As you scan the soundtrack of ’88, you’ll immediately hear the unmistakable snap of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” a song that came with a video so iconic it changed dance culture forever. Whispered among the synths and drum machines of the year is INXS’ “Need You Tonight,” a track that smouldered its way to No.1 with Michael Hutchence’s effortless cool. And then came the heartbreakers — Womack & Womack’s “Teardrops” and Breathe’s “Hands to Heaven” — songs that wrapped global audiences in soft-focus 80s melancholy.

Meanwhile, the UK was busy exporting irresistible pop. Pet Shop Boys’ “Heart” kept dancefloors alive, Erasure’s “A Little Respect” became a synth-pop anthem of empowerment, and Bros asked the question on every teen magazine cover: “When Will I Be Famous?” Even rock royalty got in on the action — George Harrison returned with “Got My Mind Set on You,” a reminder that former Beatles could still dominate the charts more than 20 years on.

Hollywood was equally influential that year. Rain Man premiered and went on to sweep the Oscars, while Die Hard burst onto screens and redefined the action genre forever. It was an era when movies and music fed into each other — Phil Collins wrote for film, the Four Tops appeared on the Buster soundtrack with “Loco in Acapulco,” and Tiffany built her superstardom in shopping malls that felt like movie sets.

Back home, South Africa held its own. Savuka’s “I Call Your Name” carried the unmistakable fusion of Johnny Clegg’s cultural storytelling. Mango Groove’s “Dance Sum More” brought marabi horns to mainstream radio, while Cinema’s “Inside and Out” and Bright Blue’s “Where Would I Go?” captured the local sound of a nation on the cusp of change.

And of course, no look at 1988 is complete without Kylie Minogue’s “I Should Be So Lucky,” the bubblegum-pop explosion that introduced the world to a future pop icon. Or the one song that defined the entire year — George Michael’s “Faith,” a track that blended swagger, soul, and style into a timeless anthem.

Did you know? Die Hard was originally meant for Frank Sinatra? The film was based on a sequel to a movie Sinatra starred in decades earlier, and contractually he had to be offered the role of John McClane first — at age 73!