunter”
Ministry - “Stigmata”
Nitzer Ebb - “Control I’m Here”
Skinny Puppy - “Testure”
Pet Shop Boys - “Left to My Own Devices”
The Stone Roses - “Elephant Stone”
The Wedding Present - “Why Are You Being So Reasonable Now?”
EPMD - “It’s My Thing”
Ultramagnetic MC’s - “Ease Back”
Public Enemy - “Bring the Noise”
Matt Collar
1988 was the year I really started buying music for myself. I listened to stuff before that, of course, but as a freshman in high school, my musical identity was an all-encompassing obsession. To be perfectly honest, however, I didn’t discover Fugazi or Galaxie 500 until college. Everything else though was on regular rotation on my cassette player. And I won’t pretend to be some kind of in-the-know teen hipster. In fact, I remember first reading about Cowboy Junkies and the Feelies in Time magazine, of all places. And I picked up my love of Morrissey from my older sister, who had the Smiths on vinyl. That said, I stumbled across the Railway Children’s Recurrence while thumbing through the used cassettes at the local record store. Like most of the albums on this list, it still makes it into my rotation today.
The Church - Starfish
Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session
Crowded House - Temple of Low Men
Dinosaur Jr. - Bug
The Feelies - Only Life
Fugazi - Fugazi
Galaxie 500 - Today
Morrissey - Viva Hate
My Bloody Valentine - Isn’t Anything
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
The Railway Children - Recurrence
Sade - Stronger Than Pride
The Smiths - The Peel Session
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
The Sugarcubes - Life’s Too Good
Andy Kellman
A.R. Kane - 69
Eric B. & Rakim - Follow the Leader
Bobby Brown - Don’t Be Cruel
808 State - Newbuild
Fingers Inc. - Another Side
For Against - December
Fugazi - Fugazi
The House of Love - The House of Love
Loop - Fade Out
My Bloody Valentine - Isn’t Anything
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
Mary Margaret O’Hara - Miss America
Prince - Lovesexy
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
Throwing Muses - House Tornado
Too Short - Life Is… Too Short
Ultramagnetic MC’s - Critical Beatdown
Armando - “Land of Confusion”
Boogie Down Productions - “My Philosophy”
Ciccone Youth - “Macbeth”
Will Downing - “In My Dreams (Rapid Eye Mix)”
EPMD - “You Gots to Chill”
Eleanor - “Adventure”
Fingers Inc. - “Can You Feel It”
A Guy Called Gerald - “Blow Your House Down”
Inner City - “Good Life”
Model 500 - “Interference”
My Bloody Valentine - “You Made Me Realise”
New Edition - “If It Isn’t Love”
Reese - “Just Want Another Chance”
Run-D.M.C. - “Beats to the Rhyme”
Sade - “Paradise”
Siouxsie and the Banshees - “Peek-A-Boo”
Al B. Sure! - “Nite and Day”
Keith Sweat - “Make It Last Forever”
Tyree - “Acid Crash”
Womack & Womack - “Conscious of My Conscience”
Jason Lymangrover
Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary
Dinosaur Jr. - Bug
EPMD - Strictly Business
Eric B. & Rakim - Follow the Leader
Galaxie 500 - Today
Happy Mondays - Bummed
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Jane’s Addiction - Nothing’s Shocking
J.V.C. F.O.R.C.E. - Doin’ Damage
Living Colour - Vivid
Momus - Tender Pervert
My Bloody Valentine - Isn’t Everything
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Peepshow
Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
The Sugarcubes - Life’s Too Good
Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
Cocteau Twins - “Carolyn’s Fingers”
The Church - “Under the Milky Way”
Leonard Cohen - “Everybody Knows”
Danzig - “Mother”
Morris Day - “Fishnet”
The Dead Milkmen - “Punk Rock Girl”
Eazy-E - “Boyz-n-the Hood”
E.U. - “Da Butt”
Guns N’ Roses - “Patience”
Michael Jackson - “Man in the Mirror”
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - “Parents Just Don’t Understand”
J.J. Fad - “Supersonic”
LL Cool J - “Going Back to Cali”
Morrissey - “Suedehead”
The Pogues - “Fairytale of New York”
Queensrÿche - “Eyes of a Stranger”
R.E.M. - “Orange Crush”
Run-D.M.C. - “Beats to the Rhyme”
Sir Mix-A-Lot - “Posse on Broadway”
They Might Be Giants - “Ana Ng”
J. Scott McClintock
Ultra Vivid Scene - Ultra Vivid Scene
Jane’s Addiction - Nothing’s Shocking
Camper Van Beethoven - Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart
Danielle Dax - Dark Adapted Eye
The Dead Milkmen - Beelzebubba
Dinosaur Jr. - Bug
The Fall - The Frenz Experiment
Fugazi - Fugazi
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians - Globe of Frogs
Robert Earl Keen, Jr. - The Live Album
Masters of Reality - Masters of Reality
Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
The Wonder Stuff - The Eight Legged Groove Machine
Louis Philippe - Ivory Tower
They Might Be Giants - Lincoln
Julian Cope - “Charlotte Anne”
Leonard Cohen - “First We Take Manhattan”
Erasure - “Chains of Love”
Fields of the Nephilim - “Phobia”
Front 242 - “Headhunter”
The Jesus and Mary Chain - “Sidewalking”
Pretty Poison - “Catch Me I’m Falling”
Moev - “Crucify Me”
Happy Mondays - “Wrote for Luck”
Iron Maiden - “The Clairvoyant”
Kingdom Come - “Loving You”
Peter Koppes - “Take a Vow”
L.A. Guns - “Bitch Is Back”
Laibach - “Across the Universe”
Metallica - “Harvester of Sorrow”
The Mission U.K. - “Tower of Strength”
My Bloody Valentine - “I Can See It (But I Can’t Feel It)”
Pixies - “Where Is My Mind?”
The Waterboys - “When Ye Go Away”
“Weird Al” Yankovic - “Fat”
James Christopher Monger
The Godfathers - Birth, School, Work, Death
The Pogues - If I Should Fall from Grace with God
The Waterboys - Fisherman’s Blues
Peter Murphy - Love Hysteria
Jane’s Addiction - Nothing’s Shocking
Enya - Watermark
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians - Globe of Frogs
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Midnight Oil - Diesel and Dust
Danielle Dax - Dark Adapted Eye
They Might Be Giants - Lincoln
Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
The Dead Milkmen - Beelzebubba
Violent Femmes - 3
Camper Van Beethoven - Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart
Manowar - Kings of Metal
Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session
Dead Can Dance - The Serpent’s Egg
Metallica - …And Justice for All
Fugazi - “Waiting Room”
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - “Deanna”
Prince - “Alphabet St.”
The Mission U.K. - “Tower of Strength”
The Church - “Under the Milky Way”
Masters of Reality - “Domino”
The Silencers - “Sacred Child”
The Smithereens - “Only a Memory”
Robert Plant - “Heaven Knows”
The Pursuit of Happiness - “I’m an Adult Now”
Judas Priest - “Hard as Iron”
Julian Cope - “Charlotte Anne”
When in Rome - “The Promise”
The Proclaimers - “Oh Jean”
Steve Earle - “Copperhead Road”
R.E.M. - “Orange Crush”
Ministry - “Stigmata”
Cocteau Twins - “Athol-Brose”
Leonard Cohen - “Everybody Knows”
Morrissey - “Every Day Is Like Sunday”
Heather Phares
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
My Bloody Valentine - Isn’t Anything
Throwing Muses - House Tornado
The Sugarcubes - Life’s Too Good
Dinosaur Jr. - Bug
Wire - A Bell Is a Cup…Until It Is Struck
Pere Ubu - The Tenement Year
The Fall - The Frenz Experiment
Ciccone Youth - The Whitey Album
The Church - “Under the Milky Way”
Terence Trent d’Arby - “Wishing Well”
Guns N’ Roses - “Welcome to the Jungle”
L’Trimm - “Cars with the Boom”
George Michael - “Faith”
R.E.M. - “Finest Worksong”
Run-D.M.C. - “Run’s House”
Salt-N-Pepa - “Push It”
Siouxsie and the Banshees - “Peek-A-Boo”
They Might Be Giants - “Ana Ng”
Tim Sendra
Beat Happening - Jamboree
Dinosaur Jr. - Bug
Eleventh Dream Day - Prairie School Freakout
Felt - Pictorial Jackson Review
Galaxie 500 - Today
The Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane
My Bloody Valentine - Isn’t Anything
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
The Pooh Sticks - Orgasm
14 Iced Bears - “Come Get Me”
Another Sunny Day - “I’m in Love with a Girl Who Doesn’t Know I Exist”
The Field Mice - “Emma’s House”
The Field Mice - “The Last Letter”
The Orchids - “Give Me Some Peppermint Freedom”
The Orchids - “Underneath the Window, Underneath the Sink”
The Sea Urchins - “Solace”
My Bloody Valentine - “Feed Me with Your Kiss”
My Bloody Valentine - “You Made Me Realise”
Although some songs in these lists were released in 1987, they peaked in the U.S. in 1988.
Previously
AllMusic Loves 1968
AllMusic Loves 1974
AllMusic Loves 1977
AllMusic Loves 1984
AllMusic Loves 1987
AllMusic Loves 1993
AllMusic Loves 1999
So I do my daily log-on to Allmusic, you know see what’s up. I scroll down to the bottom, and suddenly the breasts that greeted me daily for a month are no longer there. They have been replaced by a picture of a candle burning. Every time I see that picture my heart melts a little bit, like the candle in question.
Thanks for making my day better.
I definitely dig the A.R. Kane, Eleventh Dream Day, Eazy-E, N.W.A., Cocteau Twins, Danielle Dax, Happy Mondays, MBV, Talk Talk, Front 242 and Another Sunny Day mentions, among other things. Can’t argue too much with anything else, either. I’ll just venture to include Microdisney’s “Gale Force Wind” since it’s the most venomous Belinda Carlisle pastiche ever, even though most of 39 Minutes was spotty.
1988 found me starting a new job with a long commute. Music became even more important. Certain discs got a lot of spins.
Green was an amazingly diverse offering from REM. They had just found mainstream success with Document and had also released both a rarities disc and an early-singles compilation. Lots of REM blasting from the Alpine 6-disc changer. I was a fan of the harder edged stuff like “Orange Crush” and “Turn You Inside-Out”.
I was an unabashed fanboy for the Pixies Bone Machine. “Tony’s Theme” is a personal fave (don’t know why?) “Where Is My Mind” was definitely a reason to hit the repeat button.
“Jane Said”. It took me a while to realize that there was more to the phenomenal Nothing’s Shocking.
U2 again gave a workout to the repeat button with the horn-infused “Angel of Harlem”.
They Might Be Giants put on fun live shows but it was the single “Ana Ng” that I remember from 1988 (”I don’t want the world, I just want your half.”) Anyone else use “walk in the glow of each other’s majestic presence” as a euphemism for doing the deed? Too geeky?
In a genre that I like to call Americana, no one had a bigger year than John Hiatt. Following up the artistic peak of Bring the Family with the equally-capable Slow Turning. No super band this time. The likes of Cooder, Keltner and Lowe are replaced by John’s road band, the Goners. Sample “Tennessee Plates” or the title track for a treat.
As for guilty pleasures, 1988 aimed to please with “Walk the Dinosaur”. Props for Detroit-influenced Was (Not Was).
The Pursuit of Happiness set the stage for their Canuck brethren Barenaked Ladies with their debut Love Junk. “I’m an Adult Now” (and I’ve got the mortgage and the road rage to prove it.)
Speaking of Canadiens, Leonard Cohen is touring the US in 2009 and 1988 was the year that I’m Your Man was released. Definitely a must listen for fans of singer-songwriters.
Now that the Roxy music nude album cover is no longer on your home page, I don’t have to worry about looking at AMG in the library anymore…
Morrissey- Viva Hate
The Fall- The Frenz Experiment
Brian Wilson- Brian Wilson
Sonic Youth- Daydream Nation
The Smiths- Rank
Public Enemy- It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Pixies- Surfer Rosa
REM- Green
I’m surprised no one mentioned Tracy Chapman’s debut (or at least “Fast Car”) or Lucinda William’s self-titled classic (”I Just Wanted to See You So Bad,” “Changed the Locks,” “Passionate Kisses,” “Crescent City”). Two other albums from year that I liked a lot then and now: Rosanne Cash’s King’s Record Shop and Nanci Griffith’s One Fair Summer Evening.
For archival stuff: the Beatles’ Past Masters Volumes I & II, which collect their classic singles; and Eric Clapton’s Crossroads, the box set that basically created the market for box sets.
1988. A great year. There’s nothing I disagree with. Surfer Rosa, Bug, Today, etc. This is all music I love and 1988 was the year I was born. I’ve been waiting for “Allmusic Loves 1988″ to see some other wonderful creations from that year
‘88 was the year I got on the Marillion bandwagon, admittedly a tad late. As I was immersing myself in all 4 albums, Fish was either in the process of heading out the door or was already gone. In my own defense, however, I did NOT drag my feet on Brian Wilson’s solo debut. And the many kudos for The Church, arguably the most criminally ignored band ever, are greatly appreciated.
The Go-Betweens’ 16 Lovers Lane was the album of ‘88 for sure! Despite ignoring that album, Scott Miller does a great job writing about 1988 as part of his “Music - What Happened” year-by-year blog: http://www.125records.com/loudfamily/mwh/1988.html
* Lucinda Williams (self-titled): Still my favorite LW. What’s the difference between Alt Country and Americana? Someone please tell me. True Americana artists ought to know their way around the blues as well as country music, and this woman does. Add in Lucinda’s wonderful songs and world weary voice, and you’ve got a classic.
* Was (Not Was)–What Up, Dog?: Not just a party this time, and all the better for it. A new label for them (reportedly, someone at the old one suggested, “ditch the black guys.”)
* Public Enemy–It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back:
Searing, absolutely astonishing.
* The Waterboys–Fisherman’s Blues
* John Hiatt–Slow Turning
* Tracy Chapman (self-titled): Only the hit remains on the radio,
but there are so many stellar pieces here: “Across the Lines,”
“If Not Now…,” “Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution.” And a love song so strong (”Baby Can I Hold You”) that many covered it, from Neil Diamond to the Hawaiian group ‘Ale’A.
* Toots Hibbert–Toots In Memphis
* Richard Thompson–Amnesia
* Etta James–Seven Year Itch
* Steve Forbert–Streets of This Town
I speak english not so well, so please indulge for the mistakes.
1988 was the year in Europe when Acid-House got a big thing. After years of depression by reason the nuclear-apokalyse-fear, people get due to Glasnost in Russia more hedonistic and optimistic to their future. The symbol/icon of 1988 was the Smiley. Dancing through the night was more funny as to listen to bleak post-punk bands like Sonic Youth. Sure, Daydream Nation (ditto Surfer Rosa + Bug + Isn’t Anything) is a great album, but in my opinion it was not so much important for the development of popular music and youth culture.
The appearance of Acid-House (and in the same way Detroit-Techno) was a revolution in Europe’s youth culture. Nightlife became the most important part in juvenile’s life, a lot of clubs opened and the DJs became pop-stars.
My soundtrack of 1988:
D-Mob - we call it acieed
Inner City - Big Fun
Tyree - Acid Over
A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray
Rythim is Rythim - It Is What It Is
Bobby Mc Ferrin - Don’t Worry, Be Happy
The Beatnigs - Television
Les Rita Mitsouko - Le petit train
Womack & Womack - Teardrops
Lakim Shabbazz - Pure Righteousness
S’Express - Theme For S-Express
Prefab Sprout - The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Thanks to Mr. Kellman, the only editor on the list who considered House-Music
First year of university…
Thomas Dolby: Airhead
Duran Duran: All She Wants Is, Do You Believe In Shame?
(greatly underappreciated later singles from this
group…)
Erasure: Chains of Love, A Little Respect
Robyn Hitchcock: Balloon Man (and the entire Globe of Frogs album)
Q Lazzarus: Goodbye Horses
Ministry: Stigmata
The Mission: Tower of Strength
Morrissey: Suedehead, Everyday Is Like Sunday (possibly one of the
most beautiful songs ever written
about…everything?)
Nitzer Ebb: Control I’m Here
Sinead O’Connor: Jump In the River
Pet Shop Boys: Left to My Own Devices
Robert Plant: Tall Cool One
The Pogues: If I Should Fall From Grace With God, Fiesta
Iggy Pop: Cold Metal
The Primitives: Crash
Prince: Alphabet St.
every single off R.E.M.’s Green
S-Express: Theme From S-Express
Siouxsie and the Banshees: Peek-a-Boo
The Sugarcubes: Motorcrash
Taking Heads: (Nothing but) Flowers
The Traveling Wilburys: Handle With Care
U2: Desire, All I Want Is You
Was (Not Was): Walk the Dinosaur
and all of Yello’s Flag album
I sat out the last couple of rounds, but I’m definitely playing this time…
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars
Camper Van Beethoven - Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart
The Church - Starfish
Cocteau Twins - Blue Bell Knoll
Crowded House - Temple Of Low Men
Duran Duran - Big Thing (What can I say? I was a fan.)
Metallica - …And Justice For All
My Bloody Valentine - Isn’t Anything
Jimmy Page - Outrider (Admittedly, this one hasn’t aged well…)
Pink Floyd - Delicate Sound Of Thunder (Ditto)
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
R.E.M. - Green
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Traveling Wilburys - Volume One
U2 - Rattle And Hum
There is a conspicuous absence of late-80’s rock music among the Allmusic.com Editors’ picks for Albums and Singles of 1988. The mention of Def Leppard’s landmark Hysteria album may not be as hip as Dinosaur Jr.’s Bug, but Hysteria is far more important from a historical perspective. This is not meant to discredit the Editors’ picks as many of the albums and singles mentioned truly are among the best of the 1988 crop. However, albums like Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction, Queensryche’s Operation Mindcrime and perhaps even Poison’s Open Up and Say Ahhh deserve mention as well.
The depth of the backlash against late-1980’s good-time rock bands and most music that was marketed along side them probably accounts for these omissions. In the eyes of many critics, these bands are better left relegated to the status of a guilty pleasure best left for ruminations of “the good old days” of yore. It is safe to mention Winger among the Best Singles of 1988 as such a footnote that in essence equates “Seventeen” to nostalgic fluff such as Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”. A best album mention for Winger’s rocking debut would no doubt be a credibility risk for these Editors.
I, for one, find it hard to believe that the Editors at Allmusic.com muddle through Isn’t Anything by pasee shoe gazers My Bloody Valentine on a regular basis. Yet, Cinderella’s watershed album Long Cold Winter stands the test of time and is omitted.
Warren Mason said it all so I won’t repeat his words. Although the failure in mentioning hard rock albuns and singles in these lists is something that happens all the time here on AllMusic.
It is true that many artists listed here were really important but the absence of albuns that Warren mentioned is absurd. I think it looks bad if you say you’re into bands like Def Leppard, Winger and Poison, unless you’re drunk and listening to their music in a ironic way in some cool party among music critics and indie people.
Too bad.
FYI: Both Hysteria and Appetite for Destruction were mentioned multiple times in our Allmusic Loves 1987 list.
My favorites from 1988 are in stark contrast to my recent (1974) picks which leaned toward prog and art rock. Since prog was effectively dead well before ‘88 and most of the arena and radio rock bands of that time were utterly unpatatable to me I gravitated to the groundswell of heartland and roots-rock acts, which were in abundance. These are the ones I still enjoy to this day:
Billy Bragg - Worker’s Playtime
Brave Combo - Humansville (Texan world-rock band)
T-Bone Burnett - The Talking Animals
Steve Earle - Copperhead Road
Fairground Attraction - First of a Million Kisses
John Hiatt - Slow Turning
Hothouse Flowers - People
Tonio K - Notes from the Lost Civilization
The Men They Couldn’t Hang - Waiting for Bonaparte
Oysterband - Wide Blue Yonder
Graham Parker - The Mona Lisa’s Sister
Piirpauke - Algazara (unbelievable Finnish world-rock fusion)
Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God
Proclaimers - Sunshine on Leith
Rotondi - Play On (short-lived polka-pop/rock band)
Runrig - Once in a Lifetime (longstanding Scottish rock band)
Sukay - Instrumental & Huayrasan (Andean group from San Francisco)
Richard Thompson - Amnesia
Tanita Tikaram - Ancient Heart
The Waterboys - Fisherman’s Blues
Wow! 1988 wasn’t bad after all.
God, sorry!
I thought I couldn’t find my posting! But there it was! And I posted a similar list later in the day! Please delete the last one! Thanks! Sorry!
The Full Metal Jacket Soundtrack (I really, really love this one)
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (probably my favorite album cover)
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
R.E.M. - Green
Philip Glass - Powaqqatsi
The Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane
Leonard Cohen - I’m Your Man (”First We Take Manhattan” is amazing; I love Jennifer Warnes´ earlier version as much)
Greetings.
Warren Mason:
Perhaps because those artists/albums were all garbage…? Glam/hair metal and sleaze rock weren’t exactly the most innovative styles of music, and those genres along with new wave were what marred the 80’s, although post-punk, no wave, post-rock, and shoegaze and hip-hop made up for the shortcomings.
I remember the music of this year very well. I recorded MTV’s 120 MINUTES every Sunday Night (technically Monday Morning). Recently, I’ve been converting my old VHS copies to DVD and rediscovered a lot of great music. Most of it has been mentioned already, but there are a few others I feel are worth remembering. Like…
STUMP - A FIERCE PANCAKE (I would have to say this is my pick for the best album of 1988. Recently Castle/Sanctuary reissued the entire works of this band and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND picking it up.)
PREFAB SPROUT - FROM LANGLEY PARK TO MEMPHIS (One of my favorite bands of all-time. A new album is on the way, so be on the lookout.)
SHACK - ZILCH (Listen to “High Rise, Low Life”. These guys are still releasing Brilliant albums!)
EUGENE CHADBOURNE - THE EDDIE CHATTERBOX DOUBLE TRIO LOVE ALBUM (Recommended if you enjoy Camper Van Chadbourne)
COLIN NEWMAN - IT SEEMS (Includes one of Colin’s best ever “Better Later Than Never”)
SWANS - LOVE WILL TEAR US APART EP (Best Joy Division cover ever!)
LET’S ACTIVE - EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY
CLOSE LOBSTERS - WHAT IS THERE TO SMILE ABOUT
GAME THEORY - TWO STEPS FROM THE MIDDLE AGES
HOUSE OF FREAKS - MONKEY ON A CHAIN GANG
BILLY BRAGG - WORKERS PLAYTIME (This one features probably my favorite song of 1988 “Waiting for the Great Leap Forward”.)
TIMBUK 3 - EDEN ALLEY
LAIBACH - LET IT BE
MARC ALMOND - THE STARS WE ARE (Features “Tears Run Rings”!)
BIG DIPPER - CRAPS
THE SQUALLS - NO TIME (It’s tough to find these guys music the old fashioned way, so here is a link to some mp3s.) www.netnik.com/squalls/
I’d just like to point out that “The One I Love” is from Document, not Green which came out in ‘88.
Nice to see the Smithereens’ “Green Thoughts” mentioned on a few lists. I recently re-acquired this album (after purging the cassette several years ago) and was delighted to find that it has aged extremely well. I’ve had it on heavy rotation for the last week.
John,
You are correct about Appetite for Destruction and Hysteria coming out in 1987. The albums were such a bit part of 1988 that I was understandably confused about the release date.
Nevertheless, the adjustment of those facts does not diminish the main point of my post which is that there seems to be a bias among the Editors.
I am certainly not implying that the following albums should constitute the entire list, but some that could be included are:
Cinderella - Long Cold Winter
Danzig - Danzig
Dokken - Beast from the East (Not a favorite of mine, but….)
Ford, Lita - Lita
Guns N’ Roses - GNR Lies (was mentioned by an Editor)
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Jane’s Addiction - Nothing Shocking (Again, not a favorite….)
King’s X - Out of the Silent Planet
LA Guns - LA Guns
Living Colour - Vivid (was mentioned by an Editor)
Metallica - …and Justice For All (was mentioned by an Editor)
Plant, Robert - Now and Zen
Poison - Open Up and Say…Ahhh
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
Roth, David Lee - Skyscraper (Maybe a bit of a stretch)
Testament - The New Order
Van Halen - OU812 (was mentioned by an Editor)
Winger - Winger (This was one of the best of 1988)
It is like having a 1991 list and not mentioning Pearl Jam. There seems to be a great deal of revisionist history in the lists.
Warren
> Perhaps because those artists/albums were all garbage…?
> Glam/hair metal and sleaze rock weren’t exactly the
> most innovative styles of music, and those genres along
> with new wave were what marred the 80’s, although post-punk,
> no wave, post-rock, and shoegaze and hip-hop made up for
> the shortcomings.
I am a fan of multiple genres spanning many decades, not some guy stuck in the 1980’s. As I mentioned, I am right there with the Editors on many of the picks. I just find the omission of what I think many consider to be un-hip genres interesting.
It does bear mentioning that some might argue that many “hair bands” were more innovative than post-punk (which was nowhere in 1988), no wave, post-rock, shoe gaze and even hip-hop (I do not recall mainstream use of the term hip-hop in 1988).
Warren
Hey Warren,
I completely agree with you…though you need to take a peek at my list (in the “singles” section). That’s where I sequestered some of my more metal oriented favorites. In there you will find that Iron Maiden, Metallica, Kingdom Come (who were just too LZ derivative for most folks. A shame too, because they were damn talented) and LA Guns got their due. If “Mr Scary” had been released in ‘88, Dokken would have made the cut too. ;)
Lovely,
J. Scott McClintock
Hair metal was crap then and it’s still crap: no matter how many Chuck Klostermans out there try to convince anyone otherwise.
Thanks, J. Scott. I do love your inclusion of Weird Al’s “Fat”. That is out of the box, my friend!
There really weren’t that many holdovers from the hardcore punk era around at this point, and most of the ones that remained sounded dated beyond belief or made incompetent moves into metal territory (and the 80’s already had enough bad metal to go around). Still, a few bands that made “punk rock” sound fresh this late in the game (and paved the way for the Green Day/Offspring-led punk renaissance 6 years later) include:
All- “Allroy Sez”
Bad Religion- “Suffer”
Dag Nasty- “Field Day”
Government Issue- “Crash”
Naked Raygun- “Jettison”
Hey Warren,
I know…I know…what can I say? I’ve had a soft spot for Weird Al for years. You CANNOT argue that “When I go out to get my mail / it measures on the Richter scale” isn’t a damn funny line. Genius? Hardly…but I still laugh out loud every time I hear it.
On a separate topic…
Have you ever noticed that the milk-curdling rock vocal style (made famous by Dan McCafferty on Nazareth’s “Love Hurts,” then handed over to Tom Keifer of Cinderella) has all but disappeared from the face of the earth? Sad really.
“When you’re only having seconds
I’m having twenty-thirds
When I go to get my shoes shined
I gotta take their word”
J. Scott McClintock
Unless I’ve overlooked it, there’s one very glaring omission, the absence of which has bugged me since this list was posted:
Fishbone - TRUTH AND SOUL
What a great album! It’s got the hard-rock Curtis Mayfield cover (Freddie’s Dead), commentary on broken families (Ma & Pa), uplifting ska/gospel cookers (Question of Life, Mighty Long Way), a beautifully hypnotic slow tune (Pouring Rain), a couple of short thrashy numbers, an over-the-top funk workout (Bonin’), and it ends with Fishbone’s only acoustic ballad (Change)!
This was where Fishbone topped out, IMO. THE REALITY OF MY SURROUNDINGS seems to get more props, but TRUTH AND SOUL is succinct and concentrated and hits all the bases. Superb. I still listen to this regularly, and it does the trick every time.
Very odd: when I signed on just now intending to write this, the allmusic album-of-the-day switched over to THE REALITY OF MY SURROUNDINGS…
You stay OUT of my head, allmusic!
Hey Scott,
I have noticed that gritty vocals have disappeared from the music lexicon. This absence is not just in rock, but across all genres. In the late-70’s and early-80’s there were artists such as Maggie Bell, Frankie Miller, Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart, Bonnie Tyler, Bonnie Raitt, AC/DC and others who charted with raspy voices. In the mid-80’s we were fortunate to have rockers such as Dangerous Toys, Guns N’ Roses, Cinderella, Babylon AD and countless others with grit in their vocal delivery. Where’s the rasp today?
Warren
I don’t think Pro Tools does rasp.
If you want rasp check out the stereophonics.
How about “auto-rasp”? lol
1988? Pretty good but most likely a reflection of the fact that you are all pushing 40 over there. Nostalgia reigns supreme.
Best album of 1988: PUBLIC ENEMY-It takes a nation to hold us back, with BAD RELIGION-Suffer as a close second.
Best individual song: PUBLIC ENEMY-She watch Channel Zero.
Album titles that haven’t been mentioned yet:
BONGWATER-Double bummer
SUICIDE-A way of life
CHABA ZAHOUANIA-Nights without sleeping (Algerian/Raï)
VAN MORRISON & THE CHIEFTAINS-Irish heartbeat
SHINEHEAD-Unity (Reggae)
DWIGHT YOAKHAM-Buenas noches from a lonely room
DEAD MOON-Dead moon night (Garagerock)
GIBSON BROS.-Big pine boogie (More Garagerock, Jon Spencer blues explosion/Amphetamine reptile adepts should check this one out)
MASTERS OF REALITY-Masters of reality
NUCLEAR ASSAULT-Survive (thrash metal with socially conscious lyrics)
SCREAMING TREES-Invisible lantern
SKIN-Shame, humility, revenge (Swans offshoot-duo Michael Gira & Jarboe)
MELISSA ETHERIDGE-Melissa Etheridge
DEATH-Leprosy
HipHop department:
RUN D.M.C.-Tougher than leather
7A3-Coolin’ in Cali
MANTRONIX-In full effect
JUNGLE BROTHERS-Straight out the jungle
DEREK B.-Bullet from a gun (U.K. Rap)
STETSASONIC-In full effect (best Hiphop live-act)
As someone above already stated, 1988 was, at least in Europe, in the first place the big breakthrough year of Dance/House/Techno. House parties and Raves kickstarted Dance movement that would influence everybody and everything (music, fashion, whatever) up to this day.
Some classics from the early days;
Albums:
ROYAL HOUSE (= Todd Terry)-Can you party ?
FINGERS INC.-Another side
FAST EDDIE-Jack to the sound
808 STATE-Newbuild (U.K. Techno pioneers)
COLD CUT-Out to lunch with ahead of our time
BOMB THE BASS-Into the dragon
VARIOUS-Acid Jazz (first AcidJazz/Jazzdance comp.)
Individual songs:
INNER CITY (= Kevin Saunderson)-Big fun
JUAN ATKINS-Techno music
MODEL 500 (= Juan Atkins)-Interfearance
MODEL 500-Off to battle
MODEL 500-O.K. Coral
HUMANOID-Stakker Humanoid
D-MOB-We call it Aciiid!
M.D. III (= Mike Dunn)-Face the nation
COOL HOUSE-Rock this party right
J & M CONNECTION-Living in a world of fantasy
EDDIE ‘FLASHIN’ FOWKES-Time to express
TYREE-Acid crash
JOE SMOOTH-Promised land (best Deep House “12″)
L.E. BASS-Acid bitch
KRAZE-The party
ARNOLD JARVIS-Take some time out
REESE & SANTONIO (= Kevin Saunderson)-Back to the beat
RYTHIM IS RYTHIM (= Derrick may)-Strings of life
PHUTURE-The Creator & Phuture will survive
LIL’ LOUIS-French kiss
D.J. PIERRE-Mystery girl
ROXANNE SHANTÉ-Sharp as a knife
ADONIS-The poke
MAYDAY (= Derrick May)-Sinister
THE SPEECH-I have a dream
LIZ TORRES-Touch of love
LORDS OF ACID-I sit on acid (New Beat)
JULIAN ‘JUMPIN’ PEREZ-Ain’t we funky now
A GUY CALLED GERALD-Voodoo ray
MAURICE JOSHUA-I got a big dick
PS: The right name of the Stetsasonic album is of course ‘In full gear’.
I want to second, third, and fourth the motion on a few records mentioned by others - these records are worthy of top ten of ‘88 status; these are not greatly innovative records, but they are great.
Lucinda Williams
Leonard Cohen - I’m Your Man
Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane
Van Morrison and the Chieftains - Irish Heartbeat
It’s SO nice to have “Lovesexy” mentioned twice… I never understood why that album is so bad considered, and I always loved the caotic (and extremely melodic!) funk that it contains. Also props to Andy Kellman for adding the Sade album, which has influenced mellow downtempo and “chillout” much more that it seems (along with Sting and his “Nothing like the sun).
Good times, yo. I was 20 years old.
I love Heather Phares’ list
Some of my own, necessarily far from complete, since I’m away from my PC
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
PE - Nation of Millions
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Dinosaur Jr. - Bug
Fishbone - Truth and Soul
Jane’s - Nothing’s Shocking
MBV - Isn’t Anything
Anthrax - “Antisocial”
Camper Van - Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart
Ciccone Youth - The Whitey Album
The Church - “Under the Milky Way”
Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow…
Wire - A Bell is a Cup Until It is Struck
Fugazi
Sugarcubes - “Motorcrash”
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Metallica - And Justice for All
Billy Bragg - Workers Playtime
Cowboy Junkies - “Misguided Angel”
Guns ‘n’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction
I didn’t discover Wire, Sonic Youth, and MBV until years later, but I am so glad I did.
I must check out The Franz Experiment, since it made so many lists.
Everyone- thanks for sharing.
this is my favorite column in the entire allmusic website. i hope they keep doing it until i see every year’s list!
Lovesexy was the album that seemed to draw a line in the sand between those listeners who were into Prince’s idiosyncratic side and those who were into the more populist aspects of his sound. Although the effort contained the hit “Alphabet Street”, the majority of Lovesexy was dominated by complex song structures that dealt with dense lyrical subject matter. Still, the album probably could have produced another hit single had the CD been tracked rather than playing as one long song. To some Lovesexy was narcissistic and difficult to penetrate and to others the album was a stroke of brilliance.
My sister actually had “Lovesexy” on vinyl, so we never had that problem :)
I think “Grand Slam” and “I wish you heaven” were released as singles too. Though not my favourites: “Lovesexy” and “Anna Stesia”. “Have U ever wanted 2 play with someone so much U’d take any one boy or girl?”, and later “god is love, love is god, girls and boys love god above”, too much
1988…I was 2…But with complete sincerity, I love this year for music. I was young but I remember getting to listen to great music of the time. Usually it was of the pop variety - My staples were stuff like Bobby Brown’s Don’t Be Cruel, Paula Abdul Forever Your Girl, Steve Winwood Roll With It, and Sheena Easton The Lover in Me. As I got older, I discovered other great music, of different genres and whatnot. So from there, my favorites have become Morrissey’s Viva Hate, The Pixies - Anything lol…Any kind of alt rock from the period is most likely going to be amazing. The singles were great too, just reading the lists was like a whos who of hitmakers and long gone 1 hit wonders…Great year for music indeed.
I’m pleased to see multiple mentions of Talk Talk’s amazing “Spirit of Eden” — an album that practically nobody could have anticipated. When the band, known primarily for their accessible but essentially throwaway synth-pop hits (e.g. “It’s My Life”) emerged from extended recording efforts with this amazing organic treasure of a record EMI had no idea what to do with it and it sank in the market without producing even a ripple..
The good news is that, though for years it was only available in the U.S. as an import, it’s now easily available. If you’re at all curious after reading the AMG review of the album, I urge you to find yourself a copy.
My Favorite Song is U2 - “Desire” from 1988.
Favorite Albums of 1988 (by Artist)
Ciccone Youth - The Whitey Album (Amazing Covers of Burnin’ Up & Into The Groove)
Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Sessions
Dinosaur Jr. - Bug
Enya - Watermark
Happy Mondays - Bummed
Ira! - Psicoacústica
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
Jane’s Addiction - Nothing’s Shocking
Joni Mitchell - Chalk Mark In A Rain Storm
Leonard Cohen - I’m Your Man
Lucinda Williams - Lucinda Williams
Marisa Monte - MM
Michelle Shocked - Short Sharp Shocked
Morrissey - Isn’t Anything
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Tender Prey
Patti Smith - Dream Of Life
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God
R.E.M. - Green
Randy Newman - Land Of Dreams
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
The Sugarcubes - Life’s Too Good
Talk Talk - Spirit Of Eden
Tom Waits - Big Time
Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
Van Morrison & The Chieftains - Irish Heartbeat
The Waterboys - Fisherman’s Blues