In going through this year, it seems to be one of those top-heavy years, but still the late 80's had a lot of good pop music I can't deny I enjoyed/enjoy still to a point.
Gangsta Rap, New Jack Swing and even some of the later New Romantic/New Wave bands, and of course pop-hair metal I suppose.
It also seems to have been a pretty big year for 1 Kevin Matthew Gilbert in that his band Giraffe released their amazing 2nd record The View From Here, and he also was with Eddie Money's band around that time and plays on Nothing to Lose.
Fates Warning brought in new singer Ray Alder and released maybe their most progressive album yet, and 1 of the many records I love from an all-time favorite band of mine. And the King's X debut album Out of the Silent Planet came out finally, after many years of refining their sound. And it's an amazing debut album, and the 1st of 4 straight classics they would make with producer Sam Taylor.
Queensryche's highly influential classic progressive metal album Operation: Mindcrime and Crimson Glory's peak to me with Transcendence also were released in '88.
Jane's Addiction, Marillion, Van Halen and some others add to best stuff from 1988. I guess among the years in the 80's, it certainly isn't the best, but definitely not the worst either.
Also oddly to notice how on my birthday, June 20th, both Bobby Brown and New Edition released new albums. Intentional? I kind of suspect it was. And both probably the best of their careers.
1. Fates Warning - No Exit
2. King's X - Out of the Silent Planet
3. Giraffe - The View from Here
4. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
5. Crimson Glory - Transcendence
6. Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
7. Marillion - B'Sides Themselves
8. NWA - Straight Outtta Compton
9. Pink Floyd - Delicate Sound of Thunder
10. Van Halen - OU812
11. Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II
12. Metallica - ...And Justice for All
13. Marillion - The Thieving Magpie
14. Santana - Viva Santana!
15. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
16. Roxette - Look Sharp!
17. Bobby Brown - Don't Be Cruel
18. R.E.M. - Green
19. U2 - Rattle and Hum
20. Eddie Money - Nothing to Lose
21. New Edition - Heart Break
22. Weird Al Yankovic - Even Worse
23. Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
24. Karyn White - Karyn White
25. Bon Jovi - New Jersey
![B'Sides Themselves (Marillion album) cover art.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1d/B%27Sides_Themselves_%28Marillion_album%29_cover_art.jpg/220px-B%27Sides_Themselves_%28Marillion_album%29_cover_art.jpg)
Marillion - B'Sides Themselves
rel January 4, 1988
![Skyscraper album cover.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8f/Skyscraper_album_cover.jpg/220px-Skyscraper_album_cover.jpg)
David Lee Roth - Skyscraper
rel January 26, 1988
![Lita (album).jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/65/Lita_%28album%29.jpg/220px-Lita_%28album%29.jpg)
Lita Ford - Lita
rel February 2, 1988
![Starfish album.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/66/Starfish_album.jpg/220px-Starfish_album.jpg)
The Church - Starfish
rel February 16, 1988
![RobertPlantNowAndZen.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0c/RobertPlantNowAndZen.jpg/220px-RobertPlantNowAndZen.jpg)
Robert Plant - Now and Zen
rel February 29, 1988
![Toto - The Seventh One.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/14/Toto_-_The_Seventh_One.jpg/220px-Toto_-_The_Seventh_One.jpg)
Toto - The Seventh One
rel March 1, 1988
![Tsgt.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/46/Tsgt.jpg/220px-Tsgt.jpg)
Smithereens - Green Thoughts
rel March 16, 1988
![ALittleManandaHouseandtheWholeWorldWindowCardiacs.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9d/ALittleManandaHouseandtheWholeWorldWindowCardiacs.jpg/220px-ALittleManandaHouseandtheWholeWorldWindowCardiacs.jpg)
Cardiacs - A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window
rel March 21, 1988
![3 - To the Power of Three.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f2/3_-_To_the_Power_of_Three.jpg/220px-3_-_To_the_Power_of_Three.jpg)
3 - ...To the Power of Three
rel March 25, 1988
![Out of the silent planet album cover.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/15/Out_of_the_silent_planet_album_cover.jpg/220px-Out_of_the_silent_planet_album_cover.jpg)
King's X - Out of the Silent Planet
rel March 29, 1988
![Fates Warning No Exit.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e0/Fates_Warning_No_Exit.jpg/220px-Fates_Warning_No_Exit.jpg)
Fates Warning - No Exit
rel March 1988
![Rock-Of-Life-(album).jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/98/Rock-Of-Life-%28album%29.jpg/220px-Rock-Of-Life-%28album%29.jpg)
Rick Springfield - Rock of Life
rel March 1988
![Sade - Stronger Than Pride.png](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/62/Sade_-_Stronger_Than_Pride.png/220px-Sade_-_Stronger_Than_Pride.png)
Sade - Stronger Than Pride
rel April 5, 1988
![Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c0/Iron_Maiden_-_Seventh_Son_Of_A_Seventh_Son.jpg/220px-Iron_Maiden_-_Seventh_Son_Of_A_Seventh_Son.jpg)
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
rel April 11, 1988
![Weird Al Yankovic - Even Worse.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4c/Weird_Al_Yankovic_-_Even_Worse.jpg/220px-Weird_Al_Yankovic_-_Even_Worse.jpg)
Weird Al Yankovic - Even Worse
rel April 12, 1988
![K.d. lang - Shadowland.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/K.d._lang_-_Shadowland.jpg)
k.d. Lang - Shadowland
rel April 19, 1988
![Stay on These Roads album cover.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c6/Stay_on_These_Roads_album_cover.jpg/220px-Stay_on_These_Roads_album_cover.jpg)
a-ha - Stay on These Roads
rel May 3, 1988
![Scenes Hornsby.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e2/Scenes_Hornsby.jpg/220px-Scenes_Hornsby.jpg)
Bruce Hornsby and the Range - Scenes from the Southside
rel May 3, 1988
![Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime cover.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f7/Queensryche_-_Operation_Mindcrime_cover.jpg/220px-Queensryche_-_Operation_Mindcrime_cover.jpg)
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
rel May 3, 1988
![Prince-lovesexy.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/ce/Prince-lovesexy.jpg/220px-Prince-lovesexy.jpg)
Prince - Lovesexy
rel May 10, 1988
![Van Halen - OU812.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6c/Van_Halen_-_OU812.jpg/220px-Van_Halen_-_OU812.jpg)
Van Halen - OU812
rel May 24, 1988
![PanteraPowerMetal.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6b/PanteraPowerMetal.jpg/220px-PanteraPowerMetal.jpg)
Pantera - Power Metal
rel May 1988
![SamBrownStop!AlbumCover.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3c/SamBrownStop%21AlbumCover.jpg/220px-SamBrownStop%21AlbumCover.jpg)
Sam Brown - Stop!
rel June 8, 1988
![Cruelalbum.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ea/Cruelalbum.jpg/220px-Cruelalbum.jpg)
Bobby Brown - Don't Be Cruel
rel June 20, 1988
![Neheartbreak.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/68/Neheartbreak.jpg/220px-Neheartbreak.jpg)
New Edition - Heart Break
rel June 20, 1988
![Information Society InSoc cover.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Information_Society_InSoc_cover.jpg/220px-Information_Society_InSoc_cover.jpg)
Information Society - Information Society
rel June 21, 1988
![PublicEnemyItTakesaNationofMillionstoHoldUsBack.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/73/PublicEnemyItTakesaNationofMillionstoHoldUsBack.jpg/220px-PublicEnemyItTakesaNationofMillionstoHoldUsBack.jpg)
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
rel June 28, 1988
![Simple Pleasures cover.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c7/Simple_Pleasures_cover.jpg/220px-Simple_Pleasures_cover.jpg)
Bobby McFerrin - Simple Pleasures
rel August 5, 1988
![The members of N.W.A look down to the camera and Eazy-E points a gun to it](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d2/N.W.A.StraightOuttaComptonalbumcover.jpg/220px-N.W.A.StraightOuttaComptonalbumcover.jpg)
NWA - Straight Outtta Compton
rel August 8, 1988
![Leprosy Album.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/14/Leprosy_Album.jpg/220px-Leprosy_Album.jpg)
Death - Leprosy
rel August 12, 1988
![NothingsShocking.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f2/NothingsShocking.jpg/220px-NothingsShocking.jpg)
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
rel August 23, 1988
![A painting of Justice as a woman with a blindfold and scales](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bd/Metallica_-_...And_Justice_for_All_cover.jpg/220px-Metallica_-_...And_Justice_for_All_cover.jpg)
Metallica - ...And Justice for All
rel August 25, 1988
![KotSK2.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3c/KotSK2.jpg/220px-KotSK2.jpg)
Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II
rel August 29, 1988
![PerpetualBurn.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/PerpetualBurn.jpg/220px-PerpetualBurn.jpg)
Jason Becker - Perpetual Burn
rel August 1988
![SantanaVivaAlbum.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b4/SantanaVivaAlbum.jpg)
Santana - Viva Santana!
rel August 1988
![Karyn White album.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/04/Karyn_White_album.jpg/220px-Karyn_White_album.jpg)
Karyn White - Karyn White
rel September 6, 1988
![Fishbone Truth and Soul.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/58/Fishbone_Truth_and_Soul.jpg/220px-Fishbone_Truth_and_Soul.jpg)
Fishbone - Truth and Soul
rel September 13, 1988
![From Enslavement to Obliteration.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9a/From_Enslavement_to_Obliteration.jpg/220px-From_Enslavement_to_Obliteration.jpg)
Napalm Death - From Enslavement to Obliteration
rel September 16, 1988
![Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden cover.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b0/Talk_Talk_-_Spirit_of_Eden_cover.jpg/220px-Talk_Talk_-_Spirit_of_Eden_cover.jpg)
Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
rel September 16, 1988
![Bon Jovi New Jersey.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2c/Bon_Jovi_New_Jersey.jpg/220px-Bon_Jovi_New_Jersey.jpg)
Bon Jovi - New Jersey
rel September 19, 1988
![Eddiemoneynothingtolose.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ec/Eddiemoneynothingtolose.jpg)
Eddie Money - Nothing to Lose
rel October 4, 1988
![U2r&h.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1a/U2r%26h.jpg/220px-U2r%26h.jpg)
U2 - Rattle and Hum
rel October 10, 1988
![The Bangles - Everything.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f8/The_Bangles_-_Everything.jpg/220px-The_Bangles_-_Everything.jpg)
Bangles - Everything
rel October 18, 1988
![LookSharp.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c8/LookSharp.jpg/220px-LookSharp.jpg)
Roxette - Look Sharp!
rel October 21, 1988
![Mike and the Mechanics - The Living Years.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3d/Mike_and_the_Mechanics_-_The_Living_Years.jpg/220px-Mike_and_the_Mechanics_-_The_Living_Years.jpg)
Mike + The Mechanics - Living Years
rel October 28, 1988
![Untitled](https://lastfm-img2.akamaized.net/i/u/770x0/14fc5e04de9093c28ab0f9469c282e0a.jpg#14fc5e04de9093c28ab0f9469c282e0a)
Michel Camilo - Michel Camilo
rel November 1, 1988
![A golden yellow background with dark green impressions of leaves on it and the words "GREEN" and "R.E.M." written on top in black](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/73/R.E.M._-_Green.jpg/220px-R.E.M._-_Green.jpg)
R.E.M. - Green
rel November 7, 1988
![CrimsonGlory-T-album.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d6/CrimsonGlory-T-album.jpg/220px-CrimsonGlory-T-album.jpg)
Crimson Glory - Transcendence
rel November 14, 1988
![Dsothunder-250.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6b/Dsothunder-250.jpg/220px-Dsothunder-250.jpg)
Pink Floyd - Delicate Sound of Thunder
rel November 22, 1988
![Guns and Roses GNR Lies.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f3/Guns_and_Roses_GNR_Lies.jpg/220px-Guns_and_Roses_GNR_Lies.jpg)
Guns N Roses - G N' R Lies
rel November 29, 1988
![La Gazza Ladra cover.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/91/La_Gazza_Ladra_cover.jpg/220px-La_Gazza_Ladra_cover.jpg)
Marillion - The Thieving Magpie
rel November 29, 1988
![BelaFleck Drive.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2c/BelaFleck_Drive.jpg/220px-BelaFleck_Drive.jpg)
Béla Fleck - Drive
rel 1988
![Untitled](https://lastfm-img2.akamaized.net/i/u/770x0/896a9191af664c4da39bd4602358b01a.jpg#896a9191af664c4da39bd4602358b01a)
Giraffe - The View from Here
rel 1988
![Kingdom Come (album) cover.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ae/Kingdom_Come_%28album%29_cover.jpg)
Kingdom Come - Kingdom Come
rel 1988
![R-1621520-1232730144.jpeg.jpg](https://lastfm-img2.akamaized.net/i/u/770x0/0b6eab542e5cf0ea68e694380b2c3b5d.jpg#0b6eab542e5cf0ea68e694380b2c3b5d)
Annette Peacock - Abstract-Contact
rel 1988
![Untitled](https://lastfm-img2.akamaized.net/i/u/770x0/190e10d72496467e93baf31772095dbc.jpg#190e10d72496467e93baf31772095dbc)
Steve Tibbetts - Big Map Idea
rel 1988
![Untitled](https://lastfm-img2.akamaized.net/i/u/770x0/5307c182a3fdda28e64278a89c160cb5.jpg#5307c182a3fdda28e64278a89c160cb5)
Trip Shakespeare - Are You Shakespearienced?
rel 1988