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• REAL NAME: Cyndi Ann Stephanie Lauper
• BIRTHDAY: June 22, 1953
• BIGGEST POP SINGLE: "Time After Time" (1984)
• BIGGEST LP: She's So Unusual (1983)
• GRAMMY AWARDS: 2
• VH1: '100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll': 58
• ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE: 2025
• "Cross-gender dressing has been going on since the beginning of time. I never saw what the fuss was anyway. Now with RuPaul, it's great. Sometimes you might look at someone and think, "My God." But you have to know them to know if they're good or bad. It's not if they wear a funny dress or something." - Cyndi Lauper, 1997

• Cyndi (Ann Stephanie) Lauper was born in Queens, New York on June 20, 1953. Although Cyndi might be best known for her wild costumes and video antics of the 80s, she has shown that she wasn't just a fad of the 80s. Her music has matured as she herself as matured, and in the 90s, Cyndi Lauper continues to bring her brand of music to audiences around the world. Cyndi's talent for music began at the age of 12 when she learned to play the guitar and creating lyrics. Cyndi eventually dropped out of high school and starting singing in local clubs and songwriting. She played with a few cover bands (Doc West, Flyer) playing Top 40 music, and in 1977, Cyndi severely damaged her vocal cords. Cyndi had to spend a year of "voice therapy" to regain her vocals. Before Cyndi hit it big as a solo artist, she recorded an LP in 1980 with the group 'Blue Angel.' The group had some marginal success in New York, but eventually disbanded and Cyndi was forced to file for bankruptcy. Cyndi continued to play local clubs, but this time as a solo artist.

• Cyndi signed with Portrait Records and began work on her first solo LP.

• October 14: Cyndi burst onto the music charts with her debut LP, She's So Unusual. Propelled by outrageous and innovative videos and Betty Boop-like style, the LP's first 3 singles topped the pop charts ("Girls Just Want To Have Fun," "Time After Time," and "She Bop").

# 1 Singles Artist of the Year (# 1 Female Artist of the Year)

• January 28: Cyndi hit the ARC Weekly Top 40 with "Girls Just Want To Have Fun."

• February 18: Cyndi hit the Top 10 with "Girls Just Want To Have Fun."

• March 17: Cyndi hit #1 for a week on the ARC Weekly Top 40 with "Girls Just Want To Have Fun."
• March 24: Cyndi topped the Billboard Dance/Disco chart for 1 week with "Girls Just Want To Have Fun."
• March 26: She's So Unusual was certified gold.

• April 14: Cyndi hit the ARC Weekly Top 40 with "Time After Time."

• May 7: She's So Unusual was certified platinum.
• May 12: Cyndi hit the Top 10 with "Time After Time."
• May 24: Cyndi appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone.

• June 2: Cyndi topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart for 3 weeks with "Time After Time."
• June 9: Cyndi hit #1 for 2 weeks on the ARC Weekly Top 40 with "Time After Time."
• June 9: Cyndi topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 2 weeks with "Time After Time."

• July 28: Cyndi hit the ARC Weekly Top 40 with "She Bop."

• August 25: Cyndi hit the Top 10 with "She Bop."

• September 14: The video for "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" won a MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video and was nominated for Video of the Year, Best Concept Video, Viewer's Choice, and Best Overall Performance. The video for "Time After Time" was nominated for Best Female Video and Best Direction. Cyndi was also nominated for Best New Artist.
• September 22: Cyndi #1 for a week on the ARC Weekly Top 40 with "She Bop."

• October 13: Cyndi hit the ARC Weekly Top 40 with "All Through The Night."
• October 30: She's So Unusual was certified 2x platinum.

• November 17: Cyndi hit the Top 10 with "All Through The Night."

• December 31: Lauper topped the Billboard Year-End Chart-Toppers as the Top Pop Artist - Female, Top New Pop Artist, Top Pop Album Artist - Female, and Top Pop Singles Artist - Female.

# 38 Singles Artist of the Year

• January 5: Cyndi hit the ARC Weekly Top 40 with the 5th hit from She's So Unusual with "Money Changes Everything."
• January 28: Cyndi won 2 American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist.

• February 26: Cyndi won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist and was nominated for Album of the Year (She's So Unusual), Song of the Year (songwriter) ("Time After Time"), Best Vocal Performance - Female, and Record of the Year ("Girls Just Want To Have Fun").

• March 12: She's So Unusual was certified 4x platinum.

• May 25: Cyndi hit the ARC Weekly Top 40 with "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" from the film The Goonies.

• June 29: Cyndi hit the Top 10 with "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough."

• July 13: Cyndi performed at Live Aid.

• September 13: The video for "She Bop" was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video.

# 43 Singles Artist of the Year

• February 25: Cyndi was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance - Female ("What A Thrill").

• September 13: Cyndi hit the ARC Weekly Top 40 with "True Colors."
• September 15: Cyndi's follow-up LP, True Colors, was released and gave Cyndi her fourth #1 hit, "True Colors" in October. The LP showed more of Cyndi's softer side which gained some fans, and turned off others. Cyndi got some help on True Colors from such artists as the Bangles, Billy Joel, and Aimme Mann. The LP was also co-produced by Cyndi and received a Grammy nomination for the title track.

• October 4: Cyndi hit the Top 10 with "True Colors."
• October 25: Cyndi hit #1 for 2 weeks on the ARC Weekly Top 40 with "True Colors."
• October 25: Cyndi topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 2 weeks with "True Colors."

• November 1: Cyndi topped the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart for 2 weeks with "True Colors."
• November 12: True Colors was certified gold.
• November 24: True Colors was certified platinum.

• December 13: Cyndi hit the ARC Weekly Top 40 with "Change Of Heart."

# 29 Singles Artist of the Year

• January 24: Cyndi hit the Top 10 with "Change Of Heart."

• February 24: Cyndi was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards for Best Vocal Performance - Female ("True Colors") and Best Rock Vocal Performance - Female ("911").

• March 21: Cyndi hit the ARC Weekly Top 40 with her remake of the classic "What's Going On."

• May 2: Cyndi hit the Top 10 with "What's Going On."

• July 30: Cyndi hit the ARC Weekly Top 40 with "Hole In My Heart (All The Way To China)" from the film Vibes which she also starred in with Jeff Goldblum.

• September 11: The video for "True Colors" was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video and the video for "What's Going On" was nominated for Best Cinematography.

# 69 Singles Artist of the Year

• May 8: Cyndi released A Night To Remember which gave her the Top 10 "I Drove All Night" and the emotionally driven "My First Night Without You."
• May 20: Cyndi hit the ARC Weekly Top 40 with "I Drove All Night."

• June 24: Cyndi hit the Top 10 with "I Drove All Night."

• February 22: Cyndi was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance - Female ("I Drove All Night").

• December 4: She's So Unusual was certified 5x platinum.

• June 30: Hat Full Of Stars was released and did not produce any Top 40 pop hits, but was received generously by the critics as showcasing Cyndi's talent. Cyndi had also co-produced the LP, co-wrote all the LP's tracks and directed several videos from the LP.

• In between LPs, Cyndi has tried her hand at acting. She has appeared in the movies Vibes (1988) and Life With Mikey (1993).

• November 14: True Colors was certified 2x platinum.

• July 7: A greatest hits compilation was released called 12 Deadly Cyns... And Then Some. The hit collection contained a modernized dance version of "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" that topped the charts in Britain a year earlier.

• September 10: Cyndi won an Emmy Award for her guest appearance on TV's Mad About You.

• November 23: Cyndi released Sisters Of Avalon. Again, the LP was warmly received by critics but did not sell well with music fans.

• February 28: She's So Unusual was certified 6x platinum and 12 Deadly Cyns... And Then Some was certified gold.

• Cyndi toured some of 1997 with Tina Turner's "Wildest Dreams" tour and made appearances supporting her LP, all the while pregnant with her first child.

• In interviews, Cyndi has stated that the reduced success her LPs have shown is understandable but more of a concern to her is being able to play the music she wishes to create. "When I did Hat Full Of Stars it was very difficult for me because that kind of music wasn't being made. And then Alanis Morissette came along and she made it possible for me to do the kind of music I wanted to do. All of a sudden using drum loops and playing harmonica - that wasn't weird. It makes it easier for me. We all open doors for each other."

• October 27: Cyndi released the holiday LP Merry Christmas... A Nice Life.

• February 25: Cyndi was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording ("Disco Inferno").

• August: Cyndi talked with Jam!Music about her gay fans: "I love the community. I embrace it... You got to stick by your friends and family and stand up for them, because in a world that's run by fear of anybody who's different, you got to be there and have their backs covered... because if you don't, all the fearful people take over and everything is run by fear, just because people are a little different."

• November 7: Cyndi appeared on the soundtrack for Rugrats In Paris: The Movie with "I Want A Mom That Will Last Forever."

• July 4: Cyndi sang with the Boston Pops at the annual 4th of July concert in Boston.

• October 9: Cyndi took part in the benefit concert 'Come Together: A Night For John Lennon's Words & Music.'

• May 2: Cyndi released the EP - Shine.
• May 23: Cyndi performed on VH1 Divas 2002: Divas Las Vegas.

• June 14: Cyndi toured as the opening act on Cher's farewell tour throughout the summer.

• August 20: Cyndi tripped and fell while performing in Oklahoma. She fell 5 feet but continued with her set before being carried off from the stage.

• April 23: The Essential Cyndi Lauper was released.

• November 23: Cyndi released an LP of standards, At Last. The set includes a duet with Tony Bennett on "Makin' Whoopee."

• April: As debate over gay marriage began, Cyndi told The Advocate: "When any two people love one another and are committed to one another, they should be allowed to marry. It's a shame that our president is such a narrow-minded person. He needs to be out in November."
• April 18: Cyndi was featured on VH1's Divas Live.

• September: Cyndi performed at the Great Wall of China.

• February 13: Cyndi was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist ("Unchained Melody" with Steve Gaboury and Don Sebesky).

• July 17: Cyndi appeared as herself on the Showtime series Queer As Folk.

• November 8: Cyndi released The Body Acoustic. The set included many of her previous songs revamped with guest collaborations.

• April 20: Cyndi made her Broadway debut in the play The Threepenny Opera.

• May 27: Cyndi released Bring Ya To The Brink.

• June 28: Cyndi topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for 1 week with "Same Ol' Story."

• August 30: Cyndi topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for 1 week with "Into The Nightlife."

• February 8:Cyndi was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Electronic / Dance Album (Bring Ya To The Brink).

• May 23: Cyndi appeared as one of the contestants on The Celebrity Apprentice.

• June 22: Cyndi released Memphis Blues and topped the Billboard Blues Album chart.

• February 13: Cyndi was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album (Memphis Blues).

• May 28: Cyndi scored the play Kinky Boots which earned 13 Tony Award nominations. Cyndi won the Tony for Best Score.

• January 26: Cyndi won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album (Kinky Boots).

• April 1: Cyndi released She's So Unusual: A 30th Anniversary Celebration.

• May 6: Cyndi released the country LP Detour.

• October 13: She's So Unusual was certified 7x platinum.

• October 18: Cyndi began her farewell tour.

• November 8: Cyndi was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

	She's So Unusual She's So Unusual: A 30th Anniversary Celebration Released: October 14, 1983 US: 7x Platinum Billboard Top 200 LPs peak: # 4 Grammy Nominee: Album of the Year Rolling Stone: Rolling Stone: '500 Greatest Albums of All-Time': # 494 Rolling Stone: '50 Essential 'Woman In Rock' Albums': # 41 Tracks: "Money Changes Everything" - "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" - "When You Were Mine" - "Time After Time" - "She Bop" - "All Through The Night" - Witness" - "I'll Kiss You" - "He's So Unusual" - "Yeah Yeah"
	True Colors Released: September 15, 1986 US: 2x Platinum Billboard Top 200 LPs peak: # 4 Tracks: "Change Of Heart" - "Maybe He'll Know" - "Boy Blue" - "True Colors" - "Calm Inside The Storm" - "What's Going On" - "Iko Iko" - "Faraway Nearby" - "911" - "One Track Mind"
	A Night To Remember Released: May 8, 1989 Billboard Top 200 LPs peak: # 37 Rolling Stone: Tracks: "I Drove All Night" - "Primitive" - "My First Night Without You" - "Like A Cat" - "Heading West" - "A Night To Remember" - "Unconditional Love" - "Insecurious" - "Dancing With A Stranger" - "I Don't Want To Be Your Friend" - "Kindred Spirit"
	Hat Full Of Stars Released: June 30, 1993 Billboard Top 200 LPs peak: # 112 Rolling Stone: - Entertainment Weekly: B Tracks: "That's What I Think" - "Product Of Misery" - "Who Let In The Rain" - "Lies" - "Broken Glass" - "Sally's Pigeons" - "Feels Like Christmas" - "Dear John" - "Like I Used To" - "Someone Like Me" - "Part Hate" - "Hat Full Of Stars"
	12 Deadly Cyns... And Then Some Released: July 7, 1995 US: Gold Billboard Top 200 LPs peak: # 81 Entertainment Weekly: B+ Tracks: "I'm Gonna Be Strong" - "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" - "Money Changes Everything" - "Time After Time" - "All Through The Night" - "Change Of Heart" - "True Colors" - "What's Going On" - "I Drove All Night" - "That's What I Think" - "Sally's Pigeons" - "Hey Now (Girls Just Want To Have Fun)" - "Come On Home"
	Sisters Of Avalon Released: November 23, 1996 Billboard Top 200 LPs peak: # 188 Entertainment Weekly: B+ Tracks: "Sisters Of Avalon" - "Ballad Of Cleo & Joe" - "Fall Into Your Dreams" - "You Don't Know" - "Love To Hate" - "Hot Gets A Little Cold" - "Unhook The Stars" - "Searching" - "Say A Prayer" - "Mother" - "Fearless" - "Brimstone And Fire"
	Merry Christmas... A Nice Life Released: October 27, 1998 Tracks: "Home On Christmas Day" - "Early Christmas Morning" - "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" - "Christmas Conga" - "Minnie And Santa" - "Feels Like Christmas" - "Three Ships" - "New Year's Baby (First Lullaby)" - "December Child" - "In The Bleak Midwinter" - "Silent Night"
	Shine (EP) Released: May 2, 2002 Tracks: "Shine" - "It's Hard To Be Me" - "Madonna Whore" - "Water's Edge" - "Shine" (Illicit Remix)
	The Essential Cyndi Lauper Released: April 23, 2003 Tracks: "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" - "Money Changes Everything" - "Who Let In The Rain" - "She Bop" - "Time After Time" - "I Drove All Night" - "Hat Full Of Stars" - "Change Of Heart" - "Sisters Of Avalon" - "All Through The Night" - "When You Were Mine" - "True Colors" - "Unhook The Stars" - "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough"
	At Last Released: November 18, 2003 Billboard Top 200 LPs peak: # 38 Tracks: "At Last" - "Walk On By" - "Stay" - "La Vie En Rose" - "Unchained Melody" - "If You Go Away" - "Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" - "My Baby Just Cares For Me" - "Makin' Whoopee" (with Tony Bennett) - "Don't Let My Be Minunderstood" - "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" - "Hymn To Love" - "On The Sunny Side Of The Street"
	The Body Acoustic Released: November 8, 2005 Billboard Top 200 LPs peak: # 112 Rolling Stone: - Entertainment Weekly: B Tracks: "Money Changes Everything" (with Adam Lazzara) - "All Through The Night" (with Shaggy) - "Time After Time" (with Sarah McLachlan) - "She Bop" - "Above The Clouds" (with Jeff Beck) - "I'll Be Your River" (with Vivian Green) - "Sisters Of Avalon" (with Ani DiFranco & Vivian Green) - "Shine" - "True Colors" - "Water's Edge" (with Sara McLachlan) - "Fearless" - "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" (with Puffi AmiYumi)
	Bring Ya To The Brink Released: May 27, 2008 Billboard Top 200 LPs peak: # 41 Grammy Nominee: Best Electronic / Dance Album Rolling Stone: - Entertainment Weekly: B Tracks: "High And Mighty" - "Into The Nightlife" - "Rocking Chair" - "Echo" - "Lyfe" - "Same Old F****** Story" - "Raging Storm" - "Lay Me Down" - "Give It Up" - "Set Your Heart" - "Grab A Hold" - "Rain On Me"
	Memphis Blues Released: June 22, 2010 Billboard Top 200 LPs peak: # 26 Billboard # 1: Blues Albums Rolling Stone: Grammy Nominee: Best Traditional Blues Album Tracks: "Just You Fool" - "Shattered Dreams" - "Early In The Mornin'" - "Romance In The Dark" - "How Blue Can You Get?" - "Down Don't Bother Me" - "Don't Cry No More' - "Rollin' And Tumblin'" - "Down So Low" - "Mother Earth" - "Crossroads" - "Wild Women Don't Get The Blues"
	Detour Released: May 6, 2016 Billboard Top 200 LPs peak: # 29 Rolling Stone: Tracks: "Funnel Of Love" - "Detour" (featuring Emmylou Harris) - "Misty Blue" - "Walkin' After Midnight" - "Heartaches By The Number" - "The End Of The World" - "Night Life" (featuring Willie Nelson) - "Begging To You" - "Begging To You" - "You're The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly" (featuring Vince Gill) - "I Fall To Pieces" - "I Want To Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart" (featuring Jewel) - "Hard Candy Christmas" (featuring Alison Krauss)

1	Time After Time from the LP She's So Unusual ARC chart run: 36 - 29 - 22 - 14 - 9 - 4 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 2 - 8 - 10 - 19 - 33 - off Year-End Chart Position: # 10 RIAA Certification: 5x Platinum Billboard # 1: Hot 100, Adult Contemporary Grammy Nominee: Song of the Year MTV VMA Nominee: Best Female Video, Best Direction VH1: '100 Greatest Songs of the 80's': # 19 VH1: '100 Best Songs of the Past 25 Years': # 22 Rolling Stone & MTV: '100 Greatest Pop Songs': # 66	1(2)	15	1984
2	Girls Just Want To Have Fun from the LP She's So Unusual ARC chart run: 28 - 20 - 17 - 8 - 6 - 5 - 3 - 1 - 6 - 12 - 15 - 21 - 36 - 39 - off Year-End Chart Position: # 24 RIAA Certification: 6x Platinum Billboard # 1: Dance/Disco Grammy Nominee: Record of the Year , Best Vocal Performance - Female MTV VMA Winner: Best Female Video MTV VMA Nominee: Video of the Year, Best Concept Video, Viewer's Choice, Best Overall Performance VH1: '100 Greatest Songs of the 80's': # 23 VH1: '100 Greatest Videos': # 45 MTV: '100 Greatest Videos Ever Made': # 39 Rolling Stone: 'The 100 Top Music Videos': # 22	1(1)	14	1984
3	She Bop from the LP She's So Unusual ARC chart run: 38 - 31 - 18 - 12 - 9 - 6 - 3 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 6 - 8 - 25 - 34 - off Year-End Chart Position: # 26 RIAA Certification: Gold MTV VMA Nominee: Best Female Video	1(1)	14	1984
4	True Colors from the LP True Colors ARC chart run: 34 - 27 - 16 - 10 - 6 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 4 - 10 - 16 - 35 - off Year-End Chart Position: # 33 RIAA Certification: Platinum Billboard # 1: Hot 100, Hot 100 Airplay Grammy Nominee: Best Vocal Performance - Female MTV VMA Nominee: Best Female Video	1(2)	12	1986
5	Change Of Heart from the LP True Colors ARC chart run: 35 - 27 - 25 - 21 - 16 - 11 - 7 - 4 - 2 - 5 - 13 - 24 - 37 - off Year-End Chart Position: # 39	2	13	1987
6	All Through The Night from the LP She's So Unusual ARC chart run: 34 - 26 - 22 - 18 - 12 - 8 - 7 - 4 - 3 - 8 - 16 - 25 - 37 - off Year-End Chart Position: # 55 RIAA Certification: Gold	3	13	1984
7	I Drove All Night from the LP A Night To Remember ARC chart run: 37 - 28 - 20 - 18 - 13 - 10 - 7 - 5 - 13 - 25 - off Year-End Chart Position: # 89 Grammy Nominee: Best Rock Vocal Performance - Female	5	10	1989
8	What's Going On from the LP True Colors ARC chart run: 35 - 28 - 23 - 20 - 15 - 14 - 9 - 6 - 16 - 32 - off Year-End Chart Position: # 102 MTV VMA Nominee: Best Cinematography	6	10	1987
9	The Goonies 'R' Good Enough from The Goonies soundtrack and The Essential Cyndi Lauper ARC chart run: 36 - 29 - 22 - 19 - 14 - 9 - 7 - 6 - 15 - 27 - off Year-End Chart Position: # 101	6	10	1985
10	Money Changes Everything from the LP She's So Unusual ARC chart run: 40 - 32 - 26 - 21 - 18 - 16 - 39 - off Year-End Chart Position: # 156	16	7	1985
11	Hole In My Heart (All The Way To China) from the Vibes soundtrack ARC chart run: 40 - 36 - off Year-End Chart Position: # 225	36	2	1988
	Boy Blue from the LP True Colors	**	**	1987
	Maybe He'll Know from the LP True Colors	**	**	1987
	My First Night Without You from the LP A Night To Remember	**	**	1989
	Heading West from the LP A Night To Remember	**	**	1989
	A Night To Remember from the LP A Night To Remember	**	**	1989
	Who Let In The Rain from the LP Hat Full Of Stars	**	**	1993
	That's What I Think from the LP Hat Full Of Stars	**	**	1993
	Sally's Pigeons from the LP Hat Full Of Stars	**	**	1993
	Hey Now (Girls Just Want To Have Fun) from the LP 12 Deadly Cyns... And Then Some	**	**	1995
	You Don't Know from the LP Sisters Of Avalon	**	**	1997
	Ballad Of Cleo & Joe from the LP Sisters Of Avalon	**	**	1998
	Shine from the EP Shine	**	**	2002
	Walk On By from the LP At Last	**	**	2004
	Same Ol' Story from the LP Bring Ya To The Brink Billboard # 1: Dance Club Songs	**	**	2008
	Into The Nightlife from the LP Bring Ya To The Brink Billboard # 1: Dance Club Songs	**	**	2009
Note: Song title and position links lead you to the song's ARC Weekly Top 40 chart run . Songs charting prior to 1980 have information from Billboard magazine.