"Don't You (Forget About Me)" is a song by the Scottish rock band Simple Minds,released as a single in 1985. It was written and composed by the record producer Keith Forsey and the guitarist Steve Schiff for the film The Breakfast Club (1985). Simple Minds initially declined to record it,preferring to record their own material,but accepted after several other acts also declined.
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" became a breakout hit for Simple Minds,an iconic song and a 1980s anthem. The single reached No. 1 in the United States and Canada,becoming Simple Minds' biggest hit in the United States. It also reached No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top ten in charts around the world.
Recording
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" was written by Steve Schiff and Keith Forsey for the film The Breakfast Club (1985). Forsey and Schiff were inspired by a scene in which an introvert and a school bully bond while no one else is watching. Forsey said,"It was:don't forget,when we're back in the classroom,you're not just a bad guy and we've got other things in common."[10]
Simple Minds initially declined to record "Don't You (Forget About Me)",as they felt they should only record their own material.[11][12] Their guitarist,Charlie Burchill,said they felt it did not suit them as "we had delusions of being ultra-hip".[13] Their manager,Bruce Findlay,believed it would be successful in the United States. He arranged a private screening of The Breakfast Club in an effort to change their minds,but they still declined.[12] Their lead vocalist,Jim Kerr,said later:"We couldn't give a toss about teenage American schoolkids."[13]
Forsey offered "Don't You (Forget About Me)" to Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music,who declined as he was working on his album Boys and Girls (1985). Ferry said later:"It was just bad timing ... Keith Forsey sent me a demo of the song and it sounded like a hit to me."[14] The record label,A&M,suggested Corey Hart,who had a hit at the time with "Sunglasses at Night",but Forsey did not think he was the right singer.[15] Forsey's frequent collaborator Billy Idol also declined.[16]
Kerr's wife,the songwriter Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders,liked the song and urged him to record it.[13] Simple Minds agreed to try it after spending a few days with Forsey and becoming friends.[13] They were impressed by Forsey's work in German experimental music,such as Amon Düül II,and his work with Giorgio Moroder,including "I Feel Love" by Donna Summer.[13]
Kerr added the "hey hey hey" to the introduction and the "la la la" to the ending,intending to write new lyrics,but Forsey insisted on keeping them.[12][13] Burchill added power chords,and said later:"It was almost a caricature –I associated powerchords with American AOR. But it worked."[13] The Financial Times wrote that the chords "[helped] turn Forsey's sweet paean to teenage longing into a rousing,stadium-sized anthem".[12]
Simple Minds did not anticipate the song's success.[11] In 2016,Burchill said:"When I listen to it now,it’s obviously a brilliant,well-crafted pop song. I’m embarrassed we dissed it so much."[13]
Release and critical reception
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" was played during the opening and closing credits of The Breakfast Club (1985).[17] It was included on the film's soundtrack.[18][19] "Don't You (Forget About Me)" was released as a single in February 1985 in the United States and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100[20] in May 1985.[21] The song reached No. 1 in Canada in June 1985.[22] It is the band's only number-one hit on the US Top Rock Tracks chart,staying atop that chart for three weeks.[23] The song became Simple Minds' breakout hit,[11] as well as its biggest American hit.[11][20]
Cashbox said that "though the lyric theme is a simple enough declaration,the lead vocals and vivid orchestration make the tune complex and moving".[24] The song was included on the band's greatest hits compilation album,Glittering Prize 81/92 (1992).[25] It soon became a fixture of the band's live sets,[26] with an extended audience participation section during its inclusion on the 2015 tour to promote the band's Big Music album.[27]
John Leland of Spin described the song as "a romantic and melancholy dance track" that "cuts ice both in the living room and on the dance floor".[28] The song has become iconic,[29][30] and has been described by AmericanSongwriter.com as "an ‘80s masterpiece" and "an American teen anthem".[31]
Cover versions
In February 2021,indie folk band Boy &Bear along with Annie Hamilton covered "Don't You (Forget About Me)" for Australian youth radio station Triple J's Like a Version.[32] The cover placed 92nd in Triple J's first Like a VersionHottest 100.[33] Billy Idol also covered the song as an add-on track to his Greatest Hits album in 2001.
Music video
The music video –filmed inside Knebworth House,Hertfordshire,England –was directed by Daniel Kleinman.[34] It takes place in a darkened room with a chandelier,a rocking horse,a jukebox,and television sets displaying scenes from The Breakfast Club. The room gets increasingly cluttered with random objects as the video progresses until the last minute. The video was published on YouTube on 3 December 2010;as of February 2025,it had been viewed more than 358 million times.[35]
Track listing
7" Vinyl (UK &US)
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" –4:20
"A Brass Band in Africa" –5:10
12" Vinyl (UK &US)
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" –6:32
"A Brass Band in African Chimes" –9:22
12" Vinyl (Canada)
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" (extended version) –6:32
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" –4:20
"A Brass Band in Africa" –5:10
1988 3" CD (UK)
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" –4:20
"A Brass Band in African Chimes" –9:22
1988 CD (US)
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" (live) –9:02
"Bass Line" –4:37
"The American" –3:33
1990 CD (UK)
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" –6:35
"Up on the Catwalk" (extended version) –7:36
"A Brass Band in African Chimes" –9:24
Charts
Weekly charts
1985 weekly chart performance for "Don't You (Forget About Me)"
↑ Billboard Staff (19 October 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved 11 February 2024. The soaring and shimmering new wave love song that was a smash from its opening "HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY!"s...
↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 7 August 2023.Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Don't you (Forget about me)" in the "Titolo" field and press "cerca".
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