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This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.

• 1988 in British music
• 1988 in Norwegian music

• 1988 in country music
• 1988 in heavy metal music
• 1988 in hip hop music
• 1988 in jazz

• January 20 – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony inducts The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Drifters, Bob Dylan and The Supremes.^[1]
• January 28 – A Tampa, Florida, man files an unusual lawsuit against Mötley Crüe. Matthew John Trippe, who has a history of mental health issues and trouble with the law, claims that he was secretly hired to pose as Nikki Sixx and toured, wrote and recorded with the band for a time during 1983 and 1984.^[2] Trippe drops the lawsuit in 1993.
• March 2 – The 30th Annual Grammy Awards are presented in New York, hosted by Billy Crystal. U2's The Joshua Tree wins Album of the Year, Paul Simon's "Graceland" wins Record of the Year and Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram's "Somewhere Out There" wins Song of the Year. Jody Watley wins Best New Artist.
• March 10 - Pop star Andy Gibb dies at a hospital in Oxford, England five days after his 30th birthday.
• March 26 – "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson from the Bad album tops the Billboard Hot 100. It's the first time in history a solo artist has had four Number One singles from the same album.^[3]

• April 7 – Alice Cooper almost dies on stage when one of the props, the Gallows, malfunctions.^[4]
• April 19 – Former rock and roll singer Sonny Bono is inaugurated as the Mayor of Palm Springs, California, USA.^[5]
• April 25 – Rock supermanager Doc McGhee is sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to charges of drug smuggling stemming from a 1982 seizure of nearly 40,000 pounds of marijuana entering North Carolina from Colombia.^[6]
• April 30 – The Eurovision Song Contest, held in the RDS Simmonscourt Pavilion, Dublin, is won by French-Canadian singer Celine Dion, representing Switzerland with the song "Ne partez pas sans moi".^[7]
• May 14 – Atlantic Records stages a concert at Madison Square Garden celebrating its Fortieth birthday with performances by many of the label's greatest acts of the past. Artists include Crosby, Stills & Nash, Iron Butterfly, Ruth Brown, Foreigner and Wilson Pickett, but the most talked-about performance is by a reunited Led Zeppelin with Jason Bonham on drums.^[8]
• May 27 – The Monsters of Rock Tour 1988 commences in East Troy, Wisconsin. Van Halen headlines with the other acts on the bill consisting of Metallica, Scorpions, Dokken and Kingdom Come.^{[citation needed]}
• June 10 – Singing Revolution begins in Estonia.^[9]
• June 18 – Depeche Mode play to a crowd of 60,000 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The concert was filmed and recorded by D. A. Pennebaker for the group's documentary-concert film and live album 101.
• June 27 – Motown Records is sold to MCA and an investment firm for $61 million.^[10]

• July 2 – Michael Jackson with fifth single from Bad, "Dirty Diana", he broke the record to have five consecutive charting singles from same album at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, is the first artist and only male in history to achieve this.^{[citation needed]}
• August 12 – Public Enemy garners publicity by staging a concert at Riker's Island prison for 250 inmates and 100 journalists.^[11]
• September 6–9 – Elton John auctions off many items from his personal collection, including memorabilia and stage-worn clothing, at Sotheby's for a total of $8.5 million. John had been known for wearing flamboyant stage costumes during the glam rock era of the 1970s, but he increasingly abandoned them in later years.^{[citation needed]}
• September 10 – Billboard magazine publishes its Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart for the first time.
• September 24 – James Brown faces a variety of charges after leading police on an interstate chase, after reportedly breaking into a seminar in an Augusta, Georgia, building he owned an office in, waving a gun and demanding to know who had used his restrooms. Earlier in the year Brown had been arrested on drug and firearms-related charges.^[12]
• September 25 – The Aalto Theatre, Essen, Germany, opens with a performance of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.^[13]

• October 10 – The new Cairo Opera House is inaugurated by President Hosni Mubarak and Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, brother of the Emperor of Japan. The opening ceremony includes a kabuki performance in recognition of the funds donated by Japan.^[14]
• November 7 – John Fogerty wins a self-plagiarism lawsuit with Fantasy Records. The record label had contended that Fogerty's 1985 comeback hit "The Old Man Down the Road" was too similar to his 1970 Creedence Clearwater Revival song, "Run Through the Jungle".^[15]
• November 12 – U2's Rattle and Hum hits the Number One spot on the U.S. charts, the first double album to do so since Bruce Springsteen's The River in 1980.^[16]
• December 4 – Singer Roy Orbison gives his last concert in Akron, Ohio, USA, before his death from a heart attack.^[17]
• December 28 – Madonna calls sheriff's officers to the Malibu, California home she shared with her soon-to-be ex-husband Sean Penn. Penn is rumored to have threatened to attack or kill Madonna, tied her up, and threatened to cut her hair. These rumors have been denied by both Madonna and Penn.^[18]
• December 31 – The 17th annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special airs on ABC, with appearances by Natalie Cole, Taylor Dayne, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Richard Marx, Reba McEntire and Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.^[19]

• Peter Ruzicka becomes director of the Hamburg State Opera and State Philharmonic Orchestra.^[20]
• Andrew Davis begins a term as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and is appointed musical director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera, effective with the 1989 season.^[21]
• "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" experiences a surge in popularity in the USA sparked by television commercials featuring claymation raisin figures dancing to the song. The California Raisins version of the song peaks at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• See Musical groups established in 1988

See Musical groups disestablished in 1988

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1988.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	Phil Collins	A Groovy Kind of Love	1988		UK 1 – Sep 1988, US BB 1 – Sep 1988, Netherlands 1 – Sep 1988, Switzerland 1 – Oct 1988, Poland 1 – Sep 1988, Republic of Ireland 1 – Sep 1988, Norway 2 – Sep 1988, Italy 2 of 1988, Germany 3 – Jan 1989, Sweden 4 – Sep 1988, Austria 6 – Nov 1988, South Africa 11 of 1989, Australia 23 of 1988, US BB 26 of 1988, US CashBox 29 of 1988, POP 65 of 1988, Germany 103 of the 1980s, RYM 193 of 1988
2	Bobby McFerrin	Don't Worry Be Happy	1988		US BB 1 – Aug 1988, Austria 1 – Nov 1988, Germany 1 – Jan 1989, Australia 1 for 7 weeks May 1989, Grammy in 1988, UK 2 – Sep 1988, Netherlands 2 – Oct 1988, Switzerland 2 – Oct 1988, Norway 5 – Oct 1988, South Africa 5 of 1989, Sweden 13 – Oct 1988, Poland 13 – Sep 1988, POP 13 of 1988, Germany 23 of the 1980s, US CashBox 28 of 1988, Scrobulate 92 of happy, RYM 94 of 1988, Italy 97 of 1989, RIAA 301
3	Pet Shop Boys	Always On My Mind	1987		UK 1 – Dec 1987 (3 weeks), Sweden 1 – Dec 1987 (8 weeks), Switzerland 1 – Jan 1988 (18 weeks), Poland 1 – Jan 1988 (20 weeks), Germany 1 – Jan 1988 (4 months), Canada RPM 1 for 2 weeks – May 1988, Europe 1 for 5 weeks – Jan 1988, Germany 1 for 6 weeks – Jan 1988, Austria 2 – Feb 1988 (5 weeks), Belgium 2 – Dec 1987 (11 weeks), Netherlands 3 – Dec 1987 (10 weeks), Norway 3 – Jan 1988 (10 weeks), US Billboard 4 – Mar 1988 (15 weeks), UK Gold (certified by BPI in Jan 1988), Germany Gold (certified by BMieV in 1988), South Africa 11 of 1988, Switzerland 15 of 1988, KROQ 18 of 1988, RYM 33 of 1987, POP 38 of 1988, Italy 58 of 1988, US Radio 69 of 1988 (peak 4 7 weeks), Germany 136 of the 1980s (peak 1 11 weeks)
4	Belinda Carlisle	Heaven is a Place On Earth	1987		UK 1 – Dec 1987, US BB 1 – Oct 1987, Sweden 1 – Jan 1988, Switzerland 1 – Jan 1988, Norway 1 – Jan 1988, New Zealand 1 for 4 weeks Feb 1988, Germany 4 – Jan 1988, South Africa 4 of 1988, Netherlands 7 – Jan 1988, Austria 10 – Mar 1988, Australia 10 of 1988, Poland 15 – Nov 1987, US BB 17 of 1987, Italy 31 of 1988, RYM 53 of 1987, POP 72 of 1987, Germany 344 of the 1980s
5	Rick Astley	Take Me To Your Heart	1988		UK 1 – Oct 1988, Netherlands 1 – Nov 1988, Switzerland 1 – Nov 1988, Republic of Ireland 1 – Oct 1988, Scrobulate 1 of new age, Poland 2 – Dec 1988, Germany 1 – Jan 1989, Sweden 1 – Nov 1988, Norway 1 – Nov 1988, Austria 1 – Dec 1988, France 1 – Oct 1988, RYM 18 of 1988, US BB 24 – Mar 1989, POP 34 of 1989, Germany 242 of the 1980s

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in the U.S. in 1988.

1. George Michael – Faith
2. Madonna – You Can Dance
3. Michael Jackson – Bad
4. Guns N' Roses – Appetite for Destruction

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in the U.S. in 1988.^{[citation needed]}

• Gerald Barry – Cheveux-de-frise
• Luciano Berio – Sequenza XI
• George Crumb – Zeitgeist (Tableaux Vivants) for two amplified pianos
• Mario Davidovsky – Synchronisms No. 9 for violin and tape
• Joël-François Durand – Die innere Grenze for string sextet
• Lorenzo Ferrero – La cena delle beffe (incidental music)
• Michael Finnissy – Red Earth for orchestra
• Henryk Górecki – String Quartet No. 1, "Already it is Dusk"
• Stephen Hartke – Pacific Rim Overture
• Vagn Holmboe – Symphony No. 12, M. 338
• Wojciech Kilar – Choralvorspiel (Choral Prelude) for chamber string orchestra
• Witold Lutosławski – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
• Frederik Magle – We Are Afraid (Vi er bange), cantata for choir and chamber orchestra^[22]
• Carin Malmlöf-Forssling – String Quartet No. 1, "Silverkvartetten"
• António Chagas Rosa – Piano Sonata
• Kaija Saariaho – Petals for cello and electronics
• Bogusław Schaeffer – Concerto for Piano Duet and Orchestra
• Alfred Schnittke
  • Concerto for Piano four hands and Orchestra
  • Piano Quartet
  • Symphony No. 5 (Concerto Grosso No. 4)
  • Klingende Buchstaben
• Peter Sculthorpe – Kakadu
• Philip Sparke – Concerto Grosso
• Bent Sørensen
  • Angels' Music for string quartet
  • Camelot by Night for bass flute and guitar
  • La Notte for piano and orchestra
• Tōru Takemitsu – Tree Line for chamber orchestra
• John Tavener – The Akathist of Thanksgiving
• Takashi Yoshimatsu – Concerto for Bassoon "Unicorn Circuit"

• Philip Glass – 1000 Airplanes on the Roof
• Karlheinz Stockhausen – Montag aus Licht (La Scala, Milan, May 7)

• Bitter Sweet (Noël Coward) – London revival
• Chess (Tim Rice, Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus) – Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre and closed after 65 performances
• The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber) – Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre, and has the longest continuous run in Broadway history, with over 10,000 performances to date
• Sarafina – Broadway production opened at the Cort Theatre and ran for 597 performances

• Bird
• Bridge
• The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
• Daisy
• Dhwani
• Imagine: John Lennon
• La Bailanta
• Moonwalker
• Rattle and Hum^[23]
• Satisfaction
• Tapeheads^[24]
• Tougher Than Leather^[25]

• January 14
  • Mikalah Gordon, American Idol contestant
  • Jordy, French singer
• January 15
  • Jessica Poland, American singer-songwriter
  • Skrillex, American musician and DJ
• January 16
  • FKA Twigs, born Tahliah Barnett, English singer-songwriter,^[26] dancer, advocate and actress
  • Alex Gonzaga, Filipina singer
• January 20 – Victoria Asher, American musician
• January 21
  • Glaiza de Castro, Filipino actress and singer^[27]
  • AGA, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
• January 24 - Jade Ewen, English actress and singer
• January 25 – Yasmien Kurdi, Filipina pop singer
• February 3 – Cho Kyu Hyun, Korean pop singer (Super Junior)^[28]
• February 6 – Bailey Hanks, American actress and singer
• February 7
  • Ai Kago, Japanese pop singer^[29]
  • Lee Joon, South Korean idol singer (MBLAQ), dancer, actor and model^[30]
• February 8 – Ao Li, Chinese operatic bass-baritone
• February 11
  • Li Chun, Chinese singer
  • Paul Kim, South Korean singer
• February 13 – Mike Posner, American singer-songwriter, poet, DJ and music producer
• February 17 – Rod Michael, American singer (B3)
• February 18 – Changmin ("Max"), Korean pop singer
• February 20 – Rihanna, Barbadian pop singer
• February 22 – Jay Fung, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
• February 23 – Ashley Cooper, New Zealand pop singer
• February 27 – JD Natasha, born Natasha Jeannette Dueñas, American Latin music artist
• February 28
  • Milly Edwards, Australian Idol contestant
  • Markéta Irglová, Czech songwriter
• March 2
  • James Arthur, English singer-songwriter
  • Kate Alexa, Australian pop rock singer
  • Esther Povitsky, American actress, singer, comedian, writer and producer
  • Nadine Samonte, German pop singer
• March 6 – Agnes Carlsson, Swedish pop singer^[31]
• March 8
  • Benny Blanco, American record producer, songwriter, musician (Dating Selena Gomez)
  • Johnny Ruffo, Australian singer, songwriter, dancer, actor and television presenter (d. 2023)
• March 10 – Patrick Henry Hughes, American tenor and trumpeter
• March 15 – Lil Dicky, American comedy-rapper
• March 16 – Jhené Aiko, American singer-songwriter and rapper^[32]
• March 17 – Grimes (born Claire Boucher), Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, engineer, record producer, visual artist, feminist, activist and producer (collaborator of Hana)
• March 18
  • Agir, Portuguese singer and composer^[33]
  • Soukaina Boukries, Moroccan singer
• March 25
  • Big Sean, American rapper
  • Ryan Lewis, American musician
• March 27 – Jessie J, English singer-songwriter^[34]
• March 31 – Conrad Sewell, Australian singer-songwriter
• April 17 – Takahiro Moriuchi, Japanese singer (One Ok Rock)
• April 19 – Alfie Arcuri, Australian singer-songwriter
• April 24 – Natalie Zahra, Australian Idol contestant
• April 25 – Sara Paxton, American singer, actress
• April 27
  • Alfred Hui, Hong Kong singer
  • Lizzo, born Melissa Jefferson, American singer-songwriter, actress, rapper and activist
  • Pop Wansel, American record producer, musician and songwriter
• April 29
  • Younha, Japanese and Korean pop singer
  • Michael Ray, American country music singer-songwriter
• May 5
  • Adele, English singer-songwriter^[35]
  • Brooke Hogan, American actress, singer-songwriter and wrestler
  • Skye Sweetnam, Canadian singer-songwriter, actress and music video director (Sumo Cyco)
• May 8 – Trisha Paytas, American Internet personality, actress and singer-songwriter
• May 11 – Ace Hood, American rapper^[36]
• May 13 – Casey Donovan, Australian Idol winner, 2004
• May 18 – Tanner Wayne, American drummer (Underminded, Chiodos and Scary Kids Scaring Kids)
• May 19 - Matteo Milleri, American DJ and producer (Grimes)
• May 21 – Park Gyu-ri, South Korean idol singer^[37]
• May 22 – Roy English, also known as Jagwar Twin, American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer
• May 24 – Billy Gilman, American country singer
• May 27 - J-Min, South Korean singer-songwriter
• June 1
  • Héloïse Letissier, French singer-songwriter (Christine and the Queens)
  • Nami Tamaki, Japanese singer
• June 2 – Danny Parker, American songwriter
• June 3 – Dave East, American rapper
• June 6 – Neha Kakkar, Indian pop singer
• June 7 – Michael Cera, Canadian actor, comedian, producer and singer-songwriter^[38]
• June 9 – Mae Whitman, American actress, voice actress and singer^[39]
• June 11 – Weyes Blood, American musician
• June 12 – Dave Melillo, American singer-songwriter
• June 14 – Kevin McHale, American actor, singer, dancer and radio personality^[40]
• June 16
  • Banks, American singer-songwriter^[41]
  • Keshia Chanté, Canadian urban singer
• June 18 – Josh Dun, American multi-instrumentalist and producer (House Of Heroes, Twenty One Pilots)r^[42]
• June 20 – May J., Japanese R&B singer
• June 21 – Beatrice Egli, Swiss singer
• June 22
  • Miliyah Kato, Japanese R&B singer
  • Vicky Psarakis, Greek-American vocalist-singer-songwriter, lead singer of The Agonist
• June 23
  • Isabella Leong, Hong Kong singer, actress and model
  • Jasmine Kara, Swedish singer-songwriter
• June 24 – Nichkhun Horvejkul, Thai singer
• June 27 – Colin Tilley, American music video director and film maker
• June 28 – Julian Waterfall Pollack, American jazz pianist and composer
• June 29 – Martina Šindlerová, Slovak pop singer
• July 2 – Amali Ward, Australian Idol contestant
• July 6
  • Katy Tiz, British singer
  • Brittany Underwood, American actress and singer
• July 7 – Kaci Brown, American pop/R&B singer
• July 8
  • Reinaldo Zavarce, Venezuelan actor and singer
  • Shocka, English rapper and mental health advocate
• July 11 – Natalie La Rose, Dutch singer-songwriter and dancer
• July 12 – Melissa O'Neil, Canadian Idol winner, Canadian singer and actress
• July 13
  • Tulisa Contostavlos, English singer-songwriter and member of N-Dubz^[43]
  • Colton Haynes, American actor, model and singer
  • Mitch Rowland, American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (Harry Styles)
• July 17 – Anderson East, American rhythm and blues singer/songwriter
• July 19 – Charlene Soraia, English singer-songwriter and mental health activist
• July 20 – Julianne Hough, American dancer, singer and actress^[44]
• July 24 – Han Seung-yeon, South Korean singer and actress^[45]
• July 25 – Sarah Geronimo, Filipina pop singer
• July 28 – Nick Santino, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (A Rocket to the Moon)
• July 31 – Ruston Kelly, American country singer-songwriter (Kacey Musgraves)
• August 2
  • Chris Sebastian, Australian singer-songwriter (two time contestant of The Voice Australia, one time on Seal get to round 16 (2012) and won on team Kelly Rowland (2020), brother of Guy Sebastian)
  • Brittany Hargest, American pop singer
• August 3 – Shelley FKA DRAM, American rapper, singer, and record producer
• August 4 – Tom Parker, English singer-songwriter (The Wanted) (d. 2022)
• August 13 – MØ, Danish singer-songwriter
• August 16 – Rumer Willis, American singer and actress
• August 18 – G-Dragon, Korean rapper, singer-songwriter and producer
• August 19 – Hoodie Allen, American rapper, singer-songwriter
• August 21
  • Paris Bennett, American singer
  • Kacey Musgraves, American country singer-songwriter^[46]
• August 23 – Alice Glass, Canadian singer-songwriter
• August 24 – Kelly Lee Owens, Welsh electronic musician
• August 25 – Alexandra Burke, English singer-songwriter and actress, X Factor winner^[47]
• August 26
  • Erik Hassle, Swedish pop singer-songwriter
  • Evan Ross, American actor and musician (Diana Ross, Ashlee Simpson)
• August 27 – Alexa Vega, American musical performer, actor and pop singer
• September 3 – Devon Welsh, Canadian singer-songwriter (Majical Cloudz, Grimes)
• September 6
  • Max George, English singer-songwriter and actor
  • Gustav Schäfer, German rock drummer (Tokio Hotel)
• September 12
  • Amanda Jenssen, Swedish singer
  • Petros Iakovidis, Greek singer
  • Matt Martians, American record producer
• September 14 – Muni Long, American singer and songwriter
• September 16 – Teddy Geiger, American singer-songwriter
• September 19 – Reigan Derry, Australian singer-songwriter
• September 22 – Bethany Dillon, American Christian-music artist
• Sana Saeed, Indian actress
• September 26
  • James Blake, English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer (Jameela Jamil, Theresa Waymen)^[48]
  • Lilly Singh, Canadian vlogger, singer, rapper and artist
• September 27 – Alma, French singer-songwriter^[49]
• September 28
  • Esmée Denters, Dutch singer and YouTuber
  • Hana Mae Lee, American actress, model, singer and fashion designer (Pitch Perfect)
• September 30 – Jyongri, Japanese pop singer
• October 2 – Andreas Moe, Swedish singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist
• October 2 – Brittany Howard, American singer-songwriter
• October 3 – A$AP Rocky, American rapper, producer, part of the ASAP mob^[50] (Rihanna}
• October 4
  • Jessica Benson, American R&B singer
  • Melissa Benoist, American actress and singer^[51]
• October 5 – Kevin Olusola, Nigerian musician, beatboxer, cellist, rapper, record producer and singer-songwriter
• October 11 – Knut Eirik Kokkin, Norwegian singer
• October 12 – Calum Scott, English singer-songwriter
• October 14
  • Kobra Paige, Canadian singer and songwriter
  • Pia Toscano, American singer
• October 17
  • Dami Im, Korean-born Australian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
  • Nikki Flores, American Independent pop singer, musician, songwriter and vocal producer
• October 20
  • Risa Niigaki, Japanese pop singer
  • A$AP Ferg, American rapper, part of the ASAP mob
  • Balqees, Emirati singer
• October 28 – Jamie xx, English musician, DJ, record producer and remixer
• November 2 – Elgiazar Farashyan, Belarusian singer
• November 6
  • Emma Stone, American actress, musical star and singer
  • Conchita Wurst, Austrian singer and drag queen, Eurovision Song Contest 2014 winner^[52]
• November 7 – Tinie Tempah, English rapper, singer-songwriter^[53]
• November 8 – Pauli Lovejoy, English drummer, recording artist, music director and model
• November 10
  • Chisaki Hama, Japanese singer
  • Cazzi Opeia, Swedish DJ, producer, singer and songwriter
• November 16
  • Siva Kaneswaran, Irish singer, model, actor and songwriter
  • Sampha, English singer-songwriter and record producer
• November 26 – Blake Harnage, American songwriter, music producer, multi-instrumentalist and composer
• November 28 – Scarlett Pomers, American singer/actress
• November 30 – Eir Aoi, Japanese singer^[54]
• December 1
  • Tyler Joseph, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and rapper (Twenty One Pilots)
  • Zoë Kravitz, American actress, singer and model (lolawolf)^[55]
• December 6 – Sandra Nurmsalu, Estonian musician^[56]
• December 7
  • Emily Browning, Australian actress and singer (Sucker Punch, God Help the Girl, Plush)
  • Toru Yamashita, Japanese singer (One Ok Rock)
  • Benjamin Clementine, English-born singer-songwriter
• December 12 – Hahm Eun-jung, South Korean singer^[57]
• December 14
  • Awkwafina, American rapper, comedienne, actor
  • Vanessa Hudgens, American actor, singer, dancer
• December 16 – Park Seo-joon, South Korean actor and singer
• December 19 – Casey Burgess, Australian singer-songwriter and actress
• December 21 – Alexa Goddard, English pop/R&B singer, YouTuber
• December 23 – Eri Kamei, Japanese pop singer
• December 25 – Marco Mengoni, Italian singer-songwriter^[58]
• December 26 – Veronika Eberle, German violinist
• December 27
  • Hayley Williams, American singer-songwriter, musician, businesswoman and activist (Paramore)
  • Lou Yixiao, Chinese singer
• December 28 – Florrie, English singer-songwriter, drummer and model
• December 31 – Holly Holyoake, Welsh classical soprano singer
• Unknown – Jihae, South Korean rock singer and actress

• January 3 – John Dopyera, stringed instrument maker, 94
• January 19 – Evgeny Mravinsky, conductor
• February 3 – Radamés Gnattali, Brazilian composer, 81
• February 9 – Kurt Herbert Adler, conductor and opera administrator
• February 14 – Frederick Loewe, composer of musicals, 86^[59]
• February 16 – Jean Carignan, fiddler, 71
• February 17 – Alexander Bashlachev, Russian singer, 27 (falling from height)
• February 24 – Memphis Slim, blues musician, 72
• February 27 – Gene de Paul, pianist and composer, 68
• March 6 – Jeanne Aubert, singer and actress, 88
• March 7 – Divine, singer and drag entertainer, 42 (heart failure)^[60]
• March 8 – Henryk Szeryng, violinist^[61]
• March 10 – William Wordsworth, Scottish composer
• March 10 – Andy Gibb, singer, 30 (myocarditis)^[62]
• March 12 – Gianna Pederzini, operatic mezzo-soprano, 88
• March 15 – Frank Perkins, American song composer
• March 20 – Gil Evans, Canadian jazz pianist, composer and bandleader
• April 3 – Kai Ewans, Danish jazz musician
• April 7 – Cesar Bresgen, Austrian composer
• April 9
  • Brook Benton, 56 (complications of spinal meningitis)
  • David Prater, of Sam & Dave, 50 (car accident)
• April 15 – Youri Egorov, Soviet classical pianist, 33 (complications of AIDS)
• April 20 - Frederick Sharp, English baritone, 76^[63]
• April 29 – James McCracken, tenor, 61
• May 1 – Claude Demetrius, songwriter
• May 10 – Ciarán Bourke, folk musician (The Dubliners), 53 (brain damage)
• May 13 – Chet Baker, jazz musician, 58 (head injuries from fall)^[64]
• May 21 – Sammy Davis Sr., vaudeville performer, 87
• May 22 – Dennis Day, US singer, 72
• May 25 – Martin Slavin, composer and music director, 66
• June 12 – Marcel Poot, Belgian composer, 87
• June 22 – Jesse Ed Davis, guitarist, 43
• June 25
  • Hillel Slovak, Red Hot Chili Peppers, guitarist, 26 (speedball overdose)
  • Jimmy Soul, American singer, 45 (heart attack)
• July 2 – Eddie Vinson, jazz/blues musician, 70
• July 18
  • Joly Braga Santos, Portuguese composer and conductor, 64
  • Nico, German singer, 49 (brain haemorrhage)^[65]
• July 20 – Richard Holm, German operatic tenor
• July 28 – Pete Drake, American record producer and pedal steel guitar player, 55 (emphysema)
• August – Tenor Saw, dancehall artist, 21 (road accident)
• August 8 – Félix Leclerc, folk singer, 74^[66]
• August 9 – Giacinto Scelsi, composer and poet, 83^[67]
• August 14
  • Roy Buchanan, American guitarist, 48 (suicide)
  • Robert Calvert, South African writer, poet, and musician, 43 (heart attack)^[68]
• August 19 – Sir Frederick Ashton, British choreographer, 83^[69]
• August 22 – Frances James, operatic soprano, 85
• August 24
  • Kenneth Leighton, English composer
  • Nat Stuckey, American country singer
• September 17 – Hilde Gueden, operatic soprano, 71
• September 22 – Rezső Sugár, Hungarian composer, 68
• September 23 – Arwel Hughes, composer and conductor
• September 26 – Lord Melody, calypso musician, 62
• October 7 – Billy Daniels, singer, 73
• October 15 – Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, English composer, music critic and pianist^[70]
• October 18 – Sir Frederick Ashton, dancer and choreographer
• October 19 – Son House, blues musician^[71]
• October 20 – Mogens Wöldike, Danish conductor
• November 8 – Warren Casey, US theatre composer, lyricist, writer, and actor, 53 (AIDS-related)
• November 13
  • Antal Doráti, conductor, 82^[72]
  • Jaromír Vejvoda, Czech composer, 86
• November 24 – Irmgard Seefried, operatic soprano, 69^[73]
• November 26 – Antonio Estévez, composer
• November 30 – Charlie Rouse, saxophonist, 64
• December 2 – Tata Giacobetti, Italian singer and lyricist (Quartetto Cetra)
• December 6 – Roy Orbison, singer, 52 (heart attack)^[74]
• December 16 – Sylvester, R&B singer, disco performer, 41 (complications from AIDS)
• December 21 – Paul Jeffreys, bassist (Cockney Rebel), 36 (killed in the crash of Pan Am Flight 103)
• December 25 – Evgeny Golubev, Russian composer, 78
• December 26 – Pablo Sorozábal, Spanish composer, 91^[75]
• date unknown
  • Kenneth Morris, gospel composer and publisher, 71
  • Håkan Parkman, Swedish composer, arranger and choral director, 33 (drowned)

• The following artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Drifters, Bob Dylan, and The Supremes.

• Grammy Awards of 1988

• 1988 Country Music Association Awards

• Eurovision Song Contest 1988

• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1988
• 1988 in British music#Charts
• List of Oricon number-one singles of 1988

• Record labels established in 1988