Opposites Attract

1989 single by Paula Abdul and The Wild Pair

"Opposites Attract" is a song by American singer and dancer Paula Abdul from her debut album, Forever Your Girl (1988). It was written and produced by Oliver Leiber. The music video of the song introduces MC Skat Kat, and some of the Stray Mob members, Micetro, Fatz, and Taboo, all of which are created by Michael Patterson and Candace Reckinger, and voiced by Derrick Stevens, and Squeak and Romany Malco of the College Boyz, respectively.

"Opposites Attract"
Single by Paula Abdul
from the album Forever Your Girl
B-side"One or the Other"
ReleasedNovember 17, 1989 (1989-11-17)[1]
Studio
  • Creation Audio (Minneapolis)
  • Kren (Hollywood)
  • JHL (Palisades)
Genre
Length
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Oliver Leiber
Producer(s)Oliver Leiber
Paula Abdul singles chronology
"Cold Hearted"
(1989)
"Opposites Attract"
(1989)
"Rush Rush"
(1991)
Music video
"Opposites Attract" on YouTube

Track listings and formats

change

Credits and personnel

change

Credits and personnel are adapted from Forever Your Girl album liner notes.[10]

Charts

change

Certifications and sales

change
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[35] Platinum 70,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[48] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[49] Silver 200,000^
United States (RIAA)[1] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

change
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States November 17, 1989
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • cassette
Virgin [1]
United Kingdom March 26, 1990
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
Siren [50]
April 16, 1990
  • 7-inch vinyl with poster
  • 12-inch gatefold vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
[51]

References

change
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "American single certifications – Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  2. Opposites Attract (US 7" single liner notes). Paula Abdul. Siren Records. 1990. 7-99158.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. Opposites Attract (US cassette single liner notes). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1990. 4-99158.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. Opposites Attract (US 12" single liner notes). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1990. 0-96528.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. Opposites Attract (Australian 12" single liner notes). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1990. VOZT059.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. Opposites Attract (Japanese CD single liner notes). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1990. VJDP-102.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. Opposites Attract (UK CD single liner notes). Paula Abdul. Siren Records. 1990. SRNCD 124.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. Opposites Attract (Australian CD single liner notes). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1990. VOZCD 059.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. Opposites Attract (UK 12" single liner notes). Paula Abdul. Siren Records. 1990. SRNTP 124.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. Forever Your Girl (Inlay cover). Paula Abdul. Virgin. 1988. 7 90943-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. "Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  12. "Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  13. "Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  14. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9210." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  15. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 9207." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  16. 16.0 16.1 Lwin, Nanda (2000). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. p. 18. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
  17. Danish Singles Chart. 30 March 1990.
  18. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 18. May 5, 1990. p. IV. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  19. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  20. "Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  21. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Opposites Attract". Irish Singles Chart.
  22. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 10, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  23. "Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  24. "Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  25. "Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract". VG-lista. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  26. "Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract". Singles Top 100. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  27. "Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  28. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  29. "Paula Abdul Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  30. "Paula Abdul Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  31. "Paula Abdul Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  32. "Paula Abdul Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  33. "Paula Abdul Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  34. "Offiziellecharts.de – Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  35. 35.0 35.1 "1990 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  36. "Jaaroverzichten 1990" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  37. "Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  38. "Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1990". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  39. "Eurochart Hot 100 of 1990" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 51. December 22, 1990. p. 60. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved January 15, 2020 – via World Radio History.
  40. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1990" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  41. "Single top 100 over 1990" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
  42. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  43. "End of Year Charts 1990". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  44. "1990 Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. March 2, 1991. p. 41.
  45. "1990 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 51. December 22, 1990. p. YE-14.
  46. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  47. Lwin, Nanda. "Top 100 singles of the 1990s". Jam!. Archived from the original on August 29, 2000. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  48. "Canadian single certifications – Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract". Music Canada. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  49. "British single certifications – Paula Abdul with The Wild Pair – Opposites Attract". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  50. "New Singles". Music Week. March 24, 1990. p. 33.
  51. "New Singles". Music Week. April 14, 1990. p. 39.