# Best #1 single of the year retrospective: 1988 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357 "2014-10-24T15:10:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/41 "2014-10-24T19:12:13Z")
Instinctively, I was going to go with **Gunns 'n Roses** but _Sweet Child O’ Mine_ isn’t one of my favourite songs. I chose **Terence Trent D’Arby** in recognition of the great album he released at the time. _Sign your Name_ may well be my favourite song of the late 80s. And I loathe _Red, Red Wine_ and every single song by **UB40**. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/42 "2014-10-24T19:27:55Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > I chose **Terence Trent D’Arby** in recognition of the great album he released at the time. _Sign your Name_ may well be my favourite song of the late 80s. I have told this story a few times on the SDMB. I went to a show on his first tour in the US supporting this album. Talked my way in. Small place - a few hundred? His acapella version of First Cut is the Deepest was wonderful, as was his extended version of Who’s Lovin’ You. Good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/43 "2014-10-24T19:42:26Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > This is the first time the top choice surprised me. The current leader makes my ears bleed. Really? That song has one of the all-time classic intro rock riffs. It seemed like the runaway favorite to me (which it appears to be), especially on a board whose tastes skew more rock than dance/pop type music. One of the great all-time rock albums, period, although it didn’t _quite_ make my best of 80s list in the other thread (although I’m thinking now that it should. It certainly would make my top 20.) I didn’t realize “Red Red Wine” was originally from a 1982 album. I have it in my mind connected with the late 80s. This makes some sense, as it really wasn’t until '84 or '84 (when I was 9/10) that I started listening to Top 40 radio. (Not a fan of that song or UB40, myself.) ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/44 "2014-10-24T19:47:50Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > GAH! Too much to choose from! I like too many of these songs! > > I finally went with “Father Figure.” It reminds me of summer nights when I was a small SpazKitten. How long was it before you realized how creepy “Father Figure” is? I don’t say that because I hate the song (in fact, it’s the only George Michael song I actually like) but because it’s one of the most intentionally disturbing songs to hit #1 even though most George Michael-fangirls seemed oblivious to that fact. I’m not surprised GnR’s running away with his poll. Still, I voted for Terence Trent D’Arby’s late 80s take on Otis Redding-style soul “Wishing Well”. He had a promising career going before it was crushed by his ego. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/45 "2014-10-24T20:16:17Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > _Kokomo_ is good enough First time I’ve ever heard anybody make such a claim. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/46 "2014-10-24T20:37:51Z")
This decision was tighter than a too-small bathing suit on a too-long ride home from the beach,\* but I picked Debbie Gibson’s “Foolish Beat” over Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” and Gloria Estefan’s “Anything for You.” The songs were very close to finishing in a tie, but with my awesome clarivoyance, I can predict with 100% certainty that there won’t be a tie until 2010. “Foolish Beat” has probably been forgotten by 99% of the population. It is a strangely-structured song. The title only appears once in the whole song, and she kind of mumbles it the one time she does sing it: “just a…foolishbeat…of my hear-ar-ar-ar-art.” “Baby I Love Your Way/Freebird” easily finishes in dead-ass last. \*a Dan Ratherism ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/47 "2014-10-24T20:53:03Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > How long was it before you realized how creepy “Father Figure” is? I don’t say that because I hate the song (in fact, it’s the only George Michael song I actually like) but because it’s one of the most intentionally disturbing songs to hit #1 even though most George Michael-fangirls seemed oblivious to that fact. In my defense I was 8 years old when it was released. I also like Toadies’ “Possum Kingdom” and that’s about a rape and murder. Disturbing is not off-putting in my music catalog. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/48 "2014-10-24T21:12:36Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > In my defense I was 8 years old when it was released. > > I also like Toadies’ “Possum Kingdom” and that’s about a rape and murder. Disturbing is not off-putting in my music catalog. Make up your mind! ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/49 "2014-10-24T22:45:30Z")
For 1988 I had to vote for George Michael, that was the year of his debut solo album “Faith” since leaving Wham! behind. For a pop star to have that many number 1 singles at the same year with Michael Jackson is downright admirable. So I went with “Father Figure”. I also like “Faith”, “One More Try” and “Monkey” and other songs like “I Want Your Sex” and “Kissing A Fool”, # 2 and 8 on the chart. Songs I like more or less from this year: Michael Jackson’s entries, both Rick Astley songs, “Bad Medicine” is one of my favorite Bon Jovi singles! I like the songs by Def Leppard, Poison, Escape Club, Will to Power and Gloria Estefan(both cheesy but good), Terence Trent D’ Arby, INXS, UB40, Phil Collins. Songs by Tiffany and Chicago I am blanking on now so I can’t comment. Surprised the Bobby McFerrin song is getting votes, and pleasantly surprised INXS and Terence Trent D’ Arby are getting good love. I would have imagined that Dopers would dismiss INXS and Michael Hutchence as wannabe rock stars. And D’ Arby as a forgotten two hit wonder. I think Guns N’ Roses had better songs like “Welcome to the Jungle”, “Paradise City” and “Mr. Brownstone” then this one, but I predicted it would most votes. I thought by now Def and Poison would have had a handful. Expose had another song I liked better, so did Debbie Gibson, Richard Marx, and Tiffany. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/50 "2014-10-24T22:48:46Z")
With this single George Harrison became the last Beatle to score a #1, and he was the first in 1970 to have a solo #1. The Beach Boys scored their first chart topper since 1966, some 22 years. At the time this was the longest wait between any #1 singles for an artist. Cher would break this record in 1999 with " Believe", which came a whopping 25 years after her 1974 single “Dark Lady”. The Chicago single is the band’s first and only #1 single since the departure of Peter Cetera. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/51 "2014-10-24T22:50:40Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Nothing in this year’s group really stands out for me. I voted for “Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car” because it’s just a fun song. > > I couldn’t help noticing that Rick Astley had a couple of #1’s this year (including, of course, “Never Gonna Give You Up”). I guess you could say he was on a Rickroll. (\*\*: **D&R:** ) You are the first and only person to vote for a Billy Ocean single in these polls, for he never gets any vote. Out of all these only Ocean’s song did it for you?😕:eek::p:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/52 "2014-10-24T22:53:54Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The Wiki article notes that the original single cut left out the rap section, whereas the '88 release left it in. Maybe the label figured that this rap thing all the ‘urban’ kids were crazy about was starting to take off and they may as well get in on the ground floor? > > I’m not sure if this is the longest run between a song’s recording and its hitting #1, but if it isn’t it must be darn close. (Elton John had #1s in the '90s with “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me” and “Candle In the Wind” which had both been released 20-25 years prior, but those were both re-recordings, and in the latter case with heavily altered lyrics, so I don’t think those count.) Yes it was released twice, the first version was a #1 hit in UK (1983) and Canada(1984), but the 1988 version with the booming verse at the end hit #1 in 1988. The last time I recall hearing the 1983 version was in the mid 1990s when I was kid. It is essentially the same, except that one basically fades out and has no rap verse. Both versions took months to reach #1 on the charts, and is one the longest singles to hit #1. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/53 "2014-10-24T23:27:46Z")
A shit year, so I rick-rolled the poll. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/54 "2014-10-25T00:10:35Z")
This is where I get to pick one of my favorites, Billy Ocean. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/55 "2014-10-25T01:18:25Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > Yes it was released twice, the first version was a #1 hit in UK (1983) and Canada(1984), but the 1988 version with the booming verse at the end hit #1 in 1988. The last time I recall hearing the 1983 version was in the mid 1990s when I was kid. It is essentially the same, except that one basically fades out and has no rap verse. > > Both versions took months to reach #1 on the charts, and is one the longest singles to hit #1. [Sixth longest](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_chart_achievements_and_milestones#Longest_climbs_to_number_one) from single release. I can’t find any data, though, regarding the longest from recording to number one. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/56 "2014-10-25T07:09:35Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > I think Guns N’ Roses had better songs like “Welcome to the Jungle”, “Paradise City” and “Mr. Brownstone” then this one, but I predicted it would most votes. Exactly. That album is one of the best of the 80s but _Sweet Child O’ Mine_ is not as great as those songs. That’s why I couldn’ t vote for it. If it had been _Welcome to the Jungle_, there would have been no hesitation on my part. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/57 "2014-10-25T09:58:27Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Which means you get plenty of odd stuff that would never happen on the US charts, like “Killing In The Name Of” hitting #1 on Christmas week, 20 years after it was recorded, due to internet trolls. > > Or Kid Rock. > > Or a cover of “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” reaching #1 in 2012. > > Or a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” making #1 in 2008. > > Or the Proclaimers’ “500 miles” making #1 in 2007. > > I could go on like this all day. I was thinking more along the lines of Mr Blobby and Bob the Builder… ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/58 "2014-10-25T10:30:16Z")
Another reluctant vote for Guns n Roses. Sweet Child is their only track I actually like - a one hit wonder band for me. No love to commercial American heavy rock here generally. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/59 "2014-10-25T12:02:53Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I can’t find any data, though, regarding the longest from recording to number one. It’s probably Sheriff’s “When I’m With You.” Original release entered the Hot 100 on May 14, 1983, and peaked at #61. The re-release hit #1 on Feb. 4, 1989. ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357/60 "2014-10-25T13:25:26Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > You are the first and only person to vote for a Billy Ocean single in these polls, for he never gets any vote. Out of all these only Ocean’s song did it for you?😕:eek::p:dubious: It’s a great, great song, in a cheesy, Lionel-Richie’s-“Hello”-video kind of way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1988/702357.md?page=4)