1988 in music

See also:

Events

• Peter Ruzicka becomes director of the Hamburg State Opera and State Philharmonic Orchestra.
• January – Broadcast of the Cinemax television special Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night, recorded on September 30, 1987 at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles, California.
• February 13 - Michael Jackson purchases a ranch in Santa Ynez, California. He calls his new home "Neverland".
• February 16 - Billy Vera receives a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame
• February 17 - A 12-year old Mötley Crüe fan in Florida is badly burned while trying to imitate a stunt in the band's "Live Wire" music video. The boy suffered burns over ten percent of his body. Mötley Crüe issued a statement saying the band's stunts should not be tried at home.
• February 24 - Alice Cooper announces that he is going to run for Governor of Arizona.
• March 10 - During a concert in Perth, Western Australia, George Michael thanks Tipper Gore, head of the Parents Music Resource Center, for helping the sales of his Faith album.
• March 12 - Record producer Jimmy Iovine presents the Special Olympics with a donation of $5 million, which was raised with the release of the A Very Special Christmas album.
• April to July - Suicidal Tendencies records How Will I Laugh Tomorrow If I Can't Even Smile Today?, which will be a blockbuster album on September 13
• April 19 - Former rock and roll singer Sonny Bono is inaugurated as the Mayor of Palm Springs, California
• May 1 - Citing the 1st Amendment, a judge drops all charges filed against singer Billy Joel. Joel was being sued by Jack Powers for defamation following an interview with Playboy magazine in which he called Powers a "creep".
• July 1 - Quartetto Cetra's last concert.
• August 28 - While traveling down the Ventura Freeway in Southern California, the motor home carrying the Charlie Daniels band bursts into flames. Daniels and his band members escape without injury.
• October 10 - Acid House: Genesis'88 stage their first illegal Acid House Party in UK
• November - The "Guess The Eddies" contest begins, inviting people to guess the identities of the six members of the rock band The Swirling Eddies.
• Compact discs outsell vinyl records for the first time.
• "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" experiences a surge in popularity sparked by television commercials featuring claymation raisin figures dancing to the song. The California Raisins version of the song peaks at No. 84 on Billboard's Hot 100.
• December 4 - singer Roy Orbison gives his last concert in Akron, Ohio.
• December 31 - Acid House: Genesis & Sunrise/Back to the Future stage the biggest Acid Party in the world in a warehouse in Hackney, UK (5,000 people)
• Nirvana's career begins
• Phish's career begins
• Steven Morrissey begins solo career;
• The Offspring begin their recording career
• Baha Men forms
• After 7 forms
• Blind Melon forms
• Garth Brooks signs to Capitol records.
• Blues Traveler forms
• Cypress Hill forms
• Guttermouth forms
• Jesus Jones forms
• No Doubt forms
• Pennywise forms
• Radiohead forms (as On A Friday)
• Warrior Soul forms
• Big Black break up
• The Cars break up