These are the Canadian number-one albums of 1988. The charts were compiled and published by RPM every Saturday.
| † | This indicates the best performing album of the year. [1] |
| Issue date | Album | Artist | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2 | A Very Special Christmas | various artists | [2] |
| January 9 | [3] | ||
| January 16 | The Lonesome Jubilee | John Cougar Mellencamp | [4] |
| January 23 | Faith | George Michael | [5] |
| January 30 | [6] | ||
| February 6 | Tiffany | Tiffany | [7] |
| February 13 | [8] | ||
| February 20 | [9] | ||
| February 27 | Dirty Dancing | Soundtrack | [10] |
| March 5 | [11] | ||
| March 12 | [12] | ||
| March 19 | [13] | ||
| March 26 | [14] | ||
| April 2 | [15] | ||
| April 9 | [16] | ||
| April 16 | [17] | ||
| April 23 | [18] | ||
| April 30 | [19] | ||
| May 7 | [20] | ||
| May 14 | [21] | ||
| May 21 | [22] | ||
| May 28 | [23] | ||
| June 4 | Kick † | INXS | [24] |
| June 11 | [25] | ||
| June 18 | Diesel and Dust | Midnight Oil | [26] |
| June 25 | OU812 | Van Halen | [27] |
| July 2 | Kick † | INXS | [28] |
| July 9 | [29] | ||
| July 16 | Tracy Chapman | Tracy Chapman | [30] |
| July 23 | [31] | ||
| July 30 | [32] | ||
| August 6 | [33] | ||
| August 13 | [34] | ||
| August 20 | [35] | ||
| August 27 | [36] | ||
| September 3 | [37] | ||
| September 10 | [38] | ||
| September 17 | [39] | ||
| September 24 | [40] | ||
| October 1 | [41] | ||
| October 8 | Hysteria | Def Leppard | [42] |
| October 15 | Cocktail (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | various artists | [43] |
| October 22 | [44] | ||
| October 29 | Rattle and Hum | U2 | [45] |
| November 5 | [46] | ||
| November 12 | [47] | ||
| November 19 | [48] | ||
| November 26 | [49] | ||
| December 3 | [50] | ||
| December 10 | [51] | ||
| December 17 | [52] | ||
| December 24 | [53] | ||
| December 31 | [54] |