1988

A look back at the year. Enjoy reading while you listen to the music. (clicking on any link will open a new page, and will not interrupt your song.)

The top grossing movies of 1988 were:

1. Rain Man *** Winner, Best Picture, Best Actor (Dustin Hoffman), Academy Awards

2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit *** Winner, Best Film Editing, Effects, Academy Awards

3. Coming to America

4. Big

5. Twins

6. Crocodile Dundee II

7. Die Hard

8. Cocktail

9. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

10. Oliver & Company

OnTV: The Wonder Years premiered on ABC with Fred Savage. Roseanne also premiers. Murphy Brown premiers on CBS. On cable, Ted Turner starts Turner Network Television (TNT). On radio, Rush Limbaugh begins a syndicated program of right-wing opinion.

In politics, Vice President George H.W. Bush is elected 41st President of the U.S. He calls for "a thousand points of light" and promisis "Read my lips--no new taxes". Congress enacts legislation requiring warning labels on alcoholic beverages.

Other happenings:

CDs outsell vinyl records for the first time.
NASA returns to space for the first time since the Challenger disaster.

Television evangelist Jimmy Swaggart confesses his sins of having sex with a prostitute.

The rate of first class stamp goes up to 25 cents.

Football: Washington defeats Denver 42-10 in

Super Bowl XXII

Baseball: Los Angeles defeats Oakland 4 games to 1.

As for the music, here is the list of songs that were on the top of the charts in 1988.

Steve Winwood - Roll With It
Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn
George Michael - One More Try
Chicago - Look Away
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine - Anything For You
Billy Ocean - Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car
Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror
Cheap Trick - The Flame
Tiffany - Could've Been
Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy
Phil Collins - Groovy Kind Of Love
Whitney Houston - Where Do Broken Hearts Go
George Michael - Father Figure
Bon Jovi - Bad Medicine
George Michael - Monkey
INXS - Need You Tonight
George Harrison - Got My Mind Set On You
Whitney Houston - So Emotional
Escape Club - Wild, Wild West
Exposé - Seasons Change
Terence Trent D'Arby - Wishing Well
Will To Power - Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley
Richard Marx - Hold On To The Nights
Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat
Def Leppard - Love Bites
Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel
UB40 - Red Red Wine '88
Rick Astley - Together Forever
Beach Boys - Kokomo
Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana
Johnny Hates Jazz - Shattered Dreams
Breathe - Hands To Heaven
Richard Marx - Endless Summer Nights
Robert Palmer - Simply Irresistible
Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield - What Have I Done To Deserve This
INXS - Devil Inside
Pebbles - Mercedes Boy
Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me
Bangles - Hazy Shade Of Winter
Belinda Carlisle - I Get Weak
Patrick Swayze Featuring Wendy Fraser - She's Like The Wind
Taylor Dayne - I'll Always Love You
Kylie Minogue - The Loco-Motion
Breathe - How Can I Fall?
Aerosmith - Angel
Huey Lewis & The News - Perfect World
Samantha Fox - Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)
Information Society - What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)

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This page was last modified on Saturday, July 25, 2009

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