On this day (June 25), in 1988, Debbie Gibson’s single, “Foolish Beat,” went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, giving the younger singer/songwriter her first No. 1. More than that, the single would put her in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Videos by American Songwriter
Unlike many pop stars, Gibson didn’t just record the song. She also wrote and produced it. At the time, she was only 17 years old. This made her the youngest artist in the history of the Hot 100 to take a song they wrote, performed, and produced to No. 1. She would hold that record for 19 years, until Soulja Boy broke it in 2007 with “Crank That” months before he turned 17. However, Gibson remains the youngest female artist to achieve the feat.
[RELATED: The 15 Best Debbie Gibson Quotes]
Gibson continued to release hit singles throughout the 1980s. She scored her second and final No. 1 single on the Hot 100 with “Lost in Your Eyes,” the lead single from her sophomore album, Electric Youth. Her final top 40 hit came in 1990 with “Anything Is Possible,” the lead single and title track from her third album. While she doesn’t see the same level of chart success, she continues to write and record music. Her latest album, Winterlicious, dropped in 2022.
Debbie Gibson Reflects on “Foolish Beat”
Debbie Gibson recently took to social media to celebrate the anniversary of her record-setting No. 1 single. The video she posted contains a clip of an interview in which she recalls studio executives’ early refusal to let her act as a producer on her debut album.
“Anybody who was in those rooms, in those meetings, they know that my mom was banging her fist on the table to get their attention,” Gibson recalled. “She was kind of like any amazing mother. She fought to protect my voice,” she added.
“I’m always saying to young girl budding songwriters that I meet, ‘Please break my record,’” she said.
Featured Image by MediaPunch/Shutterstock
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