The Brief but Remarkable Recording Career of Paula Abdul

After her days as a famed Lakers girl and choreographer for the likes of Janet Jackson and George Michael and before her career resurgence as a judge on American Idol, Paula Abdul had a brief but remarkable recording career. In honor of her birthday today, I briefly review her recording career and rank all of her songs.

Paula’s Early Life and Career

Paula Abdul was born 59 years ago today on June 19, 1962 in the San Fernando Valley of California to Jewish parents with Syrian and Ashkenazi ancestry. Inspired by Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain, she began taking dance lessons and became a cheerleader at Van Nuys High School. During her freshman year at Cal State Northridge (where she was studying broadcasting), she auditioned to join the Los Angeles Lakers’ famed cheerleading squad the Laker Girls and was selected. She was named head choreographer within one year.

She was discovered at a Lakers game by The Jacksons (formerly known as the Jackson 5 before Michael departed for his solo career) and hired as a choreographer for one of their music videos. Through this connection, she became close to Janet Jackson and choreographed her iconic music videos from her album Control and the tour that accompanied it. Legend has it that Janet was impressed by Paula’s musical ear and singing voice that would occasionally be displayed during rehearsals and encouraged her to record a demo. So Paula started saving up money to do just that.

Paula’s Recording Career

Paula was signed to Virgin Records and released her debut album Forever Your Girl on June 21, 1988. The album struggled on the charts at first, with the first two singles failing to light up the charts (“Knocked Out” and “(It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me” peaked at #41 and #88, respectively). As those singles were struggling, DJs discovered the song “Straight Up” from the album and started giving it spins on local radio stations despite the fact that it hadn’t been released as a single. The record label saw the writing on the wall and put their promotional efforts behind “Straight Up.” The song shot to #1 and was followed by three more #1s from the album — the title track, “Cold Hearted,” and “Opposites Attract.” The label also re-released “(It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me” and it rocketed to #3.

Forever Your Girl is one of the most successful album eras ever by a female artist. Billboard ranked it the 10th most successful album of all time by a female artist and it was the first female debut album to score four #1 songs. It garnered multiple Grammy, American Music, and MTV Video Award nominations and was certified 7x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

On May 14, 1991, Paula released her hotly anticipated sophomore album, Spellbound. Although it wasn’t quite as successful as her first, it still performed terrifically. It hit #1 on the Billboard 200, was certified 3x platinum, and spawned five Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The singles off the album included two #1 hits — “Rush Rush” and “The Promise of a New Day.” The former became the biggest chart success of her career and is ranked by Billboard as the 77th most popular song of all time. The album was also accompanied by the “Under My Spell” Tour, which played a total of 97 shows across three continents and was enormously profitable.

On June 13, 1995, Paula released her third and final album — or, at least her most recent album. (I still hold out hope she will record again.) She had taken a break from her music career following tumult in her personal life, including her divorce from actor Emilio Estevez and her battle with bulimia. The album did not perform nearly as well as her first two. It only peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 200, was only certified gold, and only spawned two entries on the Billboard Hot 100 (“My Love is For Real” and “Crazy Cool” peaked at #28 and #58, respectively).

All three of these albums were accompanied by innovative and wildly popular music videos that cemented her status as a pioneer of the art form. Highlights of her music video oeuvre include the quartet of videos from her debut album helmed by three-time Oscar nominee David Fincher (The Social Network, Mank), the partly animated Grammy-winning video to “Opposites Attract,” the Keanu Reeves-starring and Rebel Without a Cause-inspired “Rush Rush,” and the big budget, Middle East-set “My Love is For Real.” She was nominated for a total of 17 MTV Video Music Awards and won 5. (She also has two Primetime Emmy Awards for her choreography.)

Post-Recording Career

After Head Over Heels underperformed, Paula spent the next seven years engaging in a variety of disparate projects. She entered the workout craze with cardio dance home videos. She acted in a made-for-television movie. She wrote a big international hit for Kylie Minogue (“Spinning Around.”) And, of course, she continued to choreograph some major projects.

In 2002, she had a major career comeback when she joined Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson as one of the three judges on Fox’s singing competition American Idol. She judged the series for its first 8 seasons, the majority of which ranked as the #1 most watched series on television. She recorded two one-off singles during her Idol days and both hit the Hot 100 (2008’s “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow” peaked at #62 and 2009’s “I’m Just Here for the Music” peaked at #87). Her relentless positivity and flirtation with Cowell annoyed some and she was part of a scandal or two, but by and large it was an enormously successful era.

In the 12 years since she left American Idol due to a contract dispute, Paula has been a part of a number of reality series, including a short-lived docuseries based on her life called Hey Paula and competition series like X-Factor, So You Think You Can Dance, Live to Dance, and The Masked Dancer. But for me, the most exciting thing that she has done is return to performing. In 2017, Paula joined early 1990s sensations New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men for the successful Total Package tour. The tour grossed nearly $40 million and played to over 500,000 fans. In large part based on the success of this tour, Paula secured a Las Vegas residency at the Flamingo. Paula performed 23 shows before her show was shut down due to COVID-19. It is unknown whether she will return, but I am hopeful.

The Day I Met Paula

I became conscious of popular culture just as Paula was hitting the height of her fame and to say I was obsessed with her as a child would be an understatement. (I stanned her decades before stanning became a thing.) One of my older brothers was a big fan as well and even though we were banned from watching some of her racier music videos we were allowed to have a large poster of her in the bedroom we shared. My brother and I always said that if she ever toured again we would go see her together. And that’s just what we did when The Total Package came to the Hollywood Bowl.

As a Christmas present to my brother, I got him meet-and-greet tickets for the show. We arrived at the Hollywood Bowl an hour before the concert and were heartbroken that due to a mixup in the email confirmations they sent us, we had missed the chance to meet her. I explained the situation to one of the agents and they acknowledged their mistake and went and spoke to Paula about the situation. She graciously invited us to come back to her dressing room after her six-song mid-show set (which was spectacular). We spoke with her, took photos, and — of course — told her how the only decor we could agree on as children was the big poster of her on our closet door. She was immensely charming and warm throughout.

A Ranking of All 45 Paula Abdul Songs

During Paula Abdul’s career to date she has recorded a total of 45 songs that have been made available in full to the public. All but 3 were released in the short span from 1988 to 1995. Of the 45 songs, 15 (33.3%) charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and 6 (13.3%) went all the way to #1. This is undoubtedly among the highest hit rates of any artist who released multiple albums, a feat reflected in the fact that despite recording so few songs, Paula ranks as the 21st most successful female recording artist of all time.

The songs I included on this list are the ones that met the following criteria: a) an original recording (remakes are okay, but not remixes or live versions of songs she previously recorded); b) features Paula on lead vocals (songs where she was just the co-writer or background/featured vocalist were not included); and c) ability to locate a complete and decent quality version either by CD or streaming (I did not include a couple of unreleased tracks floating around the internet that were very poor audio quality or derived from snippets). I listened to them all in chronological order twice, ranking and re-ranking as I went through. I based my rankings on what I think are her best songs in terms of composition, production, lyrics, and vocals, not necessarily which ones I enjoy the most.

45. Check Yourself (Non-Album Single, 2014). Paula’s charitable and empowering spirit were on full display in this song that she recorded for the Avon Foundation for Women. But as important as the message is and as great as it was to hear her sing again for the first time in years, a modern dance song about the importance of giving yourself a breast exam just isn’t a mix that works.

44. Highschool Crush (Head Over Heels Bonus Track, 1995). Despite being predominantly known as a dance music artist, Paula actually recorded several terrific ballads during her career. But this bonus track isn’t one of them. The lyrics and production are bland and syrupy sweet and the song just doesn’t feel like a good fit for her vocal range or style.

43. Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah (For Our Children: The Concert, 1993). The Oscar-winning 1946 song from Disney’s highly problematic Song of the South got a somewhat bizarre makeover when Paula reinterpreted it in line with the funky production of her Spellbound album.

42. The Choice is Yours (Head Over Heels, 1995). The weakest of the somewhat bland uptempo songs that populate the latter half of her third album, this has a solid beat and a decent hook, but becomes quite repetitive and goes on too long.

41. Dancin’ Machine (Unreleased, 1997). Paula recorded a cover of the 1973 Jackson Five song for a late 1990s greatest hits compilation that didn’t materialize. No official recording was ever made available but the medium quality versions that do exist on the internet suggest it is a solid but unspectacular update of the upbeat hit.

40. Missing You (Head Over Heels, 1995). This solid but not particularly memorable song finds Paula yearning for a lost love. It’s a strong vocal performance, but cheesy lyrics and bland production undermine its impact.

39. Next To You (Forever Your Girl, 1988). Paula’s thrilling debut album grinds to a halt in the second half with its sole ballad. Her vocal performance is a bit thin (her vocals improved significantly on her subsequent albums), the lyrics are trite, and the production is dated. Nevertheless, it’s a smooth listen with a nice hook.

38. Goodnight, My Love (Pleasant Dreams) (Spellbound Bonus Track, 1991). Many international editions of Paula’s second album ended with this cover of this standard first recorded by Jesse Belvin. It’s a somewhat slight but nevertheless pleasant and unique song featuring an exceptionally tender vocal performance, prominent male backup vocals, and string-fueled orchestration.

37. Under the Influence (Head Over Heels, 1995). Paula reunited with “(It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me” writer-producer Oliver Leiber for this track about having your senses completely overtaken by a new love. It had refreshingly modern production, but is a bit long and repetitive and fails to stick out amidst the stronger uptempo tracks on the album.

36. I Need You (Forever Your Girl, 1988). The weakest of the uptempo songs on her debut album, this just-fine song in which a woman pays tribute to her man fails to do much interesting with regard to its production, lyrics, or vocals and doesn’t earn its lengthy running time.

35. Get Your Groove On (Head Over Heels, 1995). This funky, dance hall anthem is infectious and euphoric, but fails to reach the dizzying heights of Paula’s three other collaborations with writer-producers Howie Hirsch, Iky Levi, and Robb Boldt from the album (“Love Don’t Come Easy,” “Sexy Thoughts,” and “It’s All About Feeling Good.”)

34. Didn’t I Say I Love You? (B-Side to My Love is For Real, 1995). This B-side to the lead single of Head Over Heels should have made the cut for the album with its strong use of horns and vocal layering. If it had a stronger bridge and climax it could have been one of the era’s highlights.

33. It’s All About Feeling Good (Head Over Heels, 1995). A killer chorus, fresh production, and an interesting late song tempo change make this funky track highly enjoyable.

32. Will You Marry Me? (Spellbound, 1991). Paula’s most recent top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 is this heartfelt ballad that she cowrote. It opens with a cloying giggle and closes with an exceptionally cheesy outro, but in the middle it is salvaged by an impassioned vocal performance and a guest appearance by Stevie Wonder on the harmonica.

31. I Never Knew It (Head Over Heels, 1995). Grammy-winning writer-producer Darryl Simmons was behind classic songs for Boyz II Men (“End of the Road”), Toni Braxton (“Breathe Again”), and TLC (“Baby Baby Baby”) before teaming up with Paula on her third album. It doesn’t reach the heights of those classics, but it is a skillful and effective song that demonstrates Paula’s adeptness at R&B.

30. If I Were Your Girl (Head Over Heels, 1995). By far the most sensual ballad Paula ever recorded, this was intended to be the fourth single from the album before the album gave up on promoting it due to its underperformance. It is a solid R&B-influenced ballad that (bizarrely) was written by Crystal Bernard (who played Helen Chappel on the NBC sitcom Wings for 8 seasons and moonlighted as a songwriter).

29. I’m Just Here for the Music (Non-album single, 2009). This bold, confident, and bass-heavy dance track is notable for numerous reasons: it reunited Paula with producer Oliver Leiber from her debut album, it samples the classic “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life,” it marked her first and only live musical performance on American Idol, and to date it’s her most recent entry on the Billboard Hot 100.

28. State of Attraction (Forever Your Girl, 1988). Seven years before he crafted the classic Grammy-winning blockbuster Jagged Little Pill with Alanis Morissette, writer-producer Glenn Ballard crafted this hard-edged, rock-influenced dance track with Paula for her debut album. Its production is dated, but it still slaps.

27. To You (Spellbound, 1991). This romantic ode to a lover is a smooth uptempo number with a confident vocal performance and an unexpected midsection involving sirens, giggling, and a piano interlude that keep it interesting.

26. One or the Other (Forever Your Girl, 1988). The only song from Paula’s debut album that she wrote may not be particularly lyrically inspired, but it’s superbly produced with its interestingly varied tempo. It is a strong closeout to a terrific album.

25. My Foolish Heart (Spellbound, 1991). One of numerous tracks that Paula conjured up with writer-producers Jeffrey Lord and V. Jeffrey Smith for her second album is this fresh and soulful ode to being devoted to a man that is not worth your time.

24. Love Don’t Come Easy (Head Over Heels, 1995). Abdul co-wrote this Latin-influenced banger that evokes a sexy, mid-90s update of Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana.” If only the rest of the song could match the thrill and intensity of the striking chorus this could have entered the upper echelon of her greatest songs.

23. Crazy Love (Head Over Heels Bonus Track, 1995). Paula reunited with two of the most memorable collaborators from her debut album (writer-producer Olive Leiber and vocal duo The Wild Pair) for this impassioned, frenzied, and euphoric dance track that certainly should have made the cut of the album.

22. Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow (Randy Jackson’s Music Club, Vol. 1, 2008). Paula released her first single in 13 years at the urging of fellow American Idol judge Randy Jackson. Her rapid fire, breathy vocal delivery and the superb, current production suggest that a decently successful musical comeback at that stage of her career could have been possible had she followed through.

21. Cry For Me (Head Over Heels, 1995). The strongest of the ballads on her third album, this deeply affecting song has lush orchestration, a soaring chorus, an aching vocal performance, and mature lyrics (“You will have to cry my tears/Pray I let go of my fears/I have nothing left to cry for you”).

20. Bend Time Back Round (Beverly Hills, 90210 Soundtrack, 1992). Paula reunited with Elliot Wolff, the writer-producer responsible for her two greatest songs (see below), for this track from the soundtrack to the cultural phenomenon that was the teen soap 90210. This electronica-laced banger may not have reached the heights of their prior collaboration but it had smash single potential.

19. Knocked Out (Forever Your Girl, 1988). Paula’s first ever single is this R&B-pop hybrid written and produced by the legendary team of LA Reid and Babyface, who would go on to craft a mind-boggling number of hits in the ’90s. Although it’s the weakest of the six (!) hit singles from her debut album, it’s a terrific and sensual ditty with a strong chorus and memorable bridge.

18. Rock House (Spellbound, 1991). After the polished and palatable dance-pop of her debut album and the elegant balladry of the lead single from the second album, few were prepared for how bold and funky her second album would be. This spirit is embodied in the song’s chaotic, aggressive, and highly effective second track which is a blistering indictment of the U.S. Congress’s ineffectiveness and hypocrisy. (Sample Lyric: “You shake a million hands/Make a million plans/And give a promise to the poor/And millions to a war/We tried to beg and plead/Still you ignore our need/So the only way to teach you is to rock you.”)

17. Alright Tonight (Spellbound, 1991). When people think of songwriter John Hiatt and producer Don Was, they tend to think of the legendary musicians from a variety of genres that have collaborated with them or covered their music over the years (e.g., The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Three Dog Night). Few think of Paula, who collaborated with them on this ebullient, horn-fueled song that is one of the most under-appreciated songs of her entire catalogue. It also features some of the most gorgeous lyrics she has ever sang, thanks to Hiatt (e.g., “Up where the angels sigh/ Down where the dreams get smashed on the rocks/ You and I wait to begin again/ Lifted above by a love that does not end”).

16. Ain’t Never Gonna Give You Up (Head Over Heels, 1995). Paula again teamed up with Eliot Wolff for this song that was co-written and co-performed with R&B group Color Me Badd, who were hot at the time thanks to songs like “I Wanna Sex You Up.” It’s an expertly produced entry into the New Jack Swing genre that features terrific vocals and flawlessly embodies a mid-90s house party.

15. Sexy Thoughts (Head Over Heels, 1995). Paula never got as close to an all-out disco record as she did with this thrilling, dance floor-ready anthem that could have and should have been a major hit.

14. Spellbound (Spellbound, 1991). Paula does some of the best writing and vocals of her career on this synth-heavy, futuristic sounding title track from her second album.

13. Crazy Cool (Head Over Heels, 1995). Unfortunately, the opening track from her third album is most famous for breaking her long streak of Top 40 singles (it peaked at #58 on the Hot 100) and the controversy over its racy video (which MTV refused to air without significant editing). What it should be famous for is how it expertly blends a unique trip hop sound with sensual lyrics and vocals.

12. U (Spellbound, 1991). The late, great musical genius Prince wrote and produced this sexy, funky, frenzied masterpiece that Paula delivers with astonishing sensuality and skill. It is a terrific example of what a genius Prince was and how inspired Paula’s music could be when she had bold and innovative material.

11. Ho-Down (Head Over Heels, 1995). It opens with a scratchy, tinny instrumental that evokes an “olde tyme” ho-down and then turns into a funky, uptempo song about Paula’s desire to bring a rival hoe down (get it??). Sure, it’s gimmicky, but it is boldly experimental and features a rapid-fire rap-sung vocal performance that shows a new side to Paula’s vocal skills. This is my favorite song of Paula’s that did not get the single treatment.

10. (It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me (Forever Your Girl, 1988). The opening track to Paula’s debut album is this new jack swing gem about wanting a lover to stop showing off all of the things that he can give her and just give her love instead. Written and produced by Oliver Leiber, the song initially peaked at #88 on the Billboard Hot 100, but was re-released after her career took off and eventually made it all the way to #3.

9. Forever Your Girl (Forever Your Girl, 1988). Also written and produced by Oliver Leiber, the title track of her debut album became her second #1. This infectious and romantic song is richly orchestrated, effectively incorporates the nicely contrasting vocals of the Wild Pair, and features a passionate bridge that propels the song to a thrilling climax.

8. The Promise of a New Day (Spellbound, 1991). Paula co-wrote this opening track to her second album. It is a euphoric, percussion-heavy, dance pop gem in which she expresses optimism for the future. It finds Paula at her most inspiring and spiritual and became her sixth and final #1 hit.

7. Vibeology (Spellbound, 1991). This single may have ended Paula’s impressive streak of Billboard top 10 hits, but the public’s failure to embrace it says more about them than it does with anyone involved in the song. This funky house song is a madcap, manic mashup of different ideas and musical styles. It features blazing horns, a gothic choir, spoken word interludes, chanting, and ridiculous lyrics (“Vibeology/Now you ask what does it mean/Why it’s the study of the chemistry between you and me”). It absolutely shouldn’t work, but somehow it absolutely does.

6. Opposites Attract (Forever Your Girl, 1988). Paula’s sole Grammy was for the iconic music video to this song, which innovatively blended animation and live action and featured terrific choreography. The video may have propelled the song to iconic status, but even without that it’s a terrific dance pop/hip-hop hybrid. The Oliver Leiber-written and produced song became her fourth #1 hit and finds her discussing with her lover (vocalized by the Wild Pair) how they somehow work great together despite their vast differences. It’s arguably the most fun song she ever recorded.

5. My Love is For Real (Head Over Heels, 1995). To me, one of the greatest pop culture mysteries of the 1990s is how this opening track from Paula’s third album didn’t become a smash hit. Perhaps the public was over her given the long gap in between her second and third albums and shifting musical trends. Perhaps it was too bold and innovative. Regardless, it’s simply damn good music. This dark, atmospheric song is epic in scope and singular in its sound. It blends trip hop with elements from Indian and Middle Eastern music, including the unique vocal stylings of Israeli-born Ofra Haza. The song may not have lit up the charts, but it’s one of her finest achievements.

4. Rush Rush (Spellbound, 1991). It was considered a risky decision to kick off the promotion of Paula’s second album with a ballad, given that all of her prior hits were dance floor-ready. The risk paid off, however, as this song became her fifth #1 hit and the biggest hit of her career. Although it was undoubtedly propelled by its Keanu Reeves-starring, Rebel Without a Cause-inspired music video, the song stands on its own as an early ’90s classic. Written by Peter Lord and produced by him and Vernon Jeffrey Smith, this violin-fueled ode to romantic longing features some of Paula’s finest vocals.

3. Blowing Kisses in the Wind (Spellbound, 1991). Although “Rush Rush” was a gorgeous song and a huge hit, it doesn’t get my vote for being Paula’s best ballad. That distinction goes to this track from the same album. This soaring, melodramatic song about unrequited love has a gorgeous melody, lush instrumentation, and features one of the finest vocal performances of Paula’s career.

2. Straight Up (Forever Your Girl, 1988). One of the most controversial decisions I made with this list is not putting her most acclaimed and iconic song at #1. Although I stand by this decision, it is no way to suggest the song is anything less than spectacular. There’s a reason that the song started its ascent to the top of the Billboard charts before it was released as a single or Paula was an established artist. The dance pop/new jack swing gem is expertly produced and written by Elliott Wolff. It is one of the very best pop songs of an era filled with countless classics.

1. Cold Hearted (Forever Your Girl, 1988). Paula’s other collaboration with Elliott Wolff on her debut album was this under-appreciated dance-pop masterpiece which finds Paula telling a girlfriend that her new beau is not worth her time. The uptempo, synthesizer heavy track features thrilling instrumentation, an insanely catchy chorus, and an innovative rap-sung bridge. The song is pure pop perfection that was elevated to iconic status by the scandalous All That Jazz-inspired video that was directed by three-time Oscar nominee David Fincher.

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Check out other articles by this author about music legends:

• Celebrating the Legendary Whitney Houston
• The Magnificent Legacy of Janet (Or Ms. Jackson If You’re Nasty)
• Mariah Carey’s 50 Best Songs in Honor of her Golden Anniversary
• Ranking Madonna’s 57 Billboard Hits
• Elton John: A Living Legend Gets His Due
• The Genius, Complexity, and Legacy of Alanis Morissette
• The Very Best of Sheryl Crow: Celebrating a Rock & Roll Icon