Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographer for the Laker Girls, where she was discovered by the Jacksons. After choreographing music videos for Janet Jackson, Abdul became a choreographer at the height of the music video era and soon thereafter she was signed to Virgin Records. Her debut studio album Forever Your Girl (1988) became one of the most successful debut albums at that time, selling seven million copies in the United States and setting a record for the most number-one singles from a debut album on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl", "Cold Hearted", and "Opposites Attract". Her second album Spellbound (1991) scored her two more chart-toppers – "Rush Rush" and "The Promise of a New Day". With six number-one singles on Hot 100, Abdul tied Diana Ross for the third-most chart-toppers among female solo artists at the time. As of 2025, Abdul places seventh along with Diana Ross and Lady Gaga for the most number-one singles by female artists in the U.S. to date.
Highway 61 Revisited is the sixth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on August 30, 1965, by Columbia Records. Dylan continued the musical approach of his previous album Bringing It All Back Home (1965), using rock musicians as his backing band on every track of the album in a further departure from his primarily acoustic folk sound, except for the closing track, the 11-minute ballad "Desolation Row". Critics have focused on the innovative way Dylan combined driving, blues-based music with the subtlety of poetry to create songs that captured the political and cultural climate of contemporary America. Author Michael Gray argued that, in an important sense, the 1960s "started" with this album.
The Band, also known as The Brown Album, is the second studio album by the Canadian-American rock band the Band, released on September 22, 1969, by Capitol Records. According to Rob Bowman's liner notes for the 2000 reissue, The Band has been viewed as a concept album, with the songs focusing on people, places and traditions associated with an older version of Americana. Thus, the songs on this album draw on historic themes for "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "King Harvest " and "Jawbone".
Can't Buy a Thrill is the debut studio album by American rock band Steely Dan, released in November 1972, by ABC Records. It was written by band members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, and recorded in August 1972 at the Village Recorder in Los Angeles with producer Gary Katz. The album is one of Steely Dan's most stylistically eclectic, encompassing the sounds of soft rock, pop rock and jazz-rock, alongside philosophical, elliptical lyrics.
Talking Book is the fifteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter, and musician Stevie Wonder, released on October 27, 1972, by Tamla, a subsidiary of Motown Records. This album and Music of My Mind, released earlier the same year, are generally considered to mark the start of Wonder's "classic period". The sound of the album is sharply defined by Wonder's use of keyboards and synthesizers.
Tapestry is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Carole King. Produced by Lou Adler, it was released on February 10, 1971, by Ode Records. The album's lead singles, "It's Too Late" and "I Feel the Earth Move", spent five weeks at number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts.
Emotional Rescue is the fifteenth studio album by English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 23 June 1980 by Rolling Stones Records. Following the success of their previous album, Some Girls, their biggest hit to date, the Rolling Stones returned to the studio in early 1979 to start writing and recording its follow-up. Full-time members Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (guitar), Ronnie Wood (guitar), Bill Wyman (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums) were joined by frequent collaborators Ian Stewart (keyboards), Nicky Hopkins (keyboards), Bobby Keys (saxophone) and Sugar Blue (harmonica).
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 Jackson. At the time of the album's release it was the most successful debut album of all time and was the first time an artist scored four US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles from a debut album. It is currently certified 7× platinum by the RIAA.
Shut Up and Dance: Mixes is a Paula Abdul remix album, released in 1990. It contains dance remixes of the six hit singles from Abdul's debut album Forever Your Girl, one remixed album track and one medley. The album was another huge success for Abdul, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard 200.
Dare is the third studio album by English synth-pop band The Human League, first released in the United Kingdom in October 1981 and then subsequently in the US in mid-1982. The album was produced by Martin Rushent and recorded between March and September 1981, following the departure of founding members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, and saw the band shift direction from their previous avant-garde electronic style toward a more pop-friendly, commercial sound led by frontman Philip Oakey.
Music of My Mind is the fourteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter, and musician Stevie Wonder. It was released on March 3, 1972, by Tamla Records, and was Wonder's first to be recorded under a new contract with Motown that allowed him full artistic control over his music. For the album, Wonder recruited electronic music pioneers Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff as associate producers, employing their custom TONTO synthesizer on several tracks. The album hit No. 21 in the Billboard LP charts, and critics found it representative of Wonder's artistic growth. It is generally considered by modern critics to be the first album of Wonder's "classic period".
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music is a studio album by the American singer and pianist Ray Charles. It was recorded in February 1962 at Capitol Studios in New York City and United Western Recorders in Hollywood, and released in March of that year by ABC-Paramount Records.
Elvis Presley is the debut studio album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. It was released by RCA Victor, on March 23, 1956. The recording sessions took place on January 10 and January 11 at the RCA Victor Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, and on January 30 and January 31 at the RCA Victor studios in New York. Additional material originated from sessions at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, on July 5, August 19 and September 10, 1954, and on July 11, 1955.
In Color is the second studio album by Cheap Trick, released in 1977 and produced by Tom Werman. Considered a classic of the power pop genre, the album was ranked No. 4 on Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide. In 2003, the album was also ranked number 443 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
"The Promise of a New Day" is a song by American singer and entertainer Paula Abdul, recorded for her second studio album Spellbound (1991) and services as the album's opening track. The track, written by Abdul, Peter Lord, Sandra St. Victor, and V. Jeffrey Smith and produced by Lord and Smith, was released as the album's second official single in July 1991 in the United States. The song lyrically finds the singer singing optimistically about a relationship, with a vague sub-context of improvement of the world. It was also her first single released under her own label, Captive Records.
"Blowing Kisses in the Wind" is a song by American singer and dancer Paula Abdul, taken from her second studio album Spellbound (1991). Written by Peter Lord and produced by Lord and V. Jeffrey Smith, it was released as the album's third official single on October 17, 1991, exclusively to North America, Australia, and Japan, as the album's next single "Vibeology" would be released in Europe instead of this song. "Blowing Kisses in the Wind" utilizes the harpsichord. Sweet Pea Atkinson provided background vocals to the track.
"Vibeology" is a song by American singer Paula Abdul, taken from the singer's second studio album, Spellbound (1991). The house and new jack swing number was written by Peter Lord, Sandra St. Victor, and V. Jeffrey Smith and produced by Lord and Smith. It was first released on October 21, 1991, in Japan via Virgin Records and Abdul's vanity label Captive Records, becoming the album's fourth official single. In Europe and Australia, the track was released as the third single as "Blowing Kisses in the Wind" was not released in the former and would be released in the latter following "Vibeology".
"Will You Marry Me?" is a song by American artist Paula Abdul, released as the fifth and final widely released single from her second studio album, Spellbound (1991). The song was written by Abdul, Peter Lord, Sandra St. Victor and V. Jeffrey Smith and produced by Lord and Smith. Stevie Wonder notably appears as a special guest playing the harmonica.
The discography of American singer and dancer Paula Abdul consists of three studio albums, one remix album, five compilation albums, eight video albums, sixteen singles, and seven other appearances. Having found success as a choreographer for artists such as Janet Jackson, Abdul launched her own music career with the release of her debut studio album Forever Your Girl (1988). The album topped the Billboard 200 chart, and to date holds the record for the longest climb to number one for an album. The project spawned a number of successful singles, and is one of only nine albums to have four singles top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It went on to earn a seven-times platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
There's a Riot Goin' On is the fifth studio album by the American funk and soul band Sly and the Family Stone. It was recorded from 1970 to 1971 at Record Plant Studios in Sausalito, California and released later that year on November 1 by Epic Records. The recording was dominated by band frontman/songwriter Sly Stone during a period of escalated drug use and intra-group tension.
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