August 20, 1988 Soundgarden play Capitol Lake Park in Olympia, Washington as part of Capitol Lake Jam. Also on the bill: Nirvana.
August 19, 1988 Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" is named the most-played song in the first 100 of the jukebox.
August 13, 1988 Robert Smith of The Cure marries his childhood sweetheart, Mary Poole, at the Benedictine Monastery in Sussex, England. Poole appeared in the "Just Like Heaven" video and inspired the hit "Lovesong."
August 9, 1988 Edie Brickell & New Bohemians release their debut album, Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars, the title a reference to their longshot chances of making it big. The first single is the easygoing, introspective "What I Am," which stands out from the dance music and hair metal on the charts and becomes a surprise hit.
August 8, 1988 N.W.A., featuring Dr. Dre and Easy-E, release the Gangsta Rap classic Straight Outta Compton, which gets a lot of attention for its song "F--k Tha Police."
August 6, 1988 Thanks to its inclusion on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, the Contours' 1962 hit "Do You Love Me" makes another chart run, peaking at #11.
August 1, 1988 Soundgarden release their second EP, Fopp, on Sub Pop Records. Its title comes from the name of an Ohio Players song, which they cover on the set.
July 29, 1988 Pete Drake, Nashville record producer and session guitarist who played with the likes of Bob Dylan, Don Gibson, and Marty Robbins, dies of emphysema at age 55. Known for the 1964 hit "Forever" with his groundbreaking use of a talk box for the pedal steel guitar.
July 21, 1988 In Aiken circuit court in South Carolina, James Brown pleads guilty to charges of gun possession and resisting arrest. Brown was arrested in May after leading police on a car chase.
July 18, 1988 Christa Päffgen aka Nico (of The Velvet Underground) dies at age 49 while vacationing in Ibiza, Spain. While riding a bicycle, the German singer-songwriter suffers a heart attack and falls and hits her head, causing a severe cerebral hemorrhage.
July 14, 1988 At the height of "Elvis is Alive" mania, Nashville radio station WYHY offers a million dollars to anyone who shows up at the studios with the King.
July 12, 1988 Playgirl magazine publishes their list of the 10 sexiest rockers. They are: George Michael LL Cool J Bryan Ferry Michael Hutchence of INXS Richard Marx John Cougar Mellencamp Bret Michaels of Poison Larry Mullen Jr. of U2 Robert Plant Terence Trent D'Arby
July 9, 1988 Cheap Trick, hitless since the '70s, go to #1 in America with "The Flame," joining the power ballad party of the late '80s.More
July 6, 1988 MTV refuses to play Neil Young's video for "This Note's For You," citing a policy against videos that mention products. The video is a parody of various ad campaigns, with lyrics mentioning Coke, Pepsi, Miller and Bud.More
July 4, 1988 Kylie Minogue releases her debut album, Kylie, featuring her hit cover of "The Loco-Motion." The album marks a rebirth of disco, a genre Minogue proudly embraces.
June 26, 1988 Despite missing 75 days of school her senior year so she could tour, Debbie Gibson graduates from Calhoun High School in Merrick, Long Island, with honors. The previous day, her song "Foolish Beat" went to #1 in America.
June 25, 1988 Seventeen-year-old Debbie Gibson hits #1 in America with "Foolish Beat," making her the youngest artist to top the Hot 100 with a song written, performed and produced by herself. The mark stands until 2007 when Soulja Boy goes to #1 with "Crank That."
June 21, 1988 After a six-month delay while they wait to clear the Star Trek samples used on three tracks (notably Spock's "Pure Energy" on "What's On Your Mind"), Information Society release their self-titled major-label debut album. They quickly become one of the top techno/freestyle acts of the late '80s.
June 20, 1988 MCA Records issues landmark albums by two of their hottest young R&B acts: Bobby Brown's Don't Be Cruel and New Edition's Heart Break.More
June 15, 1988 "If You Wanna Be Happy" singer Jimmy Soul dies of a heart attack at age 45 after years of drug use takes its toll.
June 13, 1988 Paula Abdul's debut album, Forever Your Girl, is released. An accomplished cheerleader and choreographer, she proves successful as a singer as well, as the album produces four #1 hits: "Straight Up," the title track, "Cold Hearted" and "Opposites Attract."
June 11, 1988 Dozens of big-name acts, including Peter Gabriel, Sting, Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder, rock the stage at the Free Nelson Mandela Concert at Wembley Stadium in London.More
June 10, 1988 Steve Sanders (baritone singer, guitarist for The Oak Ridge Boys) dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at age 45.
May 29, 1988 Bob Dylan duets with Band drummer Levon Helm on the group's "The Weight" at a Helm show in New York. The duo also perform Chuck Berry's "Nadine."
May 27, 1988 The Monsters of Rock tour, with a lineup of Metallica, Van Halen, Scorpions and Dokken, kicks off with a show at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Wisconsin. Metallica emerge super-sized, and soon after the tour release their album ...And Justice for All. Dokken, strained from infighting and exhaustion, break up after the tour.
May 14, 1988 Gloria Estefan scores the first of her three #1 hits when "Anything For You" claims the top spot. It's a heartbreak song, but not inspired by a specific person; Gloria married Emilio Estefan, leader of her group Miami Sound Machine, 10 years earlier.
May 14, 1988 Atlantic Records' 40th Anniversary celebration takes place at New York's Madison Square Garden, featuring appearances from many famous artists on the label's roster: The Bee Gees, Wilson Pickett, The Rascals, The Coasters, Emerson, Lake And Palmer, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Foreigner, Yes, Genesis, and the event's main attraction, a rare reunion of Led Zeppelin, with John Bonham's son Jason taking over drums for his late father.
May 11, 1988 Still going strong, the legendary songwriter Irving Berlin turns 100. A concert celebrating his life and music takes place at Carnegie Hall, with Tony Bennett, Bob Hope, Ray Charles and Rosemary Clooney all taking part.
May 5, 1988 Adele is born Adele Laurie Blue Adkins in London. Her albums are named after her age when they're released, starting with 19 in 2008. Her second album, 21, goes stratospheric, with visceral songs about her ex that make a deep connection with fans.
May 2, 1988 Melissa Etheridge releases her self-titled debut album, adding a much-welcome new female voice to rock radio with the singles "Bring Me Some Water" and "Like the Way I Do."
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