Paula Abdul really was the queen of pop in the late 80s and early 90s. And on this very day in 1989, she made it all the way to the top of the US charts. She did so with a megahit that was made even more popular through a spicy music video directed by David Fincher. Though, even without the music video, “Cold Hearted” is an absolute bop, even today.
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When he wasn’t dishing out cult classic films that featured Brad Pitt, like Fight Club and Seven, Fincher directed quite a few memorable music videos. He directed legendary MVs like Madonna’s “Express Yourself” in 1989 and “Love Is Strong” by The Rolling Stones in 1994. He’s even won Grammy Awards for his music video work. Naturally, the man knew what he was doing. And he absolutely had to direct Paula Abdul’s music video for the hit song “Cold Hearted”.
“Cold Hearted” by Paula Abdul Hit No. 1 on This Day in 1989, Following the Release of a Cult Classic Music Video
Paula Abdul released the new jack swing song “Cold Hearted” in June of 1989. It was one of several singles off her hit debut album Forever Your Girl. The dance-pop tune hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US. It was the third song from that album to hit No. 1 in the States. Abdul was definitely on the up and up at the tail end of the 80s.
It took until this day, September 2, 1989, for the song to reach No. 1. It might have had some help from the music video that David Fincher directed. In fact, it definitely helped. The MV was a go-to for MTV’s rotation that year, and for almost a month, you couldn’t escape it if you were a fan of MTV.
The music video, which you can watch above, was inspired by the choreography for “Take Off With Us”, a famous scene from the 1979 film All That Jazz. It was quite a scandalous music video at the time. It features Paula Abdul dancing for a group of music executives with a group of nearly-nude dancers. It’s one of the most late-80s-looking music videos of all time, and it has more than earned its place in pop culture history.
Photo by Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
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