by snicks | June 22, 2014
Ever since she sauntered down that street in the morning light in 1983, Cyndi Lauper has been a part of the pop culture landscape. Did you you know she’s 3/4 to an EGOT? With an Emmy for Mad About You, a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1984, and a Tony Award last year for Kinky Boots, all she needs is an Oscar to compete the showbiz Holy Grail.
Here’s one of her crowning moments last year, as she became the first solo woman in Tony history to win for Best Original Score.
Always an ally, she’s one of the gay community’s staunchest supporters, and in another of her crowning moments, was responsible for reuniting a Daytime TV Supercouple. She even got Noah to dance … albeit like Frankenstein swatting at a bee … but is there anything this woman can’t do?
Today is Cyndi’s 61st birthday, so what better time to look back at her career, and rank her greatest songs. These 20 songs are a good start for your Essential Cyndi Lauper.
20. MY FIRST NIGHT WITHOUT YOU
YEAR: 1989
ALBUM: A Night To Remember
CHART PEAK: #62
Cyndi’s third album A Night To Remember was a commercial and critical disaster, with drama behind-the-scenes (Cyndi refers to the album as “A Night To Forget,”) but there are quite a few gems included. In addition to “I Drove All Night,” there was “Heading West,” “I Don’t Want To Be Your Friend,” and the second single “My First Night Without You,” which flopped despite Cyndi’s impassioned vocals.
19. BOY BLUE
YEAR: 1987
ALBUM: True Colors
CHART PEAK: #71
The fourth single from True Colors, it was her lowest-charting single up to that point. She wrote the song about a friend who died of AIDS, and all the proceeds went to AIDS charities.
“I tried to write about my friend. I knew he really loved ‘That’s What Friends Are For.’ I know that maybe he would have liked me to do a song like that. Instead I wrote about him personally. I don’t know that my lyrics were good enough, I don’t know that anything was good enough. Maybe it was too personal. I don’t know. But I wrote it for him. It was because of him that I keep trying to do stuff. And other friends. So many talented people, so many of our friends and so many gifted people have passed on. Or struggle everyday. Just to live. And it was because of my friends and others that I do this. Maybe that song wasn’t good enough, I don’t know.”It was good enough, Cyndi.
18. THE BALLAD OF CLEO AND JOE
YEAR: 1997
ALBUM: Sisters Of Avalon
CHART PEAK: N/A
The story of Joe, who by night is drag queen Cleo. Why the hell this hasn’t been on Drag Race yet is a mystery. BTW, Cyndi was nine months pregnant in the video, and they make inspired use of her belly.
17. INTO THE NIGHTLIFE
YEAR: 2008
ALBUM: Bring Ya To The Brink
CHART PEAK: N/A
From her first full-on dance album, the first single “Same Old Story” and second single “Into the Nightlife” became her first #1 songs on the dance chart since “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” And “Into The Nightlife” will always be “Nuke’s Song.”
16. AT LAST
YEAR: 2003
ALBUM: At Last
CHART PEAK: N/A
2003′s album of standards At Last was Cyndi’s highest charting and biggest selling album since A Night To Remember, and she was in fine form, especially with the title classic.
15. CHANGE OF HEART
YEAR: 1986
ALBUM: True Colors
CHART PEAK: #3
Second single from True Colors, it featured the invaluable assistance of Nile Rodgers on guitar and The Bangles on backing vocals.
14. YOU DON’T NOW
YEAR: 1997
ALBUM: Sisters Of Avalon
CHART PEAK: N/A
The first single from Sisters Of Avalon, it takes on politicians who blindly follow party orders. “Don’t shove that bullshit down my throat.”
13. I’M GONNA BE STRONG
YEAR: 1994
ALBUM: Twelve Deadly Cyns
CHART PEAK: N/A
Cyndi went back to the beginning, and remade the best-known song from her first group Blue Angel for her 1994 Greatest Hits collection. That last note was just as powerful as the first time we heard it in 1980.
12. WHAT’S GOING ON
YEAR: 1987
ALBUM: True Colors
CHART PEAK: #12
It’s usually never a good idea to cover Marvin Gaye, but Cyndi’s emotional re-telling of the classic song is sincere and endearing.
11. MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING
YEAR: 1984
ALBUM: She’s So Unusual
CHART PEAK: #27
Cyndi kicked off her debut album with this cover of an underground classic by The Brains. It was released as the fifth single from the album, and has that unmistakable The Hooters touch.
10. I DROVE ALL NIGHT
YEAR: 1989
ALBUM: A Night To Remember
CHART PEAK: #6
The first single from the ill-fated A Night To Remember, it was originally recorded by Roy Orbison, but Cyndi’s version was released first, and she took it to the top ten … and sadly, it was her final top ten (and top 40) hit to date.
9. WHO LET IN THE RAIN
YEAR: 1993
ALBUM: Hat Full Of Stars
CHART PEAK: N/A
The first single from her most underrated album, it failed to even chart on the Hot 100, and the album peaked at a dismal #112. Both results were undeserved.
8. SALLY’S PIGEONS
YEAR: 1993
ALBUM: Hat Full Of Stars
CHART PEAK: N/A
Speaking of Hat Full Of Stars, many of the songs took on social issues, including the tragic “Sally’s Pigeons” (co-written by the faboo Mary Chapin Carpenter).
7. SHE BOP
YEAR: 1984
ALBUM: She’s So Unusual
CHART PEAK: #3
Cyndi’s classic ode to self-satisfaction earned her the badge of honor of being included in the PMRC’s “Filthy Fifteen” list, and is the only top ten song in music history to give a shoutout to a gay porn magazine.
6. THE GOONIES R GOOD ENOUGH
YEAR: 1985
ALBUM: The Goonies
CHART PEAK: #10
Cyndi took a breather before beginning work on her second album by contributing two songs to the soundtrack of The Goonies, “What A Thrill” and the top ten title track. For some reason, Cyndi rarely performs it any more, and has even neglected to include it on many of her compilations.
5. GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN
YEAR: 1983
ALBUM: She’s So Unusual
CHART PEAK: #2
The song that started Cyndi’s meteoric rise to the top, it’s one of the iconic songs of the 80′s, and was a breath of fresh air on the pop chart when it was released in September 1983.
4. HOLE IN MY HEART
YEAR: 1988
ALBUM: Vibes
CHART PEAK: #54
Her most underrated single, it’s failure on the chart caused the postponement of her third album, which was originally going to be titled Kindred Spirit, with “Hole In My Heart” the leadoff single. When it (and the movie Vibes) tanked, those plans were scrapped. Like “Goonies,” it was another song rarely heard in concert or featured on compilations until Cyndi started performing it almost 20 years after its release on the 2007 True Colors Tour.
3. ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT
YEAR: 1984
ALBUM: She’s So Unusual
CHART PEAK: #5
The fourth top five smash from her debut, it’s never received the attention and adoration it deserves. Gorgeous and melancholy, it’s the greatest buried treasure of all her top ten hits.
2. TRUE COLORS
YEAR: 1986
ALBUM: True Colors
CHART PEAK: #1
The title track from her sophomore album, it became her second (and last) #1 song, and in the decades since it’s release has been transformed into a LGBT anthem.
1. TIME AFTER TIME
YEAR: 1984
ALBUM: She’s So Unusual
CHART PEAK: #1
After the enormous worldwide success of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” Cyndi followed it up with the greatest ballad of the 80′s, a majestic pop gem that still resonates over thirty years later.
Bubbling Under The Top 20: “When You Were Mine,” “Sisters Of Avalon,” “Shine,” “Unabbreviated Love.”
Okay, your turn! What is in your Essential Cyndi Collection?
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