Music to My Years: 1988

I really struggled in 1988. At the start of the year I was really ill and seeing lots of specialists. Much of the time I wondered whether it was psychosomatic as my parents were arguing all of the time by this point. I wound up in hospital having my nose cauterised and widened due to a fall from a horse a couple of years previously. I sought solace in my music and started to look at stuff off the music charts – trying to find things which were a bit different. It was the end of my college year and I got a job at a fashion designer in London as their in-house model and office administrator. That lasted 3 months. It was also the year that I was to meet my husband. But, looking back, I see it more now as an escape from home and the dramas happening there.

My taste in music was far more varied now. More rock started to play a part. My headphones on the train to and from college in London were a major thing for me. I would lose myself in music and daydreaming about what I could become. Bros and ‘When Will I Be Famous’ was probably the biggest culprit for that!

As I am now a radio presenter on Radio Ninesprings, and I will be sharing my Top 10 all week and sharing 1 track from the list each day, Monday to Friday, on my show from 3pm. Plus, there is now a compilation show on Sunday’s at 6pm.

So, from the year I was born taking me right up to 2021, I am going to be sharing my top 10 chart songs from the year in question.

10. Suddenly by Angry Anderson

How could I not start off my chart with this track? Whilst Kylie had the top-selling single of the year, it was the song that accompanied her as Charlene when she walked down the aisle towards Scott (Jason Donovan) as they were about to get married in ‘Neighbours’ – something I think pretty much everyone rushed home to see when it was on! It was picked by Kylie Minogue especially for the scene – who thought the song was lyrically “beautiful”.

It reached number 3 here in the UK and number 2 in it’s native Australia.

9. Cuddly Toy by Roachford

I can remember instantly loving this song when it came out – and it was one of two tracks on this chart that I went out and bought the album off the back of their first single. The album wasn’t great but this song was – and still is!

The song was released in June 1988 and peaked inside the UK Singles Chart at number 61, spending four weeks inside the UK top 75. In January 1989, the song was re-released and became the band’s biggest hit, peaking at number 4 and spending a further 9 weeks inside the top 75.

8. I Know You’re Out There Somewhere – The Moody Blues

I loved the Moody Blues as a kid as my father played them a lot – plus, Justin Hayward sung on The War of the Worlds soundtrack (see previous MTMY!). So, when they suddenly reappeared in 1988 with a new single I was so pleased! This is as beautiful and well-arranged as many of their earlier tunes.

It was the band’s final Top 40 single in the United States, peaking at number 30 and only reached number 52 here.

7. Waiting for a Star to Fall by Boy Meets Girl

This track really did sum up the mood of the time for me. Carefree, happy and upbeat. It was really how I wanted to live my life – as a breath of fresh air like this song!

It was written by the bandmates, Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill, after witnessing a falling star at a Whitney Houston concert. It was actually originally offered to Whitney but her manager rejected it. Then, Belinda Carlisle recorded it but decided not to include it on her1987 album Heaven on Earth, so the couple decided to record and release the song themselves.

A couple of years lady, it played over the credits at the end of the film ‘Three Men and a Little Lady’.

6. Bad Medicine by Bon Jovi

I think this has to be my absolute favourite of Bon Jovi’s – apart from the Young Guns II complete soundtrack! Upbeat and great fun without being too heavy. That is the perfect version of rock music for me. I can remember buying this on 7″ single and playing it A LOT!

Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child, it reached number 1 in America and a paltry number 17 here in the UK. Criminal. To my mind, it just doesn’t get enough air play or credit!

5. When Will I Be Famous by Bros

This was my song. I was convinced of it. I would listen to it every day on the way to London to college on the train – and back again! I thought that it would be my time thanks to this song.

When I first heard it, I thought it was a girl singing. Of course, it wasn’t. It was Matt Goss. Still upbeat and a really great song to listen to.

4. Handle With Care by The Travelling Wilburys

The Travelling Wilburys were an amazing superband made up of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan and originated from a discussion between George and Jeff when recording the former’s album ‘Cloud Nine’. The sessions were recorded at Dave Stewart’s (he of the Eurythmics!) house.

I absolutely loved the idea and the album was incredible. In fact, it became the soundtrack of a holiday to Taunton the following year with my husband-to-be (we lived in Surrey at the time) and there wasn’t a bad track on there!

3. Hands to Heaven by Breathe

This is the second song on the chart this week which I bought the album for off the back of their single release. I have to admit that I do understand why Breathe were a one hit wonder. The rest of their album sucked! As much as I tried to like it.

This song reached number 4 in the UK and number 2 in the US. I used to listen and daydream to this song a lot!

2. Crackers International (EP) by Erasure

The two songs on this EP – Stop and Knocking on Your Door – are just brilliant. I never tire of hearing either of them. I can remember it being a Christmas release from Erasure and I would put it on the jukebox at least twice in the evening where we all went to the pub and played pool before going off clubbing!

Unsurprisingly, it reached number 2 here in the UK.

1. Simply Irresistible by Robert Palmer

If anyone could write a pretty perfect pop/rock song for me then this would be it. A fantastic guitar riff, incredible drumming, outstanding vocal, pauses in all the right places and a complete ending. The lyrics are not that meaningful but hey, we can’t have everything!

INXS really did become the band of my college days. I can recall going to see them at the Hammersmith Apollo with a New Zealander who worked at our college as one of the caretakers along with my sister and my school friend Emma. Suddenly they were everywhere and the slow-burn band who I had started to love the year before became mainstream. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that! But I loved that I loved them first. I saw them live many times after that. In 1988 at Wembley Arena where we just 5 rows from the front and saw Tim Farriss skateboard, to Wembley Stadium where they were the main act at Summer XS. Just incredible live – and the loss of Michael Hutchence was a very sad one indeed.