{"id":1337,"date":"2025-03-20T12:00:54","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T16:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/?p=1337"},"modified":"2025-03-22T02:53:19","modified_gmt":"2025-03-22T06:53:19","slug":"the-80s-countdown-shes-so-unusual-but-she-shows-her-true-colors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/the-80s-countdown-shes-so-unusual-but-she-shows-her-true-colors\/","title":{"rendered":"The 80s Countdown: She’s so unusual, but she shows her true colors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hello everyone. This week it’s time for another special 80s Countdown — just like the Diane Warren column<\/a> from a couple of weeks ago. This week, I decided on my favorite female singer from the decade of rad and leg warmers: Cyndi Lauper.

As a quick follow-up to that Diane Warren countdown, Diane lost the Best Song Oscar again — for the 16th time. She is getting closer to soap icon Susan Lucci, who won her trophy after 19 nominations on the Daytime Emmys.

As Casey Kasem used to say, “Now on with the countdown”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week it’s time to dive into Cyndi Lauper’s world as we know it. It’s all things Cyndi and a bunch of Cyndi Lauper fun facts! I am going to countdown my favorite songs from her. Which Lauper bop will reign supreme in my mind? Let’s find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cyndi photographed at the American Music Awards<\/em>.

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#5 Written by your purple majesty?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWhen You Were Mine.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This song was not a major hit by any means for Cyndi Lauper, but it did hit the top 30! It was one of two songs at that time that did not crack the top 20. The other song was “Money Changes Everything”. Cyndi’s voice is so amazing on this track. And the guitar riff? Wow! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen You Were Mine” was written by Prince and appeared on his 1980 album Dirty Mind<\/em>. I chose this song not only because of the guitar riff and the fact that it was written by Prince, but also because of some cute lyrics like “Kinda, sorta my best friend.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She’s So Unusual<\/a><\/em>, the album this is from, stayed in the top 40 of the album charts for 65 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#4 Any more time needed?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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The album cover of She’s So Unusual<\/em> by Cyndi Lauper<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


\u201cTime After Time” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This song is only number four, you ask?! I have a… distinct<\/em> taste. For example, the song “Boy in the Box” by Cory Hart is amazing and Dan dislikes it. I think the song is really good, but I prefer my top 3 any day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyways, \u201cTime after Time” was Cyndi’s first #1 single and the second song from her debut album, She’s So Unusual<\/em>. The album allowed her to win best new artist at the Grammy Awards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Co-written by Rob Hyman of the Hooters, \u201cTime after Time” is a love song about devotion. The web site About.com placed this song at #21 on its list of the 50 Greatest Love Songs of All Time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


#3 How long could you drive for love?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n


\u201cI Drove All Night” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I drove all night, crept in your room… woke you from your sleep to make love to you.” Stalker, much?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those lyrics and Cyndi’s incredible vocals make for a great combo for this song. Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly wrote the song which was originally intended for… ROY ORBISON?! When I ready Dan’s tweets about who the song was meant or written for, it blew my mind. I couldn’t imagine Roy singing this, but then I learned that he did record the song before he died. It was released in 1991.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I think a lot of people forget how \ud83d\udd25 @cyndilauper<\/a>'s version of "I Drove All Night" is. Ironically, it's a good song to sing in the car. The Roy Orbison and @celinedion<\/a> versions are also great. #80scountdown<\/a><\/p>— Dan J Kroll (@DanJKroll) June 16, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>