# Best of the Rest of the Top 40: 1988 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010 "2015-03-02T14:04:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/1 "2015-03-02T14:04:59Z")
Our survey brings us now to 1988. We’re reaching the end of the classic rock era, and the end of the era where I’ll have to dig deep to find 25 songs that didn’t make it to #1 (went to #54 this time, including a cover of a song that had been a #1 by two separate artists). What’s your favorite? Previous polls: [1956](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744629) [1957](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744819) [1958](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744978) [1959](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745151) [1960](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745331) [1961](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745525) [1962](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745733) [1963](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745956) [1964](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746118) [1965](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746342) [1966](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746498) [1967](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746735) [1968](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746932) [1969](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747152) [1970](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747345) [1971](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747517) [1972](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747737) [1973](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747976) [1974](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748145) [1975](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748360) [1976](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748527) [1977](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748653) [1978](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748866) [1979](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=749060) [1980](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=749217) [1981](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=749398) [1982](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=749610) [1983](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=749795) [1984](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=749949) [1985](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=750154) [1986](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=750299) [1987](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=750488) Best #1 single polls: [1955-56](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731649) [1957](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731871) [1958](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732021) [1959](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732199)[1960](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732526) [1961](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732691) [1962](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732872) [1963](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733112) [1964](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733297) [1965](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733526) [1966](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733750) [1967](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733958) [1968](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734168) [1969](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734331) [1970](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734535) [1971](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734741) [1972](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735107) [1973](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735304) [1974](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735502) [1975](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735659) [1976](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735871) [1977](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736076) [1978](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736316) [1979](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736501) [1980](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736705) [1981](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736957) [1982](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737099) [1983](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737315) [1984](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737488) [1985](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737732) [1986](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737957) [1987](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738178) [1988](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738403) [1989](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738639) [1990](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738829) [1991](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739067) [1992](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739360) [1993](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739525) [1994](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739880) [1995](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740122) [1996](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740302) [1997](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740497) [1998](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740709) [1999](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740859) [2000](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741047) [2001](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741267) [2002](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741450) [2003](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741604) [2004](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741730) [2005](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741915) [2006](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742069) [2007](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742147) [2008](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742282) [2009](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742467) [2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742676) [2011](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742846) [2012](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=675664) [2013](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710843) [2014](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743899) [1950s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743046) [1960s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743240) [1970s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743399) [1980s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743597) [1990s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743803) [2000s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743981) [2010s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744176) [All-time](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744358) ---
**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:** [March 2, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/2 "2015-03-02T14:27:12Z")
This was a very tight contest between “Shattered Dreams” and “I Don’t Wanna Go on with You Like That.” I ended up picking the former. “Devil Inside” was also in contention. “Make It Real” was dead-ass last. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/3 "2015-03-02T14:38:46Z")
Mea culpa: I misspelled Whitesnake’s “Is This Love” in the poll as “Is This Live”. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/4 "2015-03-02T14:39:42Z")
_Simply Irresistible_ is what its title says! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/5 "2015-03-02T14:50:23Z")
“She’s so fine, there’s no tellin’ where the money went.” I dated that girl. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/6 "2015-03-02T15:32:40Z")
Gonna vote for Sir Elton, just because. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/7 "2015-03-02T15:35:09Z")
Robert Palmer gets my vote. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/8 "2015-03-02T15:42:57Z")
Huh, I thought I\* liked\* the 80s. This is the worst year yet! ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/9 "2015-03-02T16:50:14Z")
The 80’s sound is still going strong in 1988 but it’s starting to get tired out. The band that would do more than any other to kill it was just starting out in Seattle. Nirvana released “Love Buzz” in late 1988. Coincidentally my favorite album of 1988 is U2’s _Rattle and Hum_ which is not 80’s-styled at all. I voted for INXS. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/10 "2015-03-02T16:50:54Z")
Moderators can you please help?! I wanted to vote for Information Society but it accidentally hit my vote for the Jets, damn it! Phuck! Information Society gets my vote, Johnny Hates Jazz, Elton John and INXS are the other contenders. My vote here is null and void, not legit. Information Society!!! ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/11 "2015-03-02T16:53:16Z")
I kindly ask for the opportunity to be allowed to re cast a vote. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/12 "2015-03-02T17:29:47Z")
“Simply Irresistable” gets my vote. Such a fun song. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/13 "2015-03-02T18:20:19Z")
**The Bangles** - \* A Hazy Shade of Winter\*, hands down. A cover that rocks (and the original song was very good, too). Now I kind of regret voting for _Manic Monday_ in the 1986 poll. As I said then, it’s not their best song but I thought it’d my only chance to vote for them. Oh well. Apart from that, not a great year as others have rightly mentioned. _Pour Some Sugar On Me, Shattered Dreams_ and _Tell It To My Heart_ are OK. **Elton John** , **INXS** , **Robert Palmer** and **The Pet Shop Boys** have done much better than the songs listed here. The others are forgettable. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/14 "2015-03-02T18:37:17Z")
I actually like this year fine. I went with “Hazy Shade of Winter,” as much as I generally didn’t want to vote a cover, but it’s a fine cover. “Simply Irresistable” was my second choice, and “Pour Some Sugar on Me” is a fine example of 80s cock rock, love it or hate it. “Devil Inside” also vied for my top selection. I do loves me some INXS. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/15 "2015-03-02T18:45:58Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > “She’s so fine, there’s no tellin’ where the money went.” I dated that girl. I voted for that song, largely because that is one of the greatest lines in Rock and Roll history. ---
**Author:** ![TheInimitableMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@TheInimitableMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheInimitableMaven)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/16 "2015-03-02T18:51:45Z")
Without absolutely any hesitance after one glance at this offering, Information Society in a heartbeat. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/17 "2015-03-02T18:57:30Z")
Not a single song here I can support. Abstaining. By 1988, Top 40 was so terrible I was listening exclusively to alternative music (back when that descriptor had real meaning). ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/18 "2015-03-02T19:08:19Z")
I’m seeing Def Leppard in September, and they got my vote here. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/19 "2015-03-02T19:33:10Z")
> [@TheInimitableMaven](#): > > Without absolutely any hesitance after one glance at this offering, Information Society in a heartbeat. Yeah, can’t believe they’re not winning this one. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010/20 "2015-03-02T19:48:01Z")
So much Marx on this poll it would turn Lenin into a raving capitalist. Voted for the Pet Shop Boys. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1988/714010.md?page=2)