On MGK’s Thursday Top 10 Countdown this week, we look back at the music that came out the same month as IBM first introduced AI software, Thirtysomething and The Wonder Years won Emmys, and George H.W. Bush and Dan Quayle got the republican nomination for President. While all that was going on, these were the top 10 rock albums in the country:

• 10. Whitesnake - Whitesnake

  In his search for a more mass appeal sound for the band, David Coverdale and Whitesnake would release their breakthrough, self-titled 7th album that was so huge, it was still in the top 10 a year and a half after its release. This week it’s #10.

• 9. The Lonesome Jubilee - John Mellencamp

  John Mellencamp’s ninth solo album was originally going to be a double album but Mellencamp felt some of the songs didn’t quite fit, so The Lonesome Jubilee became a single disc, and a successful one at that.  Here it’s at #9, a year after it was first released.

• 8. Permanent Vacation - Aerosmith

  At the suggestion of John Kalodner John Kalodner, A&R man supreme for Geffen Records, Aerosmith employed outside songwriters for the first time to help beef up their song ideas.  What a great plan!  Out of this came Permanent Vacation  – the #8 rock album on August 11, 1988, like Mellencamp’s album, a year after it came out.

• 7. Now And Zen - Robert Plant

  It was nice to find out Jimmy Page guested on guitar on two tracks from this next album by Robert Plant, Now And Zen.  On its way to peaking at #6, it was #7 this week.

• 6. Kick - INXS

  The sixth studio album for Australia’s INXS was their biggest ever, and after topping off at #3, Kick drops this week to #6.

   

• 5. Open Up And Say Ahh - Poison

  The second album by Poison was supposed to be produced by Paul Stanley of KISS, but scheduling conflicts prevented that from happening.  Instead, veteran producer Tom Werman was brought in to make Open Up And Say Ahh, which became the band’s biggest album.  It drops to #5 this week, after peaking at #2.

• 4. OU812 - Van Halen

  Van Halen’s eighth album was their second of four #1 albums in a row – quite a feat.  It was going to be called Bone, but Alex Van Halen didn’t like that title, so they went with OU812. It was the #4 rock album on August 11, 1988.

• 3. Roll With It - Steve Winwood

  On its way to hitting the top spot and, later, four grammy nominations (one of which was a win), Roll With It, Steve Winwood’s fifth solo album, is #3 on the countdown this week.

• 2. Hysteria - Def Leppard

  Ironically, Drummer Rick Allen came up with the title for this album, remarking on his losing a limb in a car accident and all the hoopla surrounding that and the band’s attempts to produce the record.  Exactly a year after it hit the record stores, Hysteria was still firmly planted at #2.

• 1. Appetite For Destruction - Guns 'N Roses

  Topping the charts this week is the debut album by Guns ‘N Roses.  When it first came out, it had a bit of a lukewarm reception.  Once videos started airing on MTV, which prompted radio play, the album took off.  So much so that, to this day, it’s the biggest selling debut album of all time!  Appetite For Destruction by Guns ‘N Roses is the #1 rock album on this week’s Thursday Top 10 Countdown from August 11, 1988.

   

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