She's So Unusual
Encyclopedia
She's So Unusual is the debut studio album by American
pop
singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper
. Released in 1983
by Portrait Records
, the album catapulted Lauper to stardom with such hits as "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "Time After Time
", "She Bop
", "All Through the Night
", and "Money Changes Everything". All five singles reached the top thirty of the Billboard Hot 100
, with first four singles of them becoming Top 5 hits. Lauper thus became the first female singer to have four top five singles on the Hot 100 from one album .
Upon its release, the album received generally positive reviews from music critics. The album earned Lauper several awards and accolades, including two Grammy Awards at the 27th Grammy Awards, one of which was for Best New Artist
. She's So Unusual peaked at number four on the Billboard 200
chart and stayed in the chart's top forty for sixty-five weeks. It has sold over 6 million copies in the United States and 16 million copies worldwide. This makes it Lauper's best-selling album to date and one of the best-selling albums of the 1980s decade
.
, many entrepreneurs in the music industry and many critics noted her musical talent. Invitations poured in to record a solo album, and this invitation was accepted in 1982 after Blue Angel failed to achieve commercial success.
, between December 1, 1982 to June 30, 1983. The album was produced by Rick Chertoff
and William Wittman.
", released on October 18, 1983. This single achieved great success in the United States with its music video in heavy rotation on several stations, and it eventually peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It remained on the chart for 50 weeks and received Platinum certification from the RIAA for 2,000,000 copies sold. The single was a success internationally as well, reaching the top ten in 19 countries and number one in 10 countries, including; Australia
, Canada
, Ireland
, Japan
, New Zealand
, Brazil
and Norway
.
The second single from the album was "Time After Time
", released on January 27, 1984. It repeated the success of the previous single and spent two consecutive weeks at number one on the Hot 100, eventually spending a total of 20 weeks on the chart and receiving Gold certification from the RIAA for 1,000,000 copies sold. Like the previous single, "Time After Time" was an international success and reched the top ten in 15 countries.
The third single from the album was "She Bop
", released on July 2, 1984. This single reched number three on the Hot 100, becoming her third consecutive top five hit, and spent a total of 18 weeks on the chart. The single received Gold certification from the RIAA for sales of over 1,000,000 copies. The song was another international success for Lauper, reaching the top ten in 8 countries.
The fourth single from the album was "All Through the Night
", released in September 1984. Like Lauper's previous three singles, "All Through The Night" reached the top five of the Hot 100 with a peak of number five. This marked the first time any female artist had earned four top five singles from one album. The song was a modarete international success, reaching the top ten in 2 countries.
The fifth single from the album was "Money Changes Everything", released on July 20, 1984. It was a moderate success and reached number #27 on the Hot 100, Lauper's first single to not reach the top ten. The song reached the top ten in two countries.
The sixth single from the album was "I'll Kiss You
", released on August 11, 1984. It was released as a promotional single only, and failed to enter the Hot 100.
The seventh and final single from the album was "When You Were Mine
", released on January 31, 1985 in Canada and Japan and as a promotional single in the United States. It achieved little success, reaching number #62 on the Canadian Singles Chart
.
chart, due to the high siccess of the album's first single on U.S. radio and intense display of its music video on MTV
. In the weeks following, the album's sales remained stable thanks to the following four singles and Lauper's world tour and appearances on popular television and radio programs. Overall the album stayed 77 weeks on the Billboard 200. The album became one of the bestselling albums of 1984. It has since sold over 6 million copies in the United States, where it was certified six times platinum by the RIAA, which lists it as one of the Best Selling Albums of All Time. She's So Unusual has sold over 16 million copies worldwide.
She's So Unusual and its singles earned Lauper six Grammy Award
nominations, including Album of the Year
and ultimately winning the awards forBest Recording Package
and Best New Artist. "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" was nominated for Record of the Year
and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and "Time After Time" was nominated for Song of the Year
. Lauper earned ten MTV Video Music Award nominations. "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" received six nominations including Video of the Year
, and won for Best Female Video
. "Time After Time" received three nominations and "She Bop" received one nomination. In 2002, the album was ranked number 41 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of 50 Essential "Women In Rock" Albums. In 2003, the album was ranked number 494 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
.
|-
|rowspan="9"|1984
|rowspan="6"|"Girls Just Want to Have Fun
"
|MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award for Best Concept Video
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award – Viewer's Choice
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award for Best Overall Performance
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|"Time After Time
"
|MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction
|
|-
|rowspan="7"| 1985 || || Grammy Award for Best New Artist
||
|-
|rowspan="2"| She's So Unusual || Grammy Award for Best Album Package
||
|-
| Grammy Award for Album of the Year
||
|-
|rowspan="2"| "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" || Grammy Award for Record of the Year
||
|-
| Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
||
|-
|"Time After Time" || Grammy Award for Song of the Year
||
|-
|"She Bop
"
|MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
|
gave the record 3.5 stars, calling it a "giddy mix of self-confidence, effervescent popcraft, unabashed sentimentality, subversiveness, and clever humor". Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
called it "a pop classic".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
. Released in 1983
1983 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization...
by Portrait Records
Portrait Records
Portrait Records was a sister label of Epic Records and later of Columbia Records. Cyndi Lauper and Sade signed with Portrait, but their contracts were absorbed by Epic after that incarnation of the label was shuttered....
, the album catapulted Lauper to stardom with such hits as "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "Time After Time
Time after Time (Cyndi Lauper song)
"Time After Time" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released as the second single from her album She's So Unusual. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984, and remained there for two weeks...
", "She Bop
She Bop
"She Bop" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released as the third single from her album She's So Unusual. It reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984. Worldwide, the song is her most commercially successful single after "Time After Time", and reached number...
", "All Through the Night
All Through the Night (Cyndi Lauper song)
"All Through the Night" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper from her debut album She's So Unusual. It was written by Jules Shear for his album Watch Dog, as a mid-tempo folk-rock song. After The Cars recorded their own version, which they did not use on any of their...
", and "Money Changes Everything". All five singles reached the top thirty of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard 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...
, with first four singles of them becoming Top 5 hits. Lauper thus became the first female singer to have four top five singles on the Hot 100 from one album .
Upon its release, the album received generally positive reviews from music critics. The album earned Lauper several awards and accolades, including two Grammy Awards at the 27th Grammy Awards, one of which was for Best New Artist
Grammy Award for Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967...
. She's So Unusual peaked at number four on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart and stayed in the chart's top forty for sixty-five weeks. It has sold over 6 million copies in the United States and 16 million copies worldwide. This makes it Lauper's best-selling album to date and one of the best-selling albums of the 1980s decade
1980s in music
For music from a year in the 1980s, go to 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89For a history of music in all times, see Timeline of musical events....
.
Album information
When Lauper was a member of the group Blue AngelBlue Angel (band)
Blue Angel was a retro-rockabilly band that featured Cyndi Lauper before her rise to fame as a solo singer. The lineup also included John Turi on keyboard instrument and saxophone, Arthur "Rockin' A" Neilson , Lee Brovitz and Johnny Morelli...
, many entrepreneurs in the music industry and many critics noted her musical talent. Invitations poured in to record a solo album, and this invitation was accepted in 1982 after Blue Angel failed to achieve commercial success.
Recording
The whole album was recorded at Record Plant in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, between December 1, 1982 to June 30, 1983. The album was produced by Rick Chertoff
Rick Chertoff
Rick Chertoff is a five-time Grammy-nominated producer responsible for such hits as Joan Osborne’s “One of Us”, Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Time After Time” and Sophie B...
and William Wittman.
Singles
The lead single from the album was "Girls Just Want to Have FunGirls Just Want to Have Fun
Girls Just Want to Have Fun may refer to:In music:* "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", the first major single released by singer Cyndi Lauper on She's So UnusualIn film:...
", released on October 18, 1983. This single achieved great success in the United States with its music video in heavy rotation on several stations, and it eventually peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It remained on the chart for 50 weeks and received Platinum certification from the RIAA for 2,000,000 copies sold. The single was a success internationally as well, reaching the top ten in 19 countries and number one in 10 countries, including; 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...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, 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...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
Time after Time (Cyndi Lauper song)
"Time After Time" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released as the second single from her album She's So Unusual. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984, and remained there for two weeks...
", released on January 27, 1984. It repeated the success of the previous single and spent two consecutive weeks at number one on the Hot 100, eventually spending a total of 20 weeks on the chart and receiving Gold certification from the RIAA for 1,000,000 copies sold. Like the previous single, "Time After Time" was an international success and reched the top ten in 15 countries.
The third single from the album was "She Bop
She Bop
"She Bop" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released as the third single from her album She's So Unusual. It reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984. Worldwide, the song is her most commercially successful single after "Time After Time", and reached number...
", released on July 2, 1984. This single reched number three on the Hot 100, becoming her third consecutive top five hit, and spent a total of 18 weeks on the chart. The single received Gold certification from the RIAA for sales of over 1,000,000 copies. The song was another international success for Lauper, reaching the top ten in 8 countries.
The fourth single from the album was "All Through the Night
All Through the Night (Cyndi Lauper song)
"All Through the Night" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper from her debut album She's So Unusual. It was written by Jules Shear for his album Watch Dog, as a mid-tempo folk-rock song. After The Cars recorded their own version, which they did not use on any of their...
", released in September 1984. Like Lauper's previous three singles, "All Through The Night" reached the top five of the Hot 100 with a peak of number five. This marked the first time any female artist had earned four top five singles from one album. The song was a modarete international success, reaching the top ten in 2 countries.
The fifth single from the album was "Money Changes Everything", released on July 20, 1984. It was a moderate success and reached number #27 on the Hot 100, Lauper's first single to not reach the top ten. The song reached the top ten in two countries.
The sixth single from the album was "I'll Kiss You
I'll Kiss You
"I'll Kiss You" is song by singer Cyndi Lauper, released as the sixth single from her album She's So Unusual. It was released exclusively as a promotional single in the United States and did not receive a commercial release in the United States....
", released on August 11, 1984. It was released as a promotional single only, and failed to enter the Hot 100.
The seventh and final single from the album was "When You Were Mine
When You Were Mine
"When You Were Mine" is a song written and released by Prince on his 1980 album, Dirty Mind. Though not released as a single, the song received a promotional 12" release...
", released on January 31, 1985 in Canada and Japan and as a promotional single in the United States. It achieved little success, reaching number #62 on the Canadian Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
.
Commercial performance
She's So Unusual debuted at number four on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, due to the high siccess of the album's first single on U.S. radio and intense display of its music video on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. In the weeks following, the album's sales remained stable thanks to the following four singles and Lauper's world tour and appearances on popular television and radio programs. Overall the album stayed 77 weeks on the Billboard 200. The album became one of the bestselling albums of 1984. It has since sold over 6 million copies in the United States, where it was certified six times platinum by the RIAA, which lists it as one of the Best Selling Albums of All Time. She's So Unusual has sold over 16 million copies worldwide.
Recognition and accolades
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations, including Album of the Year
Album of the Year
Album of the Year may refer to:* Grammy Award for Album of the Year* Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year* Juno Award for Album of the Year* Album of the Year * Album of the Year...
and ultimately winning the awards forBest Recording Package
Grammy Award for Best Recording Package
The Grammy Award for Best Recording Package is one of a series of Grammy Awards presented for the visual look of an album. It is presented to the art director of the winning album, not to the performer, except if the performer is also the art director....
and Best New Artist. "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" was nominated for Record of the Year
Record Of The Year
Record of the Year may refer to:*Grammy Award for Record of the Year*The Record of the Year, a British award based on public polling...
and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and "Time After Time" was nominated for Song of the Year
Song of the Year
Song of the Year may refer to:* Dove Award for Song of the Year* Grammis Song of the Year* Grammy Award for Song of the Year* Latin Grammy Award for Song of the Year* Singing News Fan Awards for Song of the Year...
. Lauper earned ten MTV Video Music Award nominations. "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" received six nominations including Video of the Year
Video of the Year
Video of the Year may refer to:*BET Award for Video of the Year*Grammy Award for Video of the Year*Juno Award for Video of the Year*MTV Pilipinas for Video of the Year*MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year...
, and won for Best Female Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the Year, and it awarded the artist's whole body of work...
. "Time After Time" received three nominations and "She Bop" received one nomination. In 2002, the album was ranked number 41 on 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...
magazine's list of 50 Essential "Women In Rock" Albums. In 2003, the album was ranked number 494 on 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...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
.
|-
|rowspan="9"|1984
1984 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1984 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 14, 1984, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1983, to May 2, 1984. The show was hosted by Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
|rowspan="6"|"Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Girls Just Want to Have Fun may refer to:In music:* "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", the first major single released by singer Cyndi Lauper on She's So UnusualIn film:...
"
|MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
The MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year is the main award handed out at the yearly MTV Video Music Awards. It was first awarded in , when The Cars won it, and has been given out since. Eminem has been the most nominated solo artist, male solo artist, and act in this category, having been...
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist
MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist
The MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist is one of the four original general categories that have been given out since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984...
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the Year, and it awarded the artist's whole body of work...
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award for Best Concept Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Concept Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Concept Video was first given out in 1984, awarding the best videos that involved the conceptual interpretation of a song. As the years went on, however, the majority of videos aired on MTV became concept videos, and so the need for this category diminished. ...
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award – Viewer's Choice
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award for Best Overall Performance
MTV Video Music Award for Best Overall Performance
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Overall Performance in a Video was first given out at the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. The last of this award was given out in 1987....
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|"Time After Time
Time after Time (Cyndi Lauper song)
"Time After Time" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released as the second single from her album She's So Unusual. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984, and remained there for two weeks...
"
|MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
|
|-
|MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction
MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Direction in a Video. In 2007, the award was briefly renamed Best Director, but it returned to its original name for the 2008 awards....
|
|-
|rowspan="7"| 1985 || || Grammy Award for Best New Artist
Grammy Award for Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967...
||
|-
|rowspan="2"| She's So Unusual || Grammy Award for Best Album Package
Grammy Award for Best Recording Package
The Grammy Award for Best Recording Package is one of a series of Grammy Awards presented for the visual look of an album. It is presented to the art director of the winning album, not to the performer, except if the performer is also the art director....
||
|-
| Grammy Award for Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
||
|-
|rowspan="2"| "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" || Grammy Award for Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
||
|-
| Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
||
|-
|"Time After Time" || Grammy Award for Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
||
|-
|"She Bop
She Bop
"She Bop" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released as the third single from her album She's So Unusual. It reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984. Worldwide, the song is her most commercially successful single after "Time After Time", and reached number...
"
|MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
|
Track listing
- Tracks 11 to 14 are bonus tracks on the 2008 remastered version.
- "Right Track, Wrong Train" (Lauper, Ellie GreenwichEllie GreenwichEleanor Louise "Ellie" Greenwich was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Be My Baby", "Christmas ", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Leader of the Pack", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", and "River Deep, Mountain High", among many others...
, Jeff Kent) was recorded for the album but only appeared on the B-side of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun".
Reception
Allmusic's Stephen Thomas ErlewineStephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
gave the record 3.5 stars, calling it a "giddy mix of self-confidence, effervescent popcraft, unabashed sentimentality, subversiveness, and clever humor". Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
called it "a pop classic".
Chart positions
| Chart (1983–84) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 3 | 106 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 5 | 16 |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 1 | 72 |
| German Albums Chart | 23 | ? |
| Japanese Oricon Top 100 LP Chart | 5 | 64 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 3 | 56 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart | 4 | 13 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 22 | 6 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 8 | 29 |
| UK Albums Chart | 16 | 32 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 4 | 77 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1984) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Pop Albums | 11 |
| Australian Albums Chart | 24 |
| Japanese Oricon Albums Chart | 25 |
| Chart (1985) | Position |
| Australian Albums Chart | 8 |
Certifications/sales
Personnel
- Cyndi Lauper – arranger, vocals, background vocals, reissue producer, cover art concept
- Jules ShearJules ShearJules Mark Shear is a US singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Pittsburgh in 1952. Although he has had only one minor hit as a performer , he has recorded almost 20 albums to date...
– backing vocals - Ellie GreenwichEllie GreenwichEleanor Louise "Ellie" Greenwich was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Be My Baby", "Christmas ", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Leader of the Pack", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", and "River Deep, Mountain High", among many others...
– backing vocals - John Agnello – engineer, assistant engineer
- Eric BazilianEric BazilianEric M. Bazilian , is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.-Early life:...
– bass, guitar, arranger, saxophone, backing vocals, hooterMelodicaThe melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,... - Rick ChertoffRick ChertoffRick Chertoff is a five-time Grammy-nominated producer responsible for such hits as Joan Osborne’s “One of Us”, Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Time After Time” and Sophie B...
– percussion, arranger, producer - Krystal Davis – backing vocals
- Rick DiFonzo – guitar
- Anton FigAnton FigAnton Fig , known as "The Thunder from Down Under" is a session drummer, noted for his work in David Letterman's house band, the CBS Orchestra. Letterman often refers to Fig as "Anton Zip"or "Buddy Rich Jr."...
– percussion, drums - Rob HymanRob HymanRobert Andrew "Rob" Hyman is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard player, accordion player, producer, arranger and recording studio owner, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.-Early life:Hyman started taking piano lessons at the age of four and grew up playing...
– arranger, keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals, hooter (MelodicaMelodicaThe melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
) - John Jansen – engineer
- Neil Jason – bass, guitar
- George Marino – re-issue mastering
- Rod O'Brien – engineer
- Lennie Petze – producer, executive producer, reissue producer
- Maretha Stewart – backing vocals
- Richard Termini – synthesizer
- Diane Wilson – backing vocals
- William Wittman – guitar, producer, engineer, associate producer
- Peter Wood – synthesizer
- Dan Beck – product manager
- Amy Linden – liner notes
- Janet Perr – art direction, design, concept, cover art concept (Winner of 1985's Grammy Award for Best Recording Packaging that awards the visual look of an album)
- Justin Ware – hair stylist
- Annie LeibovitzAnnie LeibovitzAnna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer.-Early life and education:Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Leibovitz is the third of six children. She is a third-generation American whose great-grandparents were Jewish immigrants, from Central and Eastern Europe. Her father's...
– photography
External links
- "She's So Unusual" at discogs.