This is a summary of
1988 in music in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, including the official charts from that year.
Summary
The growing popularity of
house music was evident in the charts by the start of 1988, with many songs of this genre becoming big hits, such as "
House Arrest" by
Krush
Krush were a UK dance music group, who had a crossover hit single with " House Arrest" in 1987.
Career
The group consisted of musicians Mark Gamble, Cassius Campbell and record producers Mark Brydon and Robert Gordon. Ruth Joy was the feature ...
, "Beat Dis" by
Bomb the Bass and "
Rok da House
"Rok da House" is the debut single by British production trio the Beatmasters featuring hip hop duo the Cookie Crew. Released as a single in 1987, the song was a top 40 hit in at least seven countries. In the UK, its first release only managed a ...
" by
The Beatmasters.
Acid house band
S'Express
S'Express (pronounced ''ess-express''; sometimes spelled S'Xpress or S-Express) were a British dance music act from the late 1980s, who had one of the earliest commercial successes in the acid house genre.
"Theme from S'Express", which containe ...
had two Top 10 hits this year including a number 1 in April with the song "
Theme from S'Express", but the biggest dance hit of the year came from London singer
Yazz
Yazz (born Yasmin Evans; 19 May 1960) is an English pop singer, who remains perhaps best known for her 1988 UK number one single "The Only Way Is Up". Some of her records are credited to Yazz and the Plastic Population.
Career
Yazz was born i ...
, who had first had a big hit with producers
Coldcut
Coldcut are an English electronic music duo composed of Matt Black and Jonathan More. Credited as pioneers for pop sampling in the 1980s, Coldcut are also considered the first stars of UK electronic dance music due to their innovative style, ...
on the song "Doctorin' The House". Still with Coldcut, but now with her name billed as the lead artist, her song "
The Only Way Is Up" topped the chart for five weeks, becoming the second biggest-selling single of the year, and paved the way for a successful solo career, including the follow-up "Stand Up For Your Love Rights" which hit No.2 in October.
One of the biggest successes of the year was 19-year-old
Kylie Minogue, well known to the public from her role in the Australian
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
Neighbours'' which had been airing on the BBC since 1986. The popularity of "girl next door" Minogue and her on-screen character Charlene Mitchell ensured chart success. Signed to the production trio
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. SAW is considere ...
, her debut international song "
I Should Be So Lucky
"I Should Be So Lucky" is a 1987 song performed by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue from her debut studio album '' Kylie'' (1988). Released on 29 December 1987 by Mushroom Records and PWL Records, the song became a wo ...
" was number 1 for five weeks, and all of her other solo releases this year – "
Got to Be Certain
"Got to Be Certain" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue from her debut studio album, '' Kylie'' (1988). Written and produced by English songwriting and record production trio Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW), the song was released as the se ...
", "
The Loco-Motion
"The Loco-Motion" is a 1962 pop song written by American songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King. "The Loco-Motion" was originally written for R&B singer Dee Dee Sharp, but Sharp turned the song down.
The song is notable for appearing in the ...
" and "
Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi" – reached number 2. Her album ''
Kylie'' was also number 1 for six weeks, the biggest-selling album of the year and the fifth best-selling album of the entire decade. All Kylie's hits were produced by
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. SAW is considere ...
who continued to score hit after hit this year. The production powerhouse also scored Top 10s with
Mel and Kim
Mel and Kim (stylized as MӗL & KIM) were an English pop duo, consisting of sisters Melanie and Kim Appleby. Originally managed by Alan Whitehead, they achieved success between 1986 and 1988, before Melanie died of cancer in January 1990 at t ...
("That's The Way It Is", No.10, February)
Sinitta
Sinitta Malone (born 19 October 1963), known mononymously as Sinitta, is an American-born British singer, actress and television personality. She initially found commercial success in the mid-1980s with the single "So Macho" and had several ot ...
("Cross My Broken Heart", No.6, March),
Rick Astley
Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, songwriter and radio personality, who has been active in music for several decades. He gained worldwide fame in the 1980s, having multiple hits including his signature song " Ne ...
("Together Forever", No.2, March and "Take Me to Your Heart", No.8, November),
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English pop duo from London, formed as a trio in 1980 by friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. T ...
("I Want You Back", No.5, April),
Hazell Dean
Hazell Dean ( Poole; born 27 October 1952) is an English dance-pop singer, who achieved her biggest success in the 1980s as a leading Hi-NRG artist. She is best known for the top-ten hits in the United Kingdom "Searchin' (I Gotta Find a Man)", ...
("Who's Leaving Who", No.4, April),
Brother Beyond
Brother Beyond were a British pop band who had success in the pop rock genre in the late 1980s.
Biography
The group's first four singles, "I Should Have Lied", "How Many Times", "Chain-Gang Smile" (produced by Don Was), and an early version of ...
("The Harder I Try", No.2, August and "He Ain't No Competition", No.6, November). In September, another star from ''
Neighbours'' – Minogue's co-star
Jason Donovan – debuted with his Stock Aitken Waterman-produced hit "Nothing Can Divide Us" which reached number 5 and he would go on to outsell even Kylie the following year.
Popular teenage acts other than Minogue to emerge this year included the American singer
Tiffany who scored three Top 10 hits including the No.1 "I Think We're Alone Now" while fellow American teenage star
Debbie Gibson
Deborah Ann Gibson (born August 31, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress.
Gibson released her debut album '' Out of the Blue'' in 1987, which spawned several international hits, later being certified triple plati ...
also crossed over to the British Charts and had four Top 20 hits. Gibson's biggest hit was the 1980s-compilation staple "Shake Your Love" which reached number 7 in January. Meanwhile, from Italy came
Sabrina whose infamous appearances in skimpy swimsuits became tabloid-fodder throughout the year as her pan-European smash hit "Boys (Summertime Love)" hit number 3 in June and the
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. SAW is considere ...
-produced follow-up "All of Me" peaked at number 25 three months later.
New British
boyband Bros took five singles into the Top 5 this year including "
When Will I Be Famous?
"When Will I Be Famous?" is a song by British boy band Bros. Written by Nicky Graham and Tom Watkins, "When Will I Be Famous?" was released as a single in November 1987. The following year, it peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, to ...
" and their only number 1 "
I Owe You Nothing
"I Owe You Nothing" is a song by British boy band Bros. Written by Nicky Graham and Tom Watkins and produced by Graham, the song was originally released as their debut single in 1987 but failed to chart. In 1988, it was remixed and re-release ...
", a re-issue of their first single originally released in 1987.
Wet Wet Wet
Wet Wet Wet are a Scottish soft rock band formed in 1982. They scored a number of hits in the UK charts and around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. They are best known for their 1994 cover of The Troggs' 1960s hit " Love Is All Around", which ...
scored the first number 1 of their long run of hits with a cover of "
With A Little Help From My Friends
"With a Little Help from My Friends" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, from their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and sung by drummer Ringo Starr (as Sgt. Pep ...
" which held the top position for 3 weeks.
Also making her chart debut this year was nineteen-year-old
Tanita Tikaram
Tanita Tikaram (born 12 August 1969) is a British pop/ folk singer-songwriter. She achieved chart success with the singles "Twist in My Sobriety" and " Good Tradition" from her 1988 debut album, ''Ancient Heart''.
Background
Tikaram was born i ...
, who launched her career with the critically acclaimed album ''
Ancient Heart
''Ancient Heart'' is the debut studio album by British pop/ folk singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram, initially released by Warner Music Group on 13 September 1988. The album had huge success and was a hit globally, launching 19-year-old Tikaram's ...
'', containing the Top 10 hit "
Good Tradition" and the intriguing "
Twist In My Sobriety" which peaked at number 22 in October.
Eddi Reader
Sadenia "Eddi" Reader MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as frontwoman of Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three BRIT Awards. In 2003, she showcased the w ...
also rose to prominence during 1988 as the lead-singer of
Fairground Attraction
Fairground Attraction were a London based folk and soft rock band. They are notable for the 1988 hit songs " Perfect" and " Find My Love", both taken from the group's multi-platinum selling debut album, '' The First of a Million Kisses''. The ...
. The band made number 1 with the song "Perfect" and followed it up with another Top 10 hit, "Find My Love" and number 2 album ''
The First of a Million Kisses
''The First of a Million Kisses'' is the debut album by Fairground Attraction, released in 1988. The album features the number-one single " Perfect".
Composition
The album is a characteristic blend of folk, jazz, country, and Cajun elements (all ...
''.
Making chart comebacks after long-absences were
Cher, re-launching her music career with "
I Found Someone
"I Found Someone" is the name of a chart single originally written and composed for Laura Branigan by Michael Bolton and Touch keyboardist Mark Mangold. The song was a bigger hit for Cher in 1987, reaching the Top 10.
Background
Though best ...
", a number 5 hit written and produced by
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolotin
, The Jewish Historical Society of New Haven, 1998. (born February 26, 1953), known professio ...
.
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist.
Raised in ...
revived her career this year with three Top 10s including the number 1 "
Heaven is a Place on Earth
"Heaven Is a Place on Earth" is a song by American singer Belinda Carlisle from her second studio album, '' Heaven on Earth'' (1987). Written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, the song was released as the lead single from the ''Heaven on Eart ...
" while
Kim Wilde scored a career-best three successive Top 10s with "You Came" (No.3), "Never Trust a Stranger (No.7) and "Four Letter Word" (No.6). Pop duo
Dollar
Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, ...
scored their ninth and final Top 20 hit with comeback hit "
Oh L'amour
"Oh L'amour" is a song by English synthpop duo Erasure, released in April 1986 as their third single. Written by Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, it is a lament from someone experiencing unrequited love ''("broke my heart / now I'm ...
", a cover of an early
Erasure
Erasure () is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a membe ...
single, which made number 7 in April, and also making a chart comeback was the song "
A Groovy Kind Of Love
"A Groovy Kind of Love" is a song written by Toni Wine and Carole Bayer Sager based on a melody by the classical composer Muzio Clementi.
The original rendition was recorded by American singing duo Diane & Annita and released as "Groovey Kind of ...
", originally a hit in 1965 for The Mindbenders, it hit number 1 in September for
Phil Collins, taken from the film ''
Buster'' in which Collins also starred.
Some of the more unusual hits of the year included a remix of the theme tune from the popular television series
Doctor Who, by "The Timelords", who would go on to have huge success in the early 1990s under the name
The KLF
The KLF (also known as the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, the JAMs, the Timelords and other names) are a British electronic band formed in London in 1987. Bill Drummond (alias King Boy D) and Jimmy Cauty (alias Rockman Rock) began by releasing ...
. Their song "
Doctorin' The TARDIS
"Doctorin' the Tardis" is a 1988 electronic Novelty record, novelty pop Single (music), single by the Timelords ("Time Boy" and "Lord Rock", aliases of Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty, better known as The KLF). The song is predominantly a Mashup (m ...
" (a play on Coldcut's "Doctorin' The House") was number 1 for a week in June. A television advertisement for
Miller Lite
Miller Lite is a 4.2% ABV light American lager beer sold by Molson Coors (previously MillerCoors) of Chicago, Illinois. The company also produces Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life. Miller Lite competes mainly with Anheuser-Busch' ...
beer used the 1969 song "
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" is a ballad written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell. Originally recorded by Kelly Gordon in 1969, the song became a worldwide hit for the Hollies later that year and also a hit for Neil Diamond in 1970. It h ...
" by
The Hollies
The Hollies are a British pop rock band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band ...
, which became a number 1 in September 19 years after its original release, and an advert for
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...
gave
Robin Beck
Robin Beck is an American singer. She topped the singles chart in the United Kingdom in 1988, and Austria, Germany, Norway, Netherlands and Switzerland in 1989, with her single " First Time", which had come to the public's attention via its use ...
a number 1 with the ballad "
First Time". Film and Television actress
Patsy Kensit
Patricia Jude Kensit (born 4 March 1968) is an English actress and was the lead singer of the pop band Eighth Wonder in the 1980s.
Beginning her career as a child actor, Kensit gained attention when she acted in a string of commercials for Bir ...
, a teenager in 1988, also reached the Top 10 this year in the band
Eighth Wonder. Their
Pet Shop Boys–produced UK debut "
I'm Not Scared
''I'm Not Scared'' ( it, Io non ho paura, ''I Am Not Afraid'') is a 2003 Italian crime mystery thriller film directed by Gabriele Salvatores. Francesa Marciano and Niccolò Ammaniti wrote the script, basing it on Niccolò Ammaniti's successful ...
" slowly climbed up the Top 40 and peaked at number 7 in May. The band were more popular in Italy and Japan where they scored several number 1 hits.
The race for
Christmas number one
In the United Kingdom, Christmas number ones are singles that top the UK Singles Chart in the week in which Christmas Day falls. The singles have often been novelty songs, charity songs or songs with a Christmas theme. Historically, the volume ...
was a battle between
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...
, with a career stretching back to the 1950s and his seasonal song "
Mistletoe and Wine
"Mistletoe and Wine" is a Christmas song made famous as a chart-topping single by Cliff Richard in 1988.
The song was written by Jeremy Paul, Leslie Stewart and Keith Strachan for a musical called ''Scraps'', which was an adaptation of Hans C ...
", and new star Kylie Minogue with "
Especially for You
"Especially for You" is a song performed by Australian recording artists Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan from Donovan's debut album, '' Ten Good Reasons'' (1989). The song was released as his album's second single on 28 November 1988 and was ...
", a duet with her ''Neighbours'' co-star
Jason Donovan released to coincide with their characters' on-screen wedding. Cliff won the battle with the biggest-selling song of the year, but "Especially for You" climbed to number 1 in the new year of 1989, eventually selling just short of 1 million copies.
1988 sees
Radio 1 start to broadcast on FM on a full time basis across much of the UK when five major transmitters begin radiating Radio 1 on FM for the first time. Previously, Radio 1 had only been available on FM for approximately 25 hours per week, when it 'borrowed'
BBC Radio 2's FM frequency at certain points of the day.
New classical works by British composers included oboe and trumpet concertos from
Peter Maxwell Davies
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (8 September 1934 – 14 March 2016) was an English composer and conductor, who in 2004 was made Master of the Queen's Music.
As a student at both the University of Manchester and the Royal Manchester College of Musi ...
and
Michael Finnissy's ''Red Earth'' for orchestra. Devotional works included
Nicholas Jackson's ''Variations on ‘Praise to the Lord, the Almighty’'' and
John Tavener
Sir John Kenneth Tavener (28 January 1944 – 12 November 2013) was an English composer, known for his extensive output of choral religious works. Among his best known works are '' The Lamb'' (1982), ''The Protecting Veil'' (1988), and '' Song ...
's ''The Akathist of Thanksgiving''. Russian pianist
Evgeny Kissin
Evgeny Igorevich Kissin (russian: link=no, Евге́ний И́горевич Ки́син, translit=Evgénij Ígorevič Kísin, yi, link=no, יעווגעני קיסין, translit=Yevgeni Kisin; born 10 October 1971) is a Russian concert piani ...
made his Proms debut during the 1988 season, whilst
Sir Andrew Davis
Sir Andrew Frank Davis (born 2 February 1944) is an English conductor. He is conductor laureate of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Early life and education
Born in Ashridge ...
gave up his role as conductor of the
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toronto ...
to become director of
Glyndebourne
Glyndebourne () is an English country house, the site of an opera house that, since 1934, has been the venue for the annual Glyndebourne Festival Opera. The house, located near Lewes in East Sussex, England, is thought to be about six hun ...
.
Events
*
10 March –
Andy Gibb
Andrew Roy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English singer, songwriter, and actor. He was the younger brother of Barry, Robin and Maurice, who went on to form the Bee Gees.
Gibb came to prominence in the late 1970s through th ...
dies 5 days after his 30th birthday at
John Radcliffe Hospital
The John Radcliffe Hospital (informally known as the JR) is a large tertiary teaching hospital in Oxford, England. It forms part of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is named after John Radcliffe, an 18th-century physic ...
in Oxford of
myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle caused by a recent
viral infection
A viral disease (or viral infection) occurs when an organism's body is invaded by pathogenic viruses, and infectious virus particles (virions) attach to and enter susceptible cells.
Structural Characteristics
Basic structural characteristics, ...
and exacerbated by his years of cocaine abuse.
*
30 April – The
Eurovision Song Contest, held in the
RDS Simmonscourt Pavilion, Dublin, is won by
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
, representing
Switzerland. The UK entry, "
Go", sung by
Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...
, finishes in second place after leading for most of the judging.
Charts
Number-one singles
Number-one albums
Year end charts
Best-selling singles of 1988
Best-selling albums of 1988
Notes:
Classical music
*
Malcolm Arnold
Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold (21 October 1921 – 23 September 2006) was an English composer. His works feature music in many genres, including a cycle of nine symphonies, numerous concertos, concert works, chamber music, choral music and music ...
– ''Robert Kett Overture'' (Op. 141)
*
Geoffrey Burgon
Geoffrey Alan Burgon (15 July 194121 September 2010) was an English composer best known for his television and film scores. Among his most recognisable works are '' Monty Python's Life of Brian'' for film, and '' Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' and ...
– ''The Trial of Prometheus''
*
Peter Maxwell Davies
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (8 September 1934 – 14 March 2016) was an English composer and conductor, who in 2004 was made Master of the Queen's Music.
As a student at both the University of Manchester and the Royal Manchester College of Musi ...
**Oboe Concerto
**Trumpet Concerto No. 1 (from the ''Strathclyde Concertos'')
*
Stephen Dodgson
Stephen Cuthbert Vivian Dodgson (17 March 192413 April 2013) was a British composer and broadcaster. Dodgson's prolific musical output covered most genres, ranging from opera and large-scale orchestral music to chamber and instrumental music, as ...
– ''Promenade I'' for two guitars
*
Michael Finnissy – ''Red Earth'' for orchestra
*
Oliver Knussen
Stuart Oliver Knussen (12 June 1952 – 8 July 2018) was a British composer and conductor.
Early life
Oliver Knussen was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His father, Stuart Knussen, was principal double bass of the London Symphony Orchestra, and a ...
- ''Flourish with Fireworks'' (original version)
*
Michael Nyman – String Quartet No. 2
*
Philip Sparke
Philip Allen Sparke (born 29 December 1951) is an English composer and musician born in London, noted for his concert band and Brass band (British style), brass band music.
His early major works include ''The Land of the Long White Cloud – " ...
– ''A Swiss Festival Overture''
*
John Tavener
Sir John Kenneth Tavener (28 January 1944 – 12 November 2013) was an English composer, known for his extensive output of choral religious works. Among his best known works are '' The Lamb'' (1982), ''The Protecting Veil'' (1988), and '' Song ...
– ''The Akathist of Thanksgiving''
Opera
*
Mark-Anthony Turnage
Mark-Anthony Turnage CBE (born 10 June 1960) is a British composer of classical music.
Biography
Turnage was born in Corringham, Essex. He began composing at age nine and at fourteen began studying at the junior section of the Royal College of ...
– ''
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
''
Film and Incidental music
*
Michael Nyman - ''
Drowning by Numbers
''Drowning by Numbers'' is a 1988 British-Dutch film directed by Peter Greenaway. It won the award for Best Artistic Contribution at the Cannes Film Festival of 1988.
Plot
The film's plot centres on three married women — a grandmother, her d ...
'' directed by
Peter Greenaway
Peter Greenaway, (born 5 April 1942) is a Welsh film director, screenwriter and artist. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Flemish painting in particular. Common traits in his films are th ...
.
Musical films
*''
It Couldn't Happen Here'', starring the
Pet Shop Boys
*''
Testimony: The Story of Shostakovich'', starring
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and tw ...
, featuring
the London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony ...
and the voices of
John Shirley-Quirk
John Stanton Shirley-Quirk CBE (28 August 19317 April 2014) was an English bass-baritone. A member of the English Opera Group during 1964–76, he gave premiere performances of several operatic and vocal works by Benjamin Britten, recording thes ...
and
Felicity Palmer
Musical theatre
*
22 October
Events Pre-1600
* 451 – The Chalcedonian Creed, regarding the divine and human nature of Jesus, is adopted by the Council of Chalcedon, an ecumenical council.
* 794 – Emperor Kanmu relocates the Japanese capital to Heian-kyō (n ...
- ''Sherlock Holmes - The Musical'' by
Leslie Bricusse
Leslie Bricusse OBE (; 29 January 1931 – 19 October 2021) was a British composer, lyricist, and playwright who worked on theatre musicals and wrote theme music for films. He was best known for writing the music and lyrics for the films '' Do ...
opens at the
Northcott Theatre
The Northcott Theatre is a theatre situated on the Streatham Campus of the University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, England. It opened in 1967 and was run until 2010 by the Northcott Theatre Foundation, when the company ceased operating after a p ...
, Exeter.
Births
*
24 January –
Jade Ewen
Jade Louise Ewen (born 24 January 1988) is a British singer, actress and a former member of the girl group Sugababes. She began her singing career in a girl group named Trinity Stone, which signed with Sony BMG in 2005 but disbanded in 2007 wit ...
, singer and actress
*
13 February –
Aston Merrygold
Aston Iain Merrygold (born 13 February 1988) is an English singer, dancer, television personality and actor. He is known for being a member of the British boy band JLS, who were the runners-up to Alexandra Burke in the fifth series of ''The ...
, singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
*
27 March
Events Pre-1600
*1309 – Pope Clement V imposes excommunication and interdiction on Venice, and a general prohibition of all commercial intercourse with Venice, which had seized on Ferrara, a papal fiefdom.
* 1329 – Pope John XXII ...
–
Jessie J, singer
*
5 May
Events Pre-1600
* 553 – The Second Council of Constantinople begins.
*1215 – Rebel barons renounce their allegiance to King John of England — part of a chain of events leading to the signing of the Magna Carta.
*1260 – Kub ...
–
Adele
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a rec ...
, singer-songwriter
*
13 July –
Tulisa Contostavlos
Tula Paulinea Contostavlos (Greek: Τούλα Παυλίνα 'Τουλίσα' Κοντόσταυλου; born 13 July 1988) professionally known as Tulisa, is an English singer, songwriter, television personality, and actress. As a part of the ...
, singer-songwriter and member of
N-Dubz
N-Dubz are an English hip hop trio from Camden Town, London, consisting of cousins Dappy and Tulisa, and Fazer. After winning a MOBO Award for Best Newcomer in 2007, N-Dubz briefly signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the Wor ...
*
19 July –
Charlene Soraia, singer-songwriter
*
25 June –
Amanda Marchant and
Sam Marchant, singers (
Samanda
Amanda Louise Marchant and Samantha Joanne Marchant (born 28 June 1988), better known as Samanda, are a female duo, consisting of identical twin sisters who first came to fame on '' Big Brother'' in 2007, in which they jointly achieved second ...
)
*
4 August –
Tom Parker, singer, (
The Wanted
The Wanted are a British-Irish boy band consisting of group members Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes and, until his death in 2022, Tom Parker. The group was formed in 2009 and signed a worldwide contract to ...
)
*
6 September –
Max George
Maximillian Albert George (born 6 September 1988) is an English singer, best known as the lead singer of the boy band The Wanted.
George started his career as a footballer, playing for Preston North End. After an injury ended his football ca ...
, singer, (
The Wanted
The Wanted are a British-Irish boy band consisting of group members Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes and, until his death in 2022, Tom Parker. The group was formed in 2009 and signed a worldwide contract to ...
)
*
26 September
Events
Pre-1600
*46 BC – Julius Caesar dedicates a temple to Venus Genetrix, fulfilling a vow he made at the Battle of Pharsalus.
* 715 – Ragenfrid defeats Theudoald at the Battle of Compiègne.
*1087 – William II is crow ...
**
James Blake, singer-songwriter and producer
**
Mark Simpson, clarinet player and composer
*
7 October
Events Pre-1600
* 3761 BC – The epoch reference date (start) of the modern Hebrew calendar.
*1403 – Venetian–Genoese wars: The Genoese fleet under a French admiral is defeated by a Venetian fleet at the Battle of Modon.
*1477 &n ...
–
Lauren Mayberry
Lauren Eve Mayberry (born 7 October 1987) is a Scottish singer, musician and songwriter. She is the vocalist and percussionist of the Scottish pop band Chvrches.
In Chvrches, Mayberry co-writes and co-produces the songs with Iain Cook and Ma ...
, Scottish singer-songwriter (
Chvrches)
*
2 December
Events Pre-1600
* 1244 – Pope Innocent IV arrives at Lyon for the First Council of Lyon.
* 1409 – The University of Leipzig opens. 1601–1900
*1697 – St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt to the design of Sir Christopher Wren followi ...
–
Fuse ODG
Nana Richard Abiona (born 2 December 1988), better known by his stage name Fuse ODG, is a British singer, songwriter and rapper. He is best known for his singles "Antenna" and " Dangerous Love", and for featuring on Major Lazer's " Light It Up ...
, Ghanaian-English recording artist
*
15 December –
Lady Leshurr
Melesha Katrina O'Garro (born 15 December 1987), known professionally as Lady Leshurr (), is a British rapper, singer, songwriter and producer. She is known for her ''Queen's Speech'' series of freestyles, the fourth of which became popular i ...
, rapper, singer-songwriter and producer
*
21 December
**
Yasmin, singer-songwriter and DJ
**
Alexa Goddard, singer
*
31 December –
Holly Holyoake, singer
Deaths
*
2 February
Events Pre-1600
* 506 – Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum''), a collection of "Roman law".
* 880 – Battle of Lüneburg Heath: Kin ...
–
Solomon, pianist, 85
*
10 March
**
Andy Gibb
Andrew Roy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English singer, songwriter, and actor. He was the younger brother of Barry, Robin and Maurice, who went on to form the Bee Gees.
Gibb came to prominence in the late 1970s through th ...
, singer, 30 (myocarditis)
**
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication '' Lyrical Ballads'' (1798).
Wordsworth's ' ...
, composer, 79
*
25 May
Events Pre-1600
*567 BC – Servius Tullius, the king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victory over the Etruscans.
* 240 BC – First recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.
* 1085 – Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo ...
–
Martin Slavin
Martin Slavin (19 February 1922 – 25 May 1988) was a British composer and music director.
Biography
Slavin was born in London. He served in the army as a Band Sergeant, and after demobilization formed his own seven piece band, working ...
, composer and music director, 66
*
19 August – Sir
Frederick Ashton, dancer and choreographer, 83
*
24 August –
Kenneth Leighton
Kenneth Leighton (2 October 1929 – 24 August 1988) was a British composer and pianist. His compositions include church and choral music, pieces for piano, organ, cello, oboe and other instruments, chamber music, concertos, ...
, composer, 57 (cancer)
*
11 September –
H. Hugh Bancroft, organist and composer, 84
*
23 September
Events Pre-1600
*AD 38, 38 – Julia Drusilla, Drusilla, Caligula's sister who died in June, with whom the emperor is said to have an incestuous relationship, is deified.
*1122 – Pope Callixtus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, Hol ...
–
Arwel Hughes
Arwel Hughes OBE (25 August 1909 – 23 September 1988) was a Welsh orchestral conductor and composer.
Life and career
Hughes was born in Rhosllannerchrugog near Wrexham and was educated at Ruabon Grammar School and at the Royal College ...
, composer and conductor, 79
*
15 October
Events Pre-1600
*1066 – Following the death of Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, Edgar the Ætheling is proclaimed King of England by the Witan; he is never crowned, and concedes power to William the Conqueror two months later.
*1211 ...
–
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (born Leon Dudley Sorabji; 14 August 1892 – 15 October 1988) was an English composer, music critic, pianist and writer whose music, written over a period of seventy years, ranges from sets of miniatures to wor ...
, composer, music critic, pianist and writer
*
11 November –
William Ifor Jones
William Ifor Jones (January 23, 1900 – November 11, 1988) was a Welsh conductor and organist. Born into a large coal-mining family and raised in Merthyr Tydfil, Jones studied at the Royal Academy of Music as a scholarship student in London f ...
, conductor and organist, 88
*
7 December
Events Pre-1600
*43 BC – Marcus Tullius Cicero is assassinated in Formia on orders of Marcus Antonius.
* 574 – Byzantine Emperor Justin II, suffering recurring seizures of insanity, adopts his general Tiberius and proclaims him ...
–
John Addison
John Mervyn Addison (16 March 19207 December 1998) was a British composer best known for his film scores.
Early life
Addison was born in Chobham, Surrey to a father who was a colonel in the Royal Field Artillery, and this influenced the de ...
, composer, 78
*
21 December –
Paul Jeffreys
Paul Avron Jeffreys (13 February 1952 – 21 December 1988) was an English rock musician. He played bass guitar in Cockney Rebel between 1972 and 1974, working on the group's first two albums, and later worked with a number of British bands, i ...
, bass player (
Be-Bop Deluxe
Be-Bop Deluxe were an English rock band who achieved critical acclaim and moderate commercial success during the mid to late 1970s.
History Be-Bop Deluxe
Be-Bop Deluxe was founded in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, by singer, guitaris ...
and
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel are a British glam rock band from the early 1970s from London. Their music covers a range of styles from pop to progressive rock. Over the years they have had five albums in the UK Albums Chart and twelve singles in ...
), 36 (air crash)
*
25 December
Events Pre-1600
* 36 – Forces of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han, under the command of Wu Han, conquer the separatist Chengjia empire, reuniting China.
* 274 – A temple to Sol Invictus is dedicated in Rome by Emperor Aurel ...
–
Denis Matthews
Denis Matthews (27 February 191925 December 1988) was an English pianist and musicologist whose performing career flourished after the war, during the 1950s and into the 1960s. He later turned increasingly to broadcasting, writing and teaching. ...
, pianist and musicologist, 69
Music awards
BRIT Awards
The 1988
BRIT Awards
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
winners were:
*Best British producer:
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. SAW is considere ...
*Best classical recording:
Ralph Vaughan Williams –
Symphony No. 5
*Best international solo artist:
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
*Best Music Video:
New Order – "
True Faith"
*Best soundtrack: ''"
The Phantom of the Opera
''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...
"''
*British album:
Sting – ''"
...Nothing Like the Sun"''
*British breakthrough act:
Wet Wet Wet
Wet Wet Wet are a Scottish soft rock band formed in 1982. They scored a number of hits in the UK charts and around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. They are best known for their 1994 cover of The Troggs' 1960s hit " Love Is All Around", which ...
*British female solo artist:
Alison Moyet
*British group:
Pet Shop Boys
*British male solo artist:
George Michael
*British single:
Rick Astley
Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, songwriter and radio personality, who has been active in music for several decades. He gained worldwide fame in the 1980s, having multiple hits including his signature song " Ne ...
– "
Never Gonna Give You Up
"Never Gonna Give You Up" is the debut single recorded by English singer and songwriter Rick Astley, released on 27 July 1987. It is one of Astley's most famous songs. It was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, and was released as ...
"
*International breakthrough act:
Terence Trent D'Arby
Sananda Francesco Maitreya (born Terence Trent Howard; March 15, 1962), who started his career with the stage name Terence Trent D'Arby, is an American singer and songwriter who came to fame with his debut studio album, '' Introducing the Hardl ...
*International group:
U2
*Outstanding contribution:
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
See also
*
1988 in British radio
*
1988 in British television
*
1988 in the United Kingdom
Events from the year 1988 in the United Kingdom. The year saw the merger in March of the SDP and the Liberals to form the Liberal Democrats. There were also two notable disasters this year: the Piper Alpha oil rig explosion and the bombing o ...
*
List of British films of 1988
A list of films produced in the United Kingdom in 1988 (see 1988 in film):
1988
See also
*1988 in British music
*1988 in British radio
*1988 in British television
*1988 in the United Kingdom
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTS ...
References
External links
BBC Radio 1's Chart ShowThe Official Charts Company
{{DEFAULTSORT:1988 In British Music
British music
British music by year