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4 Magazines Delivered to Your Door

5 Album Releases That Defined 1988

A most honorable mention to N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton, released in August 1988.

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We’ve traveled to 1998 and looked back at 1994, but what about the late 80s? What album releases defined the year 1988? More than you’d think, probably.

Here’s an eclectic mix of politically conscious rap, indie rock evolution, heavy metal, and whatever the hell Pixies were up to.

‘Daydream Nation’ by Sonic Youth

Daydream Nation, released in October 1988, signified the evolution of Sonic Youth’s studio sound into something more faithful to their live performances. The band often improvised on stage, adding impromptu jam breaks to their setlists. By the time they made Daydream Nation, they’d cemented this evolution, experimenting more with improvisation, noise, and tempo.

Critics hailed the album, then and now, as one of Sonic Youth’s best. Additionally, it was tremendously influential on the indie and alternative rock scenes of the late 80s and into the 90s. Even today, Daydream Nation remains a load-bearing album within the infrastructure of indie rock.

‘It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back’ by Public Enemy

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