1988 was a crazy year. The movies ‘Rain Man’ and ‘Big’ were making stars out of Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise, and happier and more up-tempo music rides the airwaves. What were the top songs that year? Take a look…
1.) Steve Winwood with ‘Roll With It’
2.) Guns N’ Roses hit it big with ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’
3.) Def Leppard rocked the house with ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’
4.) Bobby McFerrin made up happy with ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’
5.) Guns N’ Roses crowded the list with ‘Welcome To the Jungle’
6.) Salt-N-Pepa did indeed ‘Push It’
7.) INXS scored with ‘Need You Tonight’
8.) M/A/R/R/S asked up to ‘Pump Up The Volume’
9.) UB 40 covered the Neil Diamond tune ‘Red Red Wine’ (1984 release)
Prologue: 1988’s music was a reflection of new rock (GNR) and Def Leppard, both fairly clean and well produced. Funk and soul had it’s say that year, given the success of both Sale-N-Pepa and “Pump Up the Volume.” The biggest song of the year turned out to be “Don’t Worry Be Happy,” which won all kinds of awards in 1988.