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Highest Rated Albums of 1988
Decade
1980s
All Time
2020s
2010s
2000s
1990s
1980s
1970s
1960s
1950s
Source
AllMusic
All
AllMusic
Entertainment Weekly
Pitchfork
Rolling Stone
Sputnikmusic
Genre
All
All
Alternative Rock
AOR
Dream Pop
Electronic
Experimental Rock
Folk
Hard Rock
Heavy Metal
Hip Hop
Indie Pop
Indie Rock
Jangle Pop
Metal
New Wave
Noise Rock
Pop
Pop Rock
Post-Punk
Rock
Singer-Songwriter
Sophisti-Pop
Synthpop
Thrash Metal
1980s
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1
.
Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
September 16, 1988
Post-Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
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Spotify
2
.
N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton
August 8, 1988
Hip Hop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
3
.
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
March 21, 1988
Alternative Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
4
.
Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
April 5, 1988
Singer-Songwriter
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
5
.
Dwight Yoakam - Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room
August 2, 1988
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
6
.
Stetsasonic - In Full Gear
Hip Hop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
7
.
Guy - Guy
June 13, 1988
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
8
.
Enya - Watermark
September 19, 1988
New Age
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
9
.
Rodney Crowell - Diamonds & Dirt
March 30, 1988
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
10
.
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
October 1, 1988
Alternative Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
11
.
Eric B. & Rakim - Follow the Leader
August 4, 1988
Hip Hop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
12
.
Bobby Brown - Don't Be Cruel
June 20, 1988
R&B
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
13
.
Jungle Brothers - Straight out the Jungle
November 8, 1988
Hip Hop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
14
.
Ultramagnetic MCs - Critical Beatdown
October 4, 1988
Hip Hop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
15
.
Steve Roach - Dreamtime Return
Ambient
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
16
.
k.d. lang - Shadowland
April 26, 1988
Country Pop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
17
.
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
April 14, 1988
Hip Hop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
18
.
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
August 23, 1988
Alternative Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
19
.
The Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane
August 1, 1988
Jangle Pop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
20
.
The Residents - God In Three Persons
January 1, 1988
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
21
.
Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary
January 1, 1988
Hip Hop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
22
.
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper
April 5, 1988
Hip Hop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
23
.
Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
November 1, 1988
Hip Hop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
24
.
EPMD - Strictly Business
August 30, 1988
Hip Hop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
25
.
David Lanz - Cristofori's Dream
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Spotify
NOTE:
This is not a year end list. This list is ordered by the ratings AllMusic awarded albums throughout 1988.
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