The Best Albums of 1988
Paula Abdul hit it big in 1988. With her debut album Forever Your Girl, she was the first female to have four number-one singles from a debut album (only The Jackson 5 had done the same with their debut). She had five top ten hits from the album. In 1988, Irish singer Enya achieved a breakthrough in her career with the album Watermark which sold over eleven million copies worldwide and helped launch Enya’s successful career as a leading new-age, Celtic, World singer. Dutch band Tambourine received some notoriety in The Netherlands and Belgium toward the end of the decade. Here are all of the 1988 albums ranked.
Relive the music of one of the best years of rock and roll. Click below and listen to the songs of the year 1988!
10. Nothing’s Shocking (Jane’s Addiction)
“Great album. Nothing’s shocking, still sounds utterly unique today. It’s funky, punky, and atmospheric. It’s cinematic and intimate all at the same time. Personally, I just prefer to follow up, ritual de lo habitual, but this is still a superb record in its own right. This is the kind of record that is pivotal in a person’s listening history.”
9. Green (R.E.M.)
“This album captured my attention with its diverse topics from questioning our purpose and taking responsibility for the environment. The song Orange Crush got me into R.EM. but my fav track on this album is World Leader Pretend.”
8. Straight Outta Compton (N.W.A)
“This is where it all began for Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. This album was pretty much what catapulted their careers into the future of Hip Hop music. This album was a right up in your face in every aspect. Dealing with everything from gang violence, the drug problem to the injustice’s of law enforcement officials. This is a true Hip Hop classic to have in one’s archives, especially if you came through that era.”
See more: R.E.M. Albums Ranked
7. Isn’t Anything (My Bloody Valentine)
“Every song here is great, every moment means something. The song that really unlocked this album for me was “No More Sorry” a sorrowful longing piece that gets me every time And you have to remember this was a landmark album/sound in that nothing had been done like it prior, shoe-gaze is now an established musical genre, this album is Ground Zero”
6. Tracy Chapman (Tracy Chapman)
“One of the surprise hits of the eighties, Tracy Chapman’s debut is a beautiful album of lovely songs. Fast car, is of course a classic, one of the best songs of the 1980s, but there are plenty of other great songs here; talkin’ bout a revolution, mountain o’ things, for my lover, across the lines, and, for you. Great songs, just a pity Chapman never seemed to able to come anywhere near it on her other releases. Superb record.”
5. …And Justice For All (Metallica)
“The moments where Metallica embraces some prog rock elements and play around with time signatures are the strongest points on this album for me. Even without the bass, this album is all-time classic thrash metal. Probably their most progressive from a heavy metal POV.”
4. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (Public Enemy)
“The best example of ‘80s hip hop. The aggressive vocal style comes especially to its right, now it’s not just about partying, but it (also) encompasses political subjects. And the sharp contrast between Flava Flav and Chuck D renders a comedic effect which is so essential to hip hop.”
See more: The Pixies Albums Ranked
3. Spirit Of Eden (Talk Talk)
“Spirit of Eden has a heart of jazz with the brain and tendencies of art-rock. It’s continuous twists and turns genuinely had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was listening to this album. I don’t much care for Mark Hollis’s voice, but the emphasis is most definitely on the music on this album. This album’s influence is still ever-present in music today. Spirit of Eden has proved it can stand the test of time.”
2. Surfer Rosa (Pixies)
“Surfer Rosa really is nearly as good as Doolittle, the Pixies’ next release, considered by many to be the best album of the eighties. It’s a little less playful than Doolittle, but also at times a bit riskier, more experimental, and more adventurous. The best track here, and perhaps the best-known Pixies song, is the wonderful “Where Is My Mind?” Frontman and lyricist Black Francis has said that the song was inspired by his experiences while scuba diving in the Caribbean; he had “this very small fish trying to chase me.”
1. Daydream Nation (Sonic Youth)
“A beautiful breed of melody and dissonance. Give it a few listens before casting judgment: their note patterns are anything but traditional, and one must forget the usual Western constructs of music theory before appreciating the brilliance of this album. My favorite tracks are Silver Rocket, The Sprawl, Cross the Breeze, Candle, and Kissability. I am a huge Sonic Youth fan, and this is my favorite.”
