A flurry of new albums arrived in 1988 from old-guard legends, hot new talents and the supergroup to end all supergroups. George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne joined forces under the Traveling Wilburys moniker, issuing the triple-platinum, Grammy-nominated Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1. Each member adopted a humorous pseudonym, but their resulting collaboration was seriously catchy, with the members’ brilliant songcraft and production skills on display.
It was also the last stand for Talking Heads, who issued their final studio album Naked and went on hiatus shortly thereafter, finally disbanding after years of mounting discord.
Led Zeppelin fans were treated to new music from both Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, both of whom featured one another on their solo albums. Page also tapped John Bonham’s son, Jason, to play drums on his solo debut, Outrider.
Thrash metal hit a new peak with Metallica’s blistering … And Justice for All and Slayer’s sinister South of Heaven. Progressive metal fans also got to sink their teeth into Iron Maiden’s epic Seventh Son of a Seventh Son and Queensryche’s conceptual masterstroke Operation: Mindcrime.
There were plenty of unfamiliar names to explore as well. Soundgarden, Living Colour and Jane’s Addiction all made waves with their debut albums, fueling the burgeoning alternative rock and metal revolution with each passing riff.
You can find all these and more in our list of 35 Albums That Turned 35 in 2023, which is ordered chronologically by release date. You can revisit old favorites and perhaps dive into a few overlooked gems for the first time.
35 Albums Turning 35 in 2023
Old-guard legends, hot new talents and one supergroup to rule them all.
Gallery Credit: Matt Wardlaw
