Welcome back to The Fantastic 40:
My personal journal of the artists whose work dominated Billboard’s Top 40 for a calendar year between 1980 and 1991.
This time around, we’re looking at 1988.
The trend: Rock regains a foothold.
Buoyed by the pop-metal of acts like Bon Jovi and Poison and the stadium rock of U2 and Bruce Springsteen in 1987, the Top 40 crossed over with pop/rock, more so than in the preceding few years.
Beneficiaries include:
Cheap Trick (14)
Poison (15),
Aerosmith (18),
Van Halen (24),
Guns ‘n’ Roses (26),
And, to a lesser degree:
INXS (2),
Cher (28),
Icehouse (35),
and Chicago (21).
Even artists not typically classified as rock had an edge in their hits, including:
No. 1 George Michael (“Monkey”),
No. 3 Michael Jackson (“Dirty Diana”),
No. 30 Robert Palmer (“Simply Irresistible”)
and No. 31 Natalie Cole (“Pink Cadillac.”)
New names:
After a soft launch with his first solo album, Bobby Brown (29) exploded in 1988 with back-to-back Top 10 hits, and he’s just getting started.
Taylor Dayne jumps in at No. 6 on the strength of four dance-pop and adult contemporary singles from her debut album.
And D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince begin their run at No. 34.
Final bows:
The Pet Shop Boys close out at No. 40,
Daryl Hall and John Oates land at No. 32,
and Huey Lewis and the News finish at No. 37. Each act would have further hits but not enough of a run to return to the Fantastic 40.
Also bid adieu to Billy Ocean (25),
Foreigner (27),
The Jets (16),
Steve Winwood (11),
And, on a technicality:
Elton John (17) – Elton’s next run of hits will be after the 1991close of the Fantastic 40.
Only in 1988:
Yes, there’s the expected…
Tiffany (22),
Johnny Hates Jazz (39),
and Brenda K. Starr (36.)
But other artists who would have further Top 40 hits only made the Fantastic 40 this year:
Rick Astley (9),
Terence Trent D’Arby (10),
Pebbles (23),
Belinda Carlisle (19)
and Breathe (13).
Eric Carmen, riding a second wind from the “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack success of “Hungry Eyes,” comes in at No. 20.
Time and again:
Rod Stewart is back at No. 33, and he’ll continue going for the next several years.
Phil Collins returns solo at No. 38,
While Richard Marx gathers steam at No. 12,
And Debbie Gibson joins Whitney, MJ, George and others by pulling four hits from her “Out of the Blue” to rank eighth.
And while it may be the last year for the Miami Sound Machine to be name-checked, lead singer Gloria
Estefan will return in 1989 with solo billing.
Next up:
The last year of the ‘80s!
to be continued…
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The fantastic 40 of 1988
1. George Michael
2. INXS
3. Michael Jackson
4. Def Leppard
5. Whitney Houston
6. Taylor Dayne
7. Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
8. Debbie Gibson
9. Rick Astley
10. Terence Trent D’Arby
11. Steve Winwood
12. Richard Marx
13. Breathe
14. Cheap Trick
15. Poison
16. The Jets
17. Elton John
18. Aerosmith
19. Belinda Carlisle
20. Eric Carmen
21. Chicago
22. Tiffany
23. Pebbles
24. Van Halen
25. Billy Ocean
26. Guns ‘N’ Roses
27. Foreigner
28. Cher
29. Bobby Brown
30. Robert Palmer
31. Natalie Cole
32. Daryl Hall and John Oates
33. Rod Stewart
34. D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
35. Icehouse
36. Brenda K. Starr
37. Huey Lewis and the News
38. Phil Collins
39. Johnny Hates Jazz
40. Pet Shop Boys
The fantastic 40 of 1988 including collaborations (marked with an *) – Unlike much of the decade, there was very little impact of collaborations in 1988, as most were one-offs that did little for either act: Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes; Patrick Swayze and Wendy Fraser; Brenda Russell and Joe Esposito. The exception was the sublime hit for the Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield.
1. George Michael
2. INXS
3. Michael Jackson
4. Def Leppard
5. Whitney Houston
6. Taylor Dayne
7. Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
8. Debbie Gibson
9. Rick Astley
10. Terence Trent D’Arby
11. Steve Winwood
12. Richard Marx
13. Breathe
14. Cheap Trick
15. Poison
16. Pet Shop Boys*
17. The Jets
18. Elton John
19. Aerosmith
20. Belinda Carlisle
21. Eric Carmen
22. Chicago
23. Tiffany
24. Pebbles
25. Van Halen
26. Billy Ocean
27. Guns ‘N’ Roses
28. Foreigner
29. Cher
30. Bobby Brown
31. Robert Palmer
32. Natalie Cole
33. Daryl Hall and John Oates
34. Rod Stewart
35. D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
36. Icehouse
37. Brenda K. Starr
38. Huey Lewis and the News
39. Phil Collins
40. Johnny Hates Jazz
Another year, another playlist. Thanks Chuck!
Tons of great songs, and a surprising eclecticism, given the late year. I guess part of what helps in that respect is that singles released in previous years can be represented as long as they prove themselves. 89 gets a lot of flak in terms of radio hits, but when supplemented by the best cuts from 87 and 88, it’s damn solid.
It was a great year/album cycle for Steve Winwood, and then that was kind of it. I think he had a couple minor hits after that and then nothing. Or am I forgetting something (again)?
He sort of had a massive worldwide hit in 2004. Eric Prydz sampled his vocal from Valerie and turned it into dance track Call On Me. Made it onto the US Dance charts rather than Hot 100 but it was big all over Europe and Australia that year. Steve even ended up re-recording his vocal for it.
Some of which may have been due to its aerobics themed video. I wouldn’t say its definitely NSFW but it may get people hot under the collar.
https://youtu.be/qetW6R9Jxs4?feature=shared
Hot under the collar? It makes me feel like I’m out of shape.
One of the many delights of this series is reading Chuck’s handwritten entries listing the records that certainly charted, but are largely forgotten.
I like to think that very little escaped my attention in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and even the 90s on the charts. But I’m always humbled, in a fun way,, when I discover some of these lost Top 40 records. Sometimes they jog a memory, and other times… I never had a clue!
I had to look up Robert Palmer’s “Early In The Morning” because I didn’t recognize it by the title but I remembered it as soon as it got to the chorus. Funny how many things are stored away in unused brain cells.
Robert is an interesting example of someone who has a lot of memorable records, but was never intimidated about taking on a cover.
He always did a good job on the R & B and funk interpretations. I liked his version of the Patrice Rushen song.
Two of the three songs in the “Sailin’ Shoes/Hey Julia/Sneaking Sally Through The Alley” medley are covers but he totally makes them his own.
Agreed, Virg. A fabulous medley.
I’ve never heard of the group Breathe. Did Tom even mention them at all?
@thegue would know.
He did NOT, but Breathe wasn’t able to crack my Top 10 countdown…tough to do with THREE Top 10 songs!
What? You didn’t listen to Adult Contemporary or ever go to the dentist in the late 80s? I think that “Hands to Heaven” and “How Can I Fall” were both on regular rotation.
(I apologize for criticizing your oral hygiene.)
Sadly, I did not go to the dentist from quite some time in that era and dearly paid the price for it. And I have never by choice listened to AC radio.
I just listened to both “Hands to Heaven” and “How Can I Fall” and I can verify that they are completely unfamiliar to me and I’m quite sure I have never heard them before.
Oh, and they are both awful, but that’s neither here nor there.
Later singles “Don’t Tell Me Lies” and “Say a Prayer” are a little sprightlier.
You would be forgiven for hearing “Hands to Heaven” in passing and thinking it was George Michael, considering how ubiquitous he was in ‘88.
Full house two years in a row and this time I recognise them all without the help of Tom’s column. Everyone in the 40 had some success over here even if it was just as a one hit wonder like Pebbles.
The surprises to me are the likes of smooth British pop like Breathe and Johnny Hates Jazz appearing. Hands To Heaven was Breathe’s only home hit, they were tipped for bigger things but for some reason the follow up singles didn’t do it.
Johnny Hates Jazz trajectory was totally in the wrong direction. Shattered Dreams was a #5 with the next 6 singles performing progressively worse til they missed the charts altogether.
Having written the majority of the double platinum debut album heartthrob singer Clark Datchler left for a solo career that went nowhere. Whereas his replacement in JHJ Phil Thornalley seems a leftfield choice. He had produced The Cure’s Pornography then joined them on bass, playing stand up bass on The Lovecats. He somehow landed up as singer with JHJ in their post chart success era before going back to production and songwriting. He wrote Torn for Natalie Imbruglia and two UK #1s for Pixie Lott in 2010. Despite his extensive and impressive production and songwriting credits he couldn’t arrest JHJ slide into obscurity.
Johnny Hates Jazz did it to themselves. How can you not like an album with ‘Bicycle Race’ on it?
Took me a moment but I see what you did there. Fine work.
I’ll always lament the abbreviated Top 40 run of Terence Trent D’Arby. I loved that debut album, and thought he’d be a chart mainstay for years. His muse went another direction, it seems.
Agreed, but it was kind of cool that he resurfaced a few years later on the alternative rock charts, as I recall.
If you had asked me in 1988 which one of the new hit artists would have the longest career on the Hot 100, I would’ve said Terence Trent D’Arby immediately. He had the chops and the looks for long-term success. Wish he had made it bigger, but as I understand from recent interviews, he’s happy with his life now as is. Good for him.
I think Terrence Trent D’Arby was inspired by Sign o the Times. But only Prince could get away with making an experimental album.Terrence Trent D’Arby went minimalist with his follow-up album Neither Fish Nor Flesh(A Soundtrack of Love, Faith, Hope, and Destruction) and killed his career. Either Harry Belafonte or Al Jarreau told a reporter I don’t get it. Lenny Kravitz got it. “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” reminds me of “To Know Someone Deeply is to Known Someone Softly”. Still waiting for that Pitchfork reappraisal.
I was obsessed with “I’ll Never Turn My Back On You(Father’s Words), which, arguably, should have been the fifth single. I fell for the hype; his proclamation that he was better than The Beatles. I just had to buy it. What if he was right? Wouldn’t that be something? He’s not, but there isn’t a bad track on Introducing the Hardline According to…
The Jets baby! Love the family band…
Also Taylor Dayne baby!!! Her surprise appearance with Tig Notaro on the live episode of This American Life will always make her special in my heart.
Prince. The Replacements. Low. The Jets.
Minnesota. Something for everybody. Or, you can like all four.
Calling @dutchg8r … your boy is No. 1….
[Races in, out of breath]
I’m here, I’m here!!! Thank you for the batsignal Chuck, so that I may properly thank you for getting it right for 1988. 😉
Awww man, 1988 was my year. The George Michael Express got me on board for life, all the songs that year just seemed to glisten and shine just a bit more than previous years, and everything just sounded fantastic to my ears. Like, everything.
Except “Hungry Eyes”. That’s a legit ‘I Hate It” song. No medical waiver for me there, it just sucks.
Am I biased because 1988 was my freshman year of high school and all the songs sounded that much better? I incessantly would play my Walkman on the bus with my newest stash of rechargeable batteries? I’d spend hours at night with the headphones on constantly going up and down the radio dial soaking up everything? I started putting up George Michael wallpaper in my bedroom?
Uh, yeah. Totally biased.
[Does a cheesy Cabbage Patch chair dance to celebrate our best of 1988 artist winner according to Our Man Chuck.]
Sorry I’m so far behind and not commenting as much lately, stupid work is actually keeping me busy doing, wait for it,…….. work. Sheesh. So I can only bop on for a few minutes at a time over at the mothership during the day, but I’m very bummed I’m missing out regularly chatting with you guys here too.
Oh, and if anyone needs me tonight, I’ll be doing my Lifelong Phillies Fan Duty of standing in my living room and yelling at the tv during Game 7 tonight.
What a ratings disaster. Diamondbacks/Rangers. I’m not rooting for Texas, exactly. I’m rooting for Bruce Bochy. The ex-Padres manager, should he win, I predict, will force Tony LaRussa out of retirement. Bochy will have four titles to LaRussa’s three.
The Diamondbacks are like the Padres; they don’t have a national following. Nobody is happy, except for the state of Arizona.
I recently saw a clip of Sherri Shepherd’s talk show where she had Taylor Dayne on as a guest to celebrate 35 years of the success of “Tell It to My Heart.” I had 2 thoughts: One, she looked and sounded great. Two, I’m getting so old ….
Same, buddy, same.