1988 in music

Events

• February 13 - Michael Jackson purchases a ranch in Santa Ynez, California. He calls his new home "Neverland".
• February 16 - Billy Vera[?] receives a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame
• February 17 - A 12-year old Mötley Crüe fan in Florida is badly burned while trying to imitate a stunt in the band's "Live Wire" music video. The boy suffered burns over ten percent of his body. Mötley Crüe issued a statement saying the band's stunts should not be tried at home.
• February 24 - Alice Cooper announces that he is going to run for Governor of Arizona.
• March 10 - During a concert in Perth, Australia, George Michael thanks Tipper Gore[?], head of the Parents Music Resource Center, for helping the sales of his Faith album.
• March 12 - Record producer Jimmy Iovine[?] presents the Special Olympics with a donation of $5 million, which was raised with the release of the A Very Special Christmas album.
• April to July - Suicidal Tendencies records How Will I Laugh Tomorrow If I Can't Even Smile Today?, which will be a blockbuster album on September 13
• April 19 - Sonny Bono is inaugurated as the Mayor of Palm Springs, California
• May 1 - Citing the 1st Amendment, a judge drops all charges filed against singer Billy Joel. Joel was being sued by Jack Powers[?] for defamation following an interview with Playboy magazine in which he called Powers a "creep".
• November - The "Guess The Eddies" contest begins, inviting people to guess the identities of the six members of the rock band The Swirling Eddies.
• Compact discs outsell vinyl records for the first time.
• Former rock and roll singer Sonny Bono is elected as mayor of Palm Springs, California.
• "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" experiences a surge in popularity sparked by television commercials featuring claymation raisin figures dancing to the song. The California Raisins[?] version of the song peaks at No. 84 on Billboard's Hot 100.
• Nirvana's career begins
• Phish's career begins
• Morrissey begins solo career;
• The Offspring begins their recording career
• Baha Men forms
• After 7 forms
• Blues Traveler forms
• Cypress Hill forms
• Guttermouth forms
• Jesus Jones[?] forms
• No Doubt forms
• Warrior Soul forms
• The Cars break up

Albums Released

• Traveling Wilburys, Volume I[?] - Traveling Wilburys
• Y Kant Tori Read - Tori Amos (debut)
• State Of Euphoria - Anthrax
• Suffer - Bad Religion
• Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart - Camper Van Beethoven
• New Jersey - Bon Jovi
• Tracy Chapman[?] - Tracy Chapman
• 19[?] - Chicago
• I'm Your Man[?] - Leonard Cohen
• The Trinity Sessions[?] - The Cowboy Junkies[?]
• Dangerous Age[?] - Bad Company
• Bug - Dinosaur Jr.
• Copperhead Road[?] - Steve Earle
• Self-Titled - Fugazi (debut EP)
• Gipsy Kings[?] - Gipsy Kings
• The Sweet Children - Green Day
• Nothing's Shocking - Jane's Addiction
• 20 Years of Jethro Tull[?] - Jethro Tull
• Reg Strikes Back[?] - Elton John
• Greatest Hits (1977-1987)[?] - Journey
• Ram It Down[?] - Judas Priest
• Straight Out The Jungle[?] - The Jungle Brothers
• Shadowland[?] - k.d. lang
• Vivid - Living Colour
• Pontiac[?] - Lyle Lovett[?]
• So Far So Good... So what? - Megadeth
• And Justice For All - Metallica
• Time Odyssey - Vinnie Moore
• Isn't Anything[?] - My Bloody Valentine
• Land of Dreams[?] - Randy Newman
• The Lion and the Cobra[?] - Sinead O'Connor
• Outrider - Jimmy Page
• The Indescribable Wow[?] - Sam Phillips
• Surfer Rosa - Pixies
• Lovesexy - Prince
• It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy
• Operation: Mindcrime - Queensryche
• Green[?] - R.E.M.
• Abbey Road EP[?] - The Red Hot Chili Peppers
• The Uplift Mofo Partyplan[?] - The Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Talk Is Cheap[?] - Keith Richards
• Sick Of It All[?] - Sick of it All
• Out Of Order[?] - Rod Stewart
• How Will I Laugh Tomorrow If I Can't Even Smile Today? - Suicidal Tendencies
• Daydream Nation - Sonic Youth
• Toots in Memphis[?] - Toots[?]
• Junekbox - Jamaaladeen Tacuma
• The Live Brain Wedgie/WAD - Ween
• Lucinda Williams[?] - Lucinda Williams[?]
• Roll With It[?] - Steve Winwood
• Rattle And Hum[?] - U2

Top Hits

• "Kokomo" - The Beach Boys
• "Don't Worry, Be Happy" - Bobby McFerrin[?]
• "Man in the Mirror" - Michael Jackson
• "Get Outta My Dreams (Get Into My Car)" - Billy Ocean
• "Anything for You" - Gloria Estefan
• "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" - Poison
• "Never Gonna Give You Up" - Rick Astley[?]
• "Look Away" - Chicago
• "Ram It Down" - Judas Priest
• "Blood Red Skies" - Judas Priest
• "One More Time" - George Michael
• "Roll With It" - Steve Winwood
• "Sweet Child O' Mine" -Guns N' Roses
• "Mountain Song" - Jane's Addiction
• "Trip At The Brain" - Suicidal Tendencies
• "Got My Mind Set On You" - George Harrison
• "1-2-3" - Gloria Estefan & the Miami Sound Machine
• "Forever Young" - Rod Stewart

Births

• August 27 - Alexa Vega[?], Spy Kids as Carmen Cortez and song for "Isle Of Dreams"

Deaths

• March 10, Andy Gibb, The Bee Gees, disco musician
• April 9 - Brook Benton[?], complications of spinal meningitis.
• April 9 - Dave Prater[?], of Sam & Dave, car accident
• June 25, Hillel Slovak[?], Red Hot Chili Peppers, guitarist
• October 19, Son House, blues musician
• December 6, Roy Orbison, singer

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

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1988