4. “Sweet Dreams,” Eurythmics
Paste: So, other ’80s songs. What else should be put on your favorites list?
Thompson: You know, I think it was a great era for women. I think it was a great time because there were some great songs by women like “Love is a Battlefield,” That was a great song. And “Sweet Dreams.” I just thought the way [Annie Lennox] sang, and the things she sang about in “Sweet Dreams” was … I just thought she was a revelation! That kinda super-androgynous, powerful, kinda half dominatrix chick. And her image was so great … her image in the videos and the way she sang. There were a lot of great hits from women. Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” was a perfect song. It was so beautiful and so heartfelt. Her vocals were so amazing. And, for me, that was a song I went to when I was feeling sad and wanted to feel even sadder. (Laughs)
Paste:: And, you know, that was a revelation because she had such a wild, crazy, party-girl persona. So, when that single came out, people were like, “Oh my gosh, Cyndi Lauper, of all people, just broke my heart.”
Thompson: Yeah, she was a great song writer. And, you’re right … that’s what I love about that song. I was such a fan of Cyndi Lauper and her whole “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” thing. But, when that song came out, she got to show her depth.