In Your Room (The Bangles song)
Encyclopedia
"In Your Room" is a 1988 song by American
rock
group The Bangles
, written by Susanna Hoffs
, Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg
. The song was released as the first single from the band's third album, Everything
. It reached the top five of the U.S. singles chart, and also charted in Australia
, New Zealand
, and the United Kingdom
.
Billy Steinberg, "In Your Room" was written in the same batch of songs as "Eternal Flame
".
Steinberg recalled, "[The Bangles] liked everything from Petula Clark
to The Beatles
and all the Sixties music they loved. So when we got together to write with Susannah it was right up our alley because of course Tom and I grew up in the sixties and that was what we loved. So we had that in common with Susannah". He added that the song's style was somewhat similar to "Mony Mony
", the 1968 hit single
by Tommy James and the Shondells.
the following month and peaked at number five in January.
It reached number four on the Singles Sales
chart, number nine on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, and number five on the Modern Rock chart.
The song also peaked at number 11 in New Zealand, number 41 in Australia,
and number 35 in the United Kingdom.
Allmusic writer Matthew Greenwald praised the band's rhythm section
for the song's chorus
and bridge
sections, and noted that the song's lyrics were ideal for Hoffs' "kittenish sexuality".
Rolling Stone
writer Jim Freek said "In Your Room" was perhaps the band's best song to be released after their debut album.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
group The Bangles
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
, written by Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Lee Hoffs is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.-Early life:...
, Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg
Billy Steinberg
William Endfield "Billy" Steinberg is an American songwriter. He has achieved most of his success as part of a song writing team, most notably with Tom Kelly. He has also co-written several hit songs with Rick Nowels.-Biography:...
. The song was released as the first single from the band's third album, Everything
Everything (The Bangles album)
-The Bangles:*Susanna Hoffs: Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars, Percussion*Vicki Peterson: Lead & Backing Vocals, Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Mandolin, Multi-Instruments*Michael Steele: Bass, Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars, Percussion, Multi-Instruments...
. It reached the top five of the U.S. singles chart, and also charted in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Background
According to songwriterSongwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Billy Steinberg, "In Your Room" was written in the same batch of songs as "Eternal Flame
Eternal Flame (song)
"Eternal Flame" is a song by The Bangles from their 1988 album Everything. It became a hit single, when released in 1989, peaking at number one in the charts in nine countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It was written by popular songwriters Billy Steinberg and...
".
Steinberg recalled, "[The Bangles] liked everything from Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and all the Sixties music they loved. So when we got together to write with Susannah it was right up our alley because of course Tom and I grew up in the sixties and that was what we loved. So we had that in common with Susannah". He added that the song's style was somewhat similar to "Mony Mony
Mony Mony
"Mony Mony" is a 1968 single by Tommy James & the Shondells, that reached #1 in the UK charts.-History:"Mony Mony" was credited to Tommy James, Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell, and Bobby Bloom. The hook in the song is said to have been inspired by James' view of a MONY sign atop the Mutual of New York...
", the 1968 hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
by Tommy James and the Shondells.
Release and reception
Released in October 1988, "In Your Room" entered the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
the following month and peaked at number five in January.
It reached number four on the Singles Sales
Hot 100 Singles Sales
The Hot Singles Sales chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures sales of commercial singles and is one of three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Airplay and the Hot Digital Songs, that determine the chart positions of singles on the...
chart, number nine on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, and number five on the Modern Rock chart.
The song also peaked at number 11 in New Zealand, number 41 in Australia,
and number 35 in the United Kingdom.
Allmusic writer Matthew Greenwald praised the band's rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
for the song's chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
and bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
sections, and noted that the song's lyrics were ideal for Hoffs' "kittenish sexuality".
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
writer Jim Freek said "In Your Room" was perhaps the band's best song to be released after their debut album.
Chart performance
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| U.S. Modern Rock Tracks | 5 |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
41 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
11 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
35 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
25 |