In 1988, Debbie Gibson's “Foolish Beat” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100: Chart Rewind

“I find that people have kept [it] with them. I think it's because the lyrics are simple, but you can fill in the blanks with your adult experience. I know I can now as a singer.”

In 2013, Debbie Gibson told the Advertising sign her memories of “Foolish Beat,” which had then topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart 25 years earlier, charting on June 25, 1988. The song made history for Gibson: As she was 17 when the ballad reigned , became the youngest woman to write, produce and perform a Hot 100 No. 1, a mark that still stands.

“When I was writing it,” Gibson further recalled in 2013, “I was guessing what love would be like… and then I was also guessing what it would be like to lose love. Now that I've gone through all that, I can sing the very simple lyrics and really fill them.”

The song was released as the fourth single from Gibson's Atlantic Records debut album Out of the bluewhich hit No. 7 at Billboard 200. Her breakthrough hit “Only in My Dreams” reached No. 4 on the Hot 100, as did the follow-up “Shake Your Love,” while the title hit No. 3. (Following “Foolish Beat,” fifth single “Staying Together” became the set's fifth Top 40 hit, peaking at No. 22.)

Gibson continued to expand on it Advertising sign chart history as she sent out her first seasonal collection, Winterliciousin the top 20 Top Holiday Albums in November 2022. It was followed by her first proper LP of brand new music in two decades, The Body Rememberswhich reached the top current albums and top album sales charts of 2021.

Gibson is currently celebrating the 35th anniversary of her second album, Electric Youth, which ruled the Billboard 200 for five weeks beginning in March 1989. The Long Island native's show schedule this summer includes a July 26 date at New York City Hall. “New York is where so many of my dreams started and came true,” Gibson said recently posted. “This is a full circle moment as we recreate the original 1989 tour with many original band members and dancers and add some modern updates for a 'news' night of hits. It's so incredible that we're still here together after starting this journey three and a half decades ago.”

Marking the milestone of “Foolish Beat” ruling the Hot 100, Gibson recounted, in an exclusive countdown below, the chart that week in 1988, reflecting on each song in the top 20. The song, which became the first of Gibson's two No 1s, before “Lost in Your Eyes” in March 1989, beat impressive competition, including fellow classics from Michael Jackson, George Michael, Def Leppard, INXS and Hall and Oates. –Gary Trust

“Lost in You”, Rod Stewart

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“I've always loved Rod's music and voice. Melodic pop rock at its best.”
“Keep the Nights,” Richard Marx

Image credit: David Redfern/Redferns

“I have always felt a kinship and connection with Richard's writing. I love that this was an anthem of its time and would become future nostalgia as everyone these days wants to hold on to their 80s youth!”
“Beds Are Burning”, Midnight Oil

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“I could only try to be as cool and socially conscious as Midnight Oil was back then. Such a powerful song. And their accents were incredible. You don't usually hear tones while singing, but they played it, which worked perfectly.”
“Whatever Your Heart Desires”, Hall & Oates

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“That track had all those great synth sounds that were the signature of the era, reminiscent of Climie Fisher and Steve Winwood. Hall and Oates could do no wrong.”
“New Sensation”, INXS

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“I liked INXS and they were label partners at the time. I remember seeing them together [then-Atlantic president] Doug Morris at Radio City Music Hall and commented that Michael Hutchence and his hustle reminded him of Mick Jagger. The world was indeed ready for a new sensation that was INXS.”
“Nite and Day,” Al B. Sure!

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“My friend at the time, Brian Bloom, put it on a mixtape and it really turned me on to so many incredible pop/urban acts of the time. This is classic.”
“I Still Believe,” Brenda K. Starr

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“Beautifully expressive vocal that Melody would have killed! I love Brenda and she spoke to her audience the way only a raw New York girl can.”
“Circle in the Sand”, Belinda Carlyle

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“[Writers] Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley nailed that modern bohemian vibe that suits Belinda's personality so well, and she delivered it with pure pop vocal perfection. So free and easy.”
“Kiss Me Deadly”, Lita Ford

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“Lita brought to the fore what it's like to be a female rocker with this classic pop/rock crossover. I'm a girl with a hook and that gave the candy element that invited the pop audience into the world of rock.”
“Nothing But A Good Time”, Poison

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“A perfect chart companion for Lita and a perfect bubblegum song that made glam rock palatable to a more pop audience. After all, CC [DeVille] he called me his fiancee on MTV, which started a love affair for me with Poison's music.”
“Pour Some Sugar On Me”, Def Leppard

Image credit: Pete Still/Redferns

“I loved – and love – this band so much. This song has it all, but it was the perfectly stacked harmonies that always made it for me! We headlined the Sanremo Music festival with Rick [Allen] he keeps coming in to comment on my social media, which always makes me laugh all over again.”
“Mercedes Boy”, Pebbles

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“I might have tried to imitate [co-producer] Charlie Wilson many times after hearing this song, but there is only one Pebbles and only one “Mercedes Boy”. A playful, sexy classic.”
“Alphabet Street,” Prince

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“So ridiculously sexy and it paved the way for other songs I loved that followed, like 'Martika's Kitchen.' In a roundabout way, it influenced my future writing on songs like 'Love or Money', co-written by Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers. Prince couldn't help but get into everyone's material!”
“One more try”, George Michael

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“Okay… everyone pause for a true king. There is nothing to compare this song to. It was George in a bubble of purity and inspiration and uniqueness. The vocals, the lyrics, the melody, the feel… pure genius and never another song like it.”
“The Valley Road”, Bruce Hornsby & the Range

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“As a piano girl, I always loved hearing what Bruce Hornsby & the Range would come up with next. The changing time signatures ignited my musical side. Pure Americana bliss.”
“The flame”, cheap trick

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“It felt old and new at the same time, like it was as comforting as if it were an old friend. An instant classic that introduced me and many younger pop fans to Cheap Trick.”
“Do It Real,” The Jets

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“Pure pop ballad perfection. It takes me right back to doing schoolwork with the Jets behind the scenes Pure gold and at my own high school prom. A song you can sway to and slow dance to.”
“Together Forever”, Rick Astley

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“I love Rick and these partnerships with Stock-Aitken-Waterman stand the test of time. I love Rick's deep, soulful voice. It added a roundness to the liveliness of the piece, but allowed Rick to project the playful side of his personality.”
“Dirty Diana”, Michael Jackson

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“The fact that this was No. 2 to No. 1 was impressive to me as a teenage MJ mega-fan. Michael is the epitome of what it means to be versatile, flexing his rock chops on this song was inspired and Steve Stevens' guitar playing… epic.”
“Foolish Beat”, Debbie Gibson

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“I was a huge Wham! fan, and especially of George Michael. If you're hearing similarities in the themes of this song and 'Careless Whisper', you're not wrong. I wanted to write my own haunting breakup ballad of the time, and even though I hadn't fallen in love yet, I drew on experiences from my older sisters and my limited experiences of puppy love. It was a thrill to be the sole writer and producer of this song, which silenced many critics at the time, including some non-believers in my own camp who thought the song should have been produced by someone more experienced.”