Cool cover song of the week...

If you've read my blog or any of my other social media posts before, or simply if you know me well enough, it's no secret that I'm an unabashed child of the 80s, despite the fact that I was 11 when the decade began. Even though I love all kinds of music, 80s music has a special place in my heart—and my memory.

Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time was released in 1984 as the second single from her album She's So Unusual. It hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was Lauper's second most commercially successful single after Girls Just Want to Have Fun. In their joint ranking of the 100 Greatest Pop Songs, MTV and Rolling Stone ranked Time After Time #66.

I love the spareness of this song and the lyrics are so poignant. While some 80s songs are more like novelties, this one truly has stood the test of time for me.

Minnesota alternative band Quietdrive released their version of Time After Time in 2006. While their version didn't have the success of Lauper's, only reaching #25, it was used in several movie soundtracks. Their version is more upbeat but it doesn't take away from the song's best qualities, which some covers do.

Here's Quietdrive's version:

Here's an instrumental version recorded by the late, great Miles Davis:

And here's Lauper's original. Still so great. (And I've always loved this video.)

Check out my previous Cool Cover Songs of the Week:

Borderline by The Counting Crows

How Deep Is Your Love by The Bird and The Bee

Life in a Northern Town by Sugarland, Little Big Town, and Jake Owen

I Don't Want to Talk About It by The Indigo Girls

Only You by Joshua Radin

Pure Imagination by Maroon 5

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by Blake Stratton

What a Fool Believes by Neri Per Caso

Poker Face by Daughtry

Back to Black by Ronnie Spector

I Will Survive by Cake

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by The Stereophonics

Rolling in the Deep by John Legend

Go Your Own Way by Lissie

Winner Takes it All by McFly

What a Wonderful World by Joey Ramone

Careless Whisper by Seether

I Walk the Line by Live

Dear Prudence by Siouxsie and The Banshees

Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm

Who Wants to Live Forever by Breaking Benjamin

Redemption Song by Chris Cornell and Audioslave

Love Me Tender by Chris Isaak and Brandi Carlile

All You Need is Love by The Flaming Lips

Lovesong by Adele

I Love It by Robin Thicke

Billie Jean by The Civil Wars

Across the Universe by The Scorpions

Can't Hold Us by Pentatonix

Wicked Game by James Vincent McMorrow

Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) by The Postal Service

Jolene by The White Stripes

Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) by Justin Timberlake

More Than This by Norah Jones

Royals by Mayer Hawthorne

I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) by The Bird and The Bee

Ain't No Sunshine by Silent Rider

Crazy by Ray Lamontagne

Stairway to Heaven by Heart

Nothing Compares 2 U by Capital Cities

Roar by Oscar Isaac