Sunglasses at Night
Encyclopedia
"Sunglasses at Night" is a song
recorded by Canadian singer Corey Hart. It was the first single
to be released off his debut album, 1983's First Offense
, and became a hit single in the United States, rising to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
in August 1984. The song is considered by many to be a classic of 1980s pop rock
and New Wave
music, combining an unflagging synthesizer
hook, characteristic arpeggio
, rock guitar, obscure lyrics and a punk
undercurrent throughout the song.
The song is included in numerous hits collections of the period, especially in the U.S., but it was not as popular throughout the rest of the world at the time. Peaking at #24 in Hart's native Canada, it was not a hit in Europe and failed to chart at all in the UK.
In 2002
, 19 years after the original version release, the song was re-recorded, with Original 3 as the producer of the 2002 remake.
reflects the original vision of a police state, with scenes of Hart in a prison cell, without sunglasses, being strong-armed by police officers and paraded past various citizens wearing their regulation shades. Near the end of the video, Hart is brought to the office of a female police officer, played by Laurie Brown
, who later became the host of The NewMusic as well as a VJ on MuchMusic
.
, Wyclef Jean
sings, "I wear my sunglasses at night, to spy on my girlfriend" at 4:12 and 4:22. He references the song again on the Fugees album The Score
on the track "How Many Mics?", between 3:26 and 3:29.
The song was covered in electro
style by Tiga
and Zyntherius in 2001.
Former *N Sync
singer JC Chasez featured the song's signature synthesized hook throughout "Come to Me", a track from his 2004 album Schizophrenic, for which he credited Hart as a co-writer.
In 2006, the song was covered by rap group The Federation
with rappers E-40
and Keak Da Sneak
, retitled as "I Wear My Stunna Glasses at Night", a reference to the popularity of "Stunna Shades" within the hyphy
movement. 2007 saw covers by Dj Size feat. J. Lourenzo and Francis Soto
(nu metal
version), plus a mashup
by UK mashup artist Cheekyboy of Justin Timberlake's
Sexyback
using elements of this song.
Divine Brown
samples the main riff in her 2008 song Sunglasses
, and near the end of the track she says the tag line, "I wear my sunglasses at night". That year, Suburban Noize rapper The Dirtball used the phrase "I wear my sunglasses at night" during an interlude in his song "Nightshade".
Skepta
sampled the chorus and the song's signature synthesized hook and credits Hart on his song, also titled "Sunglasses at Night
", which hit the UK Pop and R&B charts in 2009. That year Voodoo & Serano covered Hart's "Sunglasses at Night" and Denver based artist SAIGE gained some local success with his version of the song.
Bill Lamb of About.com
noted small similarities in the musical composition of Miley Cyrus
's See You Again
and that of "Sunglasses at Night".
Ludacris
sampled the song in his mixtape The Preview, hosted by DJ Drama, on a song titled "Secret Song" featuring Tity Boi. "Sunglasses at Night" is sampled in the song "Blinded by the Sun" by Gym Class Heroes
. New York DJ Rob Gee covered the song on his album The Great American Melting.
In 2010 video game rock band The Megas
covered the song for their single Sparked a War
. Brooklyn rapper Charles Hamilton (rapper)
sampled the song in his "Laffy Taffy Outro" from his shelved album Tafietu.
as part of the New Wave
radio station Wave 103. The popular Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation
, which names each episode after an '80s hit song, named an episode after this song. The episode portrayed addiction to gambling. In the web series Dorm Life
, the RA of the floor sings it whenever he is drunk. The song became the background theme for the viral video "My New Haircut", as well as for the multiple amateur versions which followed. In the 1985 film My Science Project
, a police officer asks character Vince Latello (played by Fisher Stevens
) why he wears his sunglasses at night. He answers, "Because when you're cool, the sun shine on you 24 hours a day." The song is used in a Korean KIA
Sephia 1993 commercial and in a 2010
commercial for Miller Lite
.
It was the plate-appearance music during the 2008 MLB All-Star Game for a Milwaukee Brewers
outfielder also named Corey Hart.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
recorded by Canadian singer Corey Hart. It was the first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
to be released off his debut album, 1983's First Offense
First Offense
First Offense is the debut album by Corey Hart, released in 1983. It featured the hit singles "Sunglasses at Night" and the ballad "It Ain't Enough"...
, and became a hit single in the United States, rising to #7 on 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...
in August 1984. The song is considered by many to be a classic of 1980s pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
and New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
music, combining an unflagging synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
hook, characteristic arpeggio
Arpeggio
An arpeggio is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously...
, rock guitar, obscure lyrics and a punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
undercurrent throughout the song.
The song is included in numerous hits collections of the period, especially in the U.S., but it was not as popular throughout the rest of the world at the time. Peaking at #24 in Hart's native Canada, it was not a hit in Europe and failed to chart at all in the UK.
In 2002
2002 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...
, 19 years after the original version release, the song was re-recorded, with Original 3 as the producer of the 2002 remake.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
reflects the original vision of a police state, with scenes of Hart in a prison cell, without sunglasses, being strong-armed by police officers and paraded past various citizens wearing their regulation shades. Near the end of the video, Hart is brought to the office of a female police officer, played by Laurie Brown
Laurie Brown (broadcaster)
Laurie Brown is a Canadian television journalist. Her parents were originally from Nova Scotia, and when Brown was in her teens, they and her sister moved back to that province...
, who later became the host of The NewMusic as well as a VJ on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
.
Cover versions and interpolations
In "Nappy Heads - (Remix)" from the Fugees' album Blunted on RealityBlunted on Reality
Blunted on Reality is the debut album released by hip hop group The Fugees. The album was written and recorded by the group in 1992, however, following a long dispute with their record company, the album was not released until February 1, 1994. Most versions of the album contain seventeen tracks,...
, Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
sings, "I wear my sunglasses at night, to spy on my girlfriend" at 4:12 and 4:22. He references the song again on the Fugees album The Score
The Score (album)
The Score is the second and final studio album by the hip hop trio Fugees, released worldwide February 13, 1996 on Columbia Records. The album features a wide range of samples and instrumentation, with many aspects of alternative hip hop that would come to dominate the hip hop music scene in the...
on the track "How Many Mics?", between 3:26 and 3:29.
The song was covered in electro
Electro (music)
Electro is a genre of electronic dance music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, Moog keytar synthesizers and funk sampling...
style by Tiga
Tiga (musician)
Tiga is the stage name of Montreal-born DJ/producer Tiga James Sontag . His album Sexor won the 2007 Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year.-Career:He graduated from Selwyn House School, a prestigious school in Westmount...
and Zyntherius in 2001.
Former *N Sync
'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
singer JC Chasez featured the song's signature synthesized hook throughout "Come to Me", a track from his 2004 album Schizophrenic, for which he credited Hart as a co-writer.
In 2006, the song was covered by rap group The Federation
The Federation (band)
The Federation is a hip-hop group from Fairfield, California, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. The group consist of Doonie Baby , Stressmatic, and Goldie Gold, along with their producer Rick Rock...
with rappers E-40
E-40
Earl Stevens , better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and investor from Vallejo, California. He is also part of the rap group The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. His solo debut album, Federal, was released in November 1992, after The Click's debut...
and Keak Da Sneak
Keak Da Sneak
Charles Toby Bowens , commonly known by his stage name Keak da Sneak, is a rapper from Oakland, California . At the age of 16 he was known as Z-Kush but became known as "Keak da Sneak" at 17, best known for his scratchy, gruff rapping voice and coining the term "hyphy" in 1994.-Career:Keak da Sneak...
, retitled as "I Wear My Stunna Glasses at Night", a reference to the popularity of "Stunna Shades" within the hyphy
Hyphy
The word hyphy is Conor Devlin's preferred short word meaning "hyperactive." It was created by Bay Area rapper Keak Da Sneak when he used the term on an album he recorded in 1994. From the USA Today article: "Every record label was getting at us at that time, but we fumbled the ball," says E-40,...
movement. 2007 saw covers by Dj Size feat. J. Lourenzo and Francis Soto
Francis Soto
Francis Soto Band is a German-Swedish Heavy metal band from Stuttgart, Germany.-History:Head of the Band is Francis Soto, in the early nineties vocalist for Sabol's band Dark Horse. Soto was also the former frontman for the Hard rock bands Picasso, Mystery, Silk & Steel, Sanvoisen, Subway, Turn Up...
(nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
version), plus a mashup
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
by UK mashup artist Cheekyboy of Justin Timberlake's
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
Sexyback
SexyBack
"SexyBack" is a song by American recording artist Justin Timberlake from his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds . It was released on July 7, 2006, by Jive Records as the lead single from the album...
using elements of this song.
Divine Brown
Divine Brown
Divine Brown , previously known as Divine Earth Essence, is a Canadian rhythm and blues and soul singer and theatre performer....
samples the main riff in her 2008 song Sunglasses
Sunglasses (Divine Brown song)
Sunglasses is the third single released by Canadian R&B singer-songwriter Divine Brown, from her second album The Love Chronicles .-Charts:...
, and near the end of the track she says the tag line, "I wear my sunglasses at night". That year, Suburban Noize rapper The Dirtball used the phrase "I wear my sunglasses at night" during an interlude in his song "Nightshade".
Skepta
Skepta
Joseph Junior Adenuga , better known as Skepta, is an English rapper from London. Originally from and born to Nigerian parents he moved to London aged three....
sampled the chorus and the song's signature synthesized hook and credits Hart on his song, also titled "Sunglasses at Night
Sunglasses at Night (Skepta song)
"Sunglasses At Night" is a single by British grime artist, Skepta. It was released on 16 March 2009 for digital download. It samples the original song of the same title by Corey Hart.-Track listing:-Chart performance:...
", which hit the UK Pop and R&B charts in 2009. That year Voodoo & Serano covered Hart's "Sunglasses at Night" and Denver based artist SAIGE gained some local success with his version of the song.
Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
noted small similarities in the musical composition of Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
's See You Again
See You Again
"See You Again" is a pop song performed by American singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus. The song was composed by Cyrus , Antonina Armato, and Tim James and produced by Armato and James...
and that of "Sunglasses at Night".
Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
sampled the song in his mixtape The Preview, hosted by DJ Drama, on a song titled "Secret Song" featuring Tity Boi. "Sunglasses at Night" is sampled in the song "Blinded by the Sun" by Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes is an American hip hop rock band from Geneva, New York. They have collaborated with Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump on numerous occasions, notably for providing backing vocals on the song "Cupid's Chokehold." Stump also produced the majority of their album The Quilt.The group formed...
. New York DJ Rob Gee covered the song on his album The Great American Melting.
In 2010 video game rock band The Megas
The Megas (band)
The Megas is a Los Angeles based independent video game cover band based on the Capcom franchise, Mega Man. They differentiate themselves from artists who have played Mega Man music in the past by adding original lyrics and composing new sections which blend seamlessly with the original compositions...
covered the song for their single Sparked a War
Sparked a War
Sparked a War is the first single released by The Megas to promote their upcoming second studio album based on Mega Man 3; similar to their previous album Get Equipped, which was based on Mega Man 2. The cd features the first single from the aforementioned album, "You've Sparked a War," in addition...
. Brooklyn rapper Charles Hamilton (rapper)
Charles Hamilton (rapper)
Charles Eddie-Lee Hamilton, Jr. is an American musician, rapper and record producer, born in Cleveland, Ohio.Mainstream popularity came from being featured on the cover of the Freshmen 09' XXL, along with Asher Roth, B.o.B and Wale...
sampled the song in his "Laffy Taffy Outro" from his shelved album Tafietu.
Popular culture
The song is used in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityGrand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
as part of the New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
radio station Wave 103. The popular Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
, which names each episode after an '80s hit song, named an episode after this song. The episode portrayed addiction to gambling. In the web series Dorm Life
Dorm Life
Dorm Life is a mockumentary web series created by former students of UCLA. It follows the fictional lives of the inhabitants of the college dorm floor 5 South. It is produced by Attention Span Media, a Los Angeles based social media studio and is a 2008 Webby Honoree for Best Writing and Comedy:...
, the RA of the floor sings it whenever he is drunk. The song became the background theme for the viral video "My New Haircut", as well as for the multiple amateur versions which followed. In the 1985 film My Science Project
My Science Project
My Science Project is a 1985 comedy science fiction film directed by Jonathan R. Betuel.-Plot:Gearhead Michael and bookworm Ellie break into a military junkyard to find a science project for Michael's class...
, a police officer asks character Vince Latello (played by Fisher Stevens
Fisher Stevens
Fisher Stevens is an American actor, director and producer. His most recent successes include the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for his film The Cove and 2008 Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature for his film Crazy Love...
) why he wears his sunglasses at night. He answers, "Because when you're cool, the sun shine on you 24 hours a day." The song is used in a Korean KIA
Kia Motors
Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...
Sephia 1993 commercial and in a 2010
2010 in television
2010 in television may refer to:*2010 in American television*2010 in Australian television*2010 in British television*2010 in Canadian television*2010 in Japanese television...
commercial for Miller Lite
Miller Lite
Miller Lite is a 4.2% abv pale lager brand sold by MillerCoors of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Sibling beers include Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life.-History:...
.
It was the plate-appearance music during the 2008 MLB All-Star Game for a Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
outfielder also named Corey Hart.