List of number-one singles of 1988 (Canada)

RPM was a Canadian magazine that published the best-performing singles of Canada from 1964 to 2000. Twenty-five singles peak atop the RPM Singles Chart in 1988. "Faith" by George Michael held the top position from 1987 into 1988, and Chicago achieved the final number-one hit of the year with "Look Away". Eight musical acts peaked at number one in Canada for the first time this year: M|A|R|R|S, Rick Astley, Terence Trent D'Arby, Midnight Oil, INXS, Cheap Trick, Tracy Chapman, and Bobby McFerrin. No Canadian acts topped the chart this year.

Trinidadian-English singer Billy Ocean remained at number one for a four-week spell with "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car", eventually claiming 1988's highest-selling single with the aforementioned record.

1988 was a successful year for British musical acts in Canada. Trinidadian-English singer Billy Ocean had the most successful single of the year with "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car", which topped the chart for four weeks in April. However, it was George Michael who picked up the most number-one singles in 1988, topping the RPM Singles Chart with "Faith", "One More Try", "Monkey", and "Kissing a Fool". In total, Michael stayed at the summit for seven weeks. Meanwhile, a third English singer, Rick Astley, accumulated eight weeks at number one with three hits: "Never Gonna Give You Up", "Together Forever", and "It Would Take a Strong Strong Man", the most out of any artist during the year.

Along with "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car" and "Together Forever", "Desire" by Irish band U2 was the joint-longest-running number-one track of 1988, staying at the top for four weeks in November and December. George Harrison, Tiffany, M|A|R|R|S, Elton John, and Phil Collins all stayed at number one for three weeks with their sole 1988 number ones. This year, only two female acts obtained a number-one hit: Tiffany and Tracy Chapman.

Key

† Indicates best-performing single of 1988

Chart history

George Michael scored four different number-one singles in 1988: "Faith", "One More Try", "Monkey", "Kissing a Fool".

Rick Astley spent eight weeks at number one with three hits: "Never Gonna Give You Up", "Together Forever", and "It Would Take a Strong Strong Man".

Pet Shop Boys' rendition of "Always on My Mind" spent two issues at number one in late May.

Elton John's "I Don't Wanna Go On with You Like That" gave him three weeks at number one in 1988.

With "Look Away", American rock band Chicago were the last act to top the RPM singles chart in 1988.

Issue date	Song	Artist	Reference
2 January[A]	"Faith"	George Michael	[1]
9 January
16 January	"Got My Mind Set on You"	George Harrison	[2]
23 January			[3]
30 January			[4]
6 February	"Could've Been"	Tiffany	[5]
13 February			[6]
20 February			[7]
27 February	"Pump Up the Volume"	M|A|R|R|S	[8]
5 March			[9]
12 March			[10]
19 March	"Never Gonna Give You Up"	Rick Astley	[11]
26 March			[12]
2 April			[13]
9 April	"Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car"†[14]	Billy Ocean	[15]
16 April			[16]
23 April			[17]
30 April			[18]
7 May	"Wishing Well"	Terence Trent D'Arby	[19]
14 May			[20]
21 May	"Always on My Mind"	Pet Shop Boys	[21]
28 May			[22]
4 June	"Beds Are Burning"	Midnight Oil	[23]
11 June	"One More Try"	George Michael	[24]
18 June			[25]
25 June	"Together Forever"	Rick Astley	[26]
2 July			[27]
9 July			[28]
16 July			[29]
23 July	"New Sensation"	INXS	[30]
30 July	"The Flame"	Cheap Trick	[31]
6 August	"Roll with It"	Steve Winwood	[32]
13 August	"I Don't Wanna Go On with You Like That"	Elton John	[33]
20 August			[34]
27 August			[35]
3 September	"Fast Car"	Tracy Chapman	[36]
10 September	"Perfect World"	Huey Lewis and the News	[37]
17 September	"Monkey"	George Michael	[38]
24 September			[39]
1 October	"It Would Take a Strong Strong Man"	Rick Astley	[40]
8 October	"One Good Woman"	Peter Cetera	[41]
15 October	"Don't Worry, Be Happy"	Bobby McFerrin	[42]
22 October			[43]
29 October	"A Groovy Kind of Love"	Phil Collins	[44]
5 November			[45]
12 November			[46]
19 November	"Desire"	U2	[47]
26 November			[48]
3 December			[49]
10 December			[50]
17 December	"Kissing a Fool"	George Michael	[51]
24 December	"Look Away"	Chicago	[52]
31 December[B]

Notes

1. Due to a two-week break in publication over the 1987/1988 New Year period, the weeks of 2 January and 9 January is inferred.
2. Due to a two-week break in publication over the 1988/1989 Christmas/New Year period, the week of 31 December is inferred.

See also

• 1988 in music
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1988

References

1. "RPM 100 Singles – December 26, 1987". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
2. "RPM 100 Singles – January 16, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
3. "RPM 100 Singles – January 23, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
4. "RPM 100 Singles – January 30, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
5. "RPM 100 Singles – February 6, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
6. "RPM 100 Singles – February 13, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
7. "RPM 100 Singles – February 20, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
8. "RPM 100 Singles – February 27, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
9. "RPM 100 Singles – March 5, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
10. "RPM 100 Singles – March 12, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
11. "RPM 100 Singles – March 19, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
12. "RPM 100 Singles – March 26, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
13. "RPM 100 Singles – April 2, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
14. "Top 100 Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. p. 9. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
15. "RPM 100 Singles – April 9, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
16. "RPM 100 Singles – April 16, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
17. "RPM 100 Singles – April 23, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
18. "RPM 100 Singles – April 30, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
19. "RPM 100 Singles – May 7, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
20. "RPM 100 Singles – May 14, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
21. "RPM 100 Singles – May 21, 1988" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 48, no. 5. p. 6. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
22. "RPM 100 Singles – May 28, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
23. "RPM 100 Singles – June 4, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
24. "RPM 100 Singles – June 11, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
25. "RPM 100 Singles – June 18, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
26. "RPM 100 Singles – June 25, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
27. "RPM 100 Singles – July 2, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
28. "RPM 100 Singles – July 9, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
29. "RPM 100 Singles – July 16, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
30. "RPM 100 Singles – July 23, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
31. "RPM 100 Singles – July 30, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
32. "RPM 100 Singles – August 6, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
33. "RPM 100 Singles – August 13, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
34. "RPM 100 Singles – August 20, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
35. "RPM 100 Singles – August 27, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
36. "RPM 100 Singles – September 3, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
37. "RPM 100 Singles – September 10, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
38. "RPM 100 Singles – September 17, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
39. "RPM 100 Singles – September 24, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
40. "RPM 100 Singles – October 1, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
41. "RPM 100 Singles – October 8, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
42. "RPM 100 Singles – October 15, 1988". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
43. "RPM 100 Singles – October 22, 1988" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 1. p. 6. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
44. "RPM 100 Singles – October 29, 1988" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 2. p. 6. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
45. "RPM 100 Singles – November 5, 1988" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 3. p. 6. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
46. "RPM 100 Singles – November 12, 1988" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 4. p. 6. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
47. "RPM 100 Singles – November 19, 1988" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 5. p. 6. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
48. "RPM 100 Singles – November 26, 1988" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 6. p. 6. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
49. "RPM 100 Singles – December 3, 1988" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 46, no. 7. p. 6. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
50. "RPM 100 Singles – December 10, 1988" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 8. p. 6. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
51. "RPM 100 Singles – December 17, 1988" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 9. p. 6. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
52. "RPM 100 Singles – December 24, 1988" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. p. 6. Retrieved 1 April 2019.

External links

• Read about RPM Magazine at the AV Trust
• Search RPM charts here at Library and Archives Canada