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

[scorchy]

#21 - NWA - Gangsta Gangsta

Heads up for all the rap lovers/haters: six of the next nine tracks (maybe seven, depending on how you classify things) are classics of hip hop's golden era.

How did I get this far into the top tracks of 1988 without mentioning NWA?  After all, they're the fourth of the four acts from that year that "mattered" in my high school (along with PE, Metallica, and GnR).  Well, Dope Man was originally from '87 and Express Yourself was released as a single in '89.  As much as I love 8 Ball and I Ain't Tha One, they really don't rate.  And I intentionally omitted one of the best and most famous tracks for fear of the FFA chapter of the PMRC (I promised earlier not to get the ban hammer mid-countdown like someone else we know).

I can't remember which of my friends first managed to score a bootleg of Straight Outta Compton, but pretty soon, all of us lame white boys were cruising the neighborhood with windows down and a copy of a copy blasting through our car speakers (even those of us whose fathers were cops).  Damn we thought we were edgy.

Ice Cube's first three verses are straight fire, but it's Eazy E's fourth that rules the day for me.  That moment at 4:26 when Dre samples Be Thankful for What You Got, an R&B #1 from 25 years earlier:  "Diamond in the back, sunroof top" before Eazy picks up the rest of the original lyrics: "Diggin the scene with a gangsta lean" is just so damn smooth.

Gangsta Gangsta

 

[whoknew]

#21 - NWA - Gangsta Gangsta

Heads up for all the rap lovers/haters: six of the next nine tracks (maybe seven, depending on how you classify things) are classics of hip hop's golden era.

How did I get this far into the top tracks of 1988 without mentioning NWA?  After all, they're the fourth of the four acts from that year that "mattered" in my high school (along with PE, Metallica, and GnR).  Well, Dope Man was originally from '87 and Express Yourself was released as a single in '89.  As much as I love 8 Ball and I Ain't Tha One, they really don't rate.  And I intentionally omitted one of the best and most famous tracks for fear of the FFA chapter of the PMRC (I promised earlier not to get the ban hammer mid-countdown like someone else we know).

I can't remember which of my friends first managed to score a bootleg of Straight Outta Compton, but pretty soon, all of us lame white boys were cruising the neighborhood with windows down and a copy of a copy blasting through our car speakers (even those of us whose fathers' were cops).  Damn we thought we were edgy.

Ice Cube's first three verses are straight fire, but it's Eazy E's fourth that rules the day for me.  That moment at 4:26 when Dre samples Be Thankful for What You Got, an R&B #1 from 25 years earlier:  "Diamond in the back, sunroof top" before Eazy picks up the rest of the original lyrics: "Diggin the scene with a gangsta lean" is just so damn smooth.

Gangsta Gangsta

I went to an all boys Catholic high school in the suburbs. We would JAM Straight Outta Compton every day on the way to school. It was the late 80s. 

 

[rockaction]

#21 - NWA - Gangsta Gangsta

That moment at 4:26 when Dre samples Be Thankful for What You Got, an R&B #1 from 25 years earlier:  "Diamond in the back, sunroof top" before Eazy picks up the rest of the original lyrics: "Diggin the scene with a gangsta lean" is just so damn smooth.

That's it. That's the moment. 

 Diamond in the back...

 

[Pipes]

#21 - NWA - Gangsta Gangsta

Heads up for all the rap lovers/haters: six of the next nine tracks (maybe seven, depending on how you classify things) are classics of hip hop's golden era.

How did I get this far into the top tracks of 1988 without mentioning NWA?  After all, they're the fourth of the four acts from that year that "mattered" in my high school (along with PE, Metallica, and GnR).  Well, Dope Man was originally from '87 and Express Yourself was released as a single in '89.  As much as I love 8 Ball and I Ain't Tha One, they really don't rate.  And I intentionally omitted one of the best and most famous tracks for fear of the FFA chapter of the PMRC (I promised earlier not to get the ban hammer mid-countdown like someone else we know).

I can't remember which of my friends first managed to score a bootleg of Straight Outta Compton, but pretty soon, all of us lame white boys were cruising the neighborhood with windows down and a copy of a copy blasting through our car speakers (even those of us whose fathers were cops).  Damn we thought we were edgy.

Ice Cube's first three verses are straight fire, but it's Eazy E's fourth that rules the day for me.  That moment at 4:26 when Dre samples Be Thankful for What You Got, an R&B #1 from 25 years earlier:  "Diamond in the back, sunroof top" before Eazy picks up the rest of the original lyrics: "Diggin the scene with a gangsta lean" is just so damn smooth.

Gangsta Gangsta

My greatest CD purchase ever.  I was at Shopko (which is like a midwestern Kmart) and stumbled across this CD.  This was the summer/early fall of 1988 right after it was released.  No idea who they were I just thought the cd cover looked cool as I was in my wanna be gangsta midwestern white kid phase.  Got home and couldn't believe how awesome it was.  I was 17 years old with 15 and 9 year old sisters so I had to be very careful when I played this, Oh and my dad is a retired cop.  Was able to completely unleash this when I got a car and subsequent CD car stereo purchase in June 1989 when I graduated high school.  

 

[El Floppo]

always liked the tune... always assumed it was late Midge Ure or Ultravox.

Thems fighting words.

As for this song. Nice song. Released 5 years too late. Some great songs get released in the wrong era and miss their time in the limelight. This just snuck in, but its an early 80s sound. 

you don't like Ure and/or Visage/Ultravox? it all sounds identical to this.. no fight needed- all sounds good.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

you don't like Ure and/or Visage/Ultravox? it all sounds identical to this.. no fight needed- all sounds good.

Ive just been in the Politics forum. Fighting is needed lol.

Ure/Ultravox are my second fave of all time. His voice is dissimilar to Midges. The style of the song, yep. Early 80s Ultravox. Like I said 5 years too late. 

 

[El Floppo]

Ive just been in the Politics forum. Fighting is needed lol.

Ure/Ultravox are my second fave of all time. His voice is dissimilar to Midges. The style of the song, yep. Early 80s Ultravox. Like I said 5 years too late. 

WRONG!

 

[El Floppo]

Ummm. Hello, yes....I've come for the argument.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Ummm. Hello, yes....I've come for the argument.

I’m sorry, this is abuse. Arguments are down the hall.

 

[Osaurus]

You know Midge isn’t his actual name, right? 

 

[El Floppo]

You know Midge isn’t his actual name, right? 

SHUT UP SHUTTIN UP!

 

[scorchy]

Strange times when Midge Ure is drawing more controversy than Eazy E.

 

[scorchy]

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

My HS basketball team used It Takes Two (plus Joy and Pain) as our walkout/warm-up music in the early months of 1988, which put us in the company of pretty much every other basketball team in America at the time.  I can't believe it only reached #36 on the Hot 100 because it was (and still is) everywhere - dances, sporting events, weddings, commercials.  Despite the lack of chart success at the time, Rolling Stone ranked the Teddy Riley-produced jam at #116 on their most recent Top 500 songs list.

It Takes Two

 

[scorchy]

#19 - Slick Rick - Children's Story

Straight and narrow or your soul gets cast. Good night.

As a 13-year old, I bought the first Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew record because I loved how The Show was based around the theme from Inspector Gadget.  I spent hours trying to perfect Doug E.'s beat-boxing on The Show and La Di Da Di.  Even at that age though, I knew crewmember Slick Rick was the real star (however, I was too ignorant to realize that Rick rapping in French was straight lifted from the Beatles' song Michelle - the price of being raised by parents who only listened to country music).

Slick Rick has had one hell of a journey.  Born in London to Jamaican parents.  Blinded by glass as an infant - hence the eyepatch.  Moved to the Bronx when he was 11.  Joined the Get Fresh Crew.  Signed a solo deal with Def Jam and released The New Adventures of Slick Rick. Arrested for attempted murder of his former bodyguard and accidentally shooting a bystander.  Cut his second record while on bail.  Went to prison for 7 years and released an album from inside.  Put out at an acclaimed come-back album when he got out.  Got arrested again on immigration violations and went back to prison for almost 2 years.  Ended up getting pardoned.  Rick still tours and does a ton of work mentoring kids.  Widely considered one of top 20 MCs in history.  He should probably write a book,

Children's Story was the first single off Rick's debut album from 1988.  It peaked at #5 on the R&B charts and was voted one of the top 20 rap songs ever by readers of The Source (not this Rolling Stone BS).

Children's Story

 

[Doug B]

I spent hours trying to perfect Doug E.'s beat-boxing on The Show and La Di Da Di.

Maaan ... does that bring back memories.

 

[scorchy]

Maaan ... does that bring back memories.

I could never quite get down Doug E's style, but man could I nail Jam Master Jay's beat box from Son of Byford.

 

[Doug B]

Looking back on it, one of the best things that came out of beatboxing in class was the hilarious attempt by our civics teacher to clown us by attempting her own beatboxing! Us imitating her imitating us cracked us up through graduation.

...

BTW, since you broke out both "It Takes Two" and "Children's Story" ... I thought it would be cool to link to one of rap's Ur-sources of samples that both tracks use: Lyn Collins' "Think (About It)". Yes, that's James Brown in the background -- producing the record and doing backing vocals.

 

[El Floppo]

Looking back on it, one of the best things that came out of beatboxing in class was the hilarious attempt by our civics teacher to clown us by attempting her own beatboxing! Us imitating her imitating us cracked us up through graduation.

...

BTW, since you broke out both "It Takes Two" and "Children's Story" ... I thought it would be cool to link to one of rap's Ur-sources of samples that both tracks use: Lyn Collins' "Think (About It)". Yes, that's James Brown in the background -- producing the record and doing backing vocals.

Those JB and friends albums were lights out.

 

[Anarchy99]

I pride myself as being into music . . . especially in 1988. Yet I have never heard Children's Story and never heard of Slick Rick. Top 20 of the year? That's bold.

 

[scorchy]

#18 - The Sugarcubes - Birthday

If Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking was like nothing my teenage ears had heard before, then the Sugarcubes' Life's Too Good felt the same except in the exact opposite direction. Seeing the world premier video for debut single Birthday on 120 Minutes, my immediate reaction was akin to "I don't know that the hell I'm seeing and hearing here but holy hell is it captivating."  I certainly can't say it any better than famed critic Robert Christgau, who wrote that the Sugarcubes' "sense of mischief isn't just playful—it's experimental and a little wicked."  

Out of all the records I bought in 1988, Life's Too Good might be the one I still listen to most from start to finish.  It's just delightfully weird and always puts me in a great mood - Motorcrash, Coldsweat, Sick for Toys, Deus all really could have claimed a place on this list.  The Sugarcubes' next two albums were perfectly fine but didn't approach the genius of their debut.  Then the inevitable happened - the band broke up and Bjork become a phenomenon.

Here's Bjork on the weird and somewhat creepy lyrics to Birthday:

I was always changing my mind about what the lyrics should be about. I had the atmosphere right from the start but not the facts. It finally ended up concentrating on this experience I remembered having as a little girl, among many other little girls' experiences. It's like huge men, about fifty or so, affect little girls very erotically but nothing happens... nothing is done, just this very strong feeling. I picked on this subject to show that anything can affect you erotically; material, a tree, anything.

Not sure why the original video isn't available so I'll go with the SNL version

Birthday - Live on SNL 1988

 

[Bracie Smathers]

Ultravox are my second fave of all time. His voice is dissimilar to Midges. The style of the song, yep. Early 80s Ultravox. Like I said 5 years too late. 

WILTY Lee Mack's daughter & Ultravox

 

[scorchy]

I pride myself as being into music . . . especially in 1988. Yet I have never heard Children's Story and never heard of Slick Rick. Top 20 of the year? That's bold.

I can see what you're saying, but The Great Adventures of Slick Rick sold 1 million copies and spent more than 5 weeks atop the R&B albums chart (#31 on Hot 200 albums) in 1988. Even lame VH1 ranked Children's Story the 61st best hip hop song of all time.  Slick Rick was way bigger in my circles at the time than a lot of the artists listed here (see the Pixies or Sonic Youth).  Plus, he had a ton of cultural impact, often being referred to as Rap's Greatest Storyteller.  To quote Kool Moe Dee: "Slick Rick raised the lost art of hip hop storytelling to a level never seen again."

 

[El Floppo]

#18 - The Sugarcubes - Birthday

If Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking was like nothing my teenage ears had heard before, then the Sugarcubes' Life's Too Good felt the same except in the exact opposite direction. Seeing the world premier video for debut single Birthday on 120 Minutes, my immediate reaction was akin to "I don't know that the hell I'm seeing and hearing here but holy hell is it captivating."  I certainly can't say it any better than famed critic Robert Christgau, who wrote that the Sugarcubes' "sense of mischief isn't just playful—it's experimental and a little wicked."  

Out of all the records I bought in 1988, Life's Too Good might be the one I still listen to most from start to finish.  It's just delightfully weird and always puts me in a great mood - Motorcrash, Coldsweat, Sick for Toys, Deus all really could have claimed a place on this list.  The Sugarcubes' next two albums were perfectly fine but didn't approach the genius of their debut.  Then the inevitable happened - the band broke up and Bjork become a phenomenon.

Here's Bjork on the weird and somewhat creepy lyrics to Birthday:

Not sure why the original video isn't unavailable so I'll go with the SNL version

Birthday - Live on SNL 1988

I loved that album when it came out, and Birthday was my favorite by a lot. also remember liking Deus and Motorcrash. But I honestly haven't listened to the whole thing in ages. Feel like last time I made a point of listening to the album, it just didn't work for me musically outside of Bjork...so I just flipped to listening to her instead. Will have to give it a spin.

and I've never been a lyrics guy- ever. but I always got the sense that tune was about a creepy old pedophile and a 5 or 6 year old girl. I guess that's cute to Bjork... bless her.

 

[scorchy]

I loved that album when it came out, and Birthday was my favorite by a lot. also remember liking Deus and Motorcrash. But I honestly haven't listened to the whole thing in ages. Feel like last time I made a point of listening to the album, it just didn't work for me musically outside of Bjork...so I just flipped to listening to her instead. Will have to give it a spin.

and I've never been a lyrics guy- ever. but I always got the sense that tune was about a creepy old pedophile and a 5 or 6 year old girl. I guess that's cute to Bjork... bless her.

I'm not sure how much the rest of the band adds either, but there are just so many weird little non-Bjork flourishes, like in Motorcrash when Einar cuts into her vocal:  "That girl on that bicycle showed great interest in all the motorcrashes in the neighborhood. She look quite innocent."  

I had trouble typing the lyric without smiling.

 

[zamboni]

Always thought Bjork was cute in an exotic way. Then again, I love the country of Iceland, so any female is going to register higher on the attractiveness scale to me versus someone in the US.

 

[El Floppo]

"That girl on that bicycle showed great interest in all the motorcrashes in the neighborhood. She look quite innocent." 

 totally.

listening to the album now.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Always thought Bjork was cute in an exotic way. Then again, I love the country of Iceland, so any female is going to register higher on the attractiveness scale to me versus someone in the US.

Bjork seems like the kind of girl you'd be attracted to until you smelled her.

 

[El Floppo]

I'm not sure how much the rest of the band adds either, but there are just so many weird little non-Bjork flourishes, like in Motorcrash when Einar cuts into her vocal:  "That girl on that bicycle showed great interest in all the motorcrashes in the neighborhood. She look quite innocent."  

I had trouble typing the lyric without smiling.

ok... I was clearly in the wrong head-space last time- this is still pretty great.

and you nailed it- the interplay of the male "vocals" with bjork are great. lots of other great tunes here... delicious demon, blue-eyed pop

 

[zamboni]

Bjork seems like the kind of girl you'd be attracted to until you smelled her.

Hey, that’s someone’s dóttir.

 

[scorchy]

#17 - Eric B and Rakim - Microphone Fiend

Spent the last 4 hours on conference calls and am all talked out.  What can I say about Erik B and Rakim that hasn't already been said anyway?  I'll just pilfer lines from the writers at Hip Hop's Golden Age, who ranked Microphone Fiend as the #1 rap single of 1988:

This beat. These lyrics. PERFECTION. Strangely the single release of this track wasn’t a huge success in 1988, but since then this track has rightfully come to be recognized not only as the quintessential Eric B & Rakim song but as one of Hip Hop’s biggest songs as well.

Microphone Fiend

 

[Gr00vus]

#19 - Slick Rick - Children's Story

.......

Children's Story was the first single off Rick's debut album from 1988.  It peaked at #5 on the R&B charts and was voted one of the top 20 rap songs ever by readers of The Source (not this Rolling Stone BS).

Children's Story

Knock 'em out the box Scorchy.

 

[El Floppo]

#17 - Eric B and Rakim - Microphone Fiend

Spent the last 4 hours on conference calls and am all talked out.  What can I say about Erik B and Rakim that hasn't already been said anyway?  I'll just pilfer lines from the writers at Hip Hop's Golden Age, who ranked Microphone Fiend as the #1 rap single of 1988:

Microphone Fiend

this sounds made up.

 

[plinko]

Bjork shmork, I want to know what happened to the dude from Sugarcubes, where is his fabled solo career?

 

[McBokonon]

Bjork shmork, I want to know what happened to the dude from Sugarcubes, where is his fabled solo career?

His jazz Trio with John Oates and Andrew Ridgeley didn’t quite take off.

 

[DocHolliday]

I pride myself as being into music . . . especially in 1988. Yet I have never heard Children's Story and never heard of Slick Rick. Top 20 of the year? That's bold.

Last few selections have been way out of my wheelhouse.  Still enjoying the list though.  It is interesting if nothing else.  

 

[Osaurus]

#18 - The Sugarcubes - Birthday

If Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking was like nothing my teenage ears had heard before, then the Sugarcubes' Life's Too Good felt the same except in the exact opposite direction. Seeing the world premier video for debut single Birthday on 120 Minutes, my immediate reaction was akin to "I don't know that the hell I'm seeing and hearing here but holy hell is it captivating."  I certainly can't say it any better than famed critic Robert Christgau, who wrote that the Sugarcubes' "sense of mischief isn't just playful—it's experimental and a little wicked."  

Out of all the records I bought in 1988, Life's Too Good might be the one I still listen to most from start to finish.  It's just delightfully weird and always puts me in a great mood - Motorcrash, Coldsweat, Sick for Toys, Deus all really could have claimed a place on this list.  The Sugarcubes' next two albums were perfectly fine but didn't approach the genius of their debut.  Then the inevitable happened - the band broke up and Bjork become a phenomenon.

Here's Bjork on the weird and somewhat creepy lyrics to Birthday:

Not sure why the original video isn't available so I'll go with the SNL version

Birthday - Live on SNL 1988

Saw them in '89 with PIL and New Order. They were quite good live.  

I don't really like lobster

 

[scorchy]

Saw them in '89 with PIL and New Order. They were quite good live.  

I don't really like lobster

The Sugarcubes toured with The Godfathers and Living Colour in 1988 as part of some MTV package. They aired the show from Auburn University on 120 Minutes one Sunday.  @Charlie Steinersaid he saw 2/3 of the bands at UMD that year, so maybe the Sugarcubes headed back to Iceland early.  I've seen Bjork but never had the pleasure of the whole band.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Just a tremendous run of classic hip hop and Icelandic weirdness.  I have no notes.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

BTW, my throat is absolutely fried from trying to sing along to a 1988 release in the car this afternoon.  Curious to see if it makes the cut.

 

[Osaurus]

The Sugarcubes toured with The Godfathers and Living Colour in 1988 as part of some MTV package. They aired the show from Auburn University on 120 Minutes one Sunday.  @Charlie Steinersaid he saw 2/3 of the bands at UMD that year, so maybe the Sugarcubes headed back to Iceland early.  I've seen Bjork but never had the pleasure of the whole band.

Can you believe people were booing them in Milwaukee? New Order too. This leg on the tour had local wannabe legends, the Violent Femmes, headlining. I guess it only makes sense in Wisconsin. Ugh. 

 

[zamboni]

Bjork shmork, I want to know what happened to the dude from Sugarcubes, where is his fabled solo career?

All Sugarcubes are not Equal.

 

[scorchy]

Bjork shmork, I want to know what happened to the dude from Sugarcubes, where is his fabled solo career?

Actually four dudes from the Sugarcubes.  I'm partial to Einar Örn (trumpet/vocals) who I heard was a judge on Icelandic Idol.  Þór Eldon (guitar) was briefly married to and had a kid with Bjork.  IIRC, Siggie Baldursson (drums) was one of the ill-fated drummers for Spinal Tap.  No idea on Braggi Olaffson (bass) - I'm all out of lies.

 

[scorchy]

BTW, my throat is absolutely fried from trying to sing along to a 1988 release in the car this afternoon.  Curious to see if it makes the cut.

Oh Scooby, now you've got me really curious.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

I pride myself as being into music . . . especially in 1988. Yet I have never heard Children's Story and never heard of Slick Rick. Top 20 of the year? That's bold.

Flipping up my eye patch to give you a harsh look.

 

[scorchy]

Flipping up my eye patch to give you a harsh look.

LOL.  I totally forgot about your eye patch days.  That was a bold look. Wait, maybe I shouldn't laugh.  Too soon?

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

I took Children's Story in the 80s Genre Draft.  Was one of my favorite picks.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

LOL.  I totally forgot about your eye patch days.  That was a bold look. Wait, maybe I shouldn't laugh.  Too soon?

Totally should have wore a Kangol and made Slick Rick jokes instead of Patch from Days of Our Lives jokes.

 

[scorchy]

Can you believe people were booing them in Milwaukee? New Order too. This leg on the tour had local wannabe legends, the Violent Femmes, headlining. I guess it only makes sense in Wisconsin. Ugh. 

Who the hell boos New Order?  I mean, I wouldn't boo the Sugarcubes either (or probably any band for that matter), but New Order? What happened to Midwestern nice?

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Kind of sad that Kwame's debut album wasn't until '89.  olka dots:

 

[scorchy]

Totally should have wore a Kangol and made Slick Rick jokes instead of Patch from Days of Our Lives jokes.

To be fair, you look more like Slick Rick than Patch.