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101 Best Songs of 1988:#1 – Guns n’ Roses – Sweet Child o’ Mine (1 Viewer)

scorchy

scorchy

Footballguy
tl; dr version:

I had been holding off on starting this exercise because I wanted to get @timschochet's permission before moving in on his schtick, but (a) I guess only the mods know when he'll be back and (b) he seems more of a 70s and early 80s guy anyway so I'm hoping he wouldn't mind.  Speak now or forever hold your peace.

In trying to reflect the sounds of a year, I'm using the single release date as the primary criterion, with album release date being secondary if the song wasn't released as a single.  This created a lot of headaches, and I probably should have just stuck with whatever was released first, but too late now.

I expect my rankings to annoy everyone who reads the thread at some point - have at it, I have thick skin.  And I promise not leave the thread hanging by getting banned, either thanks to a longwinded post in the political forum or including a famous song from 1988 that might earn a permaban if I posted it as a thread title.

Spotify link

101 - Aerosmith - Rag Doll

100 - DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand

#99 - Mudhoney - Touch Me I'm Sick

#98 - The Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl

#97 - Robert Plant - Tall Cool One

#96 - JJ Fad – Supersonic

#95 - Debbie Gibson - Out of the Blue

#94 - Van Halen - Finish What Ya Started

#93 - David Lee Roth - Just Like Paradise

#92 - Public Enemy - She Watch Channel Zero

#91 - The Pursuit of Happiness - I'm an Adult Now

#90 - Anthrax – Antisocial

#89 - Fishbone - Freddie's Dead

#88 - Pat Benatar - All Fired Up

#87 - Happy Mondays - Wrote for Luck

#86 - Cinderella - Gypsy Road

#85 - Bad Religion - Do What You Want

#84 - Brian Wilson - Love and Mercy

#83 - The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)

#82 Kool Moe Dee - Wild Wild West

#81 - 10,000 Maniacs - What's the Matter Here?

#80 - Robert Palmer - Simply Irresistible

#79 - Erasure - A Little Respect

#78 - Biz Markie – Vapors

#77 - Soundgarden – Flower

#76 - Lita Ford - Kiss Me Deadly

#75 - Guns n' Roses - Used to Love Her

#74 - Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn

#73 - Will to Power - Baby I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley

#72 - George Michael - One More Try

#71 - Metallica - Dyers Eve

#70 - Ministry – Stigmata

#69 - Tracy Chapman - Talkin' 'Bout A Revolution

#68 - EPMD - You Gots to Chill

#67 - Soul Asylum – Cartoon

#66 – Morrissey – Suedehead

#65 - Jesus and Mary Chain – Sidewalking

#64 – Pebbles – Mercedes Boy

#63 – Keith Sweat – I Want Her

#62 – Al B. Sure – Nite and Day

#61 - Cheap Trick - The Flame

#60 - Belinda Carlisle - Circle in the Sand

#59 - Cowboy Junkies - Sweet Jane

#58 - The Primitives – Crash

#57 - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - I Hate Myself for Loving You

#56 - Information Society - What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)?

#55 - The La's - There She Goes

#54 - The Church – Reptile

#53 – U2 – God Part II

#52 – Jane’s Addiction – Ted, Just Admit It…

#51 – Lucinda Williams – The Night’s Too Long

#50 - Prince - Alphabet St.

#49 – Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy

#48 – Siouxsie & the Banshees – Peek-A-Boo

#47 - Ice T – Colors

#46 - Def Leppard - Love Bites

#45 - Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians - What I Am

#44 - Danzig – Mother

#43 - The Smithereens - Only A Memory

#42 - Living Colour - Open Letter to a Landlord

#41 - LL Cool J - Going Back to Cali

#40 - Bon Jovi - Bad Medicine

#39 - U2 – Desire

#38 - REM - Orange Crush

#37 - Bobby Brown - My Prerogative

#36 - INXS - New Sensation

#35 - Sinead O'Connor – Mandinka

#34 - Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal

#33 - Jane's Addiction - Jane Says

#32 - Queensryche - I Don't Believe in Love

#31 - The Bangles - In Your Room

#30 - Paula Abdul - Straight Up

#29 - Traveling Wilburys - Handle with Care

#28 - Pixies – Gigantic

#27 - Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Half Steppin'

#26 - REM - Finest Worksong

#25 - Morrissey - Every Day is Like Sunday

#24 - Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot

#23 - Terence Trent D'Arby - Wishing Well

#22 - When in Rome - The Promise

#21 - NWA - Gangsta Gangsta

#20 - Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock - It Takes Two

#19 - Slick Rick - Children's Story

#18 - The Sugarcubes – Birthday

#17 - Eric B and Rakim - Microphone Fiend

#16 - Public Enemy - Bring the Noise

#15 - Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance

#14 - Fugazi - Waiting Room

#13 - Boogie Down Productions - My Philosophy

#12 - Guns n' Roses - Paradise City

#11 - Dinosaur Jr. - Freak Scene

#10 - George Michael - Father Figure

#9 - The Church - Under the Milky Way

# 8 - Pixies - Where Is My Mind?

#7 – Public Enemy – Don’t Believe the Hype

#6 - INXS - Never Tear Us Apart

#5 - Tracy Chapman - Fast Car

#4 - Metallica – One

#3 - Living Colour - Cult of Personality

#2 – NWA – Straight Outta Compton

#1 – Guns n’ Roses – Sweet Child o’ Mine

 
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The long version:

I ran an early post-punk countdown last year and got a lot of an enjoyment from it.  I know at least @rockaction, @El Floppo and @urbanhack did too.  As much as I love those songs, they were really all before my time.  My great musical awakening probably happened in mid-1987 with the discovery of 120 Minutes on MTV - before that I was pure top 40, R&B, and hair metal.  My town didn't even have a classic rock station so 70s rock was pretty much a great unknown for me.  

So, if I this goes well and things don't get crazy at work, I would love to do these for my prime musical discovery years (1987-1996).  I've been reading lots of music books lately and listening to 90s music podcasts and I'm in a nostalgic sort of mood.  My original plan was to start two threads focusing on two eras of 120 Minutes/Alternative but the results never felt right.  No matter how gothy i got in the 90s, I'm still a pop lover at heart.  

The current book I'm reading (Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres by Kelefa Sanneh) discusses the standards the author used when he was a music reviewer for the NYT, asking whether a song/album was Popular/Excellent/Interesting.  Personally, in looking back at 1988, I also added "Influential" as an element.  Finally, and this is the most personal piece of all, if I hate a song, I couldn't it include it.  And I don't mean that I'm just sick of it, but that I hated in 1988 and if it pops up on Sirius now I can't change the station fast enough (I'm looking at you "Man in the Mirror.)

As I said in the tl;dr post, I went with the single release date as the primary factor.  For example, the Dirty Dancing soundtrack was released in 1987 as was the Time of My Life single.  The latter and any non-single would be eligible for the 1987 countdown.  "Hungry Eyes" and "She's Like the Wind" were released as singles in 1988 and so would be eligible for the current list. (Narrator: "Hungry Eyes" and "She's Like the Wind" are not among the 101 best songs of 1988.) This creates some annoyances and anomalies so apologies in advance.

As Casey would say, "on with the countdown."

 
101 - Aerosmith - Rag Doll

Aerosmith got huge again in 1987/1988 with the release of Permanent Vacation.  Their previous record (Done with Mirrors from 1985) was supposed to build off the bump they got from Run DMC but it didn't happen so they started working with outside songwriters and went all glammy.  "Angel" was the power ballad and the highest-charting single, but it kind of sucked.  Or maybe I just think that because I worked with this girl named Angel at a pizza shop and her boyfriend Tony would come in to pick her up most nights and play "Angel" on the jukebox.  Rag Doll was the third single, released in spring 1998, and made it to number 17.  The creepy video, however, must have been played every hour on MTV.  I have no idea what's going on in the shadows behind the bedroom window.

Rag Doll

 
scorchy said:
101 - Aerosmith - Rag Doll

Aerosmith got huge again in 1987/1988 with the release of Permanent Vacation.  Their previous record (Done with Mirrors from 1985) was supposed to build off the bump they got from Run DMC but it didn't happen so they started working with outside songwriters and went all glammy.  "Angel" was the power ballad and the highest-charting single, but it kind of sucked.  Or maybe I just think that because I worked with this girl named Angel at a pizza shop and her boyfriend Tony would come in to pick her up most nights and play "Angel" on the jukebox.  Rag Doll was the third single, released in spring 1998, and made it to number 17.  The creepy video, however, must have been played every hour on MTV.  I have no idea what's going on in the shadows behind the bedroom window.

Rag Doll
Click to expand...


one of the best songs of their 2nd life

 
100 - DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand

OK, so this certainly isn't what @STEADYMOBBIN 22was referring to when referencing the golden age of hip hop.  IMO, "Parents Just Don't Understand isn't in the same league as plenty of other songs that won't make this countdown, but without it, do we ever get to see Will Smith playing Muhammad Ali?

In 1988, rap was both exploding in popularity and splintering into various sub-genres (maybe that already had happened and I just wasn't cool enough to be aware).  "Parents Just Don't Understand" was the first hip-hop song that my even dorkier white classmates liked (or even worse, that kids' parents said they liked).  The "safeness" was a big contrast to the hip-hop that was getting blasted on the team bus on the way to and from HS basketball games, much less the songs that my teammates would share with me only through their headphones.

Parents... reached #12 on the Hot 100 and won the first grammy awarded for Best Rap in Performance.  Not sure that's any worse than Jethro Tull winning the first Heavy Metal one.

Even if it doesn't particularly hold up or wasn't that great in the first place, it's a fine piece of nostalgia, and we'll always have "I asked her for Adidas and she bought me Zips."

Parents Just Don't Understand

 
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scorchy said:
100 - DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand

OK, so this certainly isn't what @STEADYMOBBIN 22was referring to when referencing the golden age of hip hop.  IMO, "Parents Just Don't Understand isn't in the same league as plenty of other songs that won't make this countdown, but without it, do we ever get to see Will Smith playing Muhammad Ali?

In 1988, rap was both exploding in popularity and splintering into various sub-genres (maybe that already had happened and I just wasn't cool enough to be aware).  "Parents Just Don't Understand" was the first hip-hop song that my even dorkier white classmates liked (or even worse, that kids' parents said they liked).  The "safeness" was a big contrast to the hip-hop that was getting blasted on the team bus on the way to and from HS basketball games, much less the songs that my teammates would share with me only through their headphones.

Even if it doesn't particularly hold up or wasn't that great in the first place, it's a fine piece of nostalgia, and we'll always have "I asked her for Adidas and she bought me Zips."

Parents Just Don't Understand
Click to expand...


but i'll insist til i choke that this is where hiphop shoulda gone..................everywhere. comedy, jazz, aspiration, explanation of folks' daily deal without having to act half a gansta to deliver the news. i could go into cadences and #### too but ima a fat ol white man and shouldnt be doin'at. better than shufflin' bad role-modeling, wound-licking and fallback on production over innovation. and now i will promise that this is the last hiphop commentary i'll make on this 101. nufced

 
scorchy said:
100 - DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand

OK, so this certainly isn't what @STEADYMOBBIN 22was referring to when referencing the golden age of hip hop.  IMO, "Parents Just Don't Understand isn't in the same league as plenty of other songs that won't make this countdown, but without it, do we ever get to see Will Smith playing Muhammad Ali?

In 1988, rap was both exploding in popularity and splintering into various sub-genres (maybe that already had happened and I just wasn't cool enough to be aware).  "Parents Just Don't Understand" was the first hip-hop song that my even dorkier white classmates liked (or even worse, that kids' parents said they liked).  The "safeness" was a big contrast to the hip-hop that was getting blasted on the team bus on the way to and from HS basketball games, much less the songs that my teammates would share with me only through their headphones.

Parents... reached #12 on the Hot 100 and won the first grammy awarded for Best Rap in Performance.  Not sure that's any worse than Jethro Tull winning the first Heavy Metal one.

Even if it doesn't particularly hold up or wasn't that great in the first place, it's a fine piece of nostalgia, and we'll always have "I asked her for Adidas and she bought me Zips."

Parents Just Don't Understand
Click to expand...
This whole album is dope. Has nightmare on my street, brand new funk, time to chill, pump up the bass, human video game and couple more I can’t think of atm. LOVE LOVE LOVE this album. You can play the entire thing to your kids too. 

 
wikkidpissah said:
but i'll insist til i choke that this is where hiphop shoulda gone..................everywhere. comedy, jazz, aspiration, explanation of folks' daily deal without having to act half a gansta to deliver the news. i could go into cadences and #### too but ima a fat ol white man and shouldnt be doin'at. better than shufflin' bad role-modeling, wound-licking and fallback on production over innovation. and now i will promise that this is the last hiphop commentary i'll make on this 101. nufced
Click to expand...
I don't know, wikkid, picking up a 12-year old runaway in your dad's Porsche might not be the best role-modeling. 😉

I try not to be too critical of most hip-hop either.  To paraphrase Dave Chappelle from Jay Z's RnR HOF induction speech the other night, it wasn't made for me.  OTOH, I've frequently enjoyed bonding with the older Black ladies at my office cafeteria about the awfulness of the version of hip-hop that our kids listen to - sounds like they have damn marbles in their mouths. 

 
STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:
This whole album is dope. Has nightmare on my street, brand new funk, time to chill, pump up the bass, human video game and couple more I can’t think of atm. LOVE LOVE LOVE this album. You can play the entire thing to your kids too. 
Click to expand...
Sorry to make that assumption - I know lots of old school folks have pretty negative opinions, especially when it comes to the grammy win.

 
scorchy said:
I don't know, wikkid, picking up a 12-year old runaway in your dad's Porsche might not be the best role-modeling. 😉

I try not to be too critical of most hip-hop either.  To paraphrase Dave Chappelle from Jay Z's RnR HOF induction speech the other night, it wasn't made for me.  OTOH, I've frequently enjoyed bonding with the older Black ladies at my office cafeteria about the awfulness of the version of hip-hop that our kids listen to - sounds like they have damn marbles in their mouths. 
Click to expand...
i'm mostly sore cuz i had friends in jazz most of my life and we thought rap was gonna finally lift the form out of the traps it had fallen into. not enough of a listener nor current enough as a person to comment on what, but i'll always be disappointed about where

 
#99 - Mudhoney - Touch Me I'm Sick

Full disclosure:  I had no idea who Mudhoney was in 1988.  When I went off to college a couple of years later, I immediately bonded with a dude down the hall over Jane's Addiction and serial killers.*  He showed his Green River t-shirt and I had to admit that I had no idea who they were.  So he dubbed me mixtapes of them, and Skin Yard, and Mudhoney and other pre-grunge Seattle bands.  Aside from Soundgarden, I think "Touch Me I'm Sick" was the only thing I found remotely listenable.

Mudhoney was formed Mark Arm in early 1998 from the ashes of Green River (a band that included Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard).  "Touch Me I'm Sick" was their debut single, with 1000 copies issued by SubPop on 7" vinyl only.  Mudhoney never sold many records but tons of later bans all touted their influence.  And who doesn't love Cliff Poncier from Citizen **** describing the meaning of their new record "Touch Me I'm ****" in the movie "Singles."  

Touch Me I'm Sick

* unfortunately, a few days after moving into the dorms, a serial killer unleashed a few weeks of terror on Gainesville.  Luckily no one called a tipline to report the two serial killer-obsessed numbskulls who just moved there from out-of-state.

 
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#98 - The Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl

"If you ain't got Mojo Nixon then your store could use some fixin'."

For some reason, I spent parts of 1987 and 1988 obsessed with the Dead Milkmen.  I listened to their tapes on repeat.  I drew their cow logo on my paper-bag textbook covers.  I quoted their lyrics in the vain hopes that someone would catch on.*

"One Saturday I took a walk to Zipperhead..."

After I moved to Philly in 1996, I spent too many weekends blowing my meager paycheck on South Street.  I would hit Zipperhead to see if they had any Doc Martens on sale, then my favorite CD store that had the best selection of industrial music on the planet (Digital Underground), and this huge Blockbuster that was the only one in the area that had Laser Discs and they often sold pre-rented ones at huge discounts.  From there it was a cheesesteak at Jim's or maybe Ishkabibbles and booze at Tattooed Moms.  South Street was already starting to shift from punk/alt to corporate and hip-hop by then, and now it just kind of sucks.  No more Zipperhead...

Good times.

Punk Rock Girl

* my favorite DM song was "Stuart" off the same album (Beelzebubba) as "Punk Rock Girl."  On a whim, I flew out to the Iowa State Fair this year and Ms. Scorchy texted me a line from "Stuart" about the large underground gay population in Des Moines.  It warmed my heart.

 
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Love “Punk Rock Girl” and so do my kids, that song totally holds up.

ETA: I had to explain to my kids that California Dreamin’ is not a Beach Boys song.

 
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Love me some Dead Milkmen. Philly’s own.   :thumbup:
 

ETA: Do people still go to South Street?

 
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Osaurus said:
ETA: Do people still go to South Street?
Click to expand...


I moved away in 2009 so can't say for sure.  My son and I head back for 3 or 4 Eagles games a year and we've only been to South Street once and that was just to give him a nostalgia tour.  Jim's and Ishkabibble's are still around, and Repo Records, but for the most part, it seems to just be sneaker stores and vape shops.

 
#97 - Robert Plant - Tall Cool One

I don't think I heard of Led Zepellin until I was like 13. All I knew of Robert Plant was the video for "Big Log," which I hated with a passion and couldn't understand why MTV insisted on playing it almost every hour in the summer of 1984. I still think "Big Log" is boring as hell, but "Tall Cool One," featuring Jimmy Page, isn't half bad.

Tall Cool One

 
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scorchy said:
#97 - Robert Plant - Tall Cool One

I don't think I heard of Led Zepellin until I was like 13. All I knew of Robert Plant was the video for "Big Log," which I hated with a passion and couldn't understand why MTV insisted on playing it almost every hour in the summer of 1984. I still think "Big Log" is boring as hell, but "Tall Cool One," featuring Jimmy Page, was a pretty strong return to form.

Tall Cool One
Click to expand...
A Robert Plant video was like MASH coming on to signal the end of cartoons 

 
Now and Zen is a fantastic album. Tall Cool One might be the least best song from it, but still a good tune.  MTV played the snot out of it.  

I would have put Rag Doll much higher. I think that was the best of the Permanent Vacation hits, and the video was good, raunchy fun. :cool:  

 
scorchy said:
I don't think I heard of Led Zepellin until I was like 13. All I knew of Robert Plant was the video for "Big Log," which I hated with a passion and couldn't understand why MTV insisted on playing it almost every hour in the summer of 1984. I still think "Big Log" is boring as hell, but "Tall Cool One," featuring Jimmy Page, isn't half bad.
Click to expand...
Different strokes I guess - have always been a big fan of "Big Log". The guitar work by Robbie Blunt is great and the video is very atmospheric IMO.

 
zamboni said:
Different strokes I guess - have always been a big fan of "Big Log". The guitar work by Robbie Blunt is great and the video is very atmospheric IMO.
Click to expand...


Yeah, I might like "Big Log" now if I gave it a chance, but I was 11 or 12 when MTV had it in constant rotation.  I wanted to see videos with girls in them or at least videos that rocked.  All I really remember is an old looking dude with poodle hair walking around an abandoned gas station to a dirge-like soundtrack.  🙂

 
#96 - JJ Fad - Supersonic

OK, now this is fun. The bass thump.  The electro-funk fills.  Baby D's speed rap at the 3:23 mark.  I love everything about this song.

JJ Fad was the first act signed to Ruthless Records and the lead single from their debut album seemed to be everywhere in the summer of 1988 (even in the podunk town where I grew up).  "Supersonic" only made it to #30 on the Hot 100 but that probably says more about how the charts were determined then the songs popularity.  

Supersonic

 
Ghost Rider said:
I would have put Rag Doll much higher. I think that was the best of the Permanent Vacation hits, and the video was good, raunchy fun. :cool:  
Click to expand...
I'll take Love in an Elevator (released in '87) over Rag Doll but not by much.  As someone who loved hair metal at the time, I just felt Aerosmith wasn't particularly genuine (just old rock guys glomming on to a trend), which I realize sounds absolutely ridiculous.

As for the "much higher" piece, I think you're going to be saying that about a lot of rock songs along the way - definitely one or two coming up soon.

 
Tim asked me to reply** and say his legal team* are drafting a cease and desist letter.

* his cousins

** he didn’t really but I’m thinking he should be around in a week to participate and resume his latest 70’s thread.

 
Permanent Vacation to me was a pretty excellent rock record and would have almost certainly made my top ten of the year in 1988 (or whatever year)

Magic Touch , St. John

Way better than Done With Mirrors, which did have good cover shtick

I still have the P-Vac tape with the embossed case

 
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