This chart is the first year to break out on its own, given the previous ones were 1970-82, 1983-85 and 1986-87. And to be honest there wasn't a massive depth of quality in my collection to choose from. As in previous charts the golden years of Iron Maiden and Metallica had seen them dominate and with 1988 being the last year that their big hitting albums coincided in the same year, this (coupled with my expanding record collection in future years) will mean this will never happen again in future charts.
The number of bands included here seems much smaller and as an example of quality I had Senseless Things songs hitting the top 20 here that didn't even make their own top 50! That's not to say that all the songs included here aren't very good, they are. But compared to other charts, the pop had kind of dried up and turned into Stock/Aitken/Waterman-type stuff (which admittedly I liked at the time but most hasn't stood the test of time well) and all of the metal, rock and indie bands that I own releases by were really just getting started, dipping their toes into the water, their best work yet to come. So watch this space for 1989 and onwards, the competition is going to get a lot tougher........
1. Aha - Stay On These Roads
2. Iron Maiden - Moonchild
3. Metallica - Blackened
4. Metallica - One
5. Bathory - A Fine Day to Die
6. Iron Maiden - The Evil That Men Do
7. Aha - You Are The One
8. Iron Maiden - The Clairvoyant
9. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
10. Aha - Touchy!
11. Aha - The Living Daylights
12. Aha - Out of Blue Comes Green
13. Aha - This Alone is Love
14. Iron Maiden - Can I Play With Madness
15. Senseless Things - When You Let Me Down
16. Senseless Things - Passions Out of Town
17. Senseless Things - You Don't Want Me
18. Iron Maiden - Only the Good Die Young
19. Metallica - The Shortest Straw
20. Metallica - Breadfan
21. Senseless Things - I Want to Go Back
22. New Order - Blue Monday 88
23. Pet Shop Boys - Heart
24. Metallica - The Frayed Ends of Sanity
25. Metallica - Dyer's Eve
26. Metallica - To Live is to Die
27. Megadeth - In My Darkest Hour
28. Inspiral Carpets - Keep the Circle Around
29. Slayer - Mandatory Suicide
30. Pet Shop Boys - Left to my Own Devices
31. Stone Roses - Elephant Stone
32. Rollins Band - What Am I Doing Here?
33. Slayer - South of Heaven
34. Senseless Things - I've Lost My Train
35. Senseless Things - Where the Secret Lies
36. Wonder Stuff - A Wish Away
37. Carter USM - A Sheltered Life
38. Happy Mondays - W.F.L.
39. Metallica - The Prince
40. Senseless Things - The Only One
41. Metallica - Harvester of Sorrow
42. Metallica - ...And Justice For All
43. Rollins Band - Wreck-Age
44. Iron Maiden - Infinite Dreams
45. Napalm Death - Unchallenged Hate
46. Napalm Death - Mentally Murdered
47. Soundgarden - Flower
48. Megadeth - Hook in Mouth
49. Rollins Band - If You're Alive
50. Rollins Band - Burned Beyond Recognition
