100 Greatest Songs From 1988
Criteria: Songs listed are from Rock 'n' Roll and related sub-genres. Rankings are based on initial and lasting popularity and on acclaim received from critics and musicians.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
1. Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
2. One
Metallica
3. She Drives Me Crazy
Fine Young Cannibals
4. Straight Up
Paula Abdul
5. My Prerogative
Bobby Brown
6. It Takes Two
Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock
7. Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Poison
8. Wild Thing
Tone-Loc
9. Parents Just Don't Understand
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
10. Fuck Tha Police
N.W.A
11. Teen Age Riot
Sonic Youth
12. Follow the Leader
Eric B. & Rakim
13. Touch Me I'm Sick
Mudhoney
14. Wind Beneath My Wings
Bette Midler
15. The Living Years
Mike + The Mechanics
16. Cult of Personality
Living Colour
17. Desire
U2
18. Bad Medicine
Bon Jovi
19. Patience
Guns N' Roses
20. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
Proclaimers
21. Where Is My Mind?
Pixies
22. Don't Believe the Hype
Public Enemy
23. Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A
24. What I Am
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
25. Buffalo Stance
Neneh Cherry
26. Opposites Attract
Paula Abdul with The Wild Pair
27. Nite and Day
Al B. Sure!
28. Kokomo
Beach Boys
29. Don't Worry, Be Happy
Bobby McFerrin
30. Giving You the Best That I Got
Anita Baker
31. Eternal Flame
Bangles
32. Don't Be Cruel
Bobby Brown
33. Stand
R.E.M.
34. Simply Irresistible
Robert Palmer
35. There She Goes
La's
36. Under the Milky Way
Church
37. A Little Respect
Erasure
38. Mother
Danzig
39. What's On Your Mind? (Pure Energy)
Information Society
40. Listen To Your Heart
Roxette
41. The Mercy Seat
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
42. Angel Eyes
Jeff Healey Band
43. I'll House You
Jungle Brothers
44. Every Little Step
Bobby Brown
45. Wild, Wild West
Escape Club
46. Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley
Will To Power
47. Angel of Harlem
U2
48. One Moment In Time
Whitney Houston
49. Good Thing
Fine Young Cannibals
50. Everybody Knows
Leonard Cohen
51. Strictly Business
EPMD
52. Freak Scene
Dinosaur Jr.
53. Ain't No Half Steppin'
Big Daddy Kane
54. Nothin' But a Good Time
Poison
55. Cold Hearted
Paula Abdul
56. Roll With It
Steve Winwood
57. Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)
Cinderella
58. I Hate Myself For Loving You
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
59. Superwoman
Karyn White
60. When Love Comes To Town
U2 with B.B. King
61. All I Want Is You
U2
62. Handle With Care
Traveling Wilburys
63. Everyday Is Like Sunday
Morrissey
64. The Flame
Cheap Trick
65. The Valley Road
Bruce Hornsby & The Range
66. Orange Crush
R.E.M.
67. Children's Story
Slick Rick
68. This Woman's Work
Kate Bush
69. My Philosophy
Boogie Down Productions
70. Piano In the Dark
Brenda Russell
71. Like the Way I Do
Melissa Etheridge
72. Heaven
Warrant
73. When It's Love
Van Halen
74. Copperhead Road
Steve Earle
75. Black Steel In the Hour of Chaos
Public Enemy
76. A Groovy Kind of Love
Phil Collins
77. I'll Be There For You
Bon Jovi
78. Two Hearts
Phil Collins
79. Twist In My Sobriety
Tanita Tikarim
80. Any Love
Luther Vandross
81. If It Isn't Love
New Edition
82. Ana Ng
They Might Be Giants
83. Tomorrow People
Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers
84. Can I Play With Madness?
Iron Maiden
85. Bring Me Some Water
Melissa Etheridge
86. Finish What Ya Started
Van Halen
87. Dreamin'
Vanessa Williams
88. Crash
Primitives
89. You Got It (The Right Stuff)
New Kids On the Block
90. Orinoco Flow
Enya
91. Express Yourself
N.W.A
92. Colors
Ice-T
93. Gigantic
Pixies
94. What Time Is Love?
KLF
95. Theme from S-Express
S-Express
96. Waiting Room
Fugazi
97. You Made Me Realise
My Bloody Valentine
98. Tall Cool One
Robert Plant
99. Alphabet St.
Prince
100. End of the Line
Traveling Wilburys
Tracy Chapman
2. One
Metallica
3. She Drives Me Crazy
Fine Young Cannibals
4. Straight Up
Paula Abdul
5. My Prerogative
Bobby Brown
6. It Takes Two
Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock
7. Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Poison
8. Wild Thing
Tone-Loc
9. Parents Just Don't Understand
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
10. Fuck Tha Police
N.W.A
11. Teen Age Riot
Sonic Youth
12. Follow the Leader
Eric B. & Rakim
13. Touch Me I'm Sick
Mudhoney
14. Wind Beneath My Wings
Bette Midler
15. The Living Years
Mike + The Mechanics
16. Cult of Personality
Living Colour
17. Desire
U2
18. Bad Medicine
Bon Jovi
19. Patience
Guns N' Roses
20. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
Proclaimers
21. Where Is My Mind?
Pixies
22. Don't Believe the Hype
Public Enemy
23. Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A
24. What I Am
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
25. Buffalo Stance
Neneh Cherry
26. Opposites Attract
Paula Abdul with The Wild Pair
27. Nite and Day
Al B. Sure!
28. Kokomo
Beach Boys
29. Don't Worry, Be Happy
Bobby McFerrin
30. Giving You the Best That I Got
Anita Baker
31. Eternal Flame
Bangles
32. Don't Be Cruel
Bobby Brown
33. Stand
R.E.M.
34. Simply Irresistible
Robert Palmer
35. There She Goes
La's
36. Under the Milky Way
Church
37. A Little Respect
Erasure
38. Mother
Danzig
39. What's On Your Mind? (Pure Energy)
Information Society
40. Listen To Your Heart
Roxette
41. The Mercy Seat
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
42. Angel Eyes
Jeff Healey Band
43. I'll House You
Jungle Brothers
44. Every Little Step
Bobby Brown
45. Wild, Wild West
Escape Club
46. Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley
Will To Power
47. Angel of Harlem
U2
48. One Moment In Time
Whitney Houston
49. Good Thing
Fine Young Cannibals
50. Everybody Knows
Leonard Cohen
51. Strictly Business
EPMD
52. Freak Scene
Dinosaur Jr.
53. Ain't No Half Steppin'
Big Daddy Kane
54. Nothin' But a Good Time
Poison
55. Cold Hearted
Paula Abdul
56. Roll With It
Steve Winwood
57. Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)
Cinderella
58. I Hate Myself For Loving You
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
59. Superwoman
Karyn White
60. When Love Comes To Town
U2 with B.B. King
61. All I Want Is You
U2
62. Handle With Care
Traveling Wilburys
63. Everyday Is Like Sunday
Morrissey
64. The Flame
Cheap Trick
65. The Valley Road
Bruce Hornsby & The Range
66. Orange Crush
R.E.M.
67. Children's Story
Slick Rick
68. This Woman's Work
Kate Bush
69. My Philosophy
Boogie Down Productions
70. Piano In the Dark
Brenda Russell
71. Like the Way I Do
Melissa Etheridge
72. Heaven
Warrant
73. When It's Love
Van Halen
74. Copperhead Road
Steve Earle
75. Black Steel In the Hour of Chaos
Public Enemy
76. A Groovy Kind of Love
Phil Collins
77. I'll Be There For You
Bon Jovi
78. Two Hearts
Phil Collins
79. Twist In My Sobriety
Tanita Tikarim
80. Any Love
Luther Vandross
81. If It Isn't Love
New Edition
82. Ana Ng
They Might Be Giants
83. Tomorrow People
Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers
84. Can I Play With Madness?
Iron Maiden
85. Bring Me Some Water
Melissa Etheridge
86. Finish What Ya Started
Van Halen
87. Dreamin'
Vanessa Williams
88. Crash
Primitives
89. You Got It (The Right Stuff)
New Kids On the Block
90. Orinoco Flow
Enya
91. Express Yourself
N.W.A
92. Colors
Ice-T
93. Gigantic
Pixies
94. What Time Is Love?
KLF
95. Theme from S-Express
S-Express
96. Waiting Room
Fugazi
97. You Made Me Realise
My Bloody Valentine
98. Tall Cool One
Robert Plant
99. Alphabet St.
Prince
100. End of the Line
Traveling Wilburys
20 more worth mentioning.
101. Teardrops
Womack & Womack
102. Stigmata
Ministry
103. Suedehead
Morrissey
104. Domino Dancing
Pet Shop Boys
105. Toy Soldiers
Martika
106. I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That
Elton John
107. Roni
Bobby Brown
108. Edge of a Broken Heart
Vixen
109. Can You Stand the Rain?
New Edition
110. Headed For a Heartbreak
Winger
111. Baby Can I Hold You?
Tracy Chapman
112. Let the River Run
Carly Simon
113. Little Walter
Tony! Toni! Tone!
114. Dirty Blvd
Lou Reed
115. Passionate Kisses
Lucinda Williams
116. Punk Rock Girl
Dead Milkmen
117. Fisherman's Blues
Waterboys
118. Microphone Fiend
Eric B. & Rakim
119. Close My Eyes Forever
Lita Ford with Ozzy Osbourne
120. Girl You Know It's True
Milli Vanilli
Womack & Womack
102. Stigmata
Ministry
103. Suedehead
Morrissey
104. Domino Dancing
Pet Shop Boys
105. Toy Soldiers
Martika
106. I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That
Elton John
107. Roni
Bobby Brown
108. Edge of a Broken Heart
Vixen
109. Can You Stand the Rain?
New Edition
110. Headed For a Heartbreak
Winger
111. Baby Can I Hold You?
Tracy Chapman
112. Let the River Run
Carly Simon
113. Little Walter
Tony! Toni! Tone!
114. Dirty Blvd
Lou Reed
115. Passionate Kisses
Lucinda Williams
116. Punk Rock Girl
Dead Milkmen
117. Fisherman's Blues
Waterboys
118. Microphone Fiend
Eric B. & Rakim
119. Close My Eyes Forever
Lita Ford with Ozzy Osbourne
120. Girl You Know It's True
Milli Vanilli
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1988
An unheralded great record from 1988
Jeff's choice:
Greatest Single Re-entry:
* He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (#1 UK 2 weeks)
Hollies
Jeff's choice:
* Headhunter
Front 242
Lew's choice:
* Only a Memory
Smithereens
Bruce's choice:
* Da' Butt
E.U.
Brett's choice:
* Plug Tunin'
De La Soul
Ryan's choice:
* Chinese Bones
Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians
Jeff's choice:
Greatest Single Re-entry:
* He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (#1 UK 2 weeks)
Hollies
Jeff's choice:
* Headhunter
Front 242
Lew's choice:
* Only a Memory
Smithereens
Bruce's choice:
* Da' Butt
E.U.
Brett's choice:
* Plug Tunin'
De La Soul
Ryan's choice:
* Chinese Bones
Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians
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Edited By: Jeff B.
Last Updated: 2014-07-10
Last Updated: 2014-07-10