Sunglasses at Night
| "Sunglasses at Night" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| A-side | "Sunglasses at Night" |
| B-side | "At the Dance" |
"Sunglasses at Night" is a song by Canadian singer Corey Hart. It was released in January 1984 as the first single from his debut album, 1983's First Offense, and became a hit single in the United States, rising to number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1984. The song is a staple of 1980s pop rock and new wave music, combining an unflagging synthesizer hook, characteristic arpeggio, rock guitar and obscure lyrics. AllMusic has since described it as "an instant classic with its distinctive melody and catchy chorus."[1]
The song is included in numerous hits collections of the period, especially in the U.S., but it was not as popular throughout the rest of the world at the time. Peaking at number 24 in Hart's native Canada, it was not a hit in Europe and failed to chart at all in the UK.
The Local band covered the song and gained Corey some attention in the year of 2015.
Music video
The music video, shot at the Don Jail in Toronto, reflects the vision of a "fashion" police state, with scenes of Hart in a prison cell, without sunglasses, being strong-armed by police officers and paraded past various citizens wearing their regulation shades. Near the end of the video, Hart is taken to the office of a female police officer (who releases Hart in the song's end), played by Laurie Brown, who later became the host of The NewMusic as well as a VJ on MuchMusic.[2]
Charts
Peak positions
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[3] | 24 |
| songid field is MANDATORY FOR GERMAN CHARTS | 21 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[4] | 48 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[5] | 17 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 7 |
References
- ^ Simon Cantlon. "First Offense". AllMusic.
- ^ "Laurie Brown". Internet Movie Database.
- ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada".
- ^ "Corey Hart – Sunglasses at Night" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Corey Hart – Sunglasses at Night". Top 40 Singles.