Girl, You Know It's True

You can't talk about 1989 without talking about Milli Vanilli whose debut album hit #1 Christmas Week 31 years ago. And for the second time -- it had already reached the top albums spot on September 23.

I'm not going to dwell on their tragic status as the world's most notorious lip-synchers. But I still giggle when I see the video of them on a Club MTV tour and the backing tape kept skipping, "Girl you know it's-Girl you know it's-Girl you know it's..."

Their second time at #1 was driven by single "Blame It On The Rain" which became their third #1 single off of their first disc.

I didn't add any of their hits to my cassingles collection (think more B-52s' "Love Shack" or Soul II Soul's "Back To Life.") But you couldn't deny that Milli Vanilli certainly had their moment.

Like prehistoric fossils, 80s videos preserved fleeting yet beloved moments of pop culture that have since crystallized into pillars of style decades later.

Case in point: Look at their ripped jeans. See kids, there really is nothing new in fashion.

WAIT. Press "pause!" I had the same "baseball" jacket that Fabrice Morvan wore in that video. Like, three years later. But still! I forgot how fashion-forward I was in my early days in New York.

Quick, who wore it best?!

Photo: Holly Henne

Girl, you know it's true.

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l i t t l e b r e t t , BIG CITY

When I left college in 1989, I was a virgin with corn-fed drive and a terrifying secret. It could disappoint or disgust my family and friends. It could even kill me. But I couldn’t hide from it anymore. With "The World's Heaviest Briefcase," I escaped on a midnight train from Lima, Ohio to the YMCA on West 34th Street in Manhattan. Being gay had to be easier in New York, even though I was arriving with no home or job. Right away, a hooker chased me in Times Square, and perverts watched me shower at the Y. I filled payphones with quarters each day, desperately seeking work. Ultimately, I was confronted by my biggest fear when dating my first man – a member of AIDS activist group ACT UP. Could I really survive in one of the hardest cities in the world? Or would I fail and return to Ohio, back in the closet to find a wife and a lawn to mow. l i t t l e b r e t t , BIG CITY celebrates finding your own place in the world. Here I recall and sal

Paula Abdul Became "Forever Our Girl" This Week in 1989

Paula Abdul’s second single entered its second week at #1 this day in 1989. I was kicking off my last semester at Bowling Green, but I didn’t really connect with the song. I was more “alternative.” Think “120 Minutes.” But it's sure in my head 30+ years later. Paula Abdul is like the Gen X version of Cher. Earlier this year, she wrapped a residency in Vegas , filling seats with fans of her videos, her choreography, and her iconic role as a talent show judge. Her appeal, like her resume, crosses generations. She’s still not on any of my playlists, but I appreciate her hustle. Check out the video for this song. She wasn’t so big that she couldn’t pay tribute to some of the biggest videos a few years before her. Even if it was just to fuel her quest to be our girl, forever. Elijah Wood makes his acting debut here too as one of the “Boys of Summer.”

We Got The Beat - For Cardiac Supplements!

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Little Brett, Big City

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