3 Rock Songs From 1988 You Heard While Shopping at the Mall With Your Friends

Going to one’s local mall back in the late 80s was a typical teen behavior. In a way, from the late 1980s through the 2000s, one’s local shopping center was more or less the only “third space” that a lot of young people had. And if you were a teenage rock fan in 1988, I bet you first heard these three songs blasting over your local mall’s speakers. Let’s take a look!

“Angel” by Aerosmith from ‘Permanent Vacation’

This glam metal jam from Aerosmith was radio fodder for months after it dropped in early 1988. This glossy, big power ballad was perfect for smaller sound systems, whether that was your local dive bar or your local shopping center.

“Angel” by Aerosmith was one of the biggest power ballads of the year, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock chart in the US.

“The Flame” by Cheap Trick from ‘Lap Of Luxury’

“The Flame” was one of the most memorable soft hair metal songs of the year in 1988. So, it comes as no surprise that it made it to local mall speakers often throughout that year. “The Flame” by Cheap Trick remains one of the band’s biggest hits. And it originally peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart. The song also had success in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among other territories. Many would say that this tune’s success helped bring the band back after a slump that lasted several years ahead of the release of “The Flame”.

“Sweet Child ‘O Mine” by Guns N’ Roses from ‘Appetite For Destruction’

Is there a more memorable hard rock song that dropped in 1988? That’s up to your personal taste. But many rock fans in general remember this 1988 gem among songs from that year the most, and plenty of 80s teens heard “Sweet Child ‘O Mine” over the speakers at their local mall.

“Sweet Child ‘O Mine” by Guns N’ Roses topped both the Hot 100 and the Cash Box Top 100 charts in the US. The song was a Top 40 hit around the globe as well.

Photo by Ross Marino/Getty Images

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