Paula Abdul performing hits medley at 2019 BBMAs

This year marks 30th anniversary of Abdul’s record-breaking four No 1’s from debut album

Paula Abdul will hit the 2019 Billboard Music Awards stage to perform a medley of her biggest record-breaking hits as the show’s 2019 Billboard Music Awards Throwback moment. The three-hour telecast, with returning host Kelly Clarkson, will broadcast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Wednesday, May 1st at 8 pm ET/PT on NBC and will feature this year’s hottest musical acts, unexpected collaborations and buzzworthy moments.

Having been a force in the music industry since her debut album Forever Your Girl hit the charts in 1988, Abdul is the first female to ever receive four No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 singles off a debut album. One of those singles, and arguably Abdul’s most recognized hit, “Straight Up,” is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. After first making her mark as a Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader and choreographer, Abdul has long courted success on Billboard’s charts. Her debut album, Forever Your Girl, hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 1989, completing a record 64-week climb to the top spot. The set also generated four No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 singles in 1989-90, a first for a debut. Her 1991 LP, Spellbound, also topped the Billboard 200 and spun off two more Hot 100 No. 1’s. As she gained a new generation of fans as a judge on American Idol, she added a No. 2 hit, “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow,” on the Dance Club Songs chart in 2008 with then-fellow judge Randy Jackson. In Abdul’s 30-plus year career, she has earned six No. 1 songs, eight Top 10, and 15 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

Always a fan favorite, the Billboard Music Awards create a nostalgic moment each year with performances and musicians of our pop culture past for the Billboard Music Awards Throwback. Past Throwback’s include Salt-N-Pepa’s 2018 performance to commemorate the 30th anniversary of becoming the first female rappers to crack the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, Celine Dion’s moving 2017 performance of the Oscar-winning song, “My Heart Will Go On” to mark the 20th anniversary of the film Titanic, the Go-Go’s 2016 performance of their smash hit “We Got The Beat” to celebrate the song’s 35th anniversary, and in 2015 Molly Ringwald introducing the band Simple Minds who performed their hit single “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” on the 30th anniversary of the film The Breakfast Club.

Previously announced performers for the 2019 Billboard Music Awards include BTS featuring Halsey, Ciara, Kelly Clarkson, Lauren Daigle, Dan + Shay with Tori Kelly, Halsey, Jonas Brothers, Khalid, Madonna and Maluma and Panic! At The Disco, plus a special performance by 2019 ICON Award recipient Mariah Carey.

Billboard Music Awards nominees and winners are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The awards are based on the chart period of March 23, 2018 through March 7, 2019. Since 1940, the Billboard charts have been the go-to guide for ranking the popularity of artists, songs and albums, and are the ultimate measure of success in music.

The 2019 Billboard Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions. Mark Bracco, Barry Adelman, Kelly Clarkson and Robert Deaton are executive producers. T-Mobile is the sponsor of the show.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com