Girls Just Want to Have Fun

"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" redirects here. For other uses, see Girls Just Want to Have Fun (disambiguation).
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
Single by Cyndi Lauper
from the album She's So Unusual
B-side "Right Track Wrong Train"
Released September 6, 1983 (1983-09-06)
Format
Recorded June 1983; The Record Plant
(New York City)
Length 3:51
Label
Writer(s) Robert Hazard
Producer(s)
Cyndi Lauper singles chronology
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
(1983)		 "Time After Time"
(1984)
Music video
Girls Just Want to Have Fun on YouTube
Music sample
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun"

"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" is a song written by and first recorded in 1979 by American musician Robert Hazard. However, it is much better known as a single by American singer Cyndi Lauper, whose version was released in 1983.[1] It was the first major single released by Lauper as a solo artist and the lead-off single from her debut album She's So Unusual. Lauper’s version gained recognition as a feminist anthem and was promoted by a Grammy-winning video. It has been covered on either an album or in live concert by over 30 other artists.

The single was Lauper's breakthrough hit, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming a worldwide hit throughout late 1983 and early 1984. It remains one of Lauper's signature songs and was a widely popular song during the era of its release, the 1980s. The "Rolling Stone & MTV: '100 Greatest Pop Songs': 1-50", "Rolling Stone: "The 100 Top Music Videos"" and the "VH1: 100 Greatest Videos" lists ranked the song at No. 22, No. 39 and No. 45, respectively.[2][3][4] The song received Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. In 2013, the song was remixed by Yolanda Be Cool, taken from the 30th anniversary reissue of the album She's So Unusual.[5]

Background

With the inclusion of promotional releases, the single has seen about 40 individual versions of release. The most common is a 7" vinyl single (with varying cover artwork) released in 1983/1984 (depending on the country) and the second most common is a 12" vinyl single (also with varying cover artwork) released in 1983/1984.

The song was written by Robert Hazard, who recorded only a demo of it in 1979. He wrote it from a male point of view. For Lauper's version, she changed the lyrics with Hazard's approval. Her version appeared on her 1983 debut solo record, She's So Unusual. It is a synthesizer-backed anthem about the roles of women in society. Gillian G. Gaar, author of She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll (2002), described the single and corresponding video as a "strong feminist statement", an "anthem of female solidarity" and a "playful romp celebrating female camaraderie."[6]

The variety of releases of the single includes an Austrian birthday card with a 3" CD of the song inside. The song has been heavily distributed in karaoke version as well. Lauper later went on to completely re-work the song in 1994 resulting in the new hit "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)". The song was remade by Lauper yet again in 2005 on her The Body Acoustic album, also produced by Chertoff and Wittman with Lauper, with guest support vocals from Japanese pop/rock duo Puffy AmiYumi.

Music video

The release of the single was accompanied by a quirky music video. It cost less than $35,000, largely due to a volunteer cast and the free loan of the most sophisticated video equipment available at the time. The cast included professional wrestling manager "Captain" Lou Albano in the role of Lauper's father while her real mother, Catrine, played herself. Lauper would later appear in World Wrestling Federation storylines opposite Albano and guest-star in an episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, in which Albano portrayed Mario (Albano also played himself in the episode). Lauper's attorney, Elliot Hoffman, appeared as her uptight dancing partner. Also in the cast were Lauper's manager, David Wolf, her brother, Butch Lauper, fellow musician Steve Forbert, and a bevy of secretaries borrowed from Portrait/CBS, Lauper's record label.

Lorne Michaels (Broadway Video, SNL), another of Hoffman's clients, agreed to give Lauper free run of his brand new million-dollar digital editing equipment, with which she and her producer created several first-time-ever computer generated images of Lauper dancing with her buttoned-up lawyer, leading the entire cast in a snake-dance through New York streets and ending up in Lauper's bedroom in her home. The bedroom scene is a homage to the famous stateroom scene in the Marx Brothers' film A Night at the Opera.

“The year 1983 makes a watershed in the history of female-address video. It is the year that certain issues and representations began to gain saliency and the textual strategies of female address began to coalesce.” In the video Lauper wanted to show in a more fun and light-hearted manner that girls want the same equality and recognition boys had in society.[7]

Before the song starts, the beginning of her version of "He's So Unusual" plays.

The music video was directed by Edd Griles. The producer was Ken Walz while the cinematographer was Francis Kenny. The treatment for the video was co-written by Griles, Walz, and Cyndi Lauper. The video was shot in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in summer 1983 and premiered on television in December 1983.[8] The choreography was by a New York dance and music troupe called XXY featuring Mary Ellen Strom, Cyndi Lee and Pierce Turner.

Critical reception

Accolades

Year By List Work Ranked
1985 The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics' poll of 1984 "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"[9] 10
1993 Rolling Stone The 100 Top Music Videos[3] 22
1999 MTV 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made[10] 58
2001 VH1 100 Greatest Videos[4] 45
2006 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's[11] 23

Awards and nominations

Year Nominee/work Award Result
1983 "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" American Video Awards for Best Female Performance Won
1984 MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year Nominated
MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist Nominated
MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video Won
MTV Video Music Award for Best Concept Video Nominated
MTV Video Music Award – Viewer's Choice Nominated
MTV Video Music Award for Best Overall Performance Nominated
1985 Grammy Award for Record of the Year Nominated
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Nominated

Commercial performance

The song was released in late 1983 but much of the its success on the charts came during the first half of 1984. The single reached the Top 10 in over 25 countries and reached No. 1 in ten of those countries including Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, and Norway. It also reached No. 2 in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

In the United States, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 80 on December 17, 1983. It ultimately peaked at No. 2 on March 10, 1984 where it stayed for two weeks, behind Van Halen's "Jump".[12][13] In the United Kingdom, the song entered the chart at No. 50 on January 14, 1984 and peaked at No. 2 on February 4, 1984 where it stayed for one week.[14] In Ireland, the song entered the chart on January 29, 1984. It peaked at number one for two weeks and was on the chart for a total of seven weeks.[15] In Belgium, the song debut at No. 38 on February 18, 1984 and peaked at No. 4 on April 7, 1984.[16] In the Netherlands, the song entered the chart at No. 38 on February 25, 1984 and peaked at No. 4 on March 31, 1984.[17]

In Sweden, the song entered at No. 13 on March 6, 1984 and peaked at No. 5 on April 3, 1984, charting for six weeks.[18] In Switzerland, the song entered the chart at No. 15 on April 1, 1984 and peaked at No. 6 on April 29, 1984.[19] In New Zealand, the song debuted at No. 21 on April 1, 1984 and peaked at No. 1 on May 6, 1984 where it stayed for three weeks.[20] In Austria, the single entered at No. 3 on May 1, 1984 which was its peak position.[21]

Usage in media

Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj performing "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" at VH1 Divas Salute The Troops.

The song is featured in the films Clueless, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, Riding in Cars with Boys, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Hysterical Blindness, Midnight Heat, The Other Woman , Housefull 3, Peter's Friends, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, Anomalisa and Baby Mama. It's also used in the television shows The Simpsons, Friends, Bones, Alvin and the Chipmunks (as performed by The Chipettes), Gilmore Girls, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, Married with Children, Daria, Hinter Gittern - Der Frauenknast, The Comeback, Drawn Together, 90210, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 20 to 1, Celebrity Big Brother, Two and a Half Men, Family Guy, Coronation Street, and Miami Vice among others.

Track listings

7" single
12" Vinyl Promo
Single

A CD single was issued in 2007, known as a ringle, which included bonus interactive computer material as well as a code to download a free ringtone of the title track. It featured the title track and for the first time on CD, "Right Track Wrong Train". The ringle, as well as all other issued ringles, were recalled by Sony Music due to issues with the ringtone not working correctly. They have yet to be reissued.

  1. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
  2. "Right Track Wrong Train"
  3. Computer media
Official versions
Official versions (Hey Now version)
  1. Factory Dub version – 6:50
  2. Junior Vasquez remix "Dancehall Main" – 5:46
  3. Junior Vasquez remix "Harder Dancehall" – 5:46
  4. Junior Vasquez remix "Lounge Dub" – 6:00
  5. Junior Vasquez remix "Lounge Mix" – 6:12
  6. Junior Vasquez remix "Pop Goes the Dancehall" – 4:58
  7. Junior Vasquez Soundfactory mix – 7:40
  8. Mikey Bennett's "Carnival" version – 6:04
  9. Mikey Bennett's "Carnival" version edited – 4:09
  10. Single edit – 3:39
  11. Sly & Robbie's "Home Grown" version – 4:16
  12. Sly & Robbie's "Home Grown" version – 6:15
  13. Straight Up Pass version – 7:13
  14. Techno dub – 3:55
  15. Techno Main mix – 8:23

Credits and personnel

  1. Lyrics: Robert Hazard. Production: Rick Chertoff.
  2. Lyrics: Cyndi Lauper, Ellie Greenwich, Jeffrey B. Kent. Production: Rick Chertoff

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1983–84) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[26] 1
Austria Top 40[27] 3
Canada - RPM Magazine 1
Dutch Singles Chart[28] 3
European Hot 100 1
German Singles Chart[29] 6
Ireland Singles Chart[30] 1
Italian Singles Chart[31] 4
Japanese Oricon Weekly Chart 17
Japanese Oricon International Chart[32] 1
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart [33] 1
Norwegian VG-lista Chart[34] 1
Swedish Singles Chart[35] 5
Swiss Singles Chart[36] 6
UK Singles Chart[37] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[38] 2
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs[39] 1

Year-end charts

Country Chart Ranking
US Billboard Year-End 15
UK UK Year-End Singles 32
Canada RPM Year-End Singles 9
Australia Kent Music Report 9

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[40] 2× Platinum 200,000^
France (SNEP)[41] Gold 515,000[42]
Japan (RIAJ)[43] Gold 195,000[44]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[45] Gold 10,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[46] Silver 250,000^
United States (RIAA)[47] Platinum 2,000,000^
Digital sales
Japan (RIAJ)[44] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[47] Gold 500,000^
Mastertone sales
United States (RIAA)[47] Platinum 1,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun

"(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
Single by Cyndi Lauper
from the album Twelve Deadly Cyns...and Then Some
Released July 25, 1994
Format CD single
Recorded 1994
Genre Reggae fusion
Length 3:54 (album version)
3:39 (single edit)
Label Epic
Writer(s) Robert Hazard
Lolly Vegas
Producer(s) Cyndi Lauper
Jimmy Bralower
Certification Silver (BPI)
Cyndi Lauper singles chronology
"Hat Full of Stars"
(1993)		 "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
(1994)		 "I'm Gonna Be Strong"
(1994)

"(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun" was the first single from Cyndi Lauper's Twelve Deadly Cyns...and Then Some hits collection from 1994, the first charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 since "My First Night Without You" in 1989.

This song is a new reggae-tinged arrangement of Lauper's own "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" standard, with a musical tip of the hat to Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love". The arrangement evolved as she experimented with the song's style over the course of the 1993-94 Hat Full of Stars Tour. The song was a big comeback hit for Lauper, landing in the top 10 and top 40 in many countries. It was also a big dance hit in the United States. It peaked at #4 in the UK and New Zealand, its highest position.

"Hey Now" plays over a pivotal closing sequence of the film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.

The song was covered by Triple Image and Jamie Lynn Spears in 2002.

Track listing

US CD single
  1. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (single edit)
  2. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (Mickey Bennett's version)
  3. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (Sly & Robbie's Home Grown version)
  4. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (Vasquez remix)
  5. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (original version)
Japanese CD single
  1. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (single edit)
  2. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (Mickey Bennett's version)
  3. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (Sly & Robbie's Home Grown version)
  4. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (Vasquez remix)
French CD Single
  1. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
  2. "Hat Full of Stars"
  1. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (single edit) – 3:39
  2. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (Mickey Bennett's "Carnival" version featuring Patra)
  3. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (Sly & Robbie's "Home Grown" version featuring Snow)
  4. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (Junior Vasquez Remix "Pop Goes the Dancehall" featuring Snow)
  5. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (original version)

Charts

Chart (1994–95) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[48][49] 62
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[50] 50
French SNEP Singles Chart[51] 3
German Singles Chart[52] 56
Irish Singles Chart[15] 10
Japanese International Singles Chart 8
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart[53] 4
Swedish Singles Chart[54] 38
Swiss Singles Chart[55] 37
UK Singles Chart[37] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[56] 87

Certifications

Country Certification Sales
United Kingdom Silver 200,000[57]

Race for Life version

"Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
Single by Race for Life
Released April 26, 2010
Format 7", digital download
Recorded 2010
Genre Pop
Length 3:22
Label Epic, Portrait, CBS
Writer(s) Robert Hazard
Producer(s) Rick Chertoff, William Wittman

In 2010, Cancer Research UK arranged for a charity record for their Race for Life campaign. It features many celebrities such as EastEnders actress Nina Wadia, Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh, Life of Riley actress Caroline Quentin, glamour girl Danielle Lloyd, X Factor finalist Lucie Jones, singer Sonique (herself a breast cancer survivor), former EastEnders actress Lucy Benjamin, and Celebrity Big Brother's Nicola T.[58]

Chart (2010) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 107
UK Indie Chart 7

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Robert Hazard Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  2. ↑ VH1 (1997–2012). "Rolling Stone & MTV: '100 Greatest Pop Songs': 1-50". Rock On The Net.com. Rock On The Net. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  3. 1 2 Rolling Stone (1997–2012). "Rolling Stone: "The 100 Top Music Videos"". Rock On The Net.com. Rock On The Net. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  4. 1 2 VH1 (1997–2012). "VH1: 100 Greatest Videos". Rock On The Net.com. Rock On The Net. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  5. ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "She's So Unusual: A 30th Anniversary Celebration [Deluxe Edition] [Boxset]". AllMusic.
  6. ↑ Gaar, Gillian G. (2002). She's a rebel: the history of women in rock & roll. Seal Press. pp. 264–265. ISBN 1-58005-078-6.
  7. ↑ Lewis, Lisa A. (1990). Gender Politics and MTV: Voicing the Difference. Temple University Press. p. 117.
  8. ↑ "mvdbase.com - Cyndi Lauper - "Girls just want to have fun"". mvdbase.com.
  9. ↑ "Pazz & Jop critics' poll of 1984". The Village Voice. 1985. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  10. ↑ "VH1: '100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll'". VH1. Rock On The Net. 1999. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  11. ↑ "VH1: '100 Greatest Songs of the 80's'". VH1. Rock On The Net. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  12. ↑ "Music: Top 100 Songs - Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.
  13. ↑ "Music: Top 100 Songs - Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.
  14. ↑ Girls Just Want To Have | Album Search | Official Charts
  15. 1 2 "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie.
  16. ↑ ultratop.be - Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun
  17. ↑ dutchcharts.nl - Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun
  18. ↑ swedishcharts.com - Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun
  19. ↑ Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun - hitparade.ch
  20. ↑ charts.org.nz - Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun
  21. ↑ Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun - austriancharts.at
  22. 1 2 Discogs (2012). "Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want To Have Fun". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  23. ↑ Discogs (2012). "Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Vinyl, 12", Promo)". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  24. 1 2 Discogs (2012). "Cyndi Lauper – Who Let In the Rain (CD, Single, Limited Edition)". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  25. 1 2 Discogs (2012). "Cyndi Lauper – Floor Remixes". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  26. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 173. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between 1983 and 19 June 1988.
  27. ↑ MegaCharts (April 1, 1984). "Austrian Singles Chart". Austrian Charts. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
  28. ↑ MegaCharts (February 25, 1984). "Dutch Singles Chart". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
  29. ↑ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche - musicline.de". musicline.de.
  30. ↑ Irish Recording Music Association (January 30, 1986). "Irish Singles Chart". Irish Charts. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
  31. ↑ Hitparadeitalia (August 1984). "Hitparadeitalia Chart". Hitparadeitalia Charts. Retrieved 2012-02-05.
  32. ↑ Oricon (April 9, 1984). "Japan #1 IMPORT DISKS Chart". Oricon Charts. Retrieved 2012-02-05.
  33. ↑ MegaCharts (April 9, 1984). "New Zealand Singles Chart". New Zealand Charts. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
  34. ↑ MegaCharts (April 9, 1984). "Norwegian Singles Chart". Norwegian Charts. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
  35. ↑ MegaCharts (April 1, 1984). "Swedish Singles Chart". Swedish Charts. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
  36. ↑ MegaCharts (March 6, 1984). "Dutch Singles Chart". Swiss Charts. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
  37. 1 2 "CYNDI LAUPER". officialcharts.com.
  38. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper". billboard.com.
  39. ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Cyndi Lauper". AllMusic.
  40. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Cyndi Lauper – Girl's Just Want to Have Fun". Music Canada. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  41. ↑ "French single certifications – Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved December 8, 2015. Select CYNDI LAUPER and click OK
  42. ↑ "Les Singles en Or :" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  43. ↑ "Japanese single certifications – Cyndi Lauper – Girl's Just Want to Have Fun" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  44. 1 2 Tatsaku, Ren (December 2011). Oricon | The Oricon Sales Report (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Oricon Style – Recording Industry Association of Japan.
  45. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  46. ↑ "British single certifications – Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 8, 2015. Enter Girls Just Want to Have Fun in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  47. 1 2 3 "American single certifications – Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 8, 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  48. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  49. ↑ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 4 Dec 1994". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved 2016-09-01.
  50. ↑ http://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/b5a/Cyndi-Lauper-%7BHey-Now%7D-Girls-Just-Want-To-Have-Fun
  51. ↑ http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Cyndi+Lauper&titel=%7BHey+Now%7D+Girls+Just+Want+To+Have+Fun&cat=s
  52. ↑ http://germancharts.de/showitem.asp?interpret=Cyndi+Lauper&titel=%7BHey+Now%7D+Girls+Just+Want+To+Have+Fun&cat=s
  53. ↑ http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Cyndi+Lauper&titel=%7BHey+Now%7D+Girls+Just+Want+To+Have+Fun&cat=s
  54. ↑ http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Cyndi+Lauper&titel=%7BHey+Now%7D+Girls+Just+Want+To+Have+Fun&cat=s
  55. ↑ http://hitparade.ch/song/Cyndi-Lauper/%7BHey-Now%7D-Girls-Just-Want-To-Have-Fun-2906
  56. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper". billboard.com.
  57. ↑ "Certified Awards". BPI British Phonographic Industry. BPI. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  58. ↑ "Girls Just Want To Have Fun: Sonique Records Cancer Charity Single After Beating Breast Cancer | Showbiz News | Sky News". News.sky.com. Retrieved 2010-04-26.

External links

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