Peak
1
Weeks
20
Score
3,558
Chart Year
1988
In the music video for "Foolish Beat", Gibson typecasts herself as a young performer who recently broke up with her boyfriend; although she now regrets jilting him and wants to make amends, he brushes off her efforts to do so. The video ends with him debating about seeing her show having brought a bouquet of flowers for her; he drops the flowers in a trash can deciding that he did not want to get hurt again, then walks off into the distance. The music video was shot in New York City and directed by Nick Willing, who directed music videos for bands such as Eurythmics, Bob Geldof, Swing Out Sister, and others. Some scenes were shot at South Street Seaport during Saint Patrick's Day in March 1988. The outfit Gibson wore belonged to her elder sister Michele
This was Gibson's first American #1 hit, giving the 17-year-old the honor of becoming the youngest artist ever to write, perform, and produce a #1 single. The song captures the fantastical feelings of a teenage girl as she deals with heartbreak for the first time and wonders if she can ever love again. It's very astute songwriting for a teenager, and much more complex than Gibson's first three singles, the upbeat songs "Only In My Dreams," "Shake Your Love" and "Out Of The Blue." Debbie Gibson's record was broken by Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, who was 17 years and one month old when the self-written and produced "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" topped the chart on September 15, 2007. Gibson was 17 years and 9 months old when "Foolish Beat" went to #1 on June 25, 1988. Looking back at the song in a 2013 interview with Billboard magazine, Debbie Gibson said: "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 that I can as a singer now. When I was writing it, I was guessing what love would be like ... and then also guessing what it would be like to lose love. Now that I've been through all that, I can sing the very simple lyrics and really fill it." Debbie Gibson was born in 1970 in Brooklyn, New York. She began writing songs in her early childhood and when she was eight, she sang at the children's chorus in the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. When Debbie turned 16 and was still in high school, Atlantic Records signed her to a recording contract. She recorded five Top 10 singles in the US including two #1s, "Foolish Beat" and "Lost In Your Eyes," and two multi-platinum albums. In the late '80s, Gibson was one of the most popular teen idols, appearing on the cover of teen magazines worldwide. After her popularity as a pop singer waned, she starred in Les Misérables on Broadway, then she went to London, where she landed the character of Sandy in the West End theatrical production of Grease. Since then she has appeared in a number of other musical productions, including playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret and Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Gibson was signed to Atlantic Records, which put their promotional muscle behind her but pushed her to make lots of appearances. Throughout her junior and senior years of high school she was dispatched to clubs where she did sets of her hits, sometimes three times a night. When she graduated, she embarked on a major tour, headlining with Atlantic baby band Times Two as her support act. Around this time, she started taking Xanax to control her panic attacks, but kept a rigorous work schedule. Her next album, Electric Youth, was a big seller, #1 in America for five weeks. Gibson moved into acting a few years later but never stopped making music. The music video, directed by Nick Willing, finds Gibson expressing her heartache in various settings, including a cabaret, the city streets, and a restaurant where she dines alone. It earned airplay on both MTV and VH1.
There was a time when Broken hearts and broken dreams Were over There was a place where All you could do was Wish on a four-leaf clover But now is a new time There is a new place Where dreams just can't come true It started the day when I left you (oh) I could never love again the way that I loved you (oh) I could never cry again like I did when I left you And when we said goodbye Oh, the look in your eyes Just left me beside myself without your heart (without your heart) I could never love again now that we're apart When I was sorry It was too late to turn around (turn around) And tell you so There was no reason There was no reason Just a foolish beat of my heart I could never love again the way that I loved you (oh) I could never cry again like I did when I left you And when we said goodbye Oh, the look in your eyes Just left me beside myself without your heart (without your heart) I could never love again now that we're apart Oh, can't you see I'm not fooling nobody? Don't you see the tears are falling down my face? Since you went away Break my heart, you slipped away Didn't know I was wrong Never meant to hurt you now you're gone Oh oh oh Do, do, do, do, do, do Oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh I could never love again Now that we're apart Now that we're apart, oh I could never love again Now that we're apart
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 23, 1988 | 57 | 69 |
| 2 | Apr 30, 1988 | 48 | 78 |
| 3 | May 7, 1988 | 36 | 90 |
| 4 | May 14, 1988 | 29 | 97 |
| 5 | May 21, 1988 | 22 | 104 |
| 6 | May 28, 1988 | 15 | 111 |
| 7 | Jun 4, 1988 | 7 | 119 |
| 8 | Jun 11, 1988 | 6 | 120 |
| 9 | Jun 18, 1988 | 3 | 123 |
| 10 | Jun 25, 1988 | 1 | 125 |
| 11 | Jul 2, 1988 | 2 | 124 |
| 12 | Jul 9, 1988 | 7 | 119 |
| 13 | Jul 16, 1988 | 13 | 113 |
| 14 | Jul 23, 1988 | 23 | 103 |
| 15 | Jul 30, 1988 | 31 | 95 |
| 16 | Aug 6, 1988 | 40 | 86 |
| 17 | Aug 13, 1988 | 54 | 72 |
| 18 | Aug 20, 1988 | 73 | 53 |
| 19 | Aug 27, 1988 | 79 | 47 |
| 20 | Sep 3, 1988 | 95 | 31 |