Hey folks!

Nominations for the upcoming Best Album of 1988 tournament open tomorrow, probably at around 9am Central, or whenever I get around to saying so on Bluesky and send out a newsletter. I hope you’ve been doing your 1988 research and have a list ready to go, one that I also hope is chock full of obscure records from across all genres. But if not, no worries! The nomination period will be open for three weeks, and you will be able to edit your ballot up until the nomination period closes. So keep listening!

Towards this, here is my complete (as of 10/20/26) list of 1988 albums I’ve given LOVE, LIKE/LOVE, or LIKE ratings to. I’m nominating everything in the first two categories, and I reserve the right to nominate or not nominate albums in the LIKE category as I see fit. If an album isn’t in any of these categories, I either thought it okay (or worse), or I haven’t heard it yet. Consider an appearance on this a recommendation, regardless.

Except.

I’m afraid I’m going to have to do something I’ve never done before: a recommendation retraction. I’m retracting my recommendation for The Proclaimers’ SUNSHINE ON LEITH due to recent statements from Craig and Charlie Reid. If you want to know why, feel free to Google it. To be absolutely clear, I will be including it in my nomination list — it’s still a very important album to me, 38 years later. But far as I’m concerned, no one else is under any kind of obligation to give it a listen, let alone a nomination.

Here is my list. All bolded albums are albums that I’ve heard prior to doing my 1988 research, many of them heard in 1988 and in the years since.

LOVE IT

Boye, DOSTA! DOSTA! DOSTA!

Cocteau Twins, BLUE BELL KNOLL

Danzig, DANZIG

Danielle Dax, DARK ADAPTED EYE

Jan Garbarek, LEGEND OF THE SEVEN DREAMS

Metallica, …AND JUSTICE FOR ALL

Ministry, THE LAND OF RAPE AND HONEY

Pailhead, TRAIT ep

The Proclaimers, SUNSHINE ON LEITH

Public Enemy, IT TAKES A NATION OF MILLIONS TO HOLD US BACK

Helen Ripley-Marshall, GREEN CHAOS

Sabbat, HISTORY OF A TIME TO COME

Stump, A FIERCE PANCAKE

The Sugarcubes, LIFE'S TOO GOOD

They Might Be Giants, LINCOLN

Voice of the Beehive, LET IT BEE

Wire, A BELL IS A CUP… UNTIL IT IS STUCK

The Wonder Stuff, THE EIGHT LEGGED GROOVE MACHINE

LIKE/LOVE

AC/DC, BLOW UP YOUR VIDEO

Anthrax, STATE OF EUPHORIA

The Bangles, EVERYTHING

Big Pig, BONK

Boogie Down Productions, BY ALL MEANS NECESSARY

Tracy Chapman, TRACY CHAPMAN

Cinderella, LONG COLD WINTER

Ornette Coleman, VIRGIN BEAUTY

Dave Holland Trio, TRIPLICATE

Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, SHOOTING RUBBERBANDS AT THE STARS

Edmony Krater et Zepiss, TIJAN POU VELO

EPMD, STRICTLY BUSINESS

Erasure, THE INNOCENTS

The Fall, THE FRENZ EXPERIMENT

The Fall, I AM KURIOUS ORANJ

The Feelies, ONLY LIFE

Galaxie 500, TODAY

Godflesh, GODFLESH ep

Head of David, DUSTBOWL

Ice T, POWER

Jane's Addiction, NOTHING'S SHOCKING

The Jazz Butcher, FISCHOTHEQUE

Kenny Wheeler Quintet, FLUTTER BY, BUTTERFLY

Kingdom Come, KINGDOM COME

L.A. Guns, L.A. GUNS

Masqualero, AERO

Morrissey, VIVA HATE

Naked Raygun, JETTISON

The O'Kanes, TIRED OF THE RUNNIN'

Ozzy Osbourne, NO REST FOR THE WICKED

Robert Palmer, HEAVY NOVA

Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota, UN BAIÓN PARA EL OJO IDIOTA

Sam Phillips, THE INDESCRIBABLE WOW

Robert Plant, NOW AND ZEN

R.E.M., GREEN

Riot, THUNDERSTEEL

Run-D.M.C., TOUGHER THAN LEATHER

Scorpions, SAVAGE AMUSEMENT

Scrawl, HE'S DRUNK

Michelle Shocked, SHORT SHARP SHOCKED

Sioxsie & the Banshees, PEEPSHOW

Slayer, SOUTH OF HEAVEN

Social Distortion, PRISON BOUND

The Smithereens, GREEN THOUGHTS

George Strait, IF YOU AIN'T LOVIN' YOU AIN'T LIVIN'

Suicidal Tendencies, HOW WILL I LAUGH TOMORROW WHEN I CAN'T EVEN SMILE TODAY

John Surman, PRIVATE CITY

The Traveling Wilburys, THE TRAVELING WILBURYS, VOL. 1

Ultramagnetic MC's, CRITICAL BEATDOWN

Various Artists, COLORS

Vengeance Rising, HUMAN SACRIFICE

Anna Vissi, TORA

Voivod, DIMENSION HATRÖSS

Voz Propia, NO PUEDO IRME

Keith Whitley, DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES

Wild Seeds, MUD, LIES + SHAME

Y Kant Tori Read, Y KANT TORI READ

Yello, FLAG

Dwight Yoakam, BUENAS NOCHES FROM A LONELY ROOM

LIKE IT

a-ha, STAY ON THESE ROADS

Paula Abdul, FOREVER YOUR GIRL

John Abercrombie, GETTING THERE

American Music Club, CALIFORNIA

Bad Religion, SUFFER

Bathory, BLOOD FIRE DEATH

Big Audio Dynamite, TIGHTEN UP VOL. 88

Big Daddy Kane, LONG LIVE THE KANE

The Bill Frisell Band, LOOKOUT FOR HOPE

Black 'N Blue, IN HEAT

Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, NOT YET

Blind Guardian, BATTALIONS OF FEAR

Bolt Thrower, IN BATTLE THERE IS NO LAW!

Bomb the Bass, INTO THE DRAGON

Britny Fox, BRITNY FOX

Bruce Hornsby & the Range, SCENES FROM THE SOUTHSIDE

Jimmy Buffett, HOT WATER

Camper Van Beethoven, OUR BELOVED REVOLUTIONARY SWEETHEART

Candlemass, ANCIENT DREAMS

Cloven Hoof, DOMINATOR

Julian Cope, MY NATION UNDERGROUND

Dead Can Dance, THE SERPENT'S EGG

Lizzy Mercier Descloux, SUSPENSE

Dinosaur Jr., BUG

Drivin N Cryin, WHISPER TAMES THE LION

Steve Earle, COPPERHEAD ROAD

Eazy-E, EAZY DUZ IT

Enya, WATERMARK

Esplendor Geométrico, MEKANO-TURBO

Everything But the Girl, IDLEWILD

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, EL RITMO MUNDIAL

Face to Face, ONE BIG DAY

Fishbone, TRUTH AND SOUL

Front 242, FRONT BY FRONT

The Go-Betweens, 16 LOVERS LANE

Nanci Griffith, LITTLE LOVE AFFAIRS

Guns N' Roses, G N' R LIES

Guy, GUY

Alejandra Guzman, BYE MAMA

Gwar, HELL-O

Charlie Haden and Paul Motian featuring Geri Allen, ETUDES

Ofra Haza, SHADAY

Helloween, KEEPER OF THE SEVEN KEYS: PART II

Helstar, A DISTANT THUNDER

The House of Love, THE HOUSE OF LOVE

Information Society, INFORMATION SOCIETY

Iron Maiden, SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON

Colin James, COLIN JAMES

Judas Priest, RAM IT DOWN

Ketama, Toumani Diabate, Danny Thompson, SONGHAI

King Diamond, "THEM"

Kix, BLOW MY FUSE

Shona Laing, SOUTH

Last Exit, IRON PATH

Los Lobos, LA PISTOLA Y EL CORAZÓN

Man Ray, MAN RAY

MC Lyte, LYTE AS A ROCK

Bobby McFerrin, SIMPLE PLEASURES

Kylie Minogue, KYLIE

The Mission, CHILDREN

Joni Mitchell, CHALK MARK IN A RAIN STORM

Moev, YEAH, WHATEVER

Peter Murphy, LOVE HYSTERIA

My Bloody Valentine, YOU MADE ME REALISE ep

Napalm Death, FROM ENSLAVEMENT TO OBLITERATION

New Kids on the Block, HANGIN' TOUGH

Nomeansno, SMALL PARTS ISOLATED AND DESTROYED

Pere Ubu, THE TENEMENT YEAR

Pestilence, MALLEUS MALEFICARUM

Pet Shop Boys, INTROSPECTIVE

Pixies, SURFER ROSA

Poison, OPEN UP AND SAY... AHH!

The Primitives, LOVELY

Prince, LOVESEXY

Rapeman, TWO NUNS AND A PACK MULE

Ratones Paranoicos, LOS CHICOS QUIEREN ROCK

Ratt, REACH FOR THE SKY

Reale de Catorce, TIEMPO OBSCUROS

Steve Roach, DREAMTIME RETURN

Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock, IT TAKES TWO

Roxette, LOOK SHARP!

Salt-N-Pepa, A SALT WITH A DEADLY PEPA

Sir Mix-A-Lot, SWASS

Skinny Puppy, VIVISECTVI

Linda Smith, DO YOU KNOW THE WAY...?

Soda Stereo, DOBLE VIDA

Sonic Youth, DAYDREAM NATION

A Split Second, …FROM THE INSIDE

Stetsasonic, IN FULL GEAR

Talk Talk, THE SPIRIT OF EDEN

Testament, THE NEW ORDER

Throwing Muses, HOUSE TORNADO

Tanita Tikaram, ANCIENT HEART

Transvision Vamp, POP ART

Randy Travis, OLD 8X10

U2, RATTLE AND HUM

UB40, UB40

Underworld, UNDERNEATH THE RADAR

Volcano Suns, FARCED

Jane Wiedlin, FUR

Winger, WINGER

"Weird Al" Yankovic, EVEN WORSE

Pamela Z, ECHOLOCATION

Thanks for reading, and see you tomorrow!

Kent