RANKED FROM PUBLISHED SCORECARDS

Highest-rated albums of 1988.

A leaderboard of the records we've scored. Explore an era, read the reasoning, and see where your own verdict differs.

2albums in this ranking

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Only the 108 albums with an unambiguous, usable published score can enter these rankings. Equal scores share a rank; alphabetical ordering within a tie does not imply a preference. This is the site's reviewed selection, not a complete survey of every release.

Ranked within our reviewed archive. Equal scores share a rank.
Rank	Album / artist	Year	Score / 10	Label & sources
1	It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back ↗Public Enemy Listening guide →	1988	10	Def Jam Recordings / Columbia Records 2 scorecards & notes Public Enemy – "It Takes a Nation of Millions" Review: The Most Politically Important Rap Album Ever — 10/10 Public Enemy – "It Takes a Nation of Millions" Review: The Most Politically Important Rap Album Ever Made — 10/10 MusicBrainz — release and track listing ↗
2	Straight Outta Compton ↗N.W.A Listening guide →	1988	9	Priority Records / Ruthless Records 1 scorecard & notes Release year follows the checked catalogue record; the archive table differs. N.W.A – "Straight Outta Compton" Review: The Record That Changed Rap Forever — 9/10 MusicBrainz — release and track listing ↗