These are the Billboard magazine R&B albums that reached number one in 1988.
Chart history
| Issue date | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| January 2 | Bad | Michael Jackson |
| January 9 | ||
| January 16 | ||
| January 23 | Characters | Stevie Wonder |
| January 30 | ||
| February 6 | ||
| February 13 | ||
| February 20 | ||
| February 27 | All Our Love | Gladys Knight & the Pips |
| March 5 | ||
| March 12 | Characters | Stevie Wonder |
| March 19 | Make It Last Forever | Keith Sweat |
| March 26 | ||
| April 2 | ||
| April 9 | Bad | Michael Jackson |
| April 16 | ||
| April 23 | ||
| April 30 | Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby | Terence Trent D'Arby |
| May 7 | ||
| May 14 | ||
| May 21 | Faith | George Michael |
| May 28 | ||
| June 4 | ||
| June 11 | ||
| June 18 | ||
| June 25 | ||
| July 2 | In Effect Mode | Al B. Sure! |
| July 9 | ||
| July 16 | ||
| July 23 | ||
| July 30 | ||
| August 6 | ||
| August 13 | ||
| August 20 | Strictly Business | EPMD |
| August 27 | ||
| September 3 | ||
| September 10 | Don't Be Cruel | Bobby Brown |
| September 17 | ||
| September 24 | It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back | Public Enemy |
| October 1 | Don't Be Cruel | Bobby Brown |
| October 8 | ||
| October 15 | Don't Let Love Slip Away | Freddie Jackson |
| October 22 | Don't Be Cruel | Bobby Brown |
| October 29 | ||
| November 5 | ||
| November 12 | ||
| November 19 | Giving You the Best That I Got | Anita Baker |
| November 26 | Any Love | Luther Vandross |
| December 3 | ||
| December 10 | Giving You the Best That I Got | Anita Baker |
| December 17 | ||
| December 24 | ||
| December 31 |
See also
| Lists of Billboard number-one R&B/hip-hop albums | |
|---|---|
| 1965–1979 | |
| 1980–1999 | |
| 2000–2019 | |
| 2020–present | |