NOW – Yearbook 1988

CD 1 opens with George Michael’s stellar smash ‘Father Figure’, followed by huge hits from Kim Wilde, Belinda Carlisle, Duran Duran, and Eurythmics. A top year for Synth-driven Pop magic is showcased in the next run of hits, including the #1 from Pet Shop Boys (‘Heart’), New Order’s revisited ‘Blue Monday ‘88’, a-ha’s ‘Stay On These Roads’, and Yello’s smash ‘The Race’. Aztec Camera’s ‘Somewhere In My Heart’ leads into timeless radio-friendly Pop from Danny Wilson, The Communards, and Scritti Politti, and includes debut successes for Fairground Attraction and Tanita Tikaram. Reggae-Pop from UB40 & Chrissie Hynde and a gorgeous cover from Everything But The Girl (‘I Don’t Want To Talk About It’) prelude two of the year’s most sophisticated tracks from Sade and Sting.

 

CD 2 kicks off with a stunning line up of pure Pop gold from Kylie Minogue with her debut ‘I Should Be So Lucky’, along with Bananarama, Rick Astley, Jason Donovan, Bros and The Timelords. Huge Dance tunes follow, including the #1s from S'Express (‘Theme From S-Express’), and Yazz & The Plastic Population (‘The Only Way Is Up’), and floor-fillers from Inner City and Womack & Womack, plus U.S. Power Pop from Jane Wiedlin, The Beach Boys, The Bangles, and a huge  ballad from Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine, before the disc comes to a close with one of Elton John’s most loved classics; ‘Candle In The Wind’ - a hit again in 1988 as a live recording.

 

Established chart greats and Rock legends returned to the charts in ’88; Bruce Springsteen, Cher, Bon Jovi, Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, and Siouxsie And The Banshees, with their peerless ‘Peek-A-Boo’, are all featured on CD 3, plus the introductory hit ‘Mandinka’ from Sinéad O’Connor. Up next are Pop-Reggae favourites from Maxi Priest (‘Wild World’) and Aswad (‘Don’t Turn Around’), followed by exceptional soulful vocals from Will Downing with ‘A Love Supreme’ and Mica Paris’ ‘My One Temptation’, before Whitney Houston closes with her #1 ‘One Moment In Time’.

 

Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue, Kim Wilde, and Bananarama make their second appearance on CD 4, as well as the Pet Shop Boys-produced smash for Eighth Wonder ‘I’m Not Scared’, together with Desireless’ worldwide hit ‘Voyage Voyage’, Hazell Dean’s Hi-NRG cover of ‘Who's Leaving Who’, infectious Pop from Dollar and Transvision Vamp, rap from Wee Papa Girl Rappers, and Salt-N-Pepa’s ‘Push It’ – which sounds just as fresh today as it did in ’88 . Wet Wet Wet’s chart-topping cover of The Beatles’ ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’, follows, and successful chart debuts are celebrated here with Sabrina’s ‘Boys (Summertime Love)’, Taylor Dayne’s floor-filler ‘Tell It To My Heart’, Debbie Gibson’s ‘Only In My Dreams’, and not forgetting Tiffany topping the chart with her first UK single aged 16 with ‘I Think We're Alone Now’. The Yearbook closes with two massive hits: Angry Anderson’s anthemic ‘Suddenly’, which soundtracked the tv wedding of the year on ‘Neighbours’, and Cliff Richard’s Christmas #1, ‘Mistletoe And Wine’.