Best Albums of 1988

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Listed below are the best albums of 1988 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 56,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade

Decade:

Year:

summaryThe best artists of 1988 were Sonic Youth, Pixies, Talk Talk, Public Enemy, Metallica, My Bloody Valentine, Tracy Chapman, R.E.M., N.W.A and Iron Maiden.

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Daydream Nation

Sonic Youth

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

1,570 charts

Rank Score:

16,429

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

84 (1,851 votes)

Comments:

147

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Surfer Rosa

Pixies

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

1,306 charts

Rank Score:

12,603

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

911 charts

Rank Score:

10,790

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

130

Average Rating:

84 (990 votes)

Comments:

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Public Enemy

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

846 charts

Rank Score:

7,230

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

230

Average Rating:

80 (996 votes)

Comments:

...And Justice For All

Metallica

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

628 charts

Rank Score:

5,231

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

340

Average Rating:

80 (1,146 votes)

Comments:

Tracy Chapman

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

562 charts

Rank Score:

3,882

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

521 charts

Rank Score:

3,844

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

457

Average Rating:

80 (689 votes)

Comments:

Straight Outta Compton

N.W.A

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

593 charts

Rank Score:

3,445

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

516

Average Rating:

79 (729 votes)

Comments:

Green

R.E.M.

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

507 charts

Rank Score:

3,432

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

517

Average Rating:

78 (736 votes)

Comments:

10.

Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

Iron Maiden

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

357 charts

Rank Score:

2,554

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

106

Overall Rank:

698

Average Rating:

80 (551 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 of 100

Best Albums of 1988 composition

Artist	Albums	%

Various Artists	22	2%
The Beatles	4	0%
Frank Zappa	4	0%
The Bevis Frond	3	0%
Philip Glass	3	0%
Nanci Griffith	2	0%
ボアダムス [Boredoms]	2	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	429	43%
	237	24%
	45	4%
	42	4%
	31	3%
	29	3%
	28	3%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	905	90%
Yes	98	10%

Live?	Albums	%
No	972	97%
Yes	31	3%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	987	98%
Yes	16	2%

« View best albums of 1987View best albums of 1989 »

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Recognised Decade Charts (2020s)
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19. Los 30 mejores discos de la década de 2010 by Esquire España (2023)
20. BEST OF 2011 - 2020: Die besten Alben des Jahrzehnts by laut (2020)