European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 5, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                13. A on stage of London s Wembley stadium to open the amnesty International tour Are from left Bruce Springsteen Tracy Chapman you Sou Ndour and sting. By Anita Gosch staff writer the Good news is that Rock has entered the age of responsibility. The bad news is that Many of the new socially conscious voices were left unheard. And the ugly news is that several established artists used their music to sell products instead of ideals. That was the state of Rock n Roll in 1988. Since the live Aid concerts in 1985, More and More performers have been mixing message and music. In 1988 a rash of socially conscious bands both veterans and newcomers burst onto the music scene. The new generation of politically aware musicians did t merely represent a revival of 60s activism and hippie idealism instead they tackled a wider Range of social concerns from human rights to world peace homelessness to the environment the plight of native americans and australian aborigines. The Large and diverse group included Australia s Midnight Oil whose seventh album diesel and dust provided the band s breakthrough in America plus Irish newcomers Hothouse Flowers Iceland s the sugar cubes new York s sonic youth 10,000 maniacs bilk Bragg r.e.m., the water boys and Ziggy Marley. Even rappers Public enemy and speedsters Metallica got in on the action. The most widely acclaimed newcomer in this trend was Tracy Chapman. On her debut album the Young Black Folk Singer took on the subjects of society s underclass racial strife and economic deprivation. Chapman was part of 1988 s most significant Rock n1 Roll event the worldwide amnesty International human rights now tour. The Star studded lineup which also included Bruce Springsteen sting Peter Gabriel and Senegal s you Sou n dour spread its message of human rights and political Justice in 13 countries on five continents. The tour appeared not Only in the West but also in Eastern Europe South America and the third world. In june another Star studded group gathered in London for a 10-hour concert honouring Nelson Mandela. Sting Gabriel Little Steven dire Straits simple minds Whitney Houston Eric Clapton Harry Belafonte and a Host of others performed on the 70th birthday of the imprisoned South african activist. Though Many of the year s newcomers entered the charts of billboard Magazine the Bible of the music Industry that rates albums according to sales and radio airplay the record buying Public spent most of its Money on holdovers from the year before Many of the top albums of 1988 actually were released in 1987. George Michael scored big with Faith. The stubble crooner fared extremely Well in the year end charts snagging top honors in no less than nine categories including top pop album top pop single top cd top pop artist and top crossover artist. The dirty dancing soundtrack was 1988 s answer to saturday night fever. It hit the top for several weeks As did its sequel More dirty dancing. Other 1987 releases that were smashes in 1988 Michael Jackson s bad Bruce Springsteen s Tunnel of love Terence Trent d Arby s the Hartline according to. Inns s kick Tiffany s debut up Aero Smith s permanent vacation def Leppard s hysteria and guns n roses appetite for destruction. While Young bands in 1988 delved into social issues established Rock stars turned their music into television jingles the year saw some of the biggest names in the music Industry writing songs expressly for commercials. Steve Winwood penned Don t you know what the night can do to sell Beer he included the song on his 1988 release Roll with it. Eric Clapton remade after Midnight turning it into a Beer commercial and added it to the 73-song overview of his life s work Crossroads. Robert Plant s tall Cool one from now and zen helped sell a soft drink. Meanwhile some performers continued to say no to corporate endorsements. Among the Rock and pop refuseniks James Taylor Joan Jett John Cougar Mellencamp the pretenders Bob Dylan and Huey Lewis. The loudest voice in 1988 came from Rock Veteran Neil Young who Sang against the sell out trend in this note s for you. Chapman was without doubt the most talked about woman in the 1988 music scene. The spiked haired 24 year old led the pack of a new generation of female Singer songwriters. Already encouraged by the Success of Suzanne Vega of Luka Fame the year before such women artists As Michelle shocked Sinead o Connor Melissa Etheridge ton Childs Marti Jones and Edie Brickell made inroads into the charts. The top spots in the year s most talked about male category go to two stars who have been dead a number of years. John Lennon entered the limelight first As the angry anorexic bisexual drug crazed subject of Albert Goldman s biography the lives of John Lennon. Shortly after the Book s publication Lennon reappeared in imagine John Lennon a feature length documentary on the former beatle s life music and times. Another new Book Mark Lewissohn s the beatles recording sessions the official Abbey Road studio session notes 1962 / 970, shed Light on Lennon s working process in the studio. Elvis Presley resurfaced allegedly in 1988. Headlines screaming Elvis is alive were splashed across the front pages of Many tabloid newspapers As people around the world reported Presley sightings in grocery stores shopping malls a fast food outlet a trailer stripes Magazine january 5, 1989