Throwback Thursday: Cyndi Lauper – “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”
No conversation about the ’80s is complete without mentioning Cyndi Lauper. From the music to the fashion, Ms. Lauper helped defined that decade.
Today, the New York native turns 70 years old, so it’s only right that she gets this week’s TBT spotlight.
Before the world got to know Cyndi, she had a false start with a band called Blue Angel. Though critically acclaimed, the band made no waves with its 1980 self-titled album and eventually disbanded. The group was then sued by its manager, which led to Cyndi filing for bankruptcy and working retail and restaurant jobs. It is worth noting that Cyndi had been offered solo deals while she was with the group and turnned them down out of loyalty.
In 1981, Cyndi got a second shot at fame when she was discovered by David Wolff, the man who would become her manager, while singing at a bar in New York City. In 1983, at age 30, she would release her solo debut single, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” and the rest is history. The song would peak at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its parent album, aptly named She’s So Unusual, would go on to sell 16 million copies worldwide. The album also holds the distinction of being the first by a female artist to place four singles in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100.
Cyndi would go on to win the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1985 and continue giving us classics for the rest of the decade. Join me in celebrating this true pop icon.
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