1988

Acts Formed

Arrested
Development

Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Hip Hop

Blur

London, England
Britpop

Cannibal Corpse

Buffalo, New York, USA
Death Metal

Cypress Hill

South Gate, California, USA
Hip Hop

Deftones

Sacramento, California, USA
Metal

KMD

Long Beach, New York, USA
Hip Hop

Lilys

Washington, D.C., USA
Shoegaze

Lush

London, England
Shoegaze

Massive Attack

Bristol, England
Trip Hop

Mazzy Star

Santa Monica, California, USA
Alternative Rock

Mother Love Bones

Seattle, Washington, USA
Grunge

Mudhoney

Seattle, Washington, USA
Alternative Rock

Nine Inch Nails

Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Industrial

Onyx

Queensbridge, New York, USA
Hip Hop

Ride

Oxford, England
Indie Rock

The Boo Radleys

Wallasey, England
Alternative Rock

The Charlatans

Birmingham, England
Indie Rock

The Future Sound
of London

Manchester, England
Dance

The Orb

London, England
Dance

The Smashing
Pumpkins

Chicago, Illinois, USA
Alternative Rock

The Sundays

London, England
Jangle Pop

The Traveling
Wilburys

Los Angeles, California
Rock Supergroup

The Wannadies

Skellefteå, Sweden
Power Pop

March 2nd - Grammy Awards

Album of the Year: U2 - The Joshua Tree

Song of the Year: Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram - Somewhere Out There

March 10th

Andy Gibb, of the Bee Gees, dies at 30 of myocarditis.

March 21st

Pixies - Surfer Rosa is released. Debut album.

April 7th

Alice Cooper is almost killed on stage following an accident.

May 31st

Boogie Down Productions - By Any Means Necessary is released.

June 7th

EPMD - Strictly Business is released. Debut album.

June 27th

Motown is purchased by MCA for $61m.

June 28th

Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is released. Political hip hop is born.

July 18th

Nico dies at 49 from a fall.

July 25th

Eric B & Rakim - Follow the Leader is released.

August 12th

Public Enemy play a live gig for prisoners at Riker's Island.

September 24th

James Brown arrested for brandishing a gun and failing to stop for a police officer among other charges. He would later be imprisoned.

October 18th

Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation is released.

November 21st

My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything is released. Shoegaze is born.

December 6th

Roy Orbison dies of a heart attack at 52.