The year in music

Best Songs of 1988

N.W.A’s “Straight Outta Compton” and Public Enemy’s “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back”. Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”, “Sweet Child o’ Mine” at number one, and acid house in Britain’s Second Summer of Love.

Tracy Chapman's debut
Play 1988

42 songs

Bad Medicine

Bad Medicine

Bon Jovi
Born to Be My Baby

Born to Be My Baby

Bon Jovi
I’ll Be There for You

I’ll Be There for You

Bon Jovi
The Loco-Motion

The Loco-Motion

Kylie Minogue
Dangerous

Dangerous

Roxette
Dressed for Success

Dressed for Success

Roxette
Listen to Your Heart

Listen to Your Heart

Roxette
The Look

The Look

Roxette
Run's House

Run's House

Run-D.M.C.
Desire

Desire

U2
Hold Me in Your Arms

Hold Me in Your Arms

Rick Astley
Take Me to Your Heart

Take Me to Your Heart

Rick Astley
Cover Girl

Cover Girl

New Kids on the Block
Hangin' Tough

Hangin' Tough

New Kids on the Block
I'll Be Loving You (Forever)

I'll Be Loving You (Forever)

New Kids on the Block
Please Don't Go Girl

Please Don't Go Girl

New Kids on the Block
You Got It (The Right Stuff)

You Got It (The Right Stuff)

New Kids on the Block
A Little Respect

A Little Respect

Erasure
Chains of Love

Chains of Love

Erasure
Freak Scene

Freak Scene

Dinosaur Jr.
Hier kommt Alex

Hier kommt Alex

Die Toten Hosen
South of Heaven

South of Heaven

Slayer
Superstitious

Superstitious

Europe
All Night Long

All Night Long

Peter Murphy
Kiss on My List

Kiss on My List

Hall & Oates
The Night's Too Long

The Night's Too Long

Lucinda Williams
Don’t Believe the Hype

Don’t Believe the Hype

Public Enemy
Copperhead Road

Copperhead Road

Steve Earle
Fast Car

Fast Car

Tracy Chapman
Silhouette

Silhouette

Kenny G
Talkin’ Bout a Revolution

Talkin’ Bout a Revolution

Tracy Chapman
Ain't No Half-Steppin'

Ain't No Half-Steppin'

Big Daddy Kane
Buffalo Stance

Buffalo Stance

Neneh Cherry
Every Rose Has Its Thorn

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

Poison
Everyday Is Like Sunday

Everyday Is Like Sunday

Morrissey
Good Life

Good Life

Inner City
It Takes Two

It Takes Two

Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock
Pump Up the Volume

Pump Up the Volume

M.A.R.R.S.
She Drives Me Crazy

She Drives Me Crazy

Fine Young Cannibals
Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton

N.W.A
The Promise

The Promise

When in Rome
Under the Milky Way

Under the Milky Way

The Church

1988 on Music By Decade

The catalogue holds 42 songs first released in 1988. Rock, Pop and Synth-Pop lead the year. New Kids on the Block, Roxette and Bon Jovi are among the voices of 1988.

Artists of 1988

The sound of 1988

More of that time