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TL;DR:

  • The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” and Cyndi Lauper have some major things in common.
  • The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” topped the Billboard Hot 10.
  • Lauper’s song was big as well but it did not reach the top of the chart.

The Beach Boys‘ “Good Vibrations” is one of the band’s most important songs. A Cyndi Lauper song references the lyrics of “Good Vibrations.” Despite this, the two tracks have very different meanings.

Cyndi Lauper’s ‘She Bop’ contextualizes lines from The Beach Boys’ ‘Good Vibrations’

Lauper is most known for her ballads, like “All Through the Night” and “True Colors,” and her dance hits, like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” One of her most famous dance tracks is “She Bop.”

“She Bop” might be most famous today for its risque lyrics. One of the lines of the song is “Hey, hey, I’ve been thinking of a new sensation / I’m picking up good vibrations.” That lyric is a clear reference to “Good Vibrations.”

Of course, Lauper recontextualizes the original song. The Beach Boys’ track is about romance. Like most of The Beach Boys hits, the track is innocent. On the other hand, “She Bop” is one of the most sexual hits ever to grace the Billboard Hot 100.

The Beach Boys and Cyndi Lauper both had hits while showing of their experimental sides

Aside from the aforementioned lyric, “Good Vibrations” and “She Bop” have something else in common: they’re both experimental. “Good Vibration” uses lots of unusual instrumentation and features several distinct sections. It’s one of the pinnacles of the 1960s psychedelic rock scene.

“She Bop” isn’t often considered an avant-garde song. However, it’s one of the most unique dance tracks of the 1980s. The clashing synthesizers of “She Bop” make the track almost abrasive. The whistling in “She Bop” is also a unique feature for a 1980s dance song. The decade featured numerous dance hits from icons like Madonna and Whitney Houston, but none of them were as cutting-edge as “She Bop.”

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How ‘Good Vibrations’ and ‘She Bop’ performed on the pop charts

The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks. The tune appeared on the album Smiley Smile. That record reached No. 41 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 21 weeks.

On the other hand, “She Bop” reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for 18 weeks. “She Bop” appeared on Lauper’s most famous album: She’s So Unusual. That album peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, lasting on the chart for a total of 97 weeks.

Both songs inspired several covers. “Good Vibrations” has been recorded by Wilson Philips, The Troggs, and Todd Rundgren. In addition, GWAR covered “She Bop” and changed some of its risque lines.

“She Bop” is a classic dance song and it wouldn’t be the same without “Good Vibrations.”

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