1988: Perk Up Your Ears

By Latanya

I was only seven in 1983, so I wasn’t as musically aware as I was in 1988. Granted, by 1988 I was 12 and in the seventh grade, and I was much more expressive by this point. Thankfully, my ears were perked up higher so the following albums stuck out
from that year.

Erasure, The Innocents
I was really into Dance/Freestyle music and I adored “A Little Respect” and “Chains of Love.” This album has aged fairly well and is a Club/Dance classic.

Prince, Lovesexy
I remember this album being hailed as a great addition to his discography, but, in all honesty, I only like two songs: “Alphabet Street” and “I Wish U Heaven” with the latter getting the most love from me. Has it aged well? Not really. I am still trying to figure out why some people would put this in the top five Prince albums to have.

Sade, Stronger Than Pride
This is one of my favorite Sade albums. I am particularly fond of the first three songs: “Love is Stronger than Pride,” “Paradise,” and “Nothing Can Come Between Us.” From these three songs alone, I wanted the perfect lover in my life (yes, I was twelve, but I figured if my true love came years later, I wanted a love like the one she described in these songs). Sade’s albums, in my opinion, age very well. Soft-R & B and jazz never truly fade away and this album is proof-positive.

Al B. Sure, In Effect Mode
Perfect late 80s R & B which was definitely emulated in the following decades. Every girl (and yes, some guys) I knew had this tape (yes, Virginia, cassette tapes did exist!). It was a how-to on love, sex, and finding the perfect groove. From “Nite and Day” to “If I’m Not Your Lover” to a stirring, sexy cover of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” that rivals the Fugees’ (yes, I prefer this one to Lauryn Hill’s, sorry!), you got the opportunity to pass the love lessons taught here. If not, yeah, you deserved to fail.

Bobby Brown, Don’t Be Cruel
Bobby Brown, where did you go? Oh, yeah, Crack and Drama! Splendid album. Alongside Mr. Al. B. Sure, this is how R & B was done. Unfortunately, the 1990s and 2000s forgot that; thus, we have Akon (can you feel my blood boiling?)

New Kids on The Block, Hangin’ Tough
A great album by a so-so talented boy group (forget about the reunion; it’s not a good idea!). I loved them then (mind you, I said then!) and they honestly got me for my money. Well-earned.

More from 1988:

New Kids on the Block, Hangin’ Tough by Christian Lipski

Jane’s Addiction, Nothing’s Shocking by Christian Lipski

And from 1983:

1983: Music For Twelve-Year-Olds? by Less Lee Moore