If This World Makes You Crazy

It's been a while since we've done a "I Love the '80s" type of post. So, we'll remedy that by wishing a Happy Birthday to Cyndi Lauper, born on this date in 1953.

Back in the early and mid-80s, Cyndi Lauper was as big a Pop star as Madonna or Michael Jackson. In '84, it seemed like you could hardly listen to the radio or look at MTV without getting a dose of her music, usually "Girls Just Want to Have Fun". But the key to Pop longevity is the ability to drastically revamp your image. Cyndi's iconic style and sound weren't easy to dislodge from the public mind. Yeah, her music became more "Adult Contemporary" and she ditched the outrageous hair and make-up, but her fundamentals as a performer remained the same.

Nowadays, Cyndi Lauper has expanded her performance repertoire into numerous genres, including dance electronica and, amazingly, the Blues!!! In fact, her Blues album, Memphis Belle, was nominated for a Grammy and dominated the Billboard Blues chart for over four months!!!

Asides from '80s enthusiasts, Cyndi's primary fan base is among the GLBT community. She has been a long-time advocate for Gay rights and her music has become a staple at Pride events.

Let's listen to the music.



Obviously, we can't celebrate Cyndi without playing this song. Yeah, I've heard it countless times during the '80s. I've slowly gotten over my hostility to it so as to be able to appreciate it for what it is, a catchy Pop song with an upbeat "Girl Power" message.

I think the song that entertains me the most is "She Bop". It's so goofy and crass, but delivered with high camp. My Post-Modernist soul LUVS this song!!!

Getting back to the GLBT fanbase, "True Colors" has become a Pride anthem. It's a good song. I can see how people who feel marginalized by society can gain inspiration from the lyrics.

Her most enduring song has been "Time After Time". It has been remade countless time by numerous artists in diverse musical genres, including Miles Davis, Matchbox Twenty, Willie Nelson, and Uncle Kracker.

That's enough for now. Happy Birthday, Cyndi!!!

Here's Cyndi Lauper's Wikipedia page and her official website.

Enjoy!!!