Reviews (page 4 of 13)
Ah, Cyndi. She's indeed so unusual. I've loved parts of this album even before I stumbled upon the list, but then had a chance to listen to the entirety of this production. Lauper has a great voice and does some very interesting things with it. It's also an album of big variety, showcasing the range of songs and styles she was capable of producing very early in her career. Last but not least, there is nothing like the youthful, fearless energy of a debut album. You can feel the passion, the energy and the sheer pleasure of recording. Great piece of music art.
4
3.5
Once again, the album cover says a lot about itself. The sleeve features a barefoot Cyndi Lauper in a bright dress with an equally bright mullet, performing a strange dance against the backdrop of a closed, yet still bright, building. The music is an equally vibrant mix of genres: new-wave synthesizers, a synth-pop drum machine, and harsh, even punk-rock vocals. It's no surprise that these songs resonated with American teenagers of the time. Instead of the standard two or three singles, the album was supported by six, the last of which was probably just for kicks, like, "Let's see if this one will really take off." Once five singles from one album entered the top five of the Hot 100, there was no time for jokes — only Michael Jackson had previously managed that. I always knew this record had two big hits, but to my surprise, the rest of the songs weren't bad either. Eighties at their best!
A fun one. I'd forgotten how many hits were on this one.
She bop, he bop, we bop, I bop, you bop, they bop!
Quintessential 80's icon.
Impressive (second) debut album. Very 80's, but Cyndi expresses it well.
Well-constructed pop album...they don't make them like this anymore.
Yessssssss.
Not bad but not so unusual pop album. I liked it - with the two big hits.
A great album actually. I loved the vibes
I had never listened to to the whole album before. I actually knew a lot of the songs, and the ones they I didn’t know were great too! Pleasantly surprised with this one!
I think she nailed the title! Very fun album! I always really liked Time After Time. All Through The Night is a new favourite.
I only knew two songs going into this, but I enjoyed the record. It's eclectic in a good way.
This is full on 80s synth rock album. Loads of squashy synth sounds mixed with guitars and drums. Cyndi Lauper has a punk rock voice that is similar in sound to Toya Wilcox or Claire Grogan. But unlike those two Brits, Cyndi Lauper has a New York punk scene sound to her voice that makes it sound that bit more cool. Well at least to me, mostly because I am from the UK and when something is from somewhere you arent from, it makes it more cool. Big hits from this album are "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" and "Time after Time". I really enjoyed this album. (3.950)
Unique
UM CLÁSSICO EU NEM AMO NAO FAVS (top 3): girls just wanna have fun, time after time, she bop menções honrosas: when you were mine, all through the night, witness, yeah yeah gente, se eu fosse adolescente nos anos 80 esse album ia MUDAR minha vida de forma q eu ia ser outra pessoa to falando esse álbum te faz sentir bem americana naqueles filmes da época, se isso é bom ou ruim segue a interpretação nota final: 4.5/5
I love the sounds of 80s pop. It’s so fun and unique and upbeat it makes me really happy
She-bop she-bop
Cyndi Lauper is so incredibly overhated.
pay attention girls. this is a real singer
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would! "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Time after Time" are the only ones I really recognized, but "When You Were Mine" "She Bop" and "All Through The Night" were good as well!
The Carly Rae Jepsen of the time.
Major, major surprise here. "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and "Time After Time" have never been my least favorite 80's hits by any means, but I've never wanted to intentionally listen to them. I thought I was in for a rough go here. But hot damn, not only do those songs make so much more sense to me in context with the record, I was clearly just unfamiliar with Ms. Lauper's game overall. What a cool blend of new wave, art pop, and various other styles. I'll echo the love for "Money Changes Everything", what a hell of an opener. The cover of "When You Were Mine" is killer; "All Through the Night" rules; the reggae tinge of "Witness" shouldn't work as well as it does. Excited to keep revisiting this one. 4/5
It was ok
This album rules. The first half is all bangers. I think I would have given it five stars if it ended after track 8, but the last two tracks weren’t my favorite and left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth.
I think these songs ~mostly~ hold up. They are hurt by 80s production value. Cyndi is incredible, I just don't like the mix. But Time after Time will always be a staple in my house. 4 stars.
I'm honestly surprised to see this album on the list. Not because it isn't bad, but more so because it lacks the serious nature that so many of the other albums that this album generator have thrown at me have. In place of seriousness is a joyful youthfulness that infects every single song on this album, even the ballads. Cyndi Lauper may not have the most traditionally conventional voice in the world, but you believe everything that she sings on this record.
So excited to see this on the list! She is fabulous!
I was surprised to like this as much as I did. I don't love the 80s synth so much (I mean, why did everything have to sound like Mannheim Steamroller back then?), but there's some great songs on hear and Cyndi Lauper is pretty much just a badass.
I thought I knew every song on this album forwards and backwards, but I had completely forgotten about Witness. Cyndi Lauper does reggae!
A fantastic album. The songs are so good - just banger after banger after banger. I didn't listen to it enough yet, but this might actually be a five star album. I love the new wave'y sound, I love how diverse the songs are (with some of them having that larger than life feeling that I absolutely love about the 80s). Will definitely revisit this more often.
funnnnnn
Fun, so many hits on it. She definitely was more experimental on songs
Money Changes Everything - 4/5 Girls Just Want to Have Fun - 5/5 When You Were Mine - 4/5 Time After Time - 5/5 She Bop - 4/5 All Though the Night - 4/5 Witness - 3/5 I'll Kiss You - 3/5 He's So Unusual - 2.5/5 Yeah Yeah - 3.5/5 A tale of two sides here. The first side is phenomenal and practically solidified her as one of the biggest pop stars of the 80's. The second side really dips in quality after the first two songs and doesn't really recover to where the album started. Very fun listen with more depth than I expected for an 80's pop album. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Time After Time
I liked this more than I thought i would Few of these songs were written by Prince and the whole album kinda sounds like he produced it. Big fun vocals, snappy lyrics and vibe, into it
This was a great album that really showcased 80's pop music. I've heard some of the songs hundreds of times. This was my childhood and boy does it bring back some memories. It lost a star for me mainly because I found here voice slightly annoying on a couple of the songs.
This album has some bops and is ultimately very good listening overall! I don’t think I need it on my shelf at home, but I enjoyed the run through all the tracks enough to want to do it again.
Girls Just Want to Have Fun? It must be me I'm girls. She Bop is a good time. Time After Time is timeless. I will say the back half of the album didn't have anything memorable to me but on the whole I had a good time.
Perfekte Popmusik und gleichzeitig total weird. Cool. Erstaunlich konstant gut auch, das Prince Cover fand ich ziemlich stark. Ich gebe dem 4 und höre es nie wieder
As someone who listens mainly to rock and metal, it's nice to discover a solidly enjoyable pop album that I probably never would have listened to otherwise. Good tunes, and good use of synth.
When I was assigned this, I was a little skeptical: pop isn't always my thing, and I'm not particularly fond of the (mainstream) 80's. But Cyndi Lauper *delivers* here. This album has a completely infectious energy and it resists the cheesy balladry of the time, doubling down on an *incredible* fun factor. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is *immortal* it's got the perfect combination of a genuinely good song and immaculate camp that will *always* find an audience. The other singles are also pretty great, and She Bop is a *fantastic* song. But I was really surprised at how good the deeper cuts were here as well. It feels like she really paid attention to the cohesion here. She has enough early new wave influence here to give the album a unified feel. And it feels like the energy and immediacy here take just the *tiniest* touch from the genre's punk roots. It takes some real genius and understanding of the genre to make pop feel this immediate and exciting and fun. It's an album that makes you abandon your most curmudgeon-y tendencies for it's runtime. You just want to enjoy this.
Surprisingly rocky compared to the main song known on this album.
Unlike many of the debit albums on this list, this one holds up with some legendary bangers.
It’s impossible to detach nostalgia from this collection and it is all fresh for the era and perfect pop!
All bangers. Great upbeat, dance around the living room in your underwear sound. Epic, distinct voice.
Iconisch
Classic 80s rock.
This is a pretty solid album! Time After Time is a very strong song, much better than Girls Just Wanna Have Fun in my opinion. The other songs are pretty solid too, but I feel like those two were the most well known and for good reasons.
The incredible impact of Cyndi Lauper's debut solo record, 'She's So Unusual', paints the picture of an artist with plenty of youthful exuberance who was destined for success right from the get-go. But in reality, Lauper was a 30-year-old woman who had already experinced the downsides of the music industry, only to be born again as a solo artist who would help define the style and culture of the 1980s. Lauper had previously been in the band Blue Angel who's only record, released in 1980, was a commercial failure, which resulted in a messy break-up with their manager and leaving Lauper on her own filing for bankruptcy, working retail and singing in local bars, which makes her monumental comeback even more incredible. 'She's So Unusual' is a brilliant record brimming with confidence. The powerful 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' is one of, if not the most iconic anthem of female empowerment committed to tape, 'Time After Time' is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written, 'Money Changes Everything' is a veiled stab at the failure of Blue Angel and 'When You Were Mine' takes an already fantastic Prince song and reinvents it to fit Lauper's kooky charisma. While she may not have written much of the material on 'She's So Unusual', this album marked such a consequential point for pop music in the 1980s, especially for female artists looking to empower other females to stick up for themselves and own who they are in the face of societal pressures. Lauper (and Madonna) took the edginess of Joan Jett, Debbie Harry and Patti Smith and gave it a palatable sheen that was easier for mainstream audiences to digest, much to the same degree Michael Jackson, Prince, Tina Turner and Whitney Houston did for African American audiences. A very fine pop record, and well deserving of its legacy, especially with Lauper going through hell and back to get here. Best songs: Money Changes Everything, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, When You Were Mine, Time After Time, She Bop
A quirky and daring debut that just happens to contain two of the biggest songs of the eighties. There's a lot of covers on here, but Lauper makes them her own. The way she took 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' from some bozo and turned it into a feminist anthem is very creative. She even tackles Prince on 'When You Were Mine' and delivers an excellent cover that has its own style. The way that Lauper mixes her love of new wave and ska bands into her sound shows that pop records can have a lot of personality and heart poured into them and don't have to be soulless corporate cash grabs. Lauper is able to deliver a heartfelt ballad in 'Time After Time' before immediately going into a bouncy sex-positive song about self-pleasure in 'She Bop' so effortlessly. Packed with bangers, this colourful and vibrant record is so much fun.
I’ve always loved Cyndi and I think I need to do more of a deep dive on her very soon! (Especially her fashion.) I didn’t know that a lot of these were covers, she makes them so completely her own. Girls JWHF is the obvious stone cold classic (and honestly such an anthem for this ‘hot girl summer’ personal renaissance thing I’m going through at the moment lol) but Money Changes, Time After, and All Through are beyond brilliant too. Only part I don’t really like is the ending combo of He’s So Unusual and Yeah Yeah, I get what she’s going for but I just don’t like that whiny voice. Fun stuff! (4.5 stars)
This was clever, fun, aggressive and overall just a good bop. A very good time.
I was surprised by how good this was top to bottom, but not surprised by how much “Time After Time” holds up
Mostly killer with very little filler. This rips.
Started as a 3 but there were enough tracks that stood out to take it up to a 4. Great fun and some stand outs
classic
This album contains some very dangerous ideas. Keeping the household running should be more than enough fun for women. Very good album.
I very much enjoyed this debut solo album from Lauper! This album was pure 80s pop fun and I was living for it. This album had some of Lauper’s biggest hits, no wonder it did extremely well commercially. This album wasn’t deep or anything but it’s 80s pop so that’s par for the course. Overall, I enjoyed this album and would give it a listen again in the future!
Lots of hits. I didn't want to like this but found it more enjoyable and spiky than expected. Cyndi done good.
Great fun album. I'm probably not the target audience but I still enjoyed it 7.5/10
unusual for sure
Almost a 5
Money changes everything - 3/5 Girls just want to have fun - 5/5 When you were mine - 4/5 Time after time - 5/5 She bop - 3/5 All through the night - 4/5 Witness - 2/5 I'll kiss you - 2/5 Yeah yeah - 4/5
I don't like Cyndi Lauper's voice all that much, so I didn't think I was going to rate this all that highly... but honestly... this album was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I was going to. There's some really funky beats, and a lot of the tracks are surprisingly heavy sounding. Obviously there's some major classics on here too, sure they're overplayed but I'm not going to hold that against them. There's a reason they're played to death, and it's because they're actually pretty decent. I don't have a huge amount more to say, I just know that was a fun listen. Highlights: - "Yeah Yeah" - "She Bop"
Really catchy and Cyndi's got a very unique voice, enjoyed it a lot. Surprised Time After Time was the other hit to come from this album instead of some of the other more memorable tracks like Money Changes Everything, She Bop or Yeah Yeah
OOOH I KNOW SONGS FROM HER i though this album is going to be a 1-hit but it has at least two bangers this is like a peak 80's girl album
I'm vaguely surprised that I've never listened to this whole album, but I think it feel in between the era where I listened to pop radio, but actually had the means to purchase and play my own collection of music. That said, this is 5 stars of pop greatness by one of the absolute legends. Everything is just so sing-alongable: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "Time after Time", "She-Bop", "All Through the Night". And songs I hadn't heard, "When You Were Mine" and "Yeah Yeah". Easily a 4 star...and, based on its influence, a debatable 5 star.
Better then expected
4/5
Just some good 80s fun
Unusually epic
zaskakująco mnie to urzekło nie wiedziałam, że Cyndi Lauper jest odpowiedzialna za tyle hitów na jednym albumie
A fun New Wave album with solid playing, Lauper's easy to embrace voice and at times smart witty lyrics. Pet Sounds this is not but that's OK sometimes Lauper's brand of silly fun is all a girl needs and She's So Unusual kept this girl charmed and entertained for the duration of its running time and got replayed as soon as it ended. The videos made for some of the songs on She's So Unusual are a lot of fun & are well seeking out. Cute stuff!
Great fun and full of bangers. You go Cyndi Lauper
The first side + She Bop (amazing dance-punk song by the way!) is quite amazing, it starts to get into quite weird territory stuff after the singles, which seems to be a theme for a lot of 80s pop-oriented albums. Definitely a solid pop album even though it starts to suffer a bit in quality in the last couple songs. Cyndi Lauper has such a wide range on her voice, it's quite incredible. Highlight Song/s: "Money Changes Everything", "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" and "She Bop"
Groundbreaking.
bladee and ecco2k reference omg 80s pop at its best best. girls just want to have fun is classic for a reason
everyone take a bow for the queen cyndi lauper. this is how you do 80s pop. 9/10
Enjoyed this much more than I thought I would; damn near 10 spins in a day. Some Oingo Boingo vibes on Yeah Yeah. This sound reminds me of The Goonies
Iconic album because the three main bangers on here, which is a hell of a haul for a debut. Always loved Cyndi's voice, and she obviously likes to play with it. Obviously a fantastic musician and artist, on display brilliantly here.
Another case of an albums back half being better than the front! The big songs still great and the deep tracks are pretty cool too
so many classics on this album
Really impressed with this one overall. It's a shame that some of the songs are either covers or not written by her, but she owns every performance. She Bop is a killer track. Some meh bits but overall good throughout. 4/5
Cool vibe
Fun pop album. Enjoyed this
2/13 Classic new wave debut album from Cyndi Lauper. Good songs on it but my favorite will always be the goonies theme
My babysitter used to bring the vinyl over so that we could “bop” around the living room while my parents had a night out (carefully, don’t want the needle to skip). So 80s it hurts. Most of the tracks hold up I never knew there were so many covers on this album. Starts to drag by the end, but I’m forever grateful for the fun memories thanks to this record (and thanks Debbie!). 4/5.
This isn’t an album I would listen to all the time because I’m just not a huge 80’s pop fan, but I really did love this album. A few of the songs were absolute classics and definitely nostalgic.
Some of my favorites including a surprising Prince cover
Enjoyed very much
A fine pop album and the music videos are burned into my brain.
This album has a cool unique sound, and a few really good songs. Solid!
She has a great voice, and I'm sure if I liked this genre, I'd adore this album. But I don't really care for the genre. Still fun to listen to. I can't stress enough how consistently great her voice is throughout this album. If I could I'd rate it like a 3.5.
What Madonna tries to emulate. Loved listening to other Lauper songs I did not know. Fun vibe
Love it
I loved it. I love the classics and her other songs as well.
NGL this album was great. I don't know what i was expecting but whatever it was this exceeded my expectations. I think Cyndi Lauper is cool and she's got some iconic songs but a whole albums worth? Yup. This album not only has her best hits (Girls Just Wanna and Time After Time) but tracks like She Bop and When You Were Mine are really awesome. She Bop was very B-52s but with a Cyndi vocal. Speaking of a Cyndi vocal, I did realize that it's probably an acquired taste but she does amazing things with what she's got. Lastly this cover art is cool as hell...
Good nostalgia. Have never heard the whole album and was surprised at how many hits were on it
Great album! Upbeat, emotional and fun!
this album is a guilty pleasure. Time after Time is awesome. I think i like the songs on here that a slightly slower rather than the high octane ones . All through the Night was another that I hadn't listened to much, but will come back to
Everyone knows at least 2 songs on this album, but honestly, I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. The first 4 songs are all nearly-perfect 80s pop songs, and for me Money Changes Everything was a song that I hadn't remembered listening to much and is just great. I love the 80s production (not for everyone, I get it). Her voice is certainly "unusual" in a really good and surprisingly powerful way. Time After Time needs little further elaboration but is an all time great song. Second half of the album loses a little bit of steam with a few more throwaway moments, but on balance just a really fun listen.
She’s So Unusual reminded me just how special “Time After Time” is. It’s not only a defining song of 80s pop, but an all-time classic — the intro alone is enough to pull me in. What stays with me most is the quiet resolve in the song, the feeling of leaving a place that once felt safe, but no longer fits. There’s a balance of warmth and firmness in that moment: trusting both the other person and myself, and choosing to step forward rather than hold on. That’s what makes the song feel timeless to me.
A fun and nostalgic trip into 80’s pop. Not a single bad song!
Great pop album, second half loses momentum
Es klingt extrem nach 80er-Pop, aber anders als die meisten anderen Alben auf dieser Liste, bei denen es so ist, ist es wirklich gut und nicht langweilige Synthesizer. Super Album.
1983, back at Stafford Poly, Mike play this - it's great pop !
So many bops. It’s so overtly 80s but somehow gets a pass. Fun, smart, and well done.
Very 80s very fun
4/5 AINT IT KINDA NICE, AND AINT IT KINDA GAY, WHEN YOU HEAR ME SAY I LOOOOOVES YA. Love the Betty Boop references. Very fun album.
Timeless.
Another example of an artist where I know the hits, but have never listened to the records. This is great!
Very fun!
This is a deep childhood album for me, so I'm biased, but I love this album.
THIS ALBUM IS FUN!
I was having a bad day when I first put this on... and I just couldn't enjoy it. I had to turn it off, and come back later - and boy am I glad I did! It wasn't you Cyndi... it was me. Cyndi absolutely kills it on an album of bright, colourful 80's synth pop that had me vibing from start to finish. Even "Time After Time" (a song I usually find annoying), was great. I can't deny the skill and artistry of this album, despite my own tastes. Great stuff!
80s pop. Debut album. Newwave, synth pop. One of the bestselling albums ever. Wonderful upbet pop, all of her big hits.
She’s right, girls just DO wanna have fun!!
I forgot all through the night and she bop, remembering only girls just want to have fun. This is an outstanding 80s album. It's pop, but it's heartfelt. The songwriting is excellent, the musical performances are excellent, and the production is excellent. It skirts the line between conformity and non-conformity beautifully. One song begs for freedom from controlling parents, another speaks about the joy of wanking. Love it. 4.5
I was sleeping on Cyndi Lauper. This is a fantastic pop album. I especially enjoyed the Prince cover
The whole record is a reminder that you can be loud, heartfelt, eccentric, and deeply human all at once. It’s not just an album—it’s a permission slip to be exactly as strange and brilliant as you already are. Great 80s album!! Very Fun!!
This is a great album. She’s a pioneer and I love her. Not typically anything I would listen to but there are some bangers in there I love way more than her classics - She Bop, I’ll Kiss You, Yeah Yeah.
Finally some 80s pop that doesn’t suck. Give me Cyndi over Madonna any day!
Girls just wanna have fun!!
Ela tem uma energia muito foda e única, marcou muito os anos 80. Carai, veio Girls Just Want to Have fun, fudida essa. Álbum promissor. Time After Time. Fico pensando como tem artista que recebe uma iluminação divina e faz trocentos hits no mesmo álbum. Realmente entenderam a época em que viveram. Divertido, bem feito, voz foda, músicas fodas. Vai 4* pra esse.
This record feels so refreshing to listen to. I remember hearing some of those songs on radio while I was working a pretty borring job though. What a nice thing to listen to. Easily better than average but nothing groundbreaking.
Me recuerda a mi mami so excelent music
Fav song: when you were mine 4/5
I like it. I doubt I would listen to it much, but for a genre/era of music I gravitate away from, I enjoyed it.
3.5 stars I didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did. But it’s got 4 hits and a Prince cover. Even with a few forgettable tracks and a bad closer it’s a fun time. Synth pop goodness.
She sure is!
Favourite Songs: When You Were Mine She Bop I'll Kiss You
So many good tracks here. "School Mums overdoing the prosecco on a night out singalong" favourite "Girls..." the biggest smash here, but just listen to that vocal / synth combo on "All Through the Night". If this was released by Gaga today, it would 100% be devoured by her fans - fabulous example of how great the 80s could be.
I didn't realize how many hits I knew came from this album alone. Regular radio rotation in the 80s introduced me to the artist, but I never connected that all these songs came prepackaged. That said, I don't feel an attachment to this as an album. The songs are great, but I'll probably pull up individual tracks when I want rather than play this top to bottom. Girls Just Want to Have Fun Time After Time She Bop All Through the Night
Good pop music, couple of songs I wasn't as bothered with hence the 4
Really really fun. Enjoyed a lot of it thought I am clearly still a sucker for songs with guitar in them. Did not feel as empty as I thought they might be. Would listen to again.
Cyndi Lauper is an instantly recognizable vocalist, with her voice on this album set to classic summery 80s synths. She’s So Unusual is at its best when Cyndi Lauper can unleash the full power of her voice. The songs are easy listening, though a few drag a little bit and feel slightly longer than they are. Overall, this album is exactly what it thinks it is and achieves everything it sets out to. Track Highlights: Money Changes Everything, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, She Bop, Witness, I’ll Kiss You
She Bop!
3.5. Great 80’s pop - on a grumpy day it falls to a 3 just because I’m rarely if ever going to reach to put this on, but today I’m feeling good so we’re rounding up.
Such a fun listen!
Another classic debut
It’s slightly cheesy and incredibly pop-y but in the best possible way. It’s infectious and the songs are catchy
My mom dressed as her for Halloween as a teenager and I can understand why.
Cyndi Lauper wanted to actually record this alongside Houmous & Chutney but Ken Chutney accidentally replied to Cyndi thinking he was emailing Len Houmous. The email simply said Cyndi Lauper - She’s So Unusual. And the rest is history! 4.2 4/10 Time After Time
fave songs: Girls just want to have fun, when you were mine, time after time
Really great. Not musically complex, but varied and exciting while still having a little rock edge. It's really a great frozen in time point on the map. The perfect album at the perfect time. Easy 4.
this is icon behavior
Dit is tof. Beetje frontloaded, maar erg genoten (en uiteraard hard meegezongen op meer dan 1 nummer). 2e listen door Tiff: I'll Kiss You is fenomenaal.
Nostalgic
Me ha encantado, divertidísimo. 80s af. Girls just want to have fun es un tema antológico, y no sabía que Time after time era suya y me ha encantado descubrirlo. All through the night también un temazo me encantó. Todo buenos temas, buenísimos synthes goofy af, y hacia el final algún tema sorprendente. I’ll kiss you es una locura de historia sobre conseguir besar a un chico con una poción de una gitana sobre synth beds chulos y arpegios guapos. Me cae genial esta chica.
This album had a lot more going for it than I expected. I thought it would just be Time After Time, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, and a bunch of filler.
An exciting and unusual pop album that I've loved for a long time. There's something interesting about many individual tracks that I don't think she gets enough credit for (outside of everyone universally recognizing Time After Time as flawless). also her vocal range is amazing and she has strong control over it, switching what seems like effortlessly between not just notes but different attitudes and expressions. and this is her debut album! anyway, individual tracks rewriting two misogynistic songs (money changes everything, girls just want to have fun) into feminist anthems, particularly girls just want to have fun time after time making a Prince song (when you were mine) even *more* gender queer and ambiguous not through making changes, but just by how she sings a single word made a genuine pop hit about masturbation (and with a better song than Frankie will a few years later) pulled from not just obvious sources like some of her new-wave/synthpop contemporaries but folk music (all through the night) and somehow made these covers still cohesive with her original work, they don't feel out of place unfortunately the album gets weaker around witness/i'll kiss you but Yeah Yeah is a fun closer
Tolles Album
Great 80's pop music. No wonder half the tracks on She's So Unusual were hits. Lauper is a phenomenal vocalist and the whole album is so fun. I hadn't been born when this album came out, so without even knowing which songs in Lauper's debut album were the singles (beyond Girls Just Want To Have Fun, which is still insanely popular), I could imagine any of them being a hit.
Nice introduction to Cyndi besides the radio hits. Shows nice range in the album
shes such a vibe dzvlivs kargi albummm
She bup he bup we buppp
GIRLS THEY JUST WANNA HAVE FUNNNNNN3.5TAN 4
didn't know we had a mother on our hands
Listened at home. Just super fun. First half definitely stronger than the back half.
Crazy that this was a debut album. She had such a unique voice and personality already developed. Also, the songs were great.
An 80s pop album full of hits. I always liked Cyndi Laupers colorful, independent message. Solid.
The first 5 songs were my favorites, I would definitely listen again!
Pretty good. Hes so unusual spooked me a bit, but other than that. it was actually solid as. right frokm start to finish, 7.3 rounding to a 4/5
Why not?
I liked this album! Classic 80s vibes. Liked pretty much all the songs. Some even made it to my playlists!
I love Cyndi’s cover of When You Were Mine. Most of the songs on this album are great; the few “lows” are also pretty good. This is close to peak 80s pop.
Guilty pleasure.
It’s 80s cheese and positivity with a good few ballads thrown in. It’s great, irresistible pop music with a lot of charm, much of which comes from Cyndi Lauper’s ever present personality. Her voice is very unique and manages to never get irritating. 4/5
such a timeless album, she’s so crazy love her !!! favs : girls just want to have fun, time after time, all through the night
The hit singles are all-time greats. Imagine writing a song Miles Davis covers (Time After Time), Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is an unquestionable 80s masterpiece, and my favourite of the lot, the touching and evocative All Through the Night. The best thing about this as an album though, is that the hits are far from the end of the story. There’s no filler here, an enjoyable listen from end to end.
Dreamy pop and belting ballards. Much fun
80s pop bangers Didn't know girls just wanna and time after time was same person I like Cyndi Lauper Top songs Girls just want to have fun Time after time She bop
This album is so fun and the voice of the lead singer is amazing. A lot of bangers on this one Fav song - Money Changes Everything, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Time After Time 4/5
So fun, in your face, touching, raw. Highly enjoyed
This album shows there’s more than what you think you know about Cindi Lauper. Much more than just “Girls Just Want To Have Fun. Several songs have a bit of a nasty Punk and New Wave tinge. “Witness” is my favorite track which has a surprising reggae vibe.
great 80s glam sound strengthened by emotional richness and an inextricable sense of fun.
Fun. A couple of big hits here. Very 80s.
Fantastic poprock /newwave classic album, with the unforgettable 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' and 'Time After Time'. I doubted to give it 5 stars.
We bop
Fantastic debut album. Has all the Cyndi Lauper songs I know. I guess that makes sense though because after this one, I'm sure that money changed everything.
Time after Time, Girls just Wanna have Fun. Total 80s classics. She has such a strong and beautiful voice
What a voice!
Lots of '80s pop albums on this list have a hit or two, but few of them are this consistent
id rather listen to like a virgin. /s weirdly enough, or not weirdly enough, both like a virgin and girls just wanna have fun are both featured, in their parody version, on the same weird al-bum /j also i fucking hate girls just want to have fun. im afab and everybody still sees me as a girl but im not sure if there's anyone that is willing to take me out and have fun together. 4/5
This was so fun to listen to, and Cyndi Lauper has such a unique and powerful voice. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Yes, this was fun.
One of the best pop albums of the 80s until it runs out of singles. Everything after "All Through the Night" isn't nearly as good, but most albums can't have six great singles in them, so it's just a problem of sequencing. I didn't used to like "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", but it was really working for me this time!
Pretty darn good, gets a bit repetitive but such a beautiful voice.
The fact that Madonna was allowed to call herself ‘The Queen of Pop’ when Cyndi Lauper was recording is a huge dereliction of duty on the part of the music-listening world. The singles are great, but the deeper cuts (with a couple of exceptions) are excellent. All Through The Night in particular gives me chills, and the vocal performance is so much better than Madge could ever do.
bop after bop, this was fun to listen to!
Fell off in second half, but otherwise great
Very fun! Lots of hits
Found two new songs I liked, would rate 3.5/5 pleasantly surprised
прикольный вайб 70-80-х, что-то такое крутят обычно по каналу bridge classic
Great album that holds up.
I figured after "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" and "Time After Time" the album would be all filler but I didn't realize "She Bop" was also on this album. "All Through The Night" was another pleasant surprise. The album is short in length... only really has 9 songs (not counting the 45 second "He's So Unusual"). Most of the songs just fade out at the end... which gets a bit of a mark down for that alone. Learned that Prince wrote one of the songs too. Overall a solid album that I found quite enjoyable.
I did the Time After Time dance from Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion at my 16th birthday party (and the two friends who joined me let me be Michelle because it was my birthday), so there’s a big nostalgia factor going on here. 3.5 rounded up.
Cyndi was a really big deal on MTV and had four Top 5 singles and another in the Top 30 — pretty good for a debut album. Solid stuff throughout, even though the last three tracks fall off in quality
She Bop indeed. I kinda fuck with this, having two huge pop songs of all time helps, but some of the deeper cuts are interesting too. Witness has a little reggaeton island vibes, ton of synthy 80s energy throughout.
Great listen, lovely and distinct voice of Cyndi, great songwriting. Of course all time greatest hits by her, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" and "Time After Time", rasing the bar even higher. Still sublime album after all these years.
Great
Yes this is a FUN album. Very 80s. Filled with great songs. Cyndi Lauper rocks
Iconic songs
Fantastic album. Iconic 80's album.
Debut Money changes everything Girls just want to have fun Time after time
A really fun album. Enjoyed hearing the hits again
Love Cyndi Lauper. So fun, such a light listen and an easy album to listen to on repeat.
Primo 80’s! Fun, playful, but a bit indebted to the B52’s. 4/ 5
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" brings to mind my years working in a kitchen (it played on the radio at least once an hour), but overall this album itself is pretty fun. I like the '80s synths, and there's a huge range of tracks here. I have heard many of them before, and would never have guessed it was the same artist. It's all very good, but "Time After Time" is my favorite track on the album by a country mile.
This is my first foray on the list into 80's Pop. I like some of Cyndi Lauper's work, so this could be fun. Money Changes Everything - 5/10. One of the anthems of the "Me" Decade. A fun pop song, except that I HATE the lyrics, which is a major knock on the rating. Girls Just Want To Have Fun - 8/10. So hard not to sing the Weird Al lyrics on this one. Girls, they want, they want to have Lunch! Happy, up-tempo 80's Pop. Good stuff. When You Were Mine - 7/10. Fun 80's Pop. This is the music of my childhood. Time After Time - 9/10. A great ballad style song, and, unlike the first track, the lyrics elevate the rating. She Bop - 7/10. More fun 80's Pop. Somewhere in-between the ballad style of Time After Time and the other tracks that have come before on the album. All Through the Night - 8/10. This tune sounds seriously familiar, but I don't necessarily know that I've ever really listened to it. Good verses, GREAT chorus. Witness - 7/10. I like the stylistic choice in the introduction. Solid track. I'll Kiss You - 8/10. Nice reference to Love Potion No. 9 in the lyrics. Including connections to past songs in a similar style always wins bonus points from me. He's So Unusual - 6/10. Has a bit of a Tin Pan Alley feel to it. otherwise almost too short to rate. Yeah Yeah - 7/10. Solid track. Very much that early 80's vibe. Overall Rating - 3.60/5 (7.20/10). Solid 80's Pop. No objections.
7/10… 80s Pop / *1983
Really good!
Such a part of me being nine or 10 hearing the songs on the radio all the time can’t say that I really want to listen to this that much as a grown man but all done
She's so unusual
Really enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. The two obvious hits - well overplayed, but the rest of the album is really good too.
It’s just good old pop
I'm just girl wanting to have fun. Surprisingly enjoying with plenty of big hits.
Härlig 80-talspop, och håller utöver bara hit:arna
Imponerande ungdomligt och fräscht faktiskt! Trodde jag skulle tycka det kändes utdaterat o ointressant, men tji fick jag. Överlag välgjort o snyggt!
Toppklass inom sin genre! Älskar Time After Time.
Now this is a true 80s pop banger. It's hard not to give a high grade just based on the hits, but the rest of the album was suprisingly good as well.
The hits are hits for a reason. The others are fun but not that memorable. I didn’t hate anything and overall enjoyed the album. 4
Schön rotzfrech
Kannte schon viele Songs davon, aber ich hab so viele Songs davon abgefeiert und das sie alle in einem Album sind, klasse. Mir fehlte einzig die Abwechslung. War am Ende traurig als es vorbei war
Bop she bop!
A very important pop album. Really enjoyed!
This was an album that I was aware of, had read articles about and noted, but never got round to listening to, so thanks for throwing this out. It's an enjoyable listen, but a bit of a surprise to be on this list. Girls Just Want To Have Fun and Time After Time are the stand out tracks as you'd expect, but Money Changes Everything and All Through The Night (with a chorus that sounds copied by German band Freiheit on their hit Keeping The Dream Alive) are also high standard. A whole range of genres with nods to 60s American Rock and Roll, it's pretty consistent throughout, but I'm not too fussed about I'll Kiss You or Yeah Yeah. Still, it's a high 3 or a low 4, and today I'm feeling generous.
Right look, I think Cyndi Lauper was great, she did some great 80s pop tracks and I agree with what some others have said, she's far better than Madonna. "Time After Time" is a timeless classic. It's typically 80s, mostly not my scene, but reviewing it for what it is at face value, it's great.
A solid album!!! Loved it
Very solid early to mid 80s album! The GJWHF > When You Were Mine > Time after Time > She Bop run is incredible. Hard pressed to find a bad song on this album, but her voice can get grating, despite being fantastic! If I had to compare Cyndi to a current artist…I guess Miley Cyrus or maybe Carly Rae Jepsen…
Nice! There’s so many great songs on this album! And what a distinct and powerful voice! As is usually the case with these 80s pop albums there’s a few songs that don’t have the same quality as the hits but that makes the hits sound that much more impressive. It was nice to listen to this album again and even though her voice is just out of my range, it sure was fun to sing along and to try to reach some of those notes!
This was fun I liked more than I thought I would Lauper attitude and tone her singing works in any level. I could see myself visiting this album in the right time of place.
There are two hits on this album I instantly recognized. The rest I was unfamiliar with. I instantly see how she’s been so inspirational to many current stars. The front half of this album is packed with great songs. Unfortunately, there’s a drop off with the last four tracks (“Witness” is ok I guess), which I did not care for. But on the strength of the first six tracks, and given the fact that I was happy to listen to it a second time to evaluate, I’m giving this a 4/5.
This was a fantastic album. Crazy how many hits it has.
enjoyed, feel good sing along style
Nice!
full of bangers, super fun, bops on bops, i def want to listen to this more
I've always loved how fun and forward Cyndi Lauper's music is.
A classic in pop that colors outside the lines, she's so unusual is pop hits that don't fit quite so neatly in that category
Strong debut album for Cyndi Lauper with a couple well known singles and a good range throughout.
The 1980’s wouldn’t have been the same without Cyndi Lauper. A really solid album.
THATS ALL THEY REALLY WAAAANANNNANANTTTT
was awesome and fun
so fun! I don’t think I’ve ever listened to an album that sounds so decisively 80s. Also something about this (esp songs like yeah yeah) sort of remind me of the B-52s. The whole album is pretty high energy. Fav songs: money changes everything, time after time
3.5/5
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Super fun 80s pop
Timeless…. Great album with familiar songs a lot of energy that still translates decades later.
I was ready to like this album, I love weird gender bending style icon figures in pop music - Madonna, Prince, Annie Lennox, recently Chappel Roan. The music is always inventive and vital, it always has something to say beyond the boring cool platitudes of artists performing down the middle of the road. Side A is excellent, she's killing it with the opener going into 'Girls'. Side B is a bit of a let down, I feel like they ran short of an idea or two and a couple of songs are skips. I'll give it a generous 4, just because she's so damn cool and still crushing it after all these years, but I think her best album is probably The Greatest Hits
Surprised by the numbers of hits, also enjoyed the songs I'd never heard!
I remember stealing this album from my sister when I was seven years old. I used to play it all the time as a child. I was amused by Cyndi Lauper’s cartoony voice. Now that I’m almost fifty, her voice can get a little bit annoying. So, I can only this album in small doses. Still “Time After Time” and “She Bop” are great songs. I’m also a fan of the keyboards in “Yeah Yeah”. Not a bad album. If I’m feeling nostalgic, I’ll listen to it again.
Can’t say I’d have ever gone out of my way to listen to this. But very surprised, I enjoyed this a lot
I always thought of Cyndi Lauper as a gimmick... and she kind of is. BUT this does slap, so she gets a pass.
Childhood songs
Oh wow this album takes me back. It just has so many hits from then. A great time capsule album of the early 80's. It's fun, great lyrics, good music and Cyndi just owns it.
She's so 80s... but in a good way. Frankly, I'm tired of most 80s music-- I had to hear it everyday in the 80s. But Cyndi is still fresh and innovative. I'll always have a place in my. heart for this album. 4/5
The archetypal 80s pop album. Lauper is a natural storyteller whose voice, look and persona maker her instantly relatable. The record is all bright synths, jangly guitars, and unapologetic fun, but with an emotional depth that keeps it from ever feeling like mere candy-coated nostalgia. This was lovely.
Very good, even if not many original songs
It's cyndi lauper who doesnt love cyndi lauper? Side 1 is straight fire. Side 2 is.
I’ve listened to this album before, although it is not in our collection at the moment. Maybe it was on a cassette from earlier days (those are gone). Listening to these songs when they were released I never stopped to classify the genre, but apparently they are synth-pop or new wave. This is a debut album for the artist, and to have six singles from a debut album is very rare. Lauper’s popularity was enhanced by her music videos, which ran in MTV’s prime. I see that even the album cover won an award. This one rates 9/10.
Really lives up to the title. Amazingly versatile voice. Only drawback is the weakness of the backing band...
Enjoyed this way more than I was expecting. Prince cover as track #3 was an especially bold move
I was 11, glued to MTV, watching these videos over and over.. life seemed so much simpler then.
It’s a pretty good synth pop record with Philly ties. The Prince song is very “Prince” and Lauper’s vocals work well with it. Time After Time is an 80’s pop ballad classic. This hits off this were huge and unavoidable for decades. It’s absolutely a definitive 80’s pop record.
This holds up surprisingly well. I knew a lot more off this album then i was expecting. Some great pop songs and a Prince cover.
Really great 80s pop. Liked this more than I expected.
Så himla festligt, gillar mycket!
While not technically a debut album (she was in a band called Blue Angel), this is a stellar solo debut. An all around great pop album that is almost a greatest hits collection. It's also surprisingly eclectic with bubblegum pop ("Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"), reggae ("Witness"), sks ("Yeah Yeah"), even a great Prince cover ("When You Were Mine"). Yes, the whole Betty Boop voice thing wears thin at times, but that's a small complaint. Great backing band and co-songwriting credit as well with members of the Philly band The Hooters. This was a breath of fresh air in a time of synth laden pop crap when it came out and it still sounds great today.
Pleasant enough
Always amazing
Can't go wrong with Captain Lou Albano's buddy. I was familiar with like half the album already since most of her big hits are there, the album as a whole was more of that Lauper brand of quirky fun and left me in a good mood. I think I like She Bop the most
Surprisingly good
Enjoyed this for the most part, HATED the Betty Boop voice, loved the weird Clash style Reggae track
Cyndi knows how to make a pop record.
Some bangers on there but all in all maybe not my cup of tea, I’m just not a huge fan of pop
I had this album as a kid when it first came out - really loved it, remembered it as a fun album that was a big part of the musical story of that time. And I haven't listened to it since. My sense of Cyndi Lauper has also evolved significantly over time. In the moment (and in the eyes of a kid/early teen) she seemed fun and whacky, and a bit shticky. As time has gone on, however, I really came to understand Cyndi Lauper's deeper talent and artistry - I mean, she won a Tony for the music for Kinky Boots! She's had a remarkably consistent career with so many highlights - I've come to deeply respect her as a person and artist. In this context, it was so fantastic to revisit this album. I don't want to go overboard - it is a pop album, not a musical masterpiece per se. But I do think it is a pop masterpiece. Lauper - through her music and her self presentation - vaulted pop and new wave aesthetics into the mainstream. The music on the album is varied and interesting, with tons of personality and a good chunk of subversion (how can you not admire a top 5 hit about the joys of masturbation!) The vocals on Time After Time - which is a remarkably well composed pop ballad - are phenomenal, showing off Lauper's pure singing talent. The album perfectly captures the music of the time, but I found it completely and utterly listenable 42 years later. Lauper deserves all the flowers for carving out an incredibly successful career while being her authentic, iconoclastic self and this album captures that perfectly. And all that context aside, its just a fun listen.
This album takes me back. I didn’t own it when it came out in 1983, but Cyndi Lauper was everywhere, or at least in most of the places I was as a 9-year-old kid. She was on the radio, she was on TV with her music videos, hell, she was on my wrestling show. Her song Girls Just Want to Have Fun was not just a hit song, but probably the song of the year and maybe the next couple of years. In addition, the album had three other top five singles. Although back then it seemed there were a lot of albums with a bunch of huge singles on them. Maybe it’s nostalgia, but it seems like music was bigger back then. The artists were bigger and they were more mysterious. I guess the internet has fragmented music so much that there isn’t an artist who captures the attention of the whole world. But I digress, which is what I do best. This was Lauper’s first solo album, as she had an album with a band called Blue Angel that went nowhere. After regrouping, she put out this synth-pop, new wave classic. This is an album of its time, but there are really good pop songs on here. I know in 1983, I hadn’t fully become a heavy metal snob, and I had no money to buy albums, so I lived on the radio. I remember loving Cyndi Lauper, she seemed fun and crazy. She was also sneaky and subversive as she snuck the song She Bop past most people. I know, as a kid, when it came to She Bop, I just thought Cyndi loved dancing. I said earlier, this album was of the time, and it was, but maybe I’m looking at it from the perspective of living through that time. As I try to listen without old ears, I think a lot of these songs could be hits today. In fact, we could use more songs like these out there in the ether. Maybe it would calm some of these insanos down a little if we all bopped more and fought less. If you’re my age, which is old enough to remember when Cyndi Lauper was all over the radio, or are a young whippersnapper, I think you’ll enjoy a nice trip back to 1983 with She’s So Unusual.
Very cheery, fun songs.
4,5
What a beaut.
Saw her live in February. A true original!
Who doesn’t like a good surprise? You put on an album expecting to hate it, to have that early 80s cheese and vacuousness and what you get might have a bit of that but is such a delicious pop gem that you can’t help but love it, synths and all. That’s my impression as I make my way through ¨She’s So Unusual¨ by Cyndi Lauper. As a successful artist, Cyndi never really made it out of the 80s like Madonna. Maybe she didn’t have a strong enough following amongst the gays, maybe she didn’t send enough naked pictures, I don’t know. What I do know is that if the first three songs don’t hook you in you’re either dead or listen to Philip Glass unironically. Why did I never notice how amazing ¨Girls Just Wanna Have Fun¨ really is? The only miss here is the closer ¨Yeah Yeah,¨ which is as annoying a song as I’ve ever heard. Still, credit where credit is due. Best songs: ¨When You Were Mine,¨ ¨Money Changes Everything,¨ ¨Girls Just Wanna Have Fun¨
Good listen - 3.5/5
This album is still what Cyndi Lauper is primarily known for. And the sound here is quintessential 80's pop. If you ask someone to name a random 80's pop-hit there's a pretty good chance that they will say "Girls Just Want to Have Fun". This came early enough in the 80's that it clearly influenced the sound of the entire decade Standouts Girls Just Want to Have Fun Time After Time All Through the Night 4/5
initial thoughts even before listening is i'm so fucking excited. no skips just like i thought. love it
Really enjoyable.
Very good, some massive tunes here.
Really listenable, embodied its time and full of classics. As an aside, I really appreciate the artistic choice to chase one of the most iconic love songs of the 80s with the ode to jilling off.
nothing but love for a legend
Should probably have sat down to listen to this whole thing in one go before now.
Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual is a blast from start to finish. The production is sharp, the personality shines through, and the big hits — “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Time After Time” — more than earn their place as ’80s classics. What surprised me is how solid the rest of the record is, not just the singles. It’s not quite a five-star masterpiece, but it’s a confident, joyful four stars in my book.
Fantastic artist .
Very girlie pop
This album was really good but I’m torn for two reasons. One, Laupers inflections can make her voice sound winey and annoying at times, and two it’s another album that stacked all its best songs in the front half and left the second half for the b-sides. Yeah Yeah is a banger though.
I love the 80s soooo much! It's just a banger after another.
She bop!
Another pleasant surprise! The three most popular songs on here I already knew of course, but the album was full of really nice, really catchy songs, anchored of course by Cyndi's unique vocal delivery.
My favorite part of this was rediscovering the songs I've heard all my life, and truly listening and admiring their production for the first time ever. The hits have always been catchy but this is the first time I notice these IMMACULATE synths. Through all the Rock stuff on here, albums like these are a reminder that Pop can, in fact, go hard. Standouts: Girls Just Want To Have Fun • Time After Time • She Bop • Witness • Yeah Yeah
Mother. Not a pop music guy but grew up on this.