The 25 best Classic Rock albums of 1988
24 July 2024, 15:32
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Cast your mind back to the days of GN'R Lies, New Jersey, And Justice For All and the arrival of the Traveling Wilburys.
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Megadeth - So Far, So Good... So What!: release date 19th January 1988
The third album from the thrash metal act included their cover Anarchy In The UK, In My Darkest Hour and Mary Jane.
Megadeth - So Far, So Good... So What! album cover. Picture: Alamy -
The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God: released 18th January 1988
The third album from Shane Macgowan and his Irish post-punk outfit included the merry Fiesta, Thousands Are Sailing and the evergreen seasonal hit Fairytale Of New York.
The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God. Picture: Press -
David Lee Roth - Skyscraper: release date 25th January 1988
The former Van Halen frontman's second full-length album included the singles Just Like Paradise, Stand Up and Damn Good.
David Lee Roth - Skyscraper album cover. Picture: Alamy -
AC/DC - Blow Up Your Video: release date 1st February 1988
The Aussie rock titan's eleventh studio album included the singles Heatseeker and That's The Way I Wanna Rock 'N' Roll.
AC/DC - Blow Up Your Video album cover. Picture: Press -
Robert Plant - Now & Zen: release date 29th February 1988
The former Led Zeppelin frontman's fourth solo album included the singles Heaven Knows, Tall Cool One and Ship Of Fools.
Robert Plant - Now & Zen album cover. Picture: Press -
Talking Heads - Naked: released 15th March 1988
The eighth and final studio album from the influential art rock band - David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison - included guest appearances from Johnny Marr, Kirsty MacColl and many more.
Talking Heads - Naked. Picture: Press -
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son: release date 11th April 1998
The seventh (!) album from Maiden included the hits Can I Play With Madness and The Evil That Men Do. The band played Monsters Of Rock at Castle Donington that summer.
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son album cover. Picture: Alamy -
Poison - Open Up And Say... Ahh!: release date 27th April 1988
The second album from the glam metal heroes included Nothin' But A Good Time, Fallen Angel and the UK Top 20 hit Every Rose Has Its Thorn.
Poison - Open Up And Say... Ahh! album cover. Picture: Press -
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Up Your Alley: release date 2nd May 1988
The sixth album from the former Runaway included the singles I Hate Myself For Loving You and Little Liar.
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Up Your Alley album cover. Picture: Alamy -
Living Colour - Vivid: release date 2nd May 1988
The debut album from the New York metal funk outfit included the singles Cult Of Personality, Glamour Boys and Middle Man.
Living Colour - Vivid album cover. Picture: Radio X -
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime: release date 3rd May 1988
The Washington DC heavy metal band's third album was a conceptual affair that included the singles Eyes Of A Stranger and I Don't Believe.
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime album cover. Picture: Alamy -
Iggy Pop - Instinct: release date 20th June 1988
The eighth album from the former Stooges man included further collaborations with Sex Pistol Steve Jones and the single Cold Metal would wind up in the Brit sci-fi horror Hardware.
Iggy Pop - Instinct album cover. Picture: Alamy -
Robert Palmer - Heavy Nova: release date 22nd June 1988
Palmer's follow-up to the hugely successful Riptide album gave the world another set of hits, including Change His Way, She Makes My Day and Simply Irresistible.
Robert Palmer - Heavy Nova album cover. Picture: Press -
Pat Benatar - Wide Awake In Dreamland: release date 4th July 1988
Benatar's seventh album included the UK hits Don't Walk Away, One Love and All Fired Up.
Pat Benatar - Wide Awake In Dreamland cover art. Picture: Alamy -
Cinderella - Long Cold Winter: release date 5th July 1988
The Pennsylvanian glam metal group's second album spawned the hits Gypsy Road, Don't Know What You Got (Til It's Gone) and Coming Home.
Cinderella - Long Cold Winter album cover. Picture: Alamy -
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking: release date 23rd August 1988
The debut album from Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro's alt.rock legends include Jane Says, Mountain Song and Ocean Size.
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking album cover. Picture: Press -
Metallica - ...And Justice For All: released 7th September 1988
The band's fourth album saw the introduction of new bassist Jason Newsted and included the hit single One, plus the fan favourite Harvester Of Sorrow.
Metallica - ...And Justice For All. Picture: Press -
Bon Jovi - New Jersey: release date 19th September 1988
The follow-up to the huge hit Slippery When Wet included Bad Medicine, I'll Be There For You and Lay Your Hands On Me.
Bon Jovi - New Jersey album cover. Picture: Press -
U2 - Rattle And Hum: released 10th October 1988
Bono issued a double album of live material from their Joshua Tree tour and new tracks like the No 1 hit Desire. The accompanying film and media onslaught led many to accuse the band of losing the plot, leading the Irish group to reconvene and come up with more innovative Achtung Baby.
U2 - Rattle And Hum. Picture: Press -
Ozzy Osbourne - No Rest For The Wicked: release date 28th September 1988
Ozzy's fifth solo album included the single Crazy Babies, Breakin' All The Rules and Miracle Man. The LP also featured the debut of guitarist Zakk Wylde.
Ozzy Osbourne - No Rest For The Wicked album cover. Picture: Alamy -
Keith Richards - Talk Is Cheap: release date 3rd October 1988
It wasn't until the Stones went on a hiatus after their underwhelming Dirty Work album that Keef decided to attempt a solo LP. Stones men Mick Taylor and saxphone player Bobby Keys make appearances, as does Bootsy Collins. Tunes include Take It So Hard, Struggle and You Don't Move Me, reputedly a bitter rant about his old colleague Mr Jagger.
Keith Richards - Talk Is Cheap cover art. Picture: Alamy -
The Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues: released 17th October 1988
Winsome folk rock from Mike Scott, which includes the memorable title track, plus A Bang On The Ear.
The Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues. Picture: Press -
The Traveling Wilburys - Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1: release date 18th October 1988
The Wilburys was a supergroup featuring George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and ELO man Jeff Lynne. This debut album spawned two worldwide hits: Handle With Care and End Of The Line.
The Traveling Wilburys - Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 vinyl. Picture: Press -
R.E.M. - Green: released 7th November 1988
For their sixth album, R.E.M. did the unthinkable - they went to a major label. Warner Bros, to be precise. It was the start of the band's stadium rock era and singles included Orange Crush, Stand and Pop Song '89.
R.E.M. - Green album cover. Picture: Press -
Guns N'Roses - GN'R Lies: release date 29th November 1988
The follow-up to the mammoth Appetite For Destruction was half the previously-released Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide EP and half acoustic tunes, including the single Patience, Used To Love Her and the controversial One In A Million.
Guns N'Roses - GN'R Lies album cover. Picture: Press