Knocked Out
single
CoverPaula-Abdul-Knocked-Out.jpg
ArtistPaula Abdul
AlbumForever Your Girl
B-side"Knocked Out" (Instrumental)
"Next to You"
ReleasedMay 1988[1]
StudioStudio Masters · Silverlake (Hollywood, CA)
Length3:52
LabelVirgin
WriterAntonio "L.A." Reid · Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds · Daryl Simmons
ProducerL.A. Reid · Babyface
Next year1988

"Knocked Out" is the debut single by American singer and dancer Paula Abdul, released in May 1988 via Virgin Records as the lead single to Abdul's debut studio album, Forever Your Girl (1988). The song was written by Babyface, L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons, and produced by Babyface and Reid, the only track on Forever Your Girl produced by the duo.[2] Babyface and Simmons provide background vocals along with Pebbles and Yvette Marine. "Knocked Out" was later re-released to US radio in May 1990 following its re-issue in the United Kingdom and Europe.[3]

Critical reception

Paul Mathur from Melody Maker wrote, "Paula isn't as clever as Jessica but she's almost as accomplished in the art of artifice. When she sings, plastic takes on whole new forms, Madonna looks like Joni Mitchell and I'm humming for weeks. She cuts her soul pop jib with scissors the size of shears, but she doesn't give two hoots, and for that alone we should cherish her."[4] Dave Sholin of the Gavin Report responded favorably, "If you're lookin' for hooks, this is it. Produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, the arrangement lends itself to multi-format potential. This former Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader and choreographer for the likes of Janet Jackson is gonna be big."[1] Bill Coleman of Billboard called the track "an appealing number."[5] Ron Wynn of The Commercial Appeal dismissed the song, calling the transition to singing "flawed" and felt that "she [is] better at constructing dance steps than structuring vocals".[6]

Chart performance

"Knocked Out" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 on June 18, 1988 at number 93.[7] peaked at number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the first of what would be fourteen charting entries through 1995.[8]

Music video

Abdul's first music video was directed by Danny Kleinman and Limelight Film and Video Productions. The video features Abdul and her dancers working out choreography on the dance floor. It premiered to BET on June 11, 1988.[9]

Personnel

Taken from the Forever Your Girl booklet.[10]

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Knocked Out"
Chart (1988–90)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[11]82
Australia (ARIA)[12]
Shep Pettibone remix version		115
Canada Contemporary Hit Radio (The Record)[13]18
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[14]
Shep Pettibone remix version		59
Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)[15]15
US Hot Crossover 30 (Billboard)[16]4
US Cash Box Top 100[17]43
US Top 12" Dance Singles (Cash Box)[18]7
US Top Black Contemporary Singles (Cash Box)[19]7
US Urban/Contemporary (Gavin Report)[20]5
US Urban Contemporary (Radio & Records)[21]6

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Knocked Out"
Chart (1988)Position
US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[22]100
US Urban Contemporary (Gavin Report)[23]69
US Urban (Radio & Records)[24]80

References

  1. ^ Fell, Ron (May 20, 1988). "Dave Sholin's Personal Picks — Singles". Gavin Report. Vol. 1707. p. 57.
  2. ^ Breihan, Tom (June 25, 2021). "The Number Ones: Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up". Stereogum. Archived June 25, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  3. ^ "CHR National Airplay: Significant Action". Radio & Records. No. 840. May 18, 1990. p. 106.
  4. ^ Mathur, Paul (September 3, 1988). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 28. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  5. ^ Coleman, Bill (April 30, 1988). "Dance Trax: Atlantic's Dazzling Dance Department Regroups". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 18. Prometheus Global Media. p. 29. ISSN 0006-2510
  6. ^ Wynn, Ron (June 10, 1988). "Singles". The Commercial Appeal. pp. E22. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  7. ^ "Paula Abdul Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  8. ^ Warner, Jay (2008). Notable Moments of Women in Music. Hal Leonard Books. p. 269. ISBN 9781423429517.
  9. ^ "The Clip List". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 24. Nielsen Business Media. June 11, 1988. p. 67. ISSN 0006-2510
  10. ^ Forever Your Girl (album liner notes). Virgin Records. 1988. 90943.
  11. ^ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received January 17, 2014". imgur.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  12. ^ "Week commencing 30 July 1990". Bubbling Down Under. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  13. ^ Lwin, Nanda (2000). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. p. 18. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
  14. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. August 4, 1990. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  15. ^ Radio Luxembourg Singles. July 29, 1990.
  16. ^ "Radio: Hot Crossover 30". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 31. Nielsen Business Media. July 30, 1988. p. 16. ISSN 0006-2510
  17. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles". Cashbox. Vol. LII, no. 8. August 20, 1988. p. 2. ISSN 0008-7289
  18. ^ "Cash Box Top 12" Dance Singles". Cashbox. Vol. LII, no. 4. July 23, 1988. p. 21. ISSN 0008-7289
  19. ^ "Cash Box Top Black Contemporary Singles". Cashbox. Vol. LII, no. 5. July 30, 1988. p. 17. ISSN 0008-7289
  20. ^ "the Gavin Report: Urban Contemporary". Gavin Report. No. 1717. July 29, 1988. p. 14. Note: The July 22 issue that "Knocked Out" reached its peak position has not been archived; the peak for this week is derived from the "Last Week" position in the July 29 issue.
  21. ^ "The Back Page". Radio & Records. July 29, 1988. p. 112.
  22. ^ "No. 1 Awards: Top Black Singles". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 52. December 24, 1988. p. Y-23.
  23. ^ "Urban Contemporary 1988 · Top 100". Gavin Report. No. 1735. December 9, 1988. p. 19.
  24. ^ "The Top 88 of Eighty-Eight – Urban". Radio & Records. No. 768. December 16, 1988. p. 80. ISSN 0277-4860