American Songwriter

This 1988 Pop Hit Was Thrown Out by the Singer’s Mother and Recorded in a Bathroom (And Still Sounds Great)

Paula Abdul saved her 1988 hit, "Straight Up", from the bottom of her mother's trash can, then later recorded it in a bathroom.

1988 No. 1 Hit Sold Over a Million Copies and Became One of the Decade’s Biggest Songs

Straight Up made Paula Abdul a star in 1988, topping the Billboard Hot 100, selling over 1 million copies, and becoming a defining pop hit.
American Songwriter

3 Pop Songs From 1988 That Still Stop Us in Our Tracks

It’s always interesting to see how sounds change when a decade is coming to an end. When artists can feel one era concluding and another just beginning, something happens. Vibes and feelings begin to ...