These are the Top 25 singles of 1988 in Australia from the Australian Recording Industry Association

Australian Recording Industry Association

The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...

 (ARIA) End of Year Albums Chart

ARIA Charts

The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...

. These were the first End of Year singles charts created by ARIA, it had started producing its own charts from mid-1988. ARIA had previously used the Kent Music Report

Kent Music Report

The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...

, known from 1987 onwards as the Australian Music Report.

#	(I've Had) The Time of My Life (I've Had) The Time of My Life " The Time of My Life" is a song composed by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz. It was recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, after having been selected to be the finale song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, by choreographer Kenny Ortega and his assistant Miranda Garrison... "	Bill Medley Bill Medley William Thomas Medley is an American singer and songwriter, best known as one half of The Righteous Brothers....  and Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She is known for her interpretations of compositions written by herself and many others, as well as an extensive playlist as a vocalist on movie soundtracks.Between 1979 and 1987 Warnes surpassed Frank Sinatra as...	1	6
2.	"Simply Irresistible Simply Irresistible (song) "Simply Irresistible" is the first single released from the 1988 studio album Heavy Nova by Robert Palmer and is presented in one of the most distinctive and memorable music videos of the 1980s.... "	Robert Palmer	1	5
3.	"The Flame The Flame (Cheap Trick song) "The Flame" is a hit power ballad by Cheap Trick, released on July 25, 1988. The song was first offered to English singer Elkie Brooks, who turned it down. Written by Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham, the song was initially released on Cheap Trick's Lap of Luxury album... "	Cheap Trick Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...	1	3
4.	"Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car" is a number one single by singer Billy Ocean. Part of its popularity lay in its cutting-edge video, which featured cartoon mixed with live-action sequences. The song went to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Black Singles chart. It also... "	Billy Ocean Billy Ocean Billy Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s...	1	5
5.	"I Should Be So Lucky I Should Be So Lucky "I Should Be So Lucky" is a pop-dance song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman for Minogue's debut album Kylie .The song was released as the album's second single in December 1987... "	Kylie Minogue Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...	1	6
6.	"Perfect Perfect Perfection is a philosophical concept.Perfect may also refer to:- Music :* Perfect interval, a type of interval used in music* Perfect * Perfect , a band from Poland* "Perfect" , 1988 single... "	Fairground Attraction Fairground Attraction Fairground Attraction were a British acoustic pop band. They are best known for their hit single "Perfect", and for helping to launch the career of lead vocalist Eddi Reader.-Career:...	1	4
7.	"What a Wonderful World What a Wonderful World "What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968. Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world . Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999... "	Louis Armstrong Louis Armstrong Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....	1	2
8.	"Never Gonna Give You Up Never Gonna Give You Up A group of London dance producers, called The Rickrollerz made a house music cover version of "Never Gonna Give You Up" on that day, and in honor of that event.... "	Rick Astley Rick Astley Richard Paul "Rick" Astley is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and radio personality. He is known for his 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", which was a #1 hit single in 25 countries...	1	7 (pkd #1 in 1987 & 1988)
9.	"Age of Reason Age of reason Age of reason may refer to:* 17th-century philosophy, as a successor of the Renaissance and a predecessor to the Age of Enlightenment* Age of Enlightenment in its long form of 1600-1800* The Age of Reason, a book by Thomas Paine... "	John Farnham John Farnham John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...	1	4
10.	"Better Be Home Soon Better Be Home Soon "Better Be Home Soon" is a 1988 song written by Neil Finn and performed by New Zealand/Australian band Crowded House. The song was released as a single in July 1988 by Capitol Records. It performed modestly on both the American and British charts, but managed to peak at number two on the... "	Crowded House Crowded House Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...	2
11.	"Heaven is a Place on Earth Heaven is a Place on Earth "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" is the title of a song recorded by Belinda Carlisle, the lead singer of The Go-Go's. Written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, and interpolating the aria "Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh'" from Johann Sebastian Bach's Christmas Oratorio, it hit number one on the... "	Belinda Carlisle Belinda Carlisle Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...	2
12.	"Whenever You Need Somebody Whenever You Need Somebody Whenever You Need Somebody is Rick Astley's first album released in 1987 on RCA Records. It is his best selling album and, according to his own official website, sold 15.2 million copies worldwide... "	Rick Astley Rick Astley Richard Paul "Rick" Astley is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and radio personality. He is known for his 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", which was a #1 hit single in 25 countries...	3
13.	"Don't Be Cruel Don't Be Cruel -Legacy:"Don't Be Cruel" went on to become Presley's biggest selling single recorded in 1956, with sales over six million by 1961. It became a regular feature of his live sets until his death in 1977, and was often coupled with "Jailhouse Rock" or "Teddy Bear" during performances from 1969.Many... "	Cheap Trick Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...	5
14.	"Don't Worry, Be Happy Don't Worry, Be Happy "Don't Worry, Be Happy" is a song by musician Bobby McFerrin. Released in September 1988, it became the first a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. On the UK Singles Chart, the song reached number 2 during its fifth week on the chart... "	Bobby McFerrin Bobby McFerrin Robert "Bobby" McFerrin, Jr. is an American vocalist and conductor. He is best known for his 1988 hit song "Don't Worry, Be Happy". He is a ten-time Grammy Award winner.-Life:...	1	1
15.	"Doctorin' the Tardis"	The Timelords	2
16.	"All Fired Up All Fired Up (song) "All Fired Up" is the second single released from girl-group The Saturdays's third studio album, On Your Radar. The single is their eleventh single released to date. The single was released on 4 September 2011. The song was written by Xenomania, Tim Deal, Matt Gray, Annie Yuill, Miranda Cooper, and... "	Pat Benatar Pat Benatar Pat Benatar is an American singer and four-time Grammy winner. She had considerable commercial success particularly in the United States...	2
17.	"Got My Mind Set On You Got My Mind Set on You "Got My Mind Set on You" is a song written by Rudy Clark and originally recorded by James Ray in 1962.It is best known for the cover version released by George Harrison in 1987.- George Harrison version :... "	George Harrison George Harrison George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...	6
18.	"Got to Be Certain Got to Be Certain "Got to Be Certain" is a dance-pop song written and produced by British songwriting team Stock, Aitken and Waterman And included on Minogue's debut studio album Kylie . The song had been originally written for singer Mandy Smith, but her recording was never released until 2005. The song received a... "	Kylie Minogue Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...	1	3
19.	"Faith Faith Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,... "	George Michael George Michael George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...	1	1
20.	"A Groovy Kind of Love A Groovy Kind of Love "A Groovy Kind of Love" is a pop song written by Toni Wine and Carol Bayer for the Screen Gems music publishing company. It is heavily based on the Rondo movement of Sonatina in G major, op. 36 no. 5 by Muzio Clementi... "	Phil Collins Phil Collins Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....	5
21.	"Stutter Rap"	Morris Minor and the Majors Morris Minor and the Majors Morris Minor and the Majors was a band led by the comedian and writer Tony Hawks. They were made vaguely famous by their 1988 song, "Stutter Rap ". The song aimed to parody the then popular Beastie Boys. The other two members were Rusty Wing and Phil Errup .It reached No. 4 in the UK Singles...	2
22.	"Wanna Be Up"	Chantoozies Chantoozies Chantoozies were an Australian pop group active from 1986 to 1991. The band featured four female singers: Eve von Bibra, Angie La Bozzetta, Ally Fowler and Tottie Goldsmith; and four male musicians: Brett Goldsmith , Scott Griffiths , Frank McKoy and David Reyne...	3
23.	"Underneath the Radar Underneath the Radar Underneath the Radar is the debut album by Underworld, released in 1988 . The album was a success in both Australia and the US . The title track of the album was released as a single which reached top five on the ARIA singles charts and number seventy-four on the U.S... "	Underworld Underworld The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...	3
24.	"Love in the First Degree Love in the First Degree "Love in the First Degree" is a song written and recorded by English girl group Bananarama. It is included on their fourth studio album Wow! and was released as its second single except in the U.S., where it was the album's third single... "	Bananarama Bananarama Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...	5
25.	"Run to Paradise Run to Paradise "Run to Paradise" is a single by Australian hard rock group The Choirboys which reached No. 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in October 1987. It was the 11th highest selling single of the eighties. The related Big Bad Noise album peaked at No. 5, it went double platinum... "	Choirboys	3

Peak chart positions from 1987 and early 1988 were calculated by David Kent

David Kent (historian)

David Kent is an Australian music historian and pop-culture writer, he produced the Kent Music Report from May 1974 to 1996, it was known as the Australian Music Report from 1987. The music reports were a weekly listing of the National Top 100 chart positions of singles and albums...

 for the Kent Music Report

Kent Music Report

The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...

. Late 1988 peak chart positions are from the ARIA Charts

ARIA Charts

The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...

. Overall position on the End of Year Chart is calculated by ARIA based on the number of weeks and position that the records reach within the Top 50 singles for each week during 1988.