Out of the Blue

In this song, Debbie Gibson finds love "out of the blue," meaning it comes on suddenly and without warning. Gibson, who was just 16 when the album was released, didn't know much about love at this point, but she did know how to write a catchy pop song and could spot a good title for her rhymes: Now with you, out of the blue Love appeared before my eyes with you A dream come true Her first single, "Only In My Dreams," is just as catchy but about losing love.

Gibson kept a dizzying schedule in 1987, promoting five singles from her debut album by playing clubs around America and flying back home to Long Island to attend high school. Her joyful sound and compelling story, teamed with a promotional push by Atlantic Records, kept her on the radio and on MTV throughout the year, with her first four singles going Top 5: "Only in My Dreams" #4 "Shake Your Love" #4 "Out Of The Blue" #3 "Foolish Beat" #1 Gibson stayed on top another few years and emerged from this cocoon of stardom relatively unscathed and made a name for herself in other artistic fields, including acting, dancing, and composing. Her acting credits include the films My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, Soulkeeper, Coffee Date, and an early, uncredited cameo in Ghostbusters. She's also been in TV series including Beverly Hills, 90210, Step by Step, and That '80s Show.

This song was on the charts on May 14, 1988 when Gibson performed at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Gibson, at the time a senior in high school, was signed to Atlantic, which threw her to the wolves at this one. The crowd was there to see Led Zeppelin, which ended up going on about 12 hours after the show started. Gibson had to contend with an impatient crowd that definitely was not on her side. She delivered a strong showing and won over much of the crowd, but that wasn't enough for her label, which tried to nudge her into photo ops and bring her to an afterparty. She had a panic attack and ended up in the hospital, later calling it "my first little cry for help." The experience illustrates the paradox Gibson faced being a 17-year-old pop star: There were endless opportunities for promotion, but she couldn't keep up that pace. She learned to slow down a bit, but kept her motor running throughout 1989 with the release of her second album, Electric Youth, which went to #1 in America.