Top 16 Best Debbie Gibson Songs of All Time

Did you know that the American Pop songstress Debbie Gibson was one of the youngest singers to reach #1 in the charts? She was just 16 years old when her single “Foolish Beat” hit the top of the charts in 1988. She even made the Guinness Book of Records for that accolade at the time. 

Debbie Gibson was a Pop sensation back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At that time, she competed for the prime Pop position with the likes of New Kids On The Block and Tiffany. The top 10 Debbie Gibson songs are the 80s and 90s American Pop music vibe personified. She was a fantastic role model for her young teen fans at the time that weren’t much younger than her. 

So, let’s take a trip through the best Debbie Gibson songs to understand her sound and her allure.

Top 16 Debbie Gibson Songs of All Time

1 Lost in Your Eyes

“Lost in Your Eyes” is quite possibly the most famous Debbie Gibson song and her most successful. I have to place this in the prime spot on this list of Debbie Gibson’s Top 10 songs or get crucified by her fans. Joking aside, this was the second single from her second studio album, Electric Youth, which came out in 1989. 

In the first week of its release, it only reached #42 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts. But, eventually, it peaked at #1. It also charted high across many European and South American countries and is certified Gold in the US at this point. The song is a very sweet love ballad that appealed to mainly female listeners, who were the core of her fanbase.

2 Foolish Beat

As I mentioned in the intro, “Foolish Beat” is Debbie Gibson’s biggest-selling song. Likewise, it was her first #1 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts when she was just 16 years old. It came out in April 1988 and was the fifth single from her debut album, Out of the Blue, which was a massive commercial success in 1987. 

The lyrics and feel of the track are emotional. But what can you expect from such a young woman at the time? It’s about losing someone you love in a relationship and wondering if you can ever love again. Most people can relate to this type of heartbreak. As a result, teenage girls in the 1980s lapped up this classic Pop song.

3 Shake Your Love

“Shake Your Love” has a true 1980s pop vibe that is cool, fun, and infectious. It was a massive hit right off the bat as the lead single to her debut album. The single was released in September 1987, and it peaked at #4 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts. This was also the first time that Debbie made big waves in the UK market as it achieved top 10 status on the charts. And in several other European territories. 

This was a real breakout song for Gibson. And it is easily one of the most important of her career for gaining her new fans and exposure. The feel-good Pop beat got asses moving at the time, although it hasn’t dated too well.

4 Only In My Dreams

When it comes to that 1980s American Pop sound, “Only In My Dreams” is the blueprint of that vibe. A track from her debut album, she wrote this pop classic when she was just 16, which is pretty hard to imagine. Her teenage female fans absolutely loved this track. And it’s not hard to understand why because it’s so dang catchy.

It was originally released in December 1986, making it one of her first-ever songs. When it made #4 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts in the US, it was obvious that a Pop star was being born right in front of our very eyes. It also nearly made the Top 10 in the UK charts and did well in Europe. But, to be fair, that 1980s Pop sound was massive in the United Kingdom.

5 Out of the Blue

“Out of the Blue” was a single from her album of the same name. It came out in January 1988 and is a solid inclusion to this top 10 Debbie Gibson songs list. 

It’s the third single released from her debut album and was her highest-charting song in the UK at the time at #3. “Out of the Blue” peaked at #3 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts. A commercial juggernaut that cemented her position as one of the top American Popstars. 

Even though she was so young at the time, she talked about love in this song like an expert. It was a massive hit for female girls but not so much for men. However, I guess that’s to be expected. It still holds up today as one of the best Debbie Gibson songs loved by her fans.

6 No More Rhyme

Emotional Pop ballads became the cornerstone of her sound as she evolved and got older. “No More Rhyme” is the perfect example of this evolution in sound. It moves away from the up-tempo Pop sounds of the 1980s. Even though it came out in 1989, you could hear the change in her sound. This was the third single from her second studio album, Electric Youth, which, in my opinion, is one of her best.

It charted well, although it didn’t sell quite as much as the singles on her first album. This ballad showed another side to Debbie’s songwriting that fans didn’t know existed until this point. And she was still a teenager when she penned this song. That’s pretty amazing.

7 Electric Youth

“Electric Youth” was a very empowering song from an empowering album of the same name. When it came out in April 1989, it struck a chord with her teen fans. The lyrics are about the younger generation that wanted to be taken more seriously. So, it was a very inspiring song for young girls across America and beyond. It was like girl power before the Spice Girls. 

“Electric Youth” made the Top 20 in the US and UK charts and did well across Central America and Europe. This catchy and infectious Pop song might not have moved the needle on the adult audience scene. But, for the kids, it’s a real classic Debbie Gibson song. 

8 Staying Together

Up-tempo 1980s Pop classics don’t come any better than “Staying Together.” The track is so full of fun and wholesome energy that it’s hardly surprising that it sold so well. This was the fourth single from her Out of the Blue album and was released in 1988 to great reviews from fans and critics. It has the ultimate 1980s production flavor that made you move your feet and kept you in a positive mood.

It didn’t scale the commercial heights as some of her other singles from the same album. But it still sold relatively well. She’d set a high bar in terms of sales and chart positions at the time. And, although this wasn’t the mega-hit they’d hoped for, it wasn’t a flop by anyone’s imagination. 

9 Losing Myself

“Losing Myself” has a slightly direct vibe to other tracks on this list. You can tell by the instrumental that we had now moved into the 1990s. This track is a bit more ballad-like when compared to her infectious and upbeat Pop songs from the 80s. It was a key single from her Body, Mind, Soul album that came out in 1993 and had more of an R&B flavor.

As she was getting older, so was her subject matter. Her music became edgier, and that was a good thing as her teen fans were growing older with her. The change in sound also affected her commercial value. And the knock-on was this single didn’t sell as well as her earlier stuff. But I still love the maturity of this song and how she was growing.

10 Anything Is Possible

I couldn’t complete this list without adding “Anything Is Possible.” It’s one of the most energetic and infectious tracks she ever made, and it never fails to get my head nodding along with the beat. The single was released in 1990 from her album of the same name. It did quite well commercially, reaching #26 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts.

At the time, it was noticeable that Debbie wasn’t selling as much as her late-1980s tracks. But, in her defense, the record industry was changing at the time. I love his song, but maybe the sound was getting a bit old in hindsight and was the reason for the drop in sales.

11 Only Words

12 One Step Ahead

13 Red Hot

14 We Could Be Together

15 In The Still Of The Night

16 This So-Called Miracle

Need More Music from Fantastic Female Artists?

Well, check out our thoughts on the Best Sarah McLachlan Songs of All Time, the Best Songs By Celine Dion, the Best Alanis Morissette Songs of All Time, the Best Jenni Rivera Songs of All Time, the Best Stevie Nicks Songs of All Time, and the Top 10 Charli XCX Songs for more incredible song selections.

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Top 16 Best Debbie Gibson Songs – Final Thoughts

It was almost 40 years ago when Debbie Gibson burst on the scene as one of the youngest pop stars at that time. She’s released 11 albums since her debut in the 1980s. Her most recent album was called Winterlicious, which came out in 2022, so she is still making music, touring, and doing fine. It’s good to see that Debbie is more than just a nostalgia act like so many 1980s pop stars.

Over her illustrious career, she has sold more than 16 million albums, and that’s not even including her singles. The top 10 songs by Debbie Gibson are generally from 1987 to 1990, when she was at her peak and in her pomp. She will always be known as one of the youngest-ever pop stars that changed the game forever.