This isnt a list of super smelly poopy buttholes that took place in glorious North Korea.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Also in 1988

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

See Musical groups disestablished in 1988

Albums released

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Release date unknown

Singles released in 1988

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1988.

U.S. best selling singles

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in the U.S. in 1988.

Top selling albums of the year in the US

Top 40 Chart hit singles

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in the U.S. in 1988.

Other Chart hit singles

• "Bad Medicine" – Bon Jovi • "Beat Dis" – Bomb The Bass • "Behind the Wheel" – Depeche Mode (released in 1987) • "Better Be Home Soon" – Crowded House • "Big Fun" – Inner City • "The Blood That Moves The Body" – a-ha • "Blue Monday 1988" – New Order (remix) • "Born to Be My Baby" – Bon Jovi • "Boys (Summertime Love)" – Sabrina Salerno (released in 1987) • "Bring the Noise" – Public Enemy • "Buffalo Stance" – Neneh Cherry • "Candle In The Wind" – Elton John (live) • "Cars And Girls" – Prefab Sprout • "Chains of Love" – Erasure • "Circle in the Sand" – Belinda Carlisle • "Como Tu Mujer" – Rocío Dúrcal • "Crash" – The Primitives • "Cross My Heart" – Eighth Wonder • "Cult of Personality" – Living Colour • *Dear (Cobalt no Kanata e)" – Yōko Oginome • "Desire" – U2 • "Devil Inside" – INXS • "Dirty Diana" – Michael Jackson • "Divine Emotions" – Narada Michael Walden • "Doctorin' the House" – Coldcut featuring Yazz and the Plastic Population • "Doctorin' the Tardis" – The Timelords • "Domino Dancing" – Pet Shop Boys • "Don't Believe the Hype" – Public Enemy • "Don't Make Me Wait/Megablast" – Bomb the Bass • "Don't Talk Dirty to Me" – Jermaine Stewart • "Don't Worry, Be Happy" – Bobby McFerrin • "Dreaming" – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark • "Endless Summer Nights" – Richard Marx • "Est-ce que tu viens pour les vacances ?" – David et Jonathan • "Ėtoile des neiges" – Simon et les Modanais • "Everlasting" – Natalie Cole • "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" – Poison • "Everything Your Heart Desires" – Hall & Oates • "Fast Car" – Tracy Chapman • "Fiesta" – The Pogues • "The Flame" – Cheap Trick • "Fine Time" – New Order • "First Time" – Robin Beck • "Foolish Beat" – Debbie Gibson • "Four Letter Word" – Kim Wilde • "Free Nelson Mandela" – Special AKA • "Fría Como el Viento" – Luis Miguel • "Fu-ji-tsu" – Shizuka Kudo • "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car" – Billy Ocean • "Girlfriend" – Pebbles • "Girl You Know It's True" – Milli Vanilli • "La Gitane (Ma tête tourne...)" – Félix Gray • "Giving You the Best That I Got" – Anita Baker • "Good Life" – Inner City • "Good Tradition" – Tanita Tikaram • "Got My Mind Set on You" – George Harrison • "The Great Commandment" – Camouflage • "Hands to Heaven" – Breathe • "Heart" – Pet Shop Boys • "Heaven Knows" - Robert Plant • "Heaven is a Place on Earth" – Belinda Carlisle (released in 1987) • "Hey Mister Heartache" – Kim Wilde • "Hold Me In Your Arms" – Rick Astley • "Hold On to the Nights" – Richard Marx • "Hole in My Heart (All the Way to China)" – Cyndi Lauper • "Hot in the City" – Billy Idol • "House Arrest (The Beat Is Law)" – Krush (released in 1987) • "Hungry Eyes" – Eric Carmen • "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That" – Elton John • "I Don't Want to Be a Hero" – Johnny Hates Jazz • "I Don't Want to Live Without You" – Foreigner • "I Don't Want to Talk About It" – Everything but the Girl • "I Don't Want Your Love" - Duran Duran • "I Get Weak" – Belinda Carlisle • "I Hate Myself for Loving You" – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts • "I Know You Got Soul" – Eric B. & Rakim • "I Owe You Nothing" – Bros • "I Saw Him Standing There" – Tiffany • "I Should Be So Lucky" – Kylie Minogue • "I Want You Back" – Bananarama • "I Want Your Love" – Transvision Vamp • "I Want to Be Your Man" – Roger • "I'll Always Love You" – Taylor Dayne • "I'll Be There for You" – Bon Jovi • "I'll Be With You" – T'Pau • "Im Nin'Alu" – Ofra Haza • "I'm Not Scared" – Eighth Wonder • "In The Air Tonight" – Phil Collins (remix) • "Is This Love" – Whitesnake • "It Takes Two" – Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock • "It Would Take a Strong Strong Man" – Rick Astley • "Jody" – Jermaine Stewart • "Joe le Taxi" – Vanessa Paradis (released in 1987) • "Johnny B. Goode" – Judas Priest • "Jour de neige" – Elsa Lunghini • "Just Got Paid" – Johnny Kemp • "Just Like Paradise" – David Lee Roth • "The King of Rock 'N' Roll" – Prefab Sprout • "Kokomo" – The Beach Boys • "Left to My Own Devices" – Pet Shop Boys • "Les Parfums de sa vie (Je l'ai tant aimée)" – Art Mengo • "A Little Respect" – Erasure • "Look Away" – Chicago • "Love Bites" – Def Leppard (released in 1987) • "Love Changes (Everything)" – Climie Fisher (remix/released in 1987) • "The Lover In Me" – Sheena Easton • "Lucretia My Reflection" – The Sisters of Mercy • "Make It Real" – The Jets • "Make Me Lose Control" – Eric Carmen • "Mary's Prayer" – Danny Wilson (released in 1987) • "Man in the Mirror" – Michael Jackson • "Mercedes Boy" – Pebbles • "Mistletoe and Wine" – Cliff Richard • "Monkey" – George Michael • "My Prerogative" – Bobby Brown • "Mystify" – INXS (released 1989 in the UK) • "Need You Tonight" – INXS (released in 1987) • "Never Knew Love Like This" – Alexander O'Neal • "Never Tear Us Apart" – INXS • "Never Trust a Stranger" – Kim Wilde • "New Sensation" – INXS • "Nothin' but a Good Time" – Poison • "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" – Glenn Medeiros (United Kingdom peak) • "Nuit de folie" – Début de Soirée • "One More Try" – George Michael • "One" – Metallica • "The Only Way Is Up" – Yazz and the Plastic Population • "Orange Crush" – R.E.M. (released 1989 in the UK) • "Orinoco Flow" – Enya • "Pamela" – Toto • "Paradise" – Sade • "Paradise City" – Guns N' Roses • "Parents Just Don't Understand" – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince • "The Payback Mix" – James Brown • "People Are Strange" – Echo & the Bunnymen • "People Have the Power" – Patti Smith • "Perfect Strangers" – Anne Murray • "Piano in the Dark" – Brenda Russell • "Pink Cadillac" – Natalie Cole (#2 Switzerland, #4 Ireland, Canada) • "Pour Some Sugar on Me" – Def Leppard (released in 1987; #2 US) • "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" – Mylène Farmer (#1 France) • "Push It/Tramp" – Salt-N-Pepa • "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" – Annie Lennox & Al Green • "Quand je t'aime" – Demis Roussos (#3 FR) • "Quelque chose dans mon cœur" – Elsa Lunghini (#2 FR) • "Quelque part au Soleil" – Dalida • "The Race" – Yello • "Rag Doll" – Aerosmith • "Real Gone Kid" – Deacon Blue • "Revolution Baby" – Transvision Vamp • "Rise To The Occasion (Hip Hop Mix)" – Climie Fisher (remix/released in 1987) • "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" – Mel & Kim (released December 1987) • "Rok da House" – The Beatmasters featuring The Cookie Crew (remix/released in 1987) • "Roll With It" – Steve Winwood • "Run's House" – Run-D.M.C. • "Rush Hour" – Jane Wiedlin • "I Say a Little Prayer" – Bomb The Bass • "Say It Again" – Jermaine Stewart • "Secret Land" – Sandra • "Shaday" – Ofra Haza • "Shake for the Sheik" – The Escape Club • "Shake Your Thang (It's Your Thing)" – Salt-N-Pepa featuring E.U. • "Shattered Dreams" – Johnny Hates Jazz (USA release) • "Ship of Fools" – Erasure • "Ship of Fools" – Robert Plant • "Sidewalking" – The Jesus and Mary Chain • "Sign Your Name" – Terence Trent D'Arby (released in 1987) • "Simply Irresistible" – Robert Palmer • "Slip Away" – Gregg Allman • "Smooth Criminal" – Michael Jackson • "So Emotional" – Whitney Houston (released in 1987) • "Spotlight" – Madonna • "Spring Love" – Stevie B • "Stand" – R.E.M. • "Stand Up for Your Love Rights" – Yazz • "Stay on These Roads" -a-ha • “Staying Together” – Debbie Gibson • "Stop!" – Erasure • "Stutter Rap (No Sleep 'Til Bedtime)" – Morris Minor and the Majors (#4 UK, #2 Australia) • "Superfly Guy" – S-Express • "Suedehead" – Morrissey • "Sweet Child o' Mine" – Guns N' Roses (released in 1987) • "Take Me To Your Heart" – Rick Astley • "Tall Cool One" - Robert Plant • "Teen Age Riot" – Sonic Youth • "That's the Way I Wanna Rock 'n' Roll" – AC/DC • "Theme from S-Express" – S-Express • "Touched by the Hand of God" – New Order • "Tougher Than the Rest" – Bruce Springsteen • "Together Forever" – Rick Astley • "Toy Soldiers" – Martika • "Tribute (Right On)" – The Pasadenas • "Twist and Shout" – Salt-N-Pepa • "Twist in My Sobriety" – Tanita Tikaram • "The Twist (Yo Twist)" – Fat Boys & Chubby Checker • "Two Hearts" – Cliff Richard • "Two Strong Hearts" – John Farnham • "Un Roman d'amitié (Friend You Give Me a Reason)" – Elsa Lunghini and Glenn Medeiros • "Waiting For A Star To Fall" – Boy Meets Girl (released on December 10, 1988) • "Walking Away" – Information Society (#9 US) • "The Way You Make Me Feel" – Michael Jackson • "We Call It Acieed" – D Mob featuring Gary Haisman (#3 UK) • "Wee Rule" – Wee Papa Girl Rappers • "Welcome to the Jungle" – Guns N' Roses (released in 1987) • "We'll Be Together" – Sandra • "(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me" – Alexander O'Neal • "What I Am" – Edie Brickell & New Bohemians (released 1989 in the UK) • "What You See Is What You Get" – Madonna • "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)" – Information Society (#3 US) • "When It's Love" - Van Halen • "When You Come" – Crowded House • "Wild World" – Maxi Priest • "Wishing Well" – Terence Trent D'Arby (released in 1987) • "A Word in Spanish" — Elton John • "Yé ké yé ké" – Mory Kanté (#1 Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Spain) • "You Came" – Kim Wilde • "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart" – Eurythmics

Notable singles

Other Notable singles

• "A Kissed Out Red Floatboat" - Cocteau Twins • "Can You Feel It" - Fingers Inc. • "Christine" - The House of Love • "Destination" - The Church • "Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie" - Goodbye Mr Mackenzie • "Hail" - Straitjacket Fits • "House We Used to Live In" - The Smithereens • "Is This the Life" - Cardiacs • "Liar, Liar" - Debbie Harry • "Nobody's Twisting Your Arm" b/w "I'm Not Always So Stupid" - The Wedding Present • "Secret Garden" - T'Pau • "(She Was A) Hotel Detective" – They Might Be Giants • "Thousands Are Sailing" - The Pogues • "Tugboat" - Galaxie 500 • "Only Dreaming (Wide Awake)" - Red Lorry Yellow Lorry • "Out of My Hands" - Died Pretty • "Surrender" – Suicide • "Towers of Strength" – Died Pretty • "Viento" - Caifanes

Classical music

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards

Grammy Awards

Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

Charts