Music History Today: February 10, 2023

February 10, 1990: Paula Abdul's "Opposites Attract" hit Number 1 in America for the first of three weeks.

"Opposites Attract" was written by Oliver Leiber, who is the son of legendary songwriter Jerry Leiber of Leiber and Stoller fame.

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In the video, the real Paula Abdul interacted with the animated MC Skat Kat. The concept of Paula dueting with a cat came from Anchors Aweigh, a movie where Gene Kelly dances with the mouse from Tom & Jerry. It won a Grammy for Best Music Video - Short Form. 

Read more: Songfacts

February 10, 1942: RCA Victor presented Glenn Miller with the first gold record for "Chattanooga Choo Choo." Purely a promotional gimmick, it was a master copy of the disc sprayed with gold lacquer.

February 10, 1968: "Spooky" by The Classics IV reached Number 3 on Billboard's Hot 100.

 "Spooky" was originally an instrumental recorded by Mike Sharpe. J.R. Cobb, The Classics IV lead guitarist, heard this song and added lyrics to it with their producer Buddy Buie. Cobb later formed the Atlanta Rhythm Section along with fellow band member Dean Daughtry. In 1979, the Atlanta Rhythm Section released a new version that hit #48 in the UK and #17 in the US. 

Read more: Songfacts

 

February 10, 1978: Van Halen's debut album was released.

Any great album needs to leave a lasting first impression. Van Halen's debut album accomplished this from the very first sound.

Car horn effects open up "Runnin' With the Devil," and it feels like you're settling in for what you know will be a wild ride. That thumping bass line is like waiting for the "Go!" signal to just put the pedal to the floor. 

Read more: Loudwire

February 10, 1997: Blur's self-titled fifth album was released. The single "Song 2" became the band's biggest US hit, topping out at Number 55 on the Hot 100.

Opposites Attract
Paula Abdul