The Bangles are an American all-female pop rock band formed in Los Angeles,California,in 1981. The band recorded several singles that reached the U.S. top 10 during the 1980s,including "Manic Monday" (1986),"Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986),"Hazy Shade of Winter" (1987),"In Your Room" (1988),and "Eternal Flame" (1989).
"Walk This Way" is a song by the American rock band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry,the song was originally released as the second single from the album Toys in the Attic (1975). It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977,part of a string of successful hit singles for the band in the 1970s. In addition to being one of the songs that helped break Aerosmith into the mainstream in the 1970s,it also helped revitalize their career in the 1980s when it was covered by hip hop group Run-D.M.C. on their 1986 album Raising Hell. This cover was a touchstone for the new musical subgenre of rap rock,or the melding of rock and hip hop. It became an international hit,reaching number 4 on the Billboard charts and becoming the first hip hop single to reach the top five on the charts,and won both groups a Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap Single in 1987 Soul Train Music Awards. Both versions are in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Susanna Hoffs is an American singer,guitarist,songwriter,author,and actress. Hoffs,Debbi Peterson,and Vicki Peterson founded the Bangles in 1981. They released their first album All Over the Place on Columbia Records in 1984. The group's third album,Everything (1988),included the US top-ten hit "In Your Room" and number one "Eternal Flame",both written by Hoffs with Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Following tensions in the band that included resentment at Hoffs being perceived as the band's leader,the group split in 1989. The Bangles re-formed in 1999 and released albums in 2003 and 2011.
"You Keep Me Hangin' On" is a song written and composed by Holland–Dozier–Holland. It was first recorded in 1966 by American Motown group the Supremes,reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. American rock band Vanilla Fudge released a cover version in June the following year,which reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100. Wilson Pickett recorded it in 1969. English singer Kim Wilde covered "You Keep Me Hangin' On" in 1986,reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1987. In the first 32 years of the Billboard Hot 100 rock era,"You Keep Me Hangin' On" became one of the six songs to reach number one by two different musical acts. In 1996,American country singer Reba McEntire's version reached number two on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. The BBC ranked the Supremes' original song at number 78 on The Top 100 Digital Motown Chart,which ranks Motown releases by their all-time UK downloads and streams.
"Manic Monday" is a song by the American pop rock band the Bangles,which was the first single released from their second studio album,Different Light (1986). The song was written by American musician Prince,under the pseudonym "Christopher". Originally it was intended for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984. Lyrically,it describes a woman who is waking up to go to work on Monday,wishing it was still Sunday so that she could continue relaxing.
"Everybody Have Fun Tonight" is a song by the English new wave band Wang Chung,released as a single from their fourth studio album Mosaic in 1986. Collaboratively written by Jack Hues,Nick Feldman,and Peter Wolf,it reached no. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart during the 1986 Christmas season,behind "Walk Like an Egyptian" by the Bangles. It also hit No. 1 on the Canada RPM Top 100 Singles chart the week of 17 January 1987. With some different lyrics,the original ballad version of the song was placed on the B-side.
"Eternal Flame" is a song by American pop rock group the Bangles for their third studio album,Everything (1988). The power ballad was written by group member Susanna Hoffs with the established hit songwriting team of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Upon its 1989 single release,"Eternal Flame" became a number-one hit in nine countries,including Australia,Sweden,the United Kingdom,and the United States. Since its release,it has been covered by many musical artists,including Australian boy band Human Nature,who reached the Australian top 10 with their version,and British girl group Atomic Kitten,who topped four national charts with their rendition.
"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right" is a song by American hip hop/rap rock group the Beastie Boys,released as the fourth single from their debut album Licensed to Ill (1986). One of their best-known songs,it reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the week of March 7,1987,and was later named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The song was also included on their compilation albums The Sounds of Science in 1999,Solid Gold Hits in 2005 and Beastie Boys Music in 2020.
Different Light is the second studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles,released in January 1986. The album's Top 40 sound was a departure from their earlier 1960s-style rock'n'roll sound. It is their most successful album,reaching number two on the Billboard 200 and producing five charting singles,including the Billboard top two hits "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyptian". It is also the first album in which bassist Michael Steele sings lead vocals on some tracks.
"The Final Countdown" is a song by Swedish rock band Europe,released in 1986. Written by lead singer Joey Tempest,it was based on a keyboard riff he made in the early 1980s,with lyrics inspired by David Bowie's "Space Oddity". Originally made to just be a concert opener,it is the first single and title track from the band's third studio album. The music video by Nick Morris,made to promote the single,has received 1 billion views on YouTube. The video features footage from the band's two concerts at Solnahallen in Solna,as well as extra footage of the sound checks and footage from Stockholm. The song "Pictures",from the 2017 album Walk the Earth,is a sequel to "The Final Countdown".
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American pop rock band the Bangles. It was released by their record company,Columbia Records on May 8,1990,to fulfill the band's contractual requirements;by the time of the release of the album,the group had already broken up. The album peaked at #97 on the US Billboard 200 and at #4 in the UK Albums Chart.
"Walk of Life" is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits,being the third track on their fifth studio album Brothers in Arms (1985). It was released as a single,but had first been available as the B-side of "So Far Away" released several months earlier in advance of the album.
When You're a Boy is the debut solo album by Susanna Hoffs. It begins with the Billboard Top 40 single "My Side of the Bed",includes the track "Unconditional Love",and ends with a cover of "Boys Keep Swinging",the 1979 song written by David Bowie and Brian Eno. The album's title comes from the lyrics to the latter.
"If She Knew What She Wants" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Jules Shear and introduced on his 1985 album The Eternal Return. The Bangles recorded the song for their 1986 album Different Light. That version,a call-and-response rendition with Susanna Hoffs as the main voice,was issued as a single and became a Top 40 hit. A mid-tempo ballad,it is sung from the viewpoint of someone,per songwriter Shear,"who wants to satisfy someone else but doesn't quite know how to do it because the other person is capricious." The song,especially The Bangles' version,is typically described with such adjectives as "bittersweet","plaintive" and "wistful".
"Walking Down Your Street" is a song by The Bangles. It is the fourth single from their 1986 album Different Light. After its single release in 1987,the song charted at #9 on the Cash Box Top 100,#11 on the Billboard Hot 100,#16 on the UK Singles Chart,#26 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles and #56 on the Australian Kent Music Report chart. "Walking Down Your Street" was the final single from Different Light in the US;the album's next single,"Following",was only released in the UK.
"Word Up!" is a funk and R&B song originally recorded by American funk band Cameo in 1986. It was released as the first single from their thirteenth album of the same name. The song was written by band members Larry Blackmon and Tomi Jenkins. Its frequent airing on American dance,R&B,and contemporary hit radio,as well as its MTV music video,helped the single become the band's best known hit.
"A Hazy Shade of Winter" is a song by American music duo Simon &Garfunkel,released on October 22,1966,initially as a stand-alone single,but subsequently included on the duo's album Bookends (1968). It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"In Your Room" is a 1988 song by American rock group The Bangles,written by Susanna Hoffs in collaboration with Billy Steinberg and composer Tom Kelly. The song was released as the first single from the band's third album,Everything. It reached the top five of the US singles chart,and also charted in Australia,New Zealand,and the United Kingdom.
"Going Down to Liverpool" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for his group Katrina and the Waves,although best remembered for a cover version by the Bangles.
