Cyndi Lauper revisited ‘Time After Time’ four decades after its release

Cyndi Lauper looks back 40 years

Cyndi Lauper released Time After Time in 1984. The song was part of her first album, She’s So Unusual. It became her first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1984.

The song stayed at the top for two weeks. It also reached number one on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States.

In Canada, Time After Time topped the RPM chart. The single followed the success of Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Both songs helped introduce Lauper’s music to millions of people during her first year as a solo artist.

The music video was shot in New Jersey

After the song’s release, Lauper filmed the music video. The video was directed by Edd Griles and shot in New Jersey. Scenes included Morristown train station and streets in Wharton. The storyline follows Lauper and her boyfriend during a breakup.

Lauper said she didn’t want the video to feel like a Hollywood movie. She included her real-life mother and her dog to make it more personal. She also said the video captured a time when she was still figuring out who she was as an artist and person.

MTV gave the song national attention

The music video became part of MTV’s early history. On September 14, 1984, MTV held its first Video Music Awards. Lauper received nominations for Time After Time that night. She also won Best Female Video for Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

She was the most-nominated artist at the awards. This gave Time After Time even more attention across the country. The combination of award nominations and chart success kept the song in the spotlight months after its release.

Lauper says the video was based on real life

Lauper later explained the story behind the music video. She said it was about her and a boyfriend breaking up. She wanted to tell a story people could relate to, not something made up.

She said the video felt personal because it included real places and her actual family. She used her mother and dog instead of hiring actors. The goal was to make something that felt honest to her. The decisions she made helped the video stand out from others at the time

One lyric came from a studio moment

While working on the song, Lauper heard producer Rick Chertoff talking in the studio. He said his watch looked broken because the second hand was unwinding. Lauper thought the phrase sounded interesting and wrote it into the song.

That’s how the lyric “The second hand unwinds” made it into the first pre-chorus. Lauper explained this story in the documentary Let the Canary Sing. She said she immediately knew it would work in the song. It became one of the most memorable lines in the track.

Songwriting credit was shared with Rob Hyman

Lauper co-wrote Time After Time with musician Rob Hyman. Hyman was a member of the band The Hooters. He also played keyboard and sang harmony on the song.

They worked together in the studio during the making of She’s So Unusual. Hyman helped shape the melody and structure. Their teamwork resulted in a song that stood apart from the other tracks on the album. Time After Time became their most well-known collaboration from that session.

Grammy nomination followed its success

In 1985, Time After Time received a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. The nomination recognized Lauper and Hyman as co-writers. It was one of the highest honors for a single that year.

The Grammy nod came months after the song topped the charts and gained attention on MTV. Lauper had just begun her solo career. The nomination confirmed that her work on Time After Time was being taken seriously by the music industry.

Her debut album set new records

The song was one of four major hits from Lauper’s debut album. She’s So Unusual was released in 1983. It sold over 16 million copies around the world.

Lauper became the first woman to score four top-five singles from a debut album. The other songs included Girls Just Want to Have Fun, She Bop, and All Through the Night. Time After Time was the second single but became one of the most played songs from the album.

Old hit returns thanks to Cobra Kai

Years after its original success, Girls Just Want to Have Fun returned to the charts. In August 2024, the song was featured in episode three of Cobra Kai season six. It reached number one on Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart.

The song earned 13.7 million on-demand streams and 2,000 digital downloads. Billboard reported the numbers on August 16, 2024. The return of the song showed how Cyndi Lauper’s music continues to reach new fans through streaming and television.

New film shares the full story

In 2024, a documentary called Let the Canary Sing premiered. It was directed by Alison Ellwood and shown at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film began streaming on Paramount Plus in June 2024.

Lauper said she had been asked for years to make a documentary. She said she trusted Ellwood to tell the story truthfully. The film included behind-the-scenes stories about her career, including how Time After Time was written and filmed.

Rock Hall induction announced in 2025

In May 2025, Cyndi Lauper was named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s class of inductees. Others named that year included The White Stripes, Bad Company, and Outkast.

Lauper said she was excited to join the Rock Hall community. She told SiriusXM that being inducted means standing on the shoulders of those who came before. Her full comments aired on the program Fierce: Women in Music on May 22, 2025.

Lauper’s final tour

Cyndi Lauper’s farewell tour was announced in 2024. It includes 23 cities across North America. The tour began on October 18, 2024, and ends on August 30th, 2025.

She said fans will laugh, cry, sing, and feel happy at the shows. Lauper described the experience of touring as similar to being an athlete. She said doing a full tour takes focus and energy. The farewell tour is her final set of arena shows.

Madison Square Garden show highlighted

A photo of Cyndi Lauper performing at Madison Square Garden appeared in a May 2025 article. The photo was taken by Taylor Hill for Getty Images and used in a SiriusXM story.

The article talked about Lauper’s Rock Hall induction, her farewell tour, and her goals. She said awards are nice, but she wants to help the next generation. She said young artists often feel hopeless and that giving people hope matters more.

Farewell tour stops in California

Cyndi Lauper’s farewell tour includes a stop at Shoreline Amphitheatre. The show takes place on Sunday, August 24. The venue is located at One Amphitheatre Parkway in Mountain View, California.

Tickets are listed at StubHub.com. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and is open to all ages. Lauper will perform hits from across her career. Time After Time is part of the tour’s setlist, along with other songs from her 1983 debut album.

Glastonbury 2024 faced audio problems

On June 29, 2024, Lauper performed at the Glastonbury Festival. Her set was on the Pyramid Stage and had audio issues. Reports said her in-ear monitors were not working during some songs.

She was seen talking to the production crew offstage. Viewers at home noticed the issues during her song Rocking Chair. The sound was fixed before she performed I Drove All Night. Later, she told The Times that the performance “sucked” and that she had wanted it to be great.

Want to uncover which rock classics top the cover charts? Don’t miss the most covered rock songs ever revealed.

Lauper talks about past with Madonna

Cyndi Lauper talked about her past with Madonna in June 2024. She said she didn’t think Madonna liked her. Both artists started their solo careers in 1983.

Lauper said they were treated like rivals and that she wished they had been friends. In 1985, both were considered for We Are the World. Lauper was chosen. Lionel Richie said on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2024 that choosing Lauper over Madonna was a mistake.

Lady Gaga dethroned Madonna with record crowd in May. Check out the details.

Drop your favorite lyric from “Time After Time” in the comments!

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.