She's So Unusual

When She’s So Unusual was topping the album charts in 1984, it was generally assumed that Cyndi Lauper would be a superstar for years to come and that the other female star of the era, Madonna, would be a flash in the pan. Lauper turned out to be less commercial than this gorgeously crafted album indicates, but her artistry has proven to be just as strong in its own way and on its own terms. Here, hearing the demos of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” (especially the early guitar demo), “All Through the Night,” and “Money Changes Everything” lends some insight into just how much effort went into transforming these songs into radio-ready, 1984-style guitar-keyboard pop. Unlike previous decades where songs were largely complete once a band learned their parts, the '80s demanded that its artists unlock new combinations of sounds in order to give songs a unique freshness. So while the alternate mixes here are must-haves for serious fans, nothing beats the original album and its lineup of perfectly arranged perfect pop songs.