In the early 1980s, the pop music landscape was dominated by pristine, carefully polished stars. Then came Cyndi Lauper. With her bright, multi-colored hair, thrift-store layers, a thick Queens accent, and a powerhouse voice that could clear four octaves, she blew the doors off the industry. She proved that pop music could be wild, eccentric, and deeply emotional all at the same time.
Lauper enters her mid-seventies coming off an incredibly busy and triumphant couple of years. Following her massive global Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour and her wildly successful, packed-house Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace this spring, her connection to music fans is as strong as it has ever been.
To honor her birthday, we are taking a trip down memory lane to rank her 10 greatest, most beloved hits.
10. “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough” (1985)
Serving as the main theme song for Steven Spielberg’s classic adventure film The Goonies, this track is pure 1980s joy. Backed by a legendary, two-part music video featuring famous professional wrestlers, the song captures the frantic, fun energy of the era. Though Cyndi famously had a love-hate relationship with the track for years, fans still lose their minds whenever she plays it live.
9. “All Through the Night” (1984)
Originally written by Jules Shear, Lauper completely reimagined this track for her debut album. She turned it into a dreamy, synthesizer-laden pop lullaby. Her vocal delivery is incredibly soft and beautiful here, proving to early critics that she was much more than just a loud, energetic punk-pop singer. It remains one of the most comforting radio tracks of the decade.
8. “She Bop” (1984)
This song was bold, controversial, and completely unapologetic. Written with a pulsing, electronic beat, “She Bop” was a playful anthem about self-pleasure that managed to sneak past radio censors and climb all the way to number three on the Billboard charts. It perfectly highlighted Cyndi’s rebellious spirit and her refusal to let society dictate what women could sing about.
7. “Change of Heart” (1986)
The lead single from her second album showed a slightly more mature, rock-infused pop sound. Driven by a heavy, rhythmic drum track and featuring backing vocals from The Bangles, the song is an infectious plea to an emotionally distant lover. It features one of her most soaring, impressive vocal choruses, cementing her status as a permanent radio staple.
6. “I Drove All Night” (1989)
Originally recorded by Roy Orbison, Cyndi released her version first and turned it into an absolute vocal showcase. The track deals with intense, desperate romantic passion. From the quiet, throbbing tension of the verses to the roof-raising screams of the chorus, Lauper pushes her four-octave vocal range to its absolute limit, earning a Grammy nomination in the process.
5. “Money Changes Everything” (1984)
This track showed off the gritty, new-wave rock roots that Cyndi developed playing in New York City clubs before she hit the big time. Opening her legendary debut album, this cover of a song by The Brains is a cynical, high-energy blast about how financial reality destroys young love. It features some of her fiercest, most passionate live vocal performances.
4. “Not My Father’s Son” (from Kinky Boots) (2013)
Proving that her creative genius extends far beyond MTV music videos, Lauper wrote the music and lyrics for the massive Broadway smash hit Kinky Boots. In doing so, she became the first solo woman in history to win the Tony Award for Best Original Score. This specific ballad, dealing with the heavy burden of trying to live up to a parent’s expectations, is the emotional core of the show and a beautiful piece of songwriting.
3. “True Colors” (1986)
Written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, Cyndi stripped away the song’s original arrangement to create a quiet, sparkling masterpiece of unconditional love and support. Over the decades, the song has transcended the radio to become a legendary global anthem for the LGBTQ+ community and anyone fighting for acceptance. Its simple, beautiful message remains completely timeless.
2. “Time After Time” (1984)
Co-written by Cyndi alongside Rob Hyman of The Hooters, this song is universally recognized as one of the greatest pop ballads ever recorded. Built on a simple, looping clock-like rhythm and a beautiful acoustic guitar arrangement, the track deals with the absolute certainty of lifelong devotion. It has been covered by everyone from jazz legend Miles Davis to modern pop stars, standing as a flawless monument to songwriting.
1. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” (1983)
There was simply never another option for the number-one spot. Originally written by Robert Hazard from a distinctly male perspective, Cyndi completely flipped the lyrics to turn it into a feminist anthem about bodily autonomy, joy, and freedom for women everywhere.
Combined with its legendary, multi-cultural music video that featured her own mother, the track became a global cultural earthquake. It didn’t just launch her career—it permanently altered pop culture, fashion, and music videos forever. Forty-three years later, it is still the ultimate song to play whenever you want to feel truly alive.
