The Throwback Three at Three: Taking it back to 1988

Kick off the close of your work day with Kannon and the Throwback Three at Three! We all lived through it, but do you remember what was happening in 1988?

Start your drive home with Kannon and the Throwback Three at Three, where we feature the top three songs of any given year and throw it back to good times, great music and amazing memories! Do you remember what your were doing back in 1988? Because we sure don't.

3. I WANT HER

Keith Sweat and Teddy Riley wrote this track., This single is about a man who can't get any action at the club. This is Sweat's first song, and Riley’s first big hit that he worked on. They teamed up, hashing out ideas over the phone, which Riley turned into the track in his home studio. This bop went all the way to number one on the R&B chart and also rose to number five on the Hot 100. Sweat didn't leave his job until it was a success. Today, Sweat is 61 years old. He also is the host of a nationally syndicated radio show called The Sweat Hotel. Riley is married and has two children.

2. MAN IN THE MIRROR

This smash hit is about making changes and understanding that it has to start with you. It was one out of two songs on the Bad album that Jackson didn't write. This was the fourth out of the five United States number one hits from the Bad album. Jackson passed away in 2009, but released tons of tunes that he lives on today because you can’t go a day without hearing his hits on the radio. In my opinion, he is arguably the best entertainer of all time.

1. NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP

Rick Astley worked in Stock, Aitken, and Waterman studio for two years, handling tape machines, singing on recordings for other artists, learning the trade and famously making the tea before the production trio wrote and produced this bop for him. It was recorded in 1986, but wasn't dropped until July 1987 because the producers were holding off for the right environment to break a new artist. The next single was "Together Forever," which has a pretty close sound to “Never Gonna Give You Up”, so it was considered a sequel. That one also went to #1. In 2021, "Never Gonna Give You Up" hit one billion views on YouTube, which made Astley the fourth 1980s artist to pass this milestone. He is married and has a daughter.

Start your drive home with Kannon and the Throwback Three at Three, where we feature the top three songs of any given year and throw it back to good times, great music and amazing memories! Do you remember what your were doing back in 1998? Because we sure don't.

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Let's talk about price baby...

The price of a Little Tykes Turtle Sandbox in 1988: $34.99
The price of a movie ticket: $4.00
The cost of a Superbowl ad in 1988: $645,000

1988
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Did you use these quotes during 1988?

“Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy”
– Lloyd Bentson to Dan Quayle

“Read my lips: no new taxes”
– Presidential Candidate George Bush

“Just do it”
-Nike

“It’s everywhere you want to be”
– Visa

“I’m not bad- I’m just drawn that way”
– Jessica Rabbit

Do you remember these iconic people from 1988:

In 1988 Time Magazine’s Planet of the Year was ‘The Endangered’ Earth. Also in 1988 Kaye Lani Rae Rafko from Monroe, Michigan was nominated as Miss America and Courtney Gibbs from Texas was nominated Miss USA. Rihanna and Lizzo were born in 1988. Did you ever find yourself crushing on any of these heartthrobs from 1988:

Throwback Three at Three
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Did you know all these cool things happened in 1988:

-In 1988, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole called a studio at 3 am and asked if he could record because he had a good idea. The studio owner said yes even though he already closed the studio. 15 minutes later he recorded Israel playing his ukulele and recorded What A Wonderful World/ Over the Rainbow in one take.
-George Lucas gave a speech in 1988 to Congress about the need to protect films from being altered. “People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians.”
-Snapple lemon-flavored iced tea was distributed nationwide.
-In 1988, 13% of Americans surveyed thought the Moon was made of cheese.
-Table Tennis (Ping Pong) became an Olympic Sport.
-CDs out-sold vinyl records for the first time.
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Here's the top 10 movies of 1988:

1. Rain Man
2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
3. Coming To America
4. Big
5. Twins
6. Crocodile Dundee II
7. Die Hard
8. The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad
9. Cocktail
10. Beetlejuice

And the top 10 t.v. shows of 1988:

1. The Cosby Show (NBC)
2. A Different World (NBC)
3. Cheers (NBC)
4. The Golden Girls (NBC)
5. Growing Pains (ABC)
6. Who’s the Boss? (ABC)
7. Night Court (NBC)
8. 60 Minutes (CBS)
9. Murder, She Wrote (CBS)
10. Alf (NBC)

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