1988 Paula Abdul – Straight Up (US:#1 UK:#3)
“Straight Up” is a song by American recording artist Paula Abdul from her debut studio album, Forever Your Girl (1988). The song is a mid-tempo dance-pop song with influence from the pop rock and new jack swing genres. Written and produced entirely by Elliot Wolff, the song was released as the album’s third single on November 22, 1988, by Virgin Records.
“Straight Up” became Abdul’s first top-40 hit in the United States, eventually topping the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1989. The single brought Abdul widespread public attention and remains her biggest international hit to date, reaching the top 10 in at least 16 countries. The song was also included in her six compilation albums, released between 1998 and 2013.
The song received positive reviews from music critics, with Daniel J. Levitin’s This Is Your Brain on Music praising it as “hold[ing] a certain appeal over many, many listenings.” It also earned Abdul several award nominations in the US, most notably including her first Grammy nomination in the category of Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1990, and six other nominations for its music video at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards.
Album
Forever Your Girl is the debut studio album by American singer Paula Abdul. It was released on June 21, 1988, through Virgin Records. The album was Abdul’s breakthrough into the music industry after being a choreographer for high-profile clients including Kate Bush, The California Raisins, George Michael, ZZ Top, Duran Duran and most notably Janet […]
Muscians
| Drums (programming) | Elliot Wolff |
| Guitar | Dann Huff |
| Synthesizer | Elliot Wolff |
| Programming | Elliot Wolff |
| Background Vocals | Delissa Davis |
| Vocals | Paula Abdul |
Produced By
Elliot Wolff
Songwriters
Elliot Wolff
Charts
US:# 1
UK:# 3