Top 20 Albums Of 1988 (Nos. 1-5)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1988. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 1-5:

5. Jane's Addiction, Nothing's Shocking

Jane says... this album rocks hard. Between Perry Farrell's trademark yowl and Dave Navarro's sinuous guitar, Nothing's Shocking never loses energy. That energy is the driving force behind songs like "Ocean Size" and "Had A Dad". In contrast is the almost childlike "Summertime Rolls," which sounds like a summer night spent stretched out on the hood of a car, staring up at the sky. But the quieter moments are never too quiet, and "Pigs In Zen" proves that the album holds together even when it's spinning out of control. This is how you make a statement.--Amanda

Top 20 Albums Of 1988 (Nos. 6-10)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1988. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 6-10:

10. Roxette, Look Sharp!

I didn't own a ton of cassettes in the '80s because I had a pretty small allowance and only made a $1/hour babysitting. (Yeah, $1 an hour for a 12 year old girl to watch your kids for hours. Seems like you're really getting what you paid for, doesn't it?) But Look Sharp! was one that I saved up my money to get. I loved that album! It came with me on our month long summer camping trips. It came with me to the fishing resort in Louisiana. Frankly, Roxette took me to my happy place. Only four good things have ever come from Sweden: ABBA, Absolut, Alexander Skarsgard, and Roxette. And only one of those doesn't start with the letter A so you know it's got to be good to make it on that list.--Archphoenix

Top 20 Albums Of 1988 (Nos. 11-15)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1988. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 11-15:

15. DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince, He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper

Let me just state this for the record: I love Will Smith. No matter what I hear, good or bad, he will always hold a special place in my heart, and about 90% of the reason for that is The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. (The remaining 10% is split amongst his album Big Willie Style, Independence Day, and MIB.)

All that being said, even though there was a 1987 debut, this is what I believe gave the true start to this duo. If "Parents Just Don't Understand" hadn't hit, life never would have worked out the way it has. This won the first ever Grammy for Best Rap Performance, and if you don't know every single word of at least the "Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" theme song, get out. Seriously, these are two guys who had a lot of fun and brought the party every time.--J-Hawke

Top 20 Albums Of 1988 (Nos. 16-20)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1988. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 16-20:

20. Cinderella, Long Cold Winter

Cinderella weren't like the other hair bands. Don't get me wrong: they were as glam as everyone else. But Long Cold Winter had more of a bluesy feel than, say, a Look What The Cat Dragged In or a Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich. But it still rocked, due in large part to Tom Keifer's gravelly vocals. The album boasted tracks like "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" and "Coming Home," both of which should've been featured in Rock Of Ages; near-hit "The Last Mile;" the upbeat "Gypsy Road;" and my favorite song on the album, "Bad Seamstress Blues/Fallin' Apart At The Seams."--Chris