| Knocked Out | |
| Cover: | Paula-Abdul-Knocked-Out.jpg |
| Caption: | U.S. promotional cover |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Paula Abdul |
| Album: | Forever Your Girl |
| Released: | 1988 |
| Studio: | (Hollywood, CA) |
| Length: | 3:52 |
| Label: | Virgin |
| Next Title: | (It's Just) The Way That You Love Me |
| Next Year: | 1988 |
"Knocked Out" is the debut single by American singer and dancer Paula Abdul, released in 1988 by Virgin Records from Abdul's first album, Forever Your Girl. The song was written by Babyface, L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons, and produced by Babyface and Reid. Babyface and Simmons provide background vocals along with Pebbles and Yvette Marine. The single hit Billboard Dance Single Sales chart on June 11, and entered the Hot 100 chart a week later.[1]
Paul Mathur from Melody Maker wrote, "Paula isn't as clever as Jessica but she's almost as accomplished in the art of artifice. When she sings, plastic takes on whole new forms, Madonna looks like Joni Mitchell and I'm humming for weeks. She cuts her soul pop jib with scissors the size of shears, but she doesn't give two hoots, and for that alone we should cherish her."[2]
"Knocked Out" peaked at number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the first of what would be fourteen charting entries through 1995.[3]
Abdul's first music video was directed by Danny Kleinman and Limelight Film and Video Productions. The video features Abdul and her dancers working out choreography on the dance floor. It premiered to BET on June 11, 1988.[4]
Taken from the Forever Your Girl booklet.[5]
| Chart (1988–90) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[6] | 82 | |
| Canada Contemporary Hit Radio (The Record)[7] | 18 | |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[8] | 59 | |
| US Hot Crossover 30 (Billboard)[9] | 4 | |
| US Urban Contemporary (Radio & Records)[10] | 6 |
