4 Veteran Acts From the 1960s Who Topped the Charts in 1988

Never write off a crafty veteran. That’s the lesson that pop music fans most likely learned in 1988. While there were certainly many younger acts that struck gold that year, several artists and bands of a much older vintage established a beachhead on the charts as well.

These four acts all began their music careers in the 60s. And each one of them landed on top of the pop charts in 1988.

George Harrison

Even though he was a former Beatle, with all the publicity and hype that entails, Harrison just might have been the most unlikely act of the four on this list to go to No. 1, not based on his talent, but based on the fact that he spent much of the 80s seemingly disdaining the life of a music star. When he returned with Cloud Nine in late 1987, he was back on top of his game. The song he chose for the first single, “Got My Mind Set On You”, stood out as the most Beatlesque track on the record. And it did date back to the early 60s, but not in a version by the Fab Four. Instead, soul artist James Ray first recorded the track. Harrison’s revved-up take hit No. 1 in January 1988.

The Beach Boys

Unlike George Harrison, The Beach Boys stayed active throughout the 80s, both in terms of recording albums and touring. But they also seemed miles away from any chance at a No. 1 single when 1988 rolled around. “Kokomo”, the song that put them back in the limelight, worked its way through several songwriters. Band member Mike Love eventually added the catchy chorus. Ironically, there was no involvement whatsoever in this song by Brian Wilson, which is another reason why it didn’t seem to have much of a chance on the charts. Yet “Kokomo” turned into a kind of cultural phenomenon, even beyond its involvement in the Tom Cruise film Cocktail.

Steve Winwood

Steve Winwood had already made the comeback two years earlier. 1988 was just a matter of solidifying it for him. The guy who played in The Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith, and Traffic, all before the 60s expired, found his solo footing on the 1986 album Back In The High Life. That album also included a No. 1 single in “Higher Love”. Two years later, Winwood once again teamed up with lyricist Will Jennings on a selection of songs with soulful intent and modern production flourishes. “Roll With It”, the title track from the latter LP, borrowed from Motown so much that songwriting credits were eventually added for Holland-Dozier-Holland. But the public ate it up anyway, giving Winwood another chart-topper.

Chicago

Even after the departure of both lead singer Peter Cetera and producer David Foster, Chicago held tight to the power balladeering style that had revitalized them in the first half of the 80s. Without Foster and Cetera, however, they were missing the songwriting engine that had powered those earlier records. They turned to outside writers, which was a wonderful move considering the success of “Look Away”. Interestingly enough, the song, written by Diane Warren, was first offered to Cheap Trick. They turned it down in favor of “The Flame”, and Chicago gladly gobbled it up. With Bill Champlin handling lead vocals, “Look Away” turned into one of the biggest hits in the band’s illustrious career.

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