Musical Dice -- Top Songs Of 1988

Top Songs Of 1988

POS

TITLE

ARTIST

PEAK

COMMENTS

HM

The Deele

10

The Deele was comprised of cousins of producers L.A. Reid and Babyface. This song was later recorded by After 7, also cousins of L.A. Reid and Babyface.

HM

Prince

10

From the album "Sign O' The Times"

HM

Bruce Springsteen

9

HM

Tiffany

7

Originally recorded by the Beatles as "I Saw Her Standing There" (#14 in 1964).

HM

Prince

8

From the album "Lovesexy" where Prince appears on the album cover nude.

HM

Whitney Houston

9

The fifth top ten hit from the album "Whitney," and the song that broke Whitney Houston's string of #1 hits.

100

Taylor Dayne

7

99

White Lion

8

White Lion's first hit.

98

Poison

6

97

David Lee Roth

6

David Lee Roth's second and final top ten hit. Just like the video for "California Girls," a lot of bikini-clad women were featured in this video.

96

Steve Winwood

9

First came out in 1982 (peaked at #70 then), then re-issued after the success of Winwood's "Back In The High Life Again" album.

95

INXS

7

The fourth top ten hit from the album "Kick." Written by lead singer Michael Hutchence, who committed suicide in 1997 (age 37). The song was played at his funeral.

94

Cher

10

Written by Michael Bolton. Laura Branigan first tried to make this a hit in 1986, but failed to hit the top 40.

93

Brenda K. Starr

13

The only non-top-ten hit to make this list! Brenda became the mentor for then-future superstar Mariah Carey, whose own version of this song, climbed to #4 in 1999.

92

John Cougar Mellencamp

8

91

George Michael

5

The sixth top ten hit from the "Faith" album.

90

Gloria Estefan & the Miami Sound Machine

6

The top Adult Contemporary hit of 1988.

89

Whitney Houston

5

Featured in the Summer Olympics in Seoul Korea.

88

Steve Winwood

6

Steve Winwood's last top ten hit. Written specifically for the Michelob commercial. Steve Winwood was harshly criticized for doing that.

87

Al B. Sure!

7

86

Foreigner

5

Foreigner's last top 40 hit.

85

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

8

Their third and last top 10 hit. Written by Desmond Child. Later featured in the movie "Rounders."

84

Sting

7

References Sting's 1985 hit "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free."

83

Paul Carrack

9

Paul Carrack's only top ten hit as a solo artist. His former group, Squeeze, had hits in 1988.

82

Van Halen

5

Van Halen's third and final top ten pop hit. From the album OU812 (read, "Oh You Ate One Too"). Note: Van Halen's former lead singer, David Lee Roth, is also on this list, back at #97.

81

Brenda Russell feat. Joe Esposito

6

Later sampled in a hip-hop song.

80

The Petshop Boys

4

Originally recorded by Brenda Lee in 1970. Elvis Presley covered the song two years later. Willie Nelson's #5 hit version from 1982 was taken from the Brenda Lee version, while this version was taken from the Elvis Presley version.

79

Bobby Brown

8

Bobby Brown's first top ten pop hit. Not the same as the 1956 Elvis Presley song of the same title.

78

Bruce Hornsby & the Range

5

The third and final top ten hit for Bruce Hornsby & the Range.

77

Icehouse

7

Co-written by John Oates of Hall & Oates. Icehouse is an Australian slang for an insane asylum. Their first and only other U.S. top 40 hit was called "Crazy."

76

Tracy Chapman

6

Tracy Chapman's first hit. She won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist of 1988.

75

Natalie Cole

5

Written and originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen in 1984 (as the B-side of his hit "Dancing In The Dark").

74

Keith Sweat

5

Top R & B song of 1988.

73

Foreigner

6

72

Hall & Oates

3

The 16th and final top ten hit for Hall & Oates.

71

Elton John

6

Written in 1973 as a tribute to Marily Monroe. Original version was on the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" album. This version was recorded live with the Melbourne (Australia) Symphony Orchestra.

70

Cheap Trick

4

This IS a remake of the original Elvis Presley classic, which spent 11 weeks at #1 in 1956. For a week, both this song, and "Don't Be Cruel" by Bobby Brown were in the top at the same time.

69

Peter Cetera

4

68

The Jets

6

Unlike the other Jets hits, which featured a female lead vocalist, this one features a male lead vocalist.

67

New Edition

7

Note: Former New Edition member Bobby Brown is also on this list back at #79.

66

Pretty Poison

8

From the movie "Less Than Zero." The group is not related to the group Poison.

65

INXS

3

64

Huey Lewis & the News

3

The 12th and final top ten hit for Huey Lewis & the News.

63

Pebbles

2(2)

62

Gloria Estefan & the Miami Sound Machine

3

The fifth hit from the "Set It Loose" album. Not the same song Len Barry took to #2 in 1965.

61

Michael Jackson

1(1)

The fifth #1 hit in a row from the "Bad" album, setting a record. Guitarist is Steve Stevens from Billy Idol's band.

60

Pebbles

5

Pebbles' first hit. Songwriter and producer Babyface had commented that making Pebbles' first album would have been easier, if his partner, L.A. Reid hadn't fallen in love with her!

59

Roger

3

58

Terence Trent D'Arby

4

57

Belinda Carlisle

2(1)

Written by Diane Warren.

56

U2

3

From the concert movie "Rattle And Hum."

55

Jody Watley

6

54

Debbie Gibson

3

53

Taylor Dayne

7

Taylor Dayne's first hit.

52

The Information Society

3

The "Pure Energy" blurbs came directly out of an episode of "Star Trek," and were uttered by actor Leonard Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock on the show.

51

The Jets

4

The Jets' last top 40 hit.

50

The Petshop Boys/Dusty Springfield

2(2)

49

Kylie Minogue

3

Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin (then husband and wife). Originally #1 for 1 week for Little Eva in 1962, and #1 for 2 weeks for Grand Funk in 1974. Kylie used to date Michael Hutchence of INXS (both Australian).

48

Chicago

3

Lead vocals by Bill Champlin. Written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond. Note: Former Chicago member Peter Cetera is also on this list back at #69.

47

Richard Marx

3

46

INXS

2(2)

45

George Michael

1(2)

The first anti-drug song to reach #1. The fifth top ten hit from the album "Faith," and the fourth consecutive #1 hit from that album.

44

Rick Astley

1(1)

43

Elton John

2(1)

The highest-charting song Elton John had in the 80's. "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" and "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" were in the top 40 simultaneously, and often-times, back-to-back on the list.

42

The Beach Boys

1(1)

From the movie "Cocktail." The Beach Boys' first #1 hit in 22 years (last #1 was "Good Vibrations" in 1966) -- a record at the time.

41

Bon Jovi

1(2)

40

Patrick Swayze feat. Wendy Fraser

3

From the movie "Dirty Dancing," co-starring Patrick Swayze.

39

UB40

1(1)

Written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond in 1968 (#62). UB40 first charted with a shorter version of the song in 1984, reaching #34. The full-length album version was put on the single in 1988, and it was this version that reached #1.

38

Eric Carmen

3

Eric Carmen's third and final top ten hit.

37

Bobby McFerrin

1(2)

From the movie "Cocktail." The first completely a capella song to go to #1

36

Michael Jackson

1(1)

Reached #1 despite being panned for having "vapid lyrics."

35

The Bangles

2(1)

From the movie "Less Than Zero." Originally a hit for Simon & Garfunkel (#13 in 1966).

34

Aerosmith

3

Written by Desmond Child. Aerosmith's first top ten hit in 11 years.

33

Whitney Houston

1(2)

Whitney Houston's record-breaking seventh straight #1 hit, and the fourth #1 in a row from her album "Whitney."

32

Debbie Gibson

1(1)

The fourth single from Debbie's album "Out Of The Blue." Debbie Gibson became the youngest person to write, sing, and produce a #1 hit -- she was still only 17 when this went to #1 in June of 1988.

31

Richard Marx

2(2)

The first ballad of Richard Marx's to hit the top ten.

30

Def Leppard

1(1)

29

Phil Collins

1(2)

From the movie "Buster" starring Phil Collins. Written by Carole Bayer Sager. Originally a #2 hit for Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders in 1966.

28

Samantha Fox

3

Written and produced by Full Force.

27

George Michael

1(2)

Also reached #6 on the R & B chart. Later sampled in P.M. Dawn's 1993 #6 pop hit "Looking Through Patient Eyes."

26

Johnny Hates Jazz

2(3)

25

Eric Carmen

4

From the movie "Dirty Dancing." This is Eric Carmen's first top ten hit in 12 years (since his #2 hit "All By Myself").

24

Richard Marx

1(1)

The fourth single from Marx's self-titled debut album, and his first #1 single.

23

Robert Palmer

2(2)

Featured in a cola commercial.

22

Debbie Gibson

4

21

Michael Jackson

1(2)

The fourth #1 in a row from the album "Bad," and the biggest hit from it. Co-written by Siedah Garrett, Michael Jackson's singing partner on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You."

20

Taylor Dayne

3

19

Def Leppard

2(1)

18

The Escape Club

1(1)

17

Whitesnake

2(1)

Less than a year after Survivor's last top ten hit "Is This Love," this song of the same title becomes Whitesnake's last top ten hit.

16

Expose

1(1)

The fourth top ten hit from the album "Exposed," and the group's only #1 hit.

15

Billy Ocean

1(2)

14

Cheap Trick

1(2)

13

Gloria Estefan & the Miami Sound Machine

1(2)

The fourth single from "Set It Loose," and the biggest hit of Gloria Estefan's career.

12

Terence Trent D'Arby

1(1)

11

George Michael

1(3)

Also reached #1 for a week on the R & B chart.

10

Steve Winwood

1(4)

Steve Winwood's biggest hit. He got his first major break at age 18, being the lead singer of the Spencer Davis Group, because he could sound like Ray Charles.

9

Breathe

2(2)

For both weeks this song was at #2, "Roll With It" by Steve Winwood was #1. This was Australian group Breathe's first U.S. hit.

8

Tiffany

1(2)

7

Belinda Carlisle

1(1)

6

Whitney Houston

1(1)

Whitney's record-tying sixth straight #1 hit, tying the record the Bee-Gees had set in 1979.

5

Guns 'N' Roses

1(2)

4

Rick Astley

1(2)

3

George Harrison

1(1)

The last #1 hit by any of the ex-Beatles. The first #1 hit by an ex-Beatle was also by George Harrison ("My Sweet Lord").

2

INXS

1(1)

1

George Michael

1(4)

Title track from the #1 album of 1988.