1988

When Taylor Swift named her new album 1989 she just missed an important year in music history. Her birth year was practically out of the eighties and her observation that '80's music just felt so right' is tepid. It's been right,since 2008. Lady Gaga anyone.

Not to discredit 1989. It was a great year. Madonna's iconic critical and commercial phenomenon Like a Prayer was released (including the cross burning video), disco Queen Donna Summer had her last top ten hit with “This Time I Know Its For Real”, Bette Midler had her number one hit “Wind Beneath My Wings”, and Cher continued her musical comeback with Heart of Stone and it's two top ten hits “If I Could Turn Back Time” and fan favorite “Just Like Jesse James”.  

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And, that's just the highlights of my music catalogue. 1989 was a great year, and it was ground zero for the biggest country/pop crossover of all time.

But, it was only recently that I thought of Paula Abdul. I was at home. Not at my morning class, watching Wendy Williams as one does, when Paula Abdul came on. I love her so much. I don't know why anyone hates on her. She's fantastic. I don't know how she's so nice.

I was just enamored by this interview and I had to write a Throwback Thursday, so here we are. Now I was not born in the eighties. I am barely a nineties baby. However, I enjoy this decade. Especially, Paula Abdul's number one hit “Straight Up”. Her first in a string of hits from her first album.

People my age know her for American Idol, what I don't think they realize is that she was a colossal commercial success by herself. She should be icon status. Her debut album had five top ten hits (four number ones), a feat achieved by the likes of Fergie and Katy Perry. Hallowed ground.  

When Jennifer Lopez became popular there were many comparisons to Paula Abdul. Citing her mediocre voice and reliance on record producers for hits. They expected Jennifer to fade out just like Paula did, but a decade later and Jennifer is still here.

The question I ask is why Paula fell away. She may not have written her own music, but she had an ear for what would sell. Not something to undermine. That's how Rihanna does it. Her second album followed up the commercial success of Forever Your Girl with another commercial success that went multi-platinum and produced the iconic “Rush Rush”.

After Spellbound, she released her as of 2014 final album Head Over Heels that despite only minor impact still sold over a million copies in the United States. This was deemed a commercial failure and Paula was dropped by her record label.

She disappeared after this. This album may not have been the high point of her career, but it wasn't a disappointment. Over the years there have been multiple rumors of new material, even a Kylie Minogue hit that was supposed to be on Paula Abdul's 'new' album that has never surfaced.

At this point. We will never get new music from Paula Abdul, leave what was a solid career at that. A solid career. Dancer, head cheerleader, extremely successful musician. Paula Abdul is not a side note. She was incredibly relevant to what was pop culture.

 Her popularity even brought around Shut Up And Dance (The Dance Mixes)one of the most successful remix albums of all time. Sitting behind Michael Jackson's pseudo remix and studio album Blood on the Dancefloor, Madonna's You Can Dance, and Jennifer Lopez's J to tha L-O.

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The critics weren't wrong. The only difference between Jennifer and Paula is that Jenny's from the Bronx and Paula's from the west coast. Both started out as dancers. Both had successful recording careers. Both ended up on American Idol. A coincedence?

I think not.