Top 10 Hits: 1988-1990

[Historian]

Top 10 Records of the Year
1988 - 1990
(Based on the JBC charts)

Last night I read with interest the lively exchanges here on several R&B groups of the 1960s and 1970s, including the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Stylistics, and the Commodores. That was a nice discussion, and it brought back pleasant memories for me. I took that lively thread, and still do this morning, as a signal that the in-your-face Jamaican political commentary has been given a break long enough for some more local music history. Hopefully, I’m correct .

Today, I’ll look at the period 1988 – 1990. This list, like the other four that I’ve posted, is based on the charts of the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC). My previous posts on this subject have been: “Top 10 Records of the Year: 1985– 1987”; “Top 10 Records of the Year: 1982– 1984”; “Top 6 Records of the Year: 1978 – 1981”; “Top 10 Records of the Year: 1967 – 1974”.

1988
1. “Loneliness Won’t Leave Me Alone”: Sanchez
2. “Juggling”: Thriller U
3. “Ninja Mi Ninja”: Courtney Melody
4. “Kingston 13”: Pinchers
5. “She’s Mine”: Barrington Levy
6. “Protection”: Ninja Man/Courtney Melody
7. “Modern Girl”: Courtney Melody
8. “Old Friend”: Sanchez
9. “Sarah”: Frankie Paul
10. “Cassanova”: Frankie Paul

1989
1. “Come Back To Me”: Tiger and Malvo
2. “Girl You Love Me”: Papa San
3. “Young And She Green”: Thriller U and Johnny P
4. “One Blood”: Junior Reid
5. “Legal Rights”: Papa San and Lady G
6. “Baby Can I Hold You”: Foxy Brown
7. “Super Woman”: Karen White
8. “Who She Love”: Shabba Ranks/Home T/Coco Tea
9. “Eye No See”: General Trees
10. “I Will Survive”: Papa San

1990
1. “Twice My Age”: Shabba Ranks
2. “Workie Workie”: Byron Lee & the Dragonaires
3. “You’ll Never Get To Heaven”: 54-46
4. “Here I Am”: Chevelle Franklin
5. “Careless Whisper”: Thriller U
6. “Been Around The World”: Echo Minott
7. “Carpenter”: John Holt
8. “I Want To Rock”: Frankie Paul
9. “This Is We”: Admiral Bailey and Chaka Demus
10. “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You”: Pliers

[Mosiah]

This is the worst of your Top Ten lists. I dunno, I think the music got progressively worse from the 70s!

[Gamma]

from your mouth to god's ear!

[Historian]

Agreed!

This is the worst of your Top Ten lists. I dunno, I think the music got progressively worse from the 70s!

I just saw this response, and I fully agree (100%) with you that it’s the worst of the charts that I’ve posted, and that the music indeed got progressively worse from the 1970s (lol). However, if you think that these 1988-1990 charts are the worst , you need to see the charts of the 1990s!! Trust me, the Top 10 charts throughout the 1990s are pathetic and reflect a major fall in standards when compared with pre-1990s charts.

If I post any more Top 10 charts, I think I’ll go back to the 1960s, as I have those charts here as well. A comparison of the 1960s era with the 1990s is very instructive, to put it mildly.

[Mosiah]

yes, don't spoil the series by posting anything later than this!

[TDowl]

I would suggest that posters on this site made up their own Top Ten for this peroid, going forward.

How many tunes from this list would you anyone dance to now?

[Lazie]

I just saw this response, and I fully agree (100%) with you that it’s the worst of the charts that I’ve posted, and that the music indeed got progressively worse from the 1970s (lol). However, if you think that these 1988-1990 charts are the worst , you need to see the charts of the 1990s!! Trust me, the Top 10 charts throughout the 1990s are pathetic and reflect a major fall in standards when compared with pre-1990s charts.

If I post any more Top 10 charts, I think I’ll go back to the 1960s, as I have those charts here as well. A comparison of the 1960s era with the 1990s is very instructive, to put it mildly.

Why? Like it or not ...they were still top 10 hits. I don't like the song Stop and Go ... that doesn't change the reality it was a Festival winner.

[Lazie]

I would suggest that posters on this site made up their own Top Ten for this peroid, going forward.

How many tunes from this list would you anyone dance to now?

It all depends on the delivery.

[Hortical]

Worst from the 70s? Some big tunes on that list, and this forum full a seniors to rahtid.

[Islandman]

LOL, it look so!

And imagine one day Yuttie and im bredren dem a go tell some youth say:

"Back in our time when music was music, we had real entertainers like Movado and Kartel! Unoo young bwoy nuh know music!"

[wbvs]

I just saw this response, and I fully agree (100%) with you that it’s the worst of the charts that I’ve posted, and that the music indeed got progressively worse from the 1970s (lol). However, if you think that these 1988-1990 charts are the worst , you need to see the charts of the 1990s!! Trust me, the Top 10 charts throughout the 1990s are pathetic and reflect a major fall in standards when compared with pre-1990s charts.

If I post any more Top 10 charts, I think I’ll go back to the 1960s, as I have those charts here as well. A comparison of the 1960s era with the 1990s is very instructive, to put it mildly.

we do not have much musician anymore , its more chat pon mike wid riddim ,thats not singing .

[Islandman]

You do realise that in the 70s all that chekke-chekke reggae nonsense was not considered decent music right?

And that in the 1900s Jazz and its forerunner, Ragtime was considered low class music, only fit to be played in bars and whore houses?

[Historian]

Well Said, Wbvs!

we do not have much musician anymore , its more chat pon mike wid riddim ,thats not singing .

Thank you, Wbvs!! That just about sums up the “problem” perfectly, as far as I’m concerned! The irony of ironies is that there was a time when Jamaica had brilliant instrumentalists providing backing for singers on stage and in the studios. Today, what do we have?

At least in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s (and into the pre-“Sleng Teng” 1980s), there were good musicians working in the studios in Jamaica. Now, what do we have?

Assasin said it best some time ago when he called for more music education in Jamaica. We certainly need more, much more, than the Edna Manley School is providing.

[Mosiah]

so true!

[Hortical]

Someone please give Islandman a six pack!!!!!!