The

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

is one of many music charts compiled by the

Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...

that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles. This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the

during

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

, as well as singles which peaked in

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

and

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

but were in the top 10 in 1988. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced). One-hundred and fifty-five singles were in the top ten in 1988. Nine singles from 1987 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "

Buffalo Stance "Buffalo Stance" is a song by Swedish singer Neneh Cherry, released from her debut album, '' Raw Like Sushi'' (1989), in November 1988. The song peaked at 3 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and it reached No. 1 in ...

" by

Neneh Cherry Neneh Mariann Karlsson (born 10 March 1964), better known as Neneh Cherry, is a Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper, occasional DJ and broadcaster. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a number of punk roc ...

, ''" Crackers International (EP)"'' by Erasure, " Good Life" by Inner City, "

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 wri ...

" by Kylie and Jason and " Loco in Acapulco" by

Four Tops The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet from Detroit who helped to define the city's Motown sound of the 1960s. The group's repertoire has included soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, doo-wop, jazz, and show tunes. Founded as the ...

were both released in 1988 but did not reach their peak until 1989. " Heaven is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle and " When I Fall in Love" by Nat King Cole were the singles from 1987 to reach their peak in 1988. Twenty-nine artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1988. Bros, Everything but the Girl,

Jason Donovan Jason Sean Donovan (born 1 June 1968) is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap ''Neighbours'', playing Scott Robinson, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 mi ...

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

and

Salt-n-Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (also stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa or Salt 'N Pepa) is an American hip-hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). Their debut album, ''Hot, C ...

were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1988. The 1987

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 ...

, " Always on My Mind" by

Pet Shop Boys The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...

, remained at number-one for the first two weeks of 1988. The first new number-one single of the year was " Heaven Is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle. Overall, twenty different singles peaked at number-one in 1988, with

(2) having the most singles hit that position.

Background

Multiple entries

One-hundred and fifty-five singles charted in the top 10 in 1988, with one-hundred and forty-three singles reaching their peak this year. Nat King Cole and Rick Astley both reached the chart with versions of " When I Fall in Love" (the former entered the chart at the end of 1987 but peaked in this year). Twenty-nine artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1988. Bros and

shared the record for most top 10 hits in 1988 with five hit singles each. Fairground Attraction were one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single "

Perfect Perfect commonly refers to: * Perfection, completeness, excellence * Perfect (grammar), a grammatical category in some languages Perfect may also refer to: Film * Perfect (1985 film), ''Perfect'' (1985 film), a romantic drama * Perfect (2018 f ...

Climie Fisher Climie Fisher were a British pop duo formed by vocalist Simon Climie and former Naked Eyes keyboardist Rob Fisher. In 1987–88, they had two international hit singles: " Rise to the Occasion" and "Love Changes (Everything)". Career Simon Cli ...

Gloria Estefan Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been ...

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...

Salt 'N' Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (also stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa or Salt 'N Pepa) is an American hip-hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). Their debut album, ''Hot, C ...

and

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1988.

Chart debuts

Sixty-seven artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1988, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, nine went on to record another hit single that year: Brother Beyond,

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 ...

, Fairground Attraction, Inner City,

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 ...

and Taylor Dayne. Bomb the Bass,

Tiffany Tiffany may refer to: People * Tiffany (given name), list of people with this name * Tiffany (surname), list of people with this surname Known mononymously as "Tiffany": * Tiffany Darwish, (born 1971), an American singer, songwriter, actress kn ...

and Yazz (two billed as ''Yazz and The Plastic Population'') all had two more top 10 entries in 1988. Bros and

both had four other entries in their breakthrough year. The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single. ;Notes

was lead singer in the Manchester-based group The Smiths from 1982 until they disbanded in 1987. He produced his debut solo single this year, " Suedehead", which peaked at number 5, as well as the number 9-peaking follow-up "

Everyday Is Like Sunday "Everyday Is Like Sunday" is the third track of Morrissey's debut solo album, ''Viva Hate'', and the second single to be released by the artist. Co-written by Morrissey and former Smiths producer Stephen Street, the song was Morrissey's secon ...

Narada Narada ( sa, नारद, ), or Narada Muni, is a sage divinity, famous in Hindu traditions as a travelling musician and storyteller, who carries news and enlightening wisdom. He is one of mind-created children of Brahma, the creator god. He ...

scored his only previous top 10 single, "I Shoulda Loved Ya", under his full name ''Narada Michael Walden''. The Timelords scored their only hit single in 1988, " Doctorin' the Tardis", under this name - they went on to future success as The KLF, one of their several other pseudonyms.

was credited as a solo artist alongside her group

Miami Sound Machine Miami Sound Machine was an American band of Latin-influenced music that had featured the vocals of Cuban-born recording artist Gloria Estefan (née Fajardo). Established in 1975 by Emilio Estefan Jr., the band was originally known as the Miami ...

for the first time in 1988. She would make her official solo top 10 debut with 1989's "

Don't Wanna Lose You "Don't Wanna Lose You" is a song by Cuban-American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released on June 21, 1989 as the first single by Epic Records from her debut solo album, '' Cuts Both Ways'' (1989). The song is written by Estefa ...

Songs from films

Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "

That's the Way It Is That's the Way It Is may refer to: *'' Elvis: That's the Way It Is'', a 1970 documentary film about Elvis Presley * ''That's the Way It Is'' (Elvis Presley album), a 1970 album by Elvis Presley * "That's the Way It Is" (Mel and Kim song), a 1988 so ...

" (from '' Coming to America'') and " A Groovy Kind of Love", " Loco in Acapulco" and " Two Hearts" (''

Buster Buster may refer to: People First name *Buster Drayton (born 1952), American boxer *Buster Glosson, retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general *Buster Mathis (1943–1995), American heavyweight boxer *Buster Mathis Jr. (born 1970), American heavyw ...

'').

Charity singles

The charity double-A side single by

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 w ...

Billy Bragg Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic themes. His music is ...

and Cara Tivey featured cover versions of two

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

songs, lifted from the charity compilation album ''

Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father ''Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father'' is a 1988 multi-artist compilation LP/cassette of 1980s artists recording new versions of the songs on The Beatles album '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. The album was produced by the ''New Musical Expr ...

'' which was put together in aid of Childline. Wet Wet Wet recorded " With a Little Help from My Friends", while Billy Bragg and Cara Tivey collaborated on " She's Leaving Home". The single peaked at number-one on 21 May 1988 (week ending), spending four weeks at the top spot.

Best-selling singles

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 ...

had the best-selling single of the year with " Mistletoe and Wine". The single spent six weeks in the top 10 (including four weeks at number one), sold over 500,000 copies and was certified gold by the BPI. "

The Only Way Is Up "The Only Way Is Up" is a song written by George Jackson (songwriter), George Jackson and Johnny Henderson and originally released in 1980 as a single by soul singer Otis Clay. In 1988, it became a chart-topping single in the United Kingdom for ...

" by

Yazz & The Plastic Population 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 ...

came in second place, selling more than 400,000 copies and losing out by around 100,000 sales.

's "

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 worldw ...

", "

" from Kylie Minogue and

and "

I Think We're Alone Now "I Think We're Alone Now" is a song written and composed by Ritchie Cordell that was first recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells. It was a major hit for group, reaching number 4 on the US Hot 100 in April 1967. It finished at No. 12 on ''Bil ...

" by

made up the top five. Singles by

Glenn Medeiros Glenn Alan Medeiros (born June 24, 1970) is an American former musician, singer, and songwriter who achieved chart success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is best known on the national and international music scene for his 1987 global s ...

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

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 (singer), Allan Clarke and Graham ...

with Cara Tivey and Womack & Womack were also in the top ten best-selling singles of the year.

Top-ten singles

;Key

Entries by artist

The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1988, including singles that reached their peak in 1987 or 1989. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist.

Notes

* "Especially for You" reached its peak of number-one on 7 January 1989 (week ending). * "The Only Way Is Up" and "Doctorin' the House" were both credited to ''Yazz & The Plastic Population'', while "Stand Up for Your Love Rights" simply to ''Yazz''. * "Good Life" reached its peak of number four on 7 January 1989 (week ending). * "Buffalo Stance" reached its peak of number three on 14 January 1989 (week ending). * Comedian

Mel Smith Melvyn Kenneth Smith (3 December 1952 – 19 July 2013) was an English comedian, actor and director. Smith worked on the sketch comedy shows ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' and ''Alas Smith and Jones'' with his comedy partner, Griff Rhys Jones. S ...

and singer

Kim Wilde Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, 18 November 1960) is an English pop singer, DJ and television presenter. She first saw success in 1981 with her debut single "Kids in America", which peaked at No. 2 in the UK. In 1983, she received the Brit Award f ...

parodied their namesakes, the duo Mel and Kim, for the Comic Relief cover of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree". The song was recorded under the identical name,

Mel & 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 the ...

. * Released as the official single for Comic Relief in

. * "When I Fall in Love" (Nat King Cole version) originally peaked at number 2 on its initial release in 1957. * "Gimme Hope Jo'anna" was released as a protest song against

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. It was banned by the South African government when it was first recorded. * "I Want You Back" originally peaked at number 2 upon its initial release in 1970. The song was remixed and re-released as "I Want You Back '88" in 1988. * "Blue Monday" originally peaked at number 9 upon its initial release in 1983. The song was remixed and re-released as "Blue Monday 1988" in 1988. * "With a Little Help from My Friends" and "She's Leaving Home" were recorded for the charity compilation album ''

'', which was raising money for Childline. They were released as a double-A side single, with

responsible for the former and

with Cara Tivey the latter. * "Anfield Rap (Red Machine in Full Effect) " was released by

Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has p ...

to celebrate reaching the FA Cup Final in

. * "Doctorin' the Tardis" was a mash-up of the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' theme tune with " Rock and Roll (Part Two)" by

Gary Glitter Paul Francis Gadd (born 8 May 1944), best known by his stage name Gary Glitter, is an English former singer, songwriter, and record producer. He achieved success during the glam rock era of the 1970s and 1980s, and his career ended after he w ...

. It also contained a sample of "

Blockbuster! "Block Buster!" (also sometimes listed as "Blockbuster!") is a 1973 single by Sweet. Written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, and produced by Phil Wainman, "Block Buster!" was the band's sole UK No. 1 hit. Released in January 1973, it spent five w ...

" by Sweet. * "In the Air Tonight" originally peaked at number 2 upon its initial release in 1981. The song was remixed and re-released in 1988. * "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" originally peaked at number 3 upon its initial release in 1969. It was re-released in 1988 after being used in a television advertising campaign for '' Miller Lite'' beer. *"Lovely Day" originally peaked at number 7 upon its initial release in 1978. The song was remixed and re-released as "Lovely Day (Sunshine Mix)" in 1988. * "One Moment in Time" was the official single for the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

. * "First Time" was used in a television advertising campaign 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 Atlanta ...

'' in 1987. * "Downtown" originally peaked at number 2 upon its initial release in 1964. The song was remixed and re-released (without Petula Clark's permission) as "Downtown '88" in 1988. * Figure includes single that peaked in 1989. * Figure includes single that peaked in 1987. * Figure includes a top 10 hit with the group The Jackson 5. * Figure includes single that first charted in 1987 but peaked in 1988. * Figure includes appearance on Coldcut's "Doctorin' the House".

References

General * Specific

External links

1988 singles chart archive
at the

(click on relevant week)
Official Top 40 best-selling songs of 1988
at the

{{UK Music Charts

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 continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Top 10 singles

Background

Multiple entries

Chart debuts

Songs from films

Charity singles

Best-selling singles

Top-ten singles

Entries by artist

Notes

See also

References

External links