Van Halen: Finish What You Started (1988)

Eddie Van Halen came up with the riff at 2am one morning. He woke up neighbor and band mate Sammy Hagar and the pair penned this song about unfulfilled sex. The song is about blue balls and is quite straight forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIlBeqM0mRE

Top 10 songs of 1988

My favorites...

1. Desire- U2
2. Pour Some Sugar on Me- Def Leppard
3. Armegeddon It- Def Leppard
4. Orange Crush- REM
5. Finish What Ya Started- Van Halen
6. Black and Blue- Van Halen
7. Tall Cool One- Robert Plant
8. God Part 2- U2
9. Take It So Hard- Keith Richards
10. Bad Medicine- Bon Jovi

Top 30 songs of 1988: #11-20

11. Mine All Mine- Van Halen
12. Sweet Child O Mine- GnR
13. Handle Me With Care- Travelin' Wilburys
14. Spare Parts- Bruce Springsteen
15. Got My Mind Set On You- George Harrison
16. When We Was Fab- George Harrison
17. When It's Love- Van Halen
18. Ragdoll- Aerosmith
19. Heatseeker- AC/DC
20. Hawkmoon 269-U2

Top 30 songs of 1988 (#21-30)

My favorites...

21. Heaven Knows- Robert Plant
22. Angel of Harlem- U2
23. I Used to Love Her- GnR
24. Paradise City- GnR
25. Born to be My Baby- Bon Jovi
26. Cabo Wabo- Van Halen
27. I Hate Myself For Loving You- Joan Jett
28. Say You Will- Foreigner
29. I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That- Elton John
30. Tougher than the Rest- Bruce Springsteen

AC/DC: Heatseeker (1988)

Classic AC/DC. The video included a cruise missile, strategic air command, and of course Angus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWG4-4Y6Z60

Black and Blue by Van Halen (1988)

You could not escape Black and Blue in the hot, drought ridden summer of 1988. The song went to #1 on the Album Rock tracks chart and was the lead single off of OU812. 1988-89 was a Van Halen summer/fall/winter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulWjBFJ48Dc

Aerosmith: Rag Doll (1988)

Aerosmith completed their comback with their final single off Permanent Vacation. The band appeared dead until resuscitated by Run DMC. The comeback album featured four hit singles including "Rag Doll", which recounts a hedonistic man's conquests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv2vx57BYi8

R.E.M.: The Finest Worksong (1988)

R.E.M. released three singles off 1987's Document. The first two became MTV hits and broke the Billboard Hot 100. "The One I Love" peaked at #10 and "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) reached #69. "The Finest Worksong" failed to make the Hot 100, but did hit #28 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=559eWB93jW4

George Harrison: When We Was Fab (1988)

George Harrison decided to take a nostalgic and critical look at his Beatle years. It is the second time Harrison revisited his youth. In 1981, he released “All Those Years Ago” which also reminisced on Beatlemania. The music video included Ringo Starr, Elton John, and Jeff Lynne.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxr3tV-ieyY

Robert Plant: Heaven Knows (1988)

Robert Plant scored his second #1 rock hit in 1988 with “Heaven Knows.” The song was the first single off the successful Now and Zen album. Plant’s previous #1 hits included “Other Arms” in 1983 and “Little by Little” in 1985. He also hit #1 with “Tall Cool One” in 1988 and “Hurting Kind” in 1990.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvyG7E-qf0o

Keith Richards: Take It So Hard (1988)

Keith Richards decided to record a solo album when Mick Jagger refused to tour. Talk is Cheap is one of the best albums of the late 80s and “Take it So Hard” is the lead single and second album track. It’s perfect Keith complete with a gritty riff and post-apocalyptic video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbaiQ00gywI

The Church: Under the Milky Way (1988)

In 2008, Australians voted this the greatest Aussie song of the last 20 years. The song was The Church’s only international hit. They could never match its success. However, it remains popular two decades later because of its timeless themes and never world feel.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Z48dHFYLc

831. Used to Love Her by Guns n Roses (1988)

Guns n Roses followed up Appetite for Destruction with a EP of unreleased material. "Used to Love Her" and "One in a Million" each caused a stir. The latter song angered some for its alleged homophobic and racist content. Meanwhile, feminists freaked over "Used to Love Her" and its seemingly mysogynst lyrics. However, the song is actually about Axl's dog...

Studio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXIuAz7aryo

Live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le1u6BTm0SQ

832. Tall Cool One by Robert Plant (1988)

Hip Hop is known for sampling other people's music. In fact, it became a major source of controversy in the late eighties and early nineties. Interestingtly, Robert Plant decided to sample himself in 1988. "Tall Cool One" contains several Led Zeppelin samples.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiH9yXKSMVM

870. Gypsy Road by Cinderella (1988)

Cinderella scored a minor hit with "Gypsy Road." Although they are lumped with hair metal, Cinderella was more blues based, but you wouldn't know it with this hit...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j7E7pvLxmI

962. Fat by Weird Al Yankovic (1988)

Weird Al parodied Michael Jackson's "Beat It" with "Eat It." A couple years later, he returned to the theme of eating when he parodied MJ again with "Fat." Al's video copied Jackson's video for "Bad" and even won a Grammy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2mU6USTBRE&ob=av2e

987. World Leader Pretend by R.E.M. (1988)

When I first heard the song, I thought this was a critique of the Reagan Administration. After listening to the lyrics, and the metaphors, it became clear that it is about inner turmoil and conflict.

Best Line: "This is my mistake. Let me make it good."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KCxfG32Gts