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101 Best Songs of 1988:#1 – Guns n’ Roses – Sweet Child o’ Mine (2 Viewers)

 Dee Snider years later, dropping the mic:

When asked recently about the PMRC on The Wendy Williams Show, he recalled how going to Washington, “I was the poster boy for everything wrong with society. Let’s cut to 25 years later: I’m still married. None of my kids have been busted for drug possession. Can Al and Tipper Gore say the same thing? I don’t think so.”)

 
I thought I heard that Tipper and Dee were friendly later on, but my memory failed. I think it was Frank Zappa that became friendly with her

 
Osaurus said:
If you've never seen the episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force with Glenn Danzig, I highly recommend it. Freakin hilarious.  :lmao:
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Might be my favorite episode.  "I'm the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past... from the Future!"

The backstory of "Santa of Claus" and the apes are what make it for me.

 
scorchy said:
#45 - Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians - What I Am
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Sigh.  I honestly will not have nearly enough tunes left to make the next 80 list from 1988.

I had already extended my list to include September of 87 but that won't be nearly enough. I'll have to dip further.

 
scorchy said:
#44 - Danzig - Mother

Best song ever about Tipper Gore?  I love Anthrax's Starting Up a Posse but it's definitely a little on the nose.  Mother is positively subtle in comparison - I didn't even realize it was about the PMRC until I read it in a book years later.  I just thought it was some bad-### #### about turning someone's daughter to the dark side.  

Because I hung out with skaters on occasion (I was the kid roller skating on a half-pipe), I was pretty well familiar with the Misfits.  I wasn't a fan of Glenn's next band Sahmain but Danzig's self-titled debut sucked me right back in (Rick Rubin's production probably had a lot to do with it).  Mother didn't make it beyond headbanger/satanist circles in '88, but a rerelease from Danzig's 1993 live album got a ton of airplay on MTV and helped it reach the Billboard Hot 100.  

Mother
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love this song 

 
If you’re not sure what a song released in the 1985-90 range is about, the PMRC is always a good guess. 

 
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#43 - The Smithereens - Only A Memory

The Smithereens will forever be larger-than-life to me - a funny thing to say about a bunch of unassuming "bar band" guys from North Jersey. 

I mentioned way upthread about the serial murders that absolutely shook Gainesville during the first few weeks of my freshman year in August/September 1990.  Not gonna get too much into it, but as a 17-year old  living 800 miles from home, it was... I don't really know how to appropriately describe it.  There's a memorial on the 34th Street Wall with the victims' names that's been maintained for over 30 years now.  When I was visiting UF with my son this past summer, we went to the wall and I just lost it - completely overwhelmed.  Shocking for my son, who I don't think was prepared for the impact it would have on his old man.

Anyway, after canceling classes for a week and lots of students heading home, UF re-opened after a suspect was identified and arrested (it turned out not to be the guy).  Student government announced a free show at the Gator Bandshell by the Smithereens for the following Friday, and it turned into two hours of just pure joy - several thousand college kids getting a chance to just be college kids again. The Smithereens owned the stage, playing hits and new songs and covers and everything in between.  It being late summer in Florida, the skies opened up near the end of their set and drenched everyone - not a soul in the crowd headed for their cars.  The band kept playing and playing, coming out for several encores until Pat DiNizio basically said "This has to be the last one b/c we're out of songs."  I'll never forget the show of love between the band and the crowd - it's like they knew how badly we all needed this and seemed honored to be the ones to deliver.

Or maybe I'm projecting and the Smithereens forgot all about it by the time they did their next show in Atlanta or Birmingham - but I'm still gonna believe my version.  I still can't hear a Smithereens song without all of this flooding back and I'll always love them for it.

Only a Memory

 
scorchy said:
#43 - The Smithereens - Only A Memory

The Smithereens will forever be larger-than-life to me - a funny thing to say about a bunch of unassuming "bar band" guys from North Jersey. 

I mentioned way upthread about the serial murders that absolutely shook Gainesville during the first few weeks of my freshman year in August/September 1990.  Not gonna get too much into it, but as a 17-year old  living 800 miles from home, it was... I don't really know how to appropriately describe it.  There's a memorial on the 34th Street Wall with the victims' names that's been maintained for over 30 years now.  When I was visiting UF with my son this past summer, we went to the wall and I just lost it - completely overwhelmed.  Shocking for my son, who I don't think was prepared for the impact it would have on his old man.

Anyway, after canceling classes for a week and lots of students heading home, UF re-opened after a suspect was identified and arrested (it turned out not to be the guy).  Student government announced a free show at the Gator Bandshell by the Smithereens for the following Friday, and it turned into two hours of just pure joy - several thousand college kids getting a chance to just be college kids again. The Smithereens owned the stage, playing hits and new songs and covers and everything in between.  It being late summer in Florida, the skies opened up near the end of their set and drenched everyone - not a soul in the crowd headed for their cars.  The band kept playing and playing, coming out for several encores until Pat DiNizio basically said "This has to be the last one b/c we're out of songs."  I'll never forget the show of love between the band and the crowd - it's like they knew how badly we all needed this and seemed honored to be the ones to deliver.

Or maybe I'm projecting and the Smithereens forgot all about it by the time they did their next show in Atlanta or Birmingham - but I'm still gonna believe my version.  I still can't hear a Smithereens song without all of this flooding back and I'll always love them for it.

Only a Memory
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Wow. 

@Charlie Steiner

 
scorchy said:
Or maybe I'm projecting and the Smithereens forgot all about it by the time they did their next show in Atlanta or Birmingham - but I'm still gonna believe my version.  I still can't hear a Smithereens song without all of this flooding back and I'll always love them for it.

Only a Memory
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You're not projecting.  This is what has made The Smithereens America's Band Since 1980.  The niche they carved out for themselves belied their rock diversity, and Pat especially has many stories told about him similar to yours.  He spent some time doing a 'living room tour' where he would visit fans' homes on request and play a set, not just of Smithereens music but anything and everything the host would request and Pat knew.

While Pat's gone, the remaining band members plus a rotation of Marshall Crenshaw and Robin Wilson of The Gin Blossoms still tour now. I never saw them live and just missed finally seeing them when Pat passed away, but I keep thinking about seeing them when they're playing near me, if for no other reason than to thank them for all the songs I have attached so many memories to.

Fun fact about Only a Memory: you can hear it briefly in the background in a scene in the movie Bull Durham.

 
#42 - Living Colour - Open Letter to a Landlord

I've been multi-tasking  between this and writing performance reviews all day so I'm kind of typed out.  I'll just say that something about this song - the second single off Living Colour's masterful debut album - always struck a chord. Maybe it's the beauty of the intro and chorus set against the almost anti-melody of the verses.  :shrug:  I guess most listeners didn't agree, as it didn't have nearly the success of their previous release, barely cracking the Billboard Hot 100 (#82).  

Open Letter to a Landlord

 
scorchy said:
#42 - Living Colour - Open Letter to a Landlord

I've been multi-tasking  between this and writing performance reviews all day so I'm kind of typed out.  I'll just say that something about this song - the second single off Living Colour's masterful debut album - always struck a chord. Maybe it's the beauty of the intro and chorus set against the almost anti-melody of the verses.  :shrug:  I guess most listeners didn't agree, as it didn't have nearly the success of their previous release, barely cracking the Billboard Hot 100 (#82).  

Open Letter to a Landlord
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May be my #1 of the year. I was floored by it when I first heard it, even more so than by their first and more famous single. The whole album is a gem.

 
scorchy said:
#42 - Living Colour - Open Letter to a Landlord

I've been multi-tasking  between this and writing performance reviews all day so I'm kind of typed out.  I'll just say that something about this song - the second single off Living Colour's masterful debut album - always struck a chord. Maybe it's the beauty of the intro and chorus set against the almost anti-melody of the verses.  :shrug:  I guess most listeners didn't agree, as it didn't have nearly the success of their previous release, barely cracking the Billboard Hot 100 (#82).  

Open Letter to a Landlord
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Just a bunch of badarses. They had those little worm curl dreads, dressed in surf gear. Just cool

 
massraider said:
Just a bunch of badarses. They had those little worm curl dreads, dressed in surf gear. Just cool
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Body Glove wet suits. Corey Glover starred in a U.S. Military ad before the band took off so that he might pay bills. It was in a diner setting, and he was drinking coffee or something, talking about how excited he was about the free tuition or something he'd get for serving. 

 
scorchy said:
#42 - Living Colour - Open Letter to a Landlord

I've been multi-tasking  between this and writing performance reviews all day so I'm kind of typed out.  I'll just say that something about this song - the second single off Living Colour's masterful debut album - always struck a chord. Maybe it's the beauty of the intro and chorus set against the almost anti-melody of the verses.  :shrug:  I guess most listeners didn't agree, as it didn't have nearly the success of their previous release, barely cracking the Billboard Hot 100 (#82).  

Open Letter to a Landlord
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These guys could play. Great tune.

 
rockaction said:
Body Glove wet suits. Corey Glover starred in a U.S. Military ad before the band took off so that he might pay bills. It was in a diner setting, and he was drinking coffee or something, talking about how excited he was about the free tuition or something he'd get for serving. 
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He was in Platoon also..

 
Big moment in young rock's life that has to do with Living Colour: They got me into Bad Brains because they covered "Sailin' On" off of their B-sides album Time's Up, which was released a year or two after this album. It was just incendiary, and fast, and everything I loved about music. I immediately tracked down a copy of Bad Brains's ROIR sessions and played it out. 

Still love Bad Brains and have a bomber jacket to boot! 

 
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scorchy said:
#42 - Living Colour - Open Letter to a Landlord

I've been multi-tasking  between this and writing performance reviews all day so I'm kind of typed out.  I'll just say that something about this song - the second single off Living Colour's masterful debut album - always struck a chord. Maybe it's the beauty of the intro and chorus set against the almost anti-melody of the verses.  :shrug:  I guess most listeners didn't agree, as it didn't have nearly the success of their previous release, barely cracking the Billboard Hot 100 (#82).  

Open Letter to a Landlord
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Awesome tune - this would have been much higher for me (along with the, yes, “other” one).

 
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rockaction said:
Body Glove wet suits. Corey Glover starred in a U.S. Military ad before the band took off so that he might pay bills. It was in a diner setting, and he was drinking coffee or something, talking about how excited he was about the free tuition or something he'd get for serving. 
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Ah yes, I remember that commercial well. And apparently so does Corey based on his Facebook post:

https://fb.watch/9LGbwC59bt/

 
Andy Dufresne said:
"What I Am" should be shoved in the shallow water...and not allowed to come up for air ever again. 

"Mother" is probably Exhibit A about how a song can be great, even if it's not all that complex, as long as it has a cool hook. I mean, it doesn't sound like anything other than a high school garage band - like punk should. 
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I still enjoy a couple of Danzig albums even though I skip some songs.   I never really thought of it as punk but just hard rock.    Whatever it is works for me.   

 
scorchy said:
#42 - Living Colour - Open Letter to a Landlord

I've been multi-tasking  between this and writing performance reviews all day so I'm kind of typed out.  I'll just say that something about this song - the second single off Living Colour's masterful debut album - always struck a chord. Maybe it's the beauty of the intro and chorus set against the almost anti-melody of the verses.  :shrug:  I guess most listeners didn't agree, as it didn't have nearly the success of their previous release, barely cracking the Billboard Hot 100 (#82).  

Open Letter to a Landlord
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Got to see them at the U. of Md just before they hit big, as part of a travelling tour sponsored by MTV--Future of Rock or something like that. The opening act was some local 10,000 Maniacs wannabes, Living Colour was 2nd and The Godfathers (Birth, School, Work, Death was their 'big' song). I'd never heard of them before that, so when a  bunch of dreadlocked black guys take the stage, the last thing I expected was what came out of them. Blew.me.away. 

A buddy of mine somehow landed a job at the event doing set-up/take-down.  He was the one who told me about the show to begin with, and he told me after the fact that The Godfathers were stuck-up a-holes.  

 
Charlie Steiner said:
Got to see them at the U. of Md just before they hit big, as part of a travelling tour sponsored by MTV--Future of Rock or something like that. The opening act was some local 10,000 Maniacs wannabes, Living Colour was 2nd and The Godfathers (Birth, School, Work, Death was their 'big' song). I'd never heard of them before that, so when a  bunch of dreadlocked black guys take the stage, the last thing I expected was what came out of them. Blew.me.away. 

A buddy of mine somehow landed a job at the event doing set-up/take-down.  He was the one who told me about the show to begin with, and he told me after the fact that The Godfathers were stuck-up a-holes.  
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Great show. The Godfathers almost made my list. One of the final cuts. I loved that song in '88 though.  I think I had the tape but nothing else was memorable.

 
scorchy said:
Great show. The Godfathers almost made my list. One of the final cuts. I loved that song in '88 though.  I think I had the tape but nothing else was memorable.
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I wasn't impressed.  Maybe I would have liked them better if they had gone before Living Colour, but they just felt like a let-down after such a high-energy set.

 
scorchy said:
Where's the fierce emoji?
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Sounds so different when you try to distance yourself from glamour in 2021 by saying that one is "fierce" than it must have in 1988. Just sort of seems that the words are almost synonymous or complementary. At least in the fashion world, anyway. 

I'm fierce!

 
#41 - LL Cool J - Going Back to Cali

The Less Than Zero soundtrack almost had three songs in the countdown, but The Bangles cover of Hazy Shade of Winter was released late in '87 - pretty sure it would have made my top 10.  That leaves Going Back to Cali as the first of two.  Oddly enough, it never seemed to get much love in the hip-hop community but managed to hit #31 on the pop charts.  It somehow seemed way bigger.

Going Back to Cali

 
Also, as I am behind again, I never liked Love Bites by Def Leppard that much back in the day, but I ended up liking it many years later, and it is now one of the few songs from Hysteria I will actually listen to.  And Hysteria was never an album I played to death anyway, largely because MTV played all of the hits to death and Gods of War was the only deep cut I thought was really good (and still do). 

 
scorchy said:
#41 - LL Cool J - Going Back to Cali

The Less Than Zero soundtrack almost had three songs in the countdown, but The Bangles cover of Hazy Shade of Winter was released late in '87 - pretty sure it would have made my top 10.  That leaves Going Back to Cali as the first of two.  Oddly enough, it never seemed to get much love in the hip-hop community but managed to hit #31 on the pop charts.  It somehow seemed way bigger.

Going Back to Cali
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This video is a monster. That sax is something else. Everything about this song and the accompanying cultural-sort-of coolness was *chef's kiss* perfect.

I got bombed one night from back in the day, and I took out a thread about it. Maybe I can find that thread. 

 
rockaction said:
This video is a monster. That sax is something else. Everything about this song and the accompanying cultural-sort-of coolness was *chef's kiss* perfect.

I got bombed one night from back in the day, and I took out a thread about it. Maybe I can find that thread. 
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The video felt very Avant-garde to me.  Never mind that I was 13 and had no idea what avant-garde was, it still felt like it.  Also felt cool as hell.  

 
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scorchy said:
The Less Than Zero soundtrack almost had three songs in the countdown, but The Bangles cover of Hazy Shade of Winter was released late in '87 - pretty sure it would have made my top 10. 
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The Bangles did a great cover indeed.

I catch Less Than Zero a lot on cable these days. Kind of a crappy film, but salvaged by the great Robert Downey, Jr. and James Spader. And one of those movies that makes you feel a bit better about your life.

But I digress…

 
zamboni said:
I catch Less Than Zero a lot on cable these days. Kind of a crappy film, but salvaged by the great Robert Downey, Jr. and James Spader. And one of those movies that makes you feel a bit better about your life.
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I haven't seen it forever but remember it just as you say.

In an attempt to be edgy and hip, I read (and pretended to like) Bret Easton Ellis in HS/College - Less Than Zero, American Psycho, The Informers.  Pretty sure the books were awful too.  

 
#40 - Bon Jovi - Bad Medicine

The first single off New Jersey, Bad Medicine raced straight to #1 on the Hot 100 in the fall of '88.  Despite actively disliking Bon Jovi back then, I remember thinking that the song was actually pretty good.  33 years later, Bad Medicine was originally a lot farther back in this list, but after re-listening several times, I kept pushing it up the chart.  Aside from the bad Springsteen-esque spoken word part ("We're not done... c'mon .... one more time") it holds up really well.  All the haters should give it another chance before changing the station.  Plus, who can argue with Sam Kinison doing his thing at the start of the video.

Bad Medicine

 
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