1988 in music

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

1. George Michael – Faith
2. Madonna – You Can Dance
3. Michael Jackson – Bad
4. Guns N' Roses – Appetite for Destruction

Top 40 Chart hit singles

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

Other Chart hit singles

Notable singles

Other Notable singles

Classical music

• Gerald Barry – Cheveux-de-frise
• Luciano Berio – Sequenza XI
• George Crumb – Zeitgeist (Tableaux Vivants) for two amplified pianos
• Mario Davidovsky – Synchronisms No. 9 for violin and tape
• Joël-François Durand – Die innere Grenze for string sextet
• Lorenzo Ferrero – La cena delle beffe (incidental music)
• Michael Finnissy – Red Earth for orchestra
• Henryk Górecki – String Quartet No. 1, "Already it is Dusk"
• Stephen Hartke – Pacific Rim Overture
• Vagn Holmboe – Symphony No. 12, M. 338
• Wojciech Kilar – Choralvorspiel (Choral Prelude) for chamber string orchestra
• Witold Lutosławski – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
• Frederik Magle – We Are Afraid (Vi er bange), cantata for choir and chamber orchestra
• Carin Malmlöf-Forssling – String Quartet No. 1, "Silverkvartetten"
• António Chagas Rosa – Piano Sonata
• Kaija Saariaho – Petals for cello and electronics
• Bogusław Schaeffer – Concerto for Piano Duet and Orchestra
• Alfred Schnittke
• Concerto for Piano four hands and Orchestra
• Piano Quartet
• Symphony No. 5 (Concerto Grosso No. 4)
• Klingende Buchstaben
• Peter Sculthorpe – Kakadu
• Philip Sparke – Concerto Grosso
• Bent Sørensen
• Angels' Music for string quartet
• Camelot by Night for bass flute and guitar
• La Notte for piano and orchestra
• Tōru Takemitsu – Tree Line for chamber orchestra
• John Tavener – The Akathist of Thanksgiving
• Takashi Yoshimatsu – Concerto for Bassoon "Unicorn Circuit"

Opera

• Philip Glass – 1000 Airplanes on the Roof
• Karlheinz Stockhausen – Montag aus Licht (La Scala, Milan, May 7)

Jazz

Musical theater

• Bitter Sweet (Noël Coward) – London revival
• Chess (Tim Rice, Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus) – Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre and closed after 65 performances
• The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber) – Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre, and has the longest continuous run in Broadway history, with over 10,000 performances to date
• Sarafina – Broadway production opened at the Cort Theatre and ran for 597 performances

Musical films

Births

• January 7 – Hardwell, Dutch DJ and record producer
• January 8 – Haruka Abe, Japanese actress
• January 11 – Li Qinyao, Chinese actress and singer
• January 14
• Mikalah Gordon, American Idol contestant
• Jordy, French singer
• January 15
• Jessica Poland, American singer-songwriter
• Skrillex, American musician and DJ
• January 16
• FKA Twigs, born Tahliah Barnett, English singer-songwriter, dancer, advocate and actress
• Alex Gonzaga, Filipina singer
• January 20 – Victoria Asher, American musician
• January 21
• Glaiza de Castro, Filipino actress and singer
• AGA, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
• January 24 – Jade Ewen, English actress and singer
• January 25 – Yasmien Kurdi, Filipina pop singer
• February 3 – Cho Kyu Hyun, Korean pop singer (Super Junior)
• February 6 – Bailey Hanks, American actress and singer
• February 7
• Ai Kago, J-pop singer
• Lee Joon, Korean idol K-pop singer (MBLAQ), dancer, actor and model
• (or 1974) – Jihae, South Korean rock singer and actress
• February 8 – Ao Li, Chinese operatic bass-baritone
• February 11
• Li Qinyao (Jun Jun), Chinese J-pop singer and actress
• Paul Kim, K-pop singer
• February 13
• Aston Merrygold, English R&B singer (JLS)
• Mike Posner, American singer-songwriter, poet, DJ and music producer
• February 17 – Rod Michael, American singer (B3)
• February 18 – Max Changmin, K-pop singer
• February 20 – Rihanna, Barbadian pop singer
• February 22 – Jay Fung, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
• February 23 – Ashley Cooper, New Zealand pop singer
• February 27 – JD Natasha, born Natasha Jeannette Dueñas, American Latin music artist
• February 28
• Milly Edwards, Australian Idol contestant
• Markéta Irglová, Czech songwriter
• March 2
• James Arthur, English singer-songwriter
• Kate Alexa, Australian pop rock singer
• Esther Povitsky, American actress, singer, comedian, writer and producer
• Nadine Samonte, German pop singer
• March 6 – Agnes Carlsson, Swedish pop singer
• March 8
• Benny Blanco, American record producer, songwriter, musician (Dating Selena Gomez)
• Johnny Ruffo, Australian singer, songwriter, dancer, actor and television presenter (d. 2023)
• March 10 – Patrick Henry Hughes, American tenor and trumpeter
• March 15 – Lil Dicky, American comedy-rapper
• March 16 – Jhené Aiko, American singer-songwriter and rapper
• March 17 – Grimes (born Claire Boucher), Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, engineer, record producer, visual artist, feminist, activist and producer (collaborator of Hana)
• March 18
• Agir, Portuguese singer and composer
• Soukaina Boukries, Moroccan singer
• March 21 – Gabriela Isler, Venezuelan model and beauty queen
• March 25
• Big Sean, American rapper
• Ryan Lewis, American musician
• Wesley Klein, Dutch singer
• March 27 – Jessie J, English singer-songwriter
• March 31 – Conrad Sewell, Australian singer-songwriter
• April 12 – Jessie James Decker, American country pop singer
• April 17 – Takahiro Moriuchi, Japanese singer (One Ok Rock)
• April 19 – Alfie Arcuri, Australian singer-songwriter
• April 22 – Léo Santana, Brazilian singer, composer, and percussionist
• April 24 – Natalie Zahra, Australian Idol contestant
• April 25 – Sara Paxton, American singer, actress
• April 27
• Alfred Hui, Hong Kong singer
• Lizzo, born Melissa Jefferson, American singer-songwriter, actress, rapper and activist
• Pop Wansel, American record producer, musician and songwriter
• April 29
• Younha, Japanese and Korean pop singer
• Michael Ray, American country music singer-songwriter
• May 5
• Adele, English singer-songwriter
• Brooke Hogan, American actress, singer-songwriter and wrestler
• Skye Sweetnam, Canadian singer-songwriter, actress and music video director (Sumo Cyco)
• May 8 – Trisha Paytas, American Internet personality, actress and singer-songwriter
• May 11
• Ace Hood, American rapper
• Nikki Cleary, American pop-rock singer
• May 13 – Casey Donovan, Australian Idol winner, 2004
• May 18 – Tanner Wayne, American drummer (Underminded, Chiodos and Scary Kids Scaring Kids)
• May 19 - Anyma, American DJ and producer (Grimes)
• May 21 – Park Gyu-ri, South Korean idol singer
• May 22 – Roy English, also known as Jagwar Twin, American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer
• May 24 – Billy Gilman, American country singer
• May 27 - J-Min, South Korean singer-songwriter
• June 1
• Héloïse Letissier, French singer-songwriter (Christine and the Queens)
• Nami Tamaki, Japanese singer
• June 2
• Danny Parker, American songwriter
• Bảo Thy, Vietnamese singer and actress
• June 3 – Dave East, American rapper
• June 6 – Neha Kakkar, Indian pop singer
• June 7 – Michael Cera, Canadian actor, comedian, producer and singer-songwriter
• June 9 – Mae Whitman, American actress, voice actress and singer
• June 11 – Weyes Blood, American musician
• June 12 – Dave Melillo, American singer-songwriter
• June 14 – Kevin McHale, American actor, singer, dancer and radio personality
• June 16
• Banks, American singer-songwriter
• Keshia Chanté, Canadian urban singer
• June 18 – Josh Dun, American multi-instrumentalist and producer (House Of Heroes, Twenty One Pilots)r
• June 20 – May J., Japanese R&B singer
• June 21 – Beatrice Egli, Swiss singer
• June 22
• Miliyah Kato, Japanese R&B singer
• Vicky Psarakis, Greek-American vocalist-singer-songwriter, lead singer of The Agonist
• June 23
• Isabella Leong, Hong Kong singer, actress and model
• Jasmine Kara, Swedish singer-songwriter
• June 24 – Nichkhun Horvejkul, Thai singer
• June 27 – Colin Tilley, American music video director and film maker
• June 28 – Julian Waterfall Pollack, American jazz pianist and composer
• June 29 – Martina Å indlerová, Slovak pop singer
• June 30 – Jai Paul, English songwriter, record producer and recording artist
• July 2 – Amali Ward, Australian Idol contestant
• July 6
• Katy Tiz, British singer
• Brittany Underwood, American actress and singer
• July 7 – Kaci Brown, American pop/R&B singer
• July 8
• Reinaldo Zavarce, Venezuelan actor and singer
• Shocka, English rapper and mental health advocate
• July 11 – Natalie La Rose, Dutch singer-songwriter and dancer
• July 12 – Melissa O'Neil, Canadian Idol winner, Canadian singer and actress
• July 13
• Tulisa Contostavlos, English singer-songwriter and member of N-Dubz
• Colton Haynes, American actor, model and singer
• Mitch Rowland, American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (Harry Styles)
• July 17 – Anderson East, American rhythm and blues singer/songwriter
• July 19 – Charlene Soraia, English singer-songwriter and mental health activist
• July 20 – Julianne Hough, American dancer, singer and actress
• July 24 – Han Seung-yeon, South Korean singer and actress
• July 25 – Sarah Geronimo, Filipina pop singer
• July 28 – Nick Santino, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (A Rocket to the Moon)
• July 31 – Ruston Kelly, American country singer-songwriter (Kacey Musgraves)
• August 1 – Olia Tira, Moldovan singer
• August 2
• Chris Sebastian, Australian singer-songwriter (two time contestant of The Voice Australia, one time on Seal get to round 16 (2012) and won on team Kelly Rowland (2020), brother of Guy Sebastian)
• Brittany Hargest, American pop singer
• August 3
• Sierra Ferrell, American singer-songwriter and musician
• Shelley FKA DRAM, American rapper, singer, and record producer
• August 4 – Tom Parker, English singer-songwriter (The Wanted) (d. 2022)
• August 11 – Hoàng Thùy Linh, Vietnamese singer and actress
• August 13 – MØ, Danish singer-songwriter
• August 16 – Rumer Willis, American singer and actress
• August 18 – G-Dragon, Korean rapper, singer-songwriter and producer
• August 19 – Hoodie Allen, American rapper, singer-songwriter
• August 21
• Paris Bennett, American singer
• Kacey Musgraves, American country singer-songwriter
• August 23 – Alice Glass, Canadian singer-songwriter
• August 24 – Kelly Lee Owens, Welsh electronic musician
• August 25 – Alexandra Burke, English singer-songwriter and actress, X Factor winner
• August 26
• Erik Hassle, Swedish pop singer-songwriter
• Evan Ross, American actor and musician (Diana Ross, Ashlee Simpson)
• August 27 – Alexa Vega, American musical performer, actor and pop singer
• September 3 – Devon Welsh, Canadian singer-songwriter (Majical Cloudz, Grimes)
• September 6
• Max George, English singer-songwriter and actor
• Gustav Schäfer, German rock drummer (Tokio Hotel)
• September 12
• Amanda Jenssen, Swedish singer
• Petros Iakovidis, Greek singer
• Matt Martians, American record producer
• September 14 – Muni Long, American singer and songwriter
• September 16 – Teddy Geiger, American singer-songwriter
• September 19 – Reigan Derry, Australian singer-songwriter
• September 22 – Bethany Dillon, American Christian-music artist
• Sana Saeed, Indian actress
• September 26
• James Blake, English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer (Jameela Jamil, Theresa Waymen)
• Lilly Singh, Canadian vlogger, singer, rapper and artist
• September 27 – Alma, French singer-songwriter
• September 28
• Esmée Denters, Dutch singer and YouTuber
• Hana Mae Lee, American actress, model, singer and fashion designer (Pitch Perfect)
• September 30 – Jyongri, Japanese pop singer
• October 2 – Andreas Moe, Swedish singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist
• October 2 – Brittany Howard, American singer-songwriter
• October 3 – A$AP Rocky, American rapper, producer, part of the ASAP mob (Rihanna)
• October 4
• Jessica Benson, American R&B singer
• Melissa Benoist, American actress and singer
• October 5 – Kevin Olusola, Nigerian musician, beatboxer, cellist, rapper, record producer and singer-songwriter
• October 5 – Maja Salvador, Filipino actress and television personality
• October 5 – Bahar Kizil, German singer and songwriter
• October 11 – Knut Eirik Kokkin, Norwegian singer
• October 12 – Calum Scott, English singer-songwriter
• October 13 – Đông Nhi, Vietnamese singer
• October 14
• Kobra Paige, Canadian singer and songwriter
• Pia Toscano, American singer
• October 17
• Dami Im, Korean-born Australian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
• Nikki Flores, American Independent pop singer, musician, songwriter and vocal producer
• October 20
• Risa Niigaki, Japanese pop singer
• A$AP Ferg, American rapper, part of the ASAP mob
• Balqees, Emirati singer
• October 28 – Jamie xx, English musician, DJ, record producer and remixer
• November 2 – Elgiazar Farashyan, Belarusian singer
• November 6
• Emma Stone, American actress, musical star and singer
• Conchita Wurst, Austrian singer and drag queen, Eurovision Song Contest 2014 winner
• November 7 – Tinie Tempah, English rapper, singer-songwriter
• November 8 – Pauli Lovejoy, English drummer, recording artist, music director and model
• November 10
• Chisaki Hama, Japanese singer
• Cazzi Opeia, Swedish DJ, producer, singer and songwriter
• November 16
• Siva Kaneswaran, Irish singer, model, actor and songwriter
• Sampha, English singer-songwriter and record producer
• November 26 – Blake Harnage, American songwriter, music producer, multi-instrumentalist and composer
• November 28 – Scarlett Pomers, American singer/actress
• November 30 – Eir Aoi, Japanese singer
• December 1
• Tyler Joseph, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and rapper (Twenty One Pilots)
• Zoë Kravitz, American actress, singer and model (lolawolf)
• December 6 – Sandra Nurmsalu, Estonian musician
• December 7
• Emily Browning, Australian actress and singer (Sucker Punch, God Help the Girl, Plush)
• Toru Yamashita, Japanese singer (One Ok Rock)
• Benjamin Clementine, English-born singer-songwriter
• Min, Vietnamese singer
• December 12 – Hahm Eun-jung, South Korean singer
• December 14
• Awkwafina, American rapper, comedienne, actor
• Vanessa Hudgens, American actor, singer, dancer
• December 16 – Park Seo-joon, South Korean actor and singer
• December 17 – Jessi, American-South Korean rapper and singer (Uptown)
• December 19 – Casey Burgess, Australian singer-songwriter and actress
• December 20 – Mária Čírová, Slovak singer
• December 21 – Alexa Goddard, English pop/R&B singer, YouTuber
• December 23 – Eri Kamei, Japanese pop singer
• December 25 – Marco Mengoni, Italian singer-songwriter
• December 26 – Veronika Eberle, German violinist
• December 27
• Hayley Williams, American singer-songwriter, musician, businesswoman and activist (Paramore)
• Lou Yixiao, Chinese singer
• December 28 – Florrie, English singer-songwriter, drummer and model.
• December 30 – Leon Jackson, Scottish singer
• December 31 – Holly Holyoake, Welsh classical soprano singer

Deaths

• January 3 – John Dopyera, stringed instrument maker, 94
• January 19 – Evgeny Mravinsky, conductor
• February 3 – Radamés Gnattali, Brazilian composer, 81
• February 9 – Kurt Herbert Adler, conductor and opera administrator
• February 14 – Frederick Loewe, composer of musicals, 86
• February 16 – Jean Carignan, fiddler, 71
• February 17 – Alexander Bashlachev, Russian singer, 27 (suicide by jumping)
• February 24 – Memphis Slim, blues musician, 72
• February 27 – Gene de Paul, pianist and composer, 68
• March 6 – Jeanne Aubert, singer and actress, 88
• March 7 – Divine, singer and drag entertainer, 42 (heart failure)
• March 8 – Henryk Szeryng, violinist
• March 10 – William Wordsworth, Scottish composer
• March 10 – Andy Gibb, singer, 30 (myocarditis)
• March 12 – Gianna Pederzini, operatic mezzo-soprano, 88
• March 15 – Frank Perkins, American song composer
• March 20 – Gil Evans, Canadian jazz pianist, composer and bandleader
• April 3 – Kai Ewans, Danish jazz musician
• April 7 – Cesar Bresgen, Austrian composer
• April 9
• Brook Benton, 56 (complications of spinal meningitis)
• David Prater, of Sam & Dave, 50 (car accident)
• April 15 – Youri Egorov, Soviet classical pianist, 33 (complications of AIDS)
• April 20 - Frederick Sharp, English baritone, 76
• April 29 – James McCracken, tenor, 61
• May 1 – Claude Demetrius, songwriter
• May 10 – Ciarán Bourke, folk musician (The Dubliners), 53 (brain damage)
• May 13 – Chet Baker, jazz musician, 58 (head injuries from fall)
• May 21 – Sammy Davis Sr., vaudeville performer, 87
• May 22 – Dennis Day, US singer, 72
• May 25 – Martin Slavin, composer and music director, 66
• June 12 – Marcel Poot, Belgian composer, 87
• June 22 – Jesse Ed Davis, guitarist, 43
• June 25
• Hillel Slovak, Red Hot Chili Peppers, guitarist, 26 (speedball overdose)
• Jimmy Soul, American singer, 45 (heart attack)
• July 2 – Eddie Vinson, jazz/blues musician, 70
• July 18
• Joly Braga Santos, Portuguese composer and conductor, 64
• Nico, German singer, 49 (brain haemorrhage)
• July 20 – Richard Holm, German operatic tenor
• July 28 – Pete Drake, American record producer and pedal steel guitar player, 55 (emphysema)
• August – Tenor Saw, dancehall artist, 21 (road accident)
• August 8 – Félix Leclerc, folk singer, 74
• August 9 – Giacinto Scelsi, composer and poet, 83
• August 14
• Roy Buchanan, American guitarist, 48 (suicide)
• Robert Calvert, South African writer, poet, and musician, 43 (heart attack)
• August 19 – Sir Frederick Ashton, British choreographer, 83
• August 22 – Frances James, operatic soprano, 85
• August 24
• Kenneth Leighton, English composer, 58 (cancer)
• Nat Stuckey, American country singer
• September 17 – Hilde Gueden, operatic soprano, 71
• September 22 – Rezső Sugár, Hungarian composer, 68
• September 23 – Arwel Hughes, composer and conductor
• September 26 – Lord Melody, calypso musician, 62
• October 7 – Billy Daniels, singer, 73
• October 15 – Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, English composer, music critic and pianist
• October 18 – Sir Frederick Ashton, dancer and choreographer
• October 19 – Son House, blues musician
• October 20 – Mogens Wöldike, Danish conductor
• November 8 – Warren Casey, US theatre composer, lyricist, writer, and actor, 53 (AIDS-related)
• November 13
• Antal Doráti, conductor, 82
• Jaromír Vejvoda, Czech composer, 86
• November 24 – Irmgard Seefried, operatic soprano, 69
• November 26 – Antonio Estévez, composer
• November 30 – Charlie Rouse, saxophonist, 64
• December 2 – Tata Giacobetti, Italian singer and lyricist (Quartetto Cetra)
• December 6 – Roy Orbison, singer, 52 (heart attack)
• December 13 – André Jaunet, 77, French-born Swiss flautist
• December 16 – Sylvester, R&B singer, disco performer, 41 (complications from AIDS)
• December 21 – Paul Jeffreys, bassist (Cockney Rebel), 36 (killed in the crash of Pan Am Flight 103)
• December 25 – Evgeny Golubev, Russian composer, 78
• December 26 – Pablo Sorozábal, Spanish composer, 91
• date unknown
• Kenneth Morris, gospel composer and publisher, 71
• HÃ¥kan Parkman, Swedish composer, arranger and choral director, 33 (drowned)

Awards

• The following artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Drifters, Bob Dylan and The Supremes.

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1988

Country Music Association Awards

• 1988 Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1988

Charts

• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1988
• 1988 in British music#Charts
• List of Oricon number-one singles of 1988

See also

References