Tuesday, September 27, 2022

"No More Rhyme" by Debbie Gibson

Song#:  3938
Date:  06/17/1989
Debut:  66
Peak:  17
Weeks:  14
Genre:  Pop


Pop Bits:  Gibson's second album Electric Youth would become a #1 double-platinum seller thanks mainly to a pair of gold Top 10 hits including the #1 "Lost in Your Eyes." Hoping to keep the streak going, this third single was issued out. While it would perform okay, the song could only manage a Pop Top 20 showing while reaching #13 AC. Gibson seemed to beat the sophomore slump with Electric Youth and although it reached #1, overall it wasn't as successful as her triple-platinum debut that featured four Pop Top 10 hits.

ReduxReview:  This ballad wasn't as strong as the LP's first single, but it was a good choice for release. It had a nice chorus and it was well-recorded. It just wasn't quite as memorable as Gibson's other hits. She really needed another solid dance-pop tune to spice up pop radio, but there really wasn't one on the album that could compete with her bouncy first three Top 10 hits. Therefore, the label went with another ballad and it didn't quite pay off. I appreciated that Gibson wanted to write and producer her own songs, but at this point it would have been a good idea to hook her up with a hot songwriter or two. She could have benefited from working with others and might have come up with a couple solid tunes that were a bit more mature and current.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  In 2007, a musical was staged that used Debbie Gibson's songs. Electric Youth was written and directed by Dean Parker. The comedy's musical numbers were from Gibson's catalog including "No More Rhyme." The show was considered a "jukebox musical" where songs from a particular artist or time period are used instead of original compositions. Famous jukebox musicals include Mamma Mia!, Rock of Ages, Tina, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Jersey Boys. The Electric Youth musical debuted in Orlando and seemed to generate mixed reviews.

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