American singer Cyndi Lauper has released twelve studio albums, fifteen compilation albums, five video albums and fifty-four singles. Worldwide, Lauper has sold approximately 50 million albums, singles and DVDs. According to the RIAA, she has sold 9.5 million certified albums in the United States with She's So Unusual being her biggest seller (7× Platinum as of 2023).
Lauper was a founding member of Blue Angel, who released their debut album in 1980 on Polydor Records. The album was unsuccessful, causing the band to break up and Lauper to file for bankruptcy. In 1983, Lauper obtained a contract with Portrait Records, and her debut solo album, She's So Unusual, was released. The album was a major success, achieving platinum and gold certification around the world and spawning the hits "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "Time After Time", "All Through the Night" and "She Bop". In 1985, Lauper released "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough", a single from the soundtrack to The Goonies, and her second album, True Colors, was released in 1986. True Colors was another successful album, along with the single of the same name and "Change of Heart". A starring role in the film Vibes in 1988 led to the release of "Hole in My Heart (All the Way to China)", which was a hit in Australia and New Zealand. Lauper's third album, A Night to Remember, was released in 1989. This album was less successful, despite the popularity of the first single, "I Drove All Night". The following single, "My First Night Without You", managed to chart in the top 60 in the United States.
In 1992, Lauper appeared in the English version of Starmania, a French rock opera. She released a single from the musical, "The World Is Stone", which was a major hit in several countries, particularly France. Her album Hat Full of Stars was released in 1993 on Epic Records, attaining gold certification in France and Japan. Lauper's greatest hits compilation, Twelve Deadly Cyns...and Then Some, was released in 1994, with the re-recorded version of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" reaching number four in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. A compilation of Lauper's music videos and an interview was released at the same time on VHS. In 1996, she released Sisters of Avalon, and an original album of Christmas songs, Merry Christmas...Have a Nice Life in 1998. These two albums were much less successful internationally than her previous releases, but both charted in Japan. Sisters of Avalon was also certified platinum in Japan.
In 2001, Lauper planned to release another album, Shine, but the record company folded. An extended play version of the album was released to counter Internet piracy, and the full album was released exclusively in Japan in 2004. In 2003, Lauper released her seventh studio album, At Last, and a live version in 2004 on DVD, Live... At Last. At Last is a set of covers that reinvent classic songs, such as the title track "At Last", "Walk On By" and "Stay". The live DVD achieved gold certification in the United States. In 2005, Lauper released The Body Acoustic, featuring new acoustic versions of her hits, such as a duet of "Time After Time" with Sarah McLachlan. Lauper's 2008 album, Bring Ya to the Brink, was her first release in seven years containing original material, and met with considerable success. In December 2008 she recorded the duet "A Christmas Duel" with Swedish pop band The Hives, released in Sweden only, where it reached number 4. Memphis Blues was released in 2010. It managed to be her highest-charting album on the Billboard 200 since True Colors in 1986, and spent 13 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Blues chart, becoming the highest selling blues album of the year. So far, it has sold 600,000 copies worldwide. Her most recent album is Detour, released in 2016. It is a country and western album inspired by some of her favourite artists growing up including Patsy Cline. The album peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard 200. A documentary on Lauper's career titled Let the Canary Sing was released on Paramount+ in June 2024 along with a soundtrack for the documentary.
Albums Studio albums TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertificationsUSAUSAustralian chart peaks: Top 100 (Kent Music Report) peaks to 19 June 1988: N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 19 June 1988. Top 50 (ARIA Chart) peaks from 26 June 1988: Top 100 (ARIA Chart) singles and albums peaks from January 1990 until December 2010: "Heading West" (ARIA Chart) peak: "A Night to Remember" and "I'm Gonna Be Strong" (ARIA Chart) peaks: "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" (ARIA Chart) peak: "The World Is Stone", "Who Let in the Rain", "That's What I Think", "You Don't Know" and "Sisters of Avalon" (ARIA Chart) peaks: N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart. Hat Full of Stars: Body Acoustic and Collections: True Colors: The Best of Cyndi Lauper: "A Night to Remember": "Heading West", "The World Is Stone", "Who Let in the Rain" and "I'm Gonna Be Strong": "You Don't Know" and "Time After Time" (2005 version): AUTCANFRAGERJPNSWESWIUKUK Chart peaks outside the top 75, between 1994 and 2010: She's So UnusualReleased: October 13, 1983 Label: Portrait, Epic Format: LP, cassette, CD43511423522816RIAA: 7× Platinum ARIA: Platinum BPI: Gold BVMI: Gold IFPI SWI: Platinum MC: 8× Platinum SNEP: Gold RMNZ: Gold True ColorsReleased: September 15, 1986 Label: Portrait, Epic Format: LP, cassette, CD411571318220825RIAA: 2× Platinum ARIA: Gold BPI: Silver MC: 2× Platinum SNEP: Gold A Night to RememberReleased: May 8, 1989 Label: Epic Format: LP, cassette, CD3717—341519332189ARIA: Gold MC: Gold RIAJ: Platinum SNEP: Gold Hat Full of Stars Released: June 30, 1993 Label: Epic Format: LP, cassette, CD112102—6895215—3256RIAJ: Gold SNEP: Gold Sisters of AvalonReleased: November 23, 1996 Label: Epic Format: Cassette, CD188—45———15——59RIAJ: Gold Merry Christmas ... Have a Nice LifeReleased: October 27, 1998 Label: Epic Format: Cassette, CD, LP——————75——— At LastReleased: November 18, 2003 Label: Daylight / Epic Format: Cassette, CD3832—3285—205—50124 ShineReleased: May 3, 2004 (Full LP in Japan) Released: May 2, 2002 (EP in US) Label: Epic Format: CD——————120———The Body AcousticReleased: November 8, 2005 Label: Daylight / Epic Format: CD11217560—190—42—8655 Bring Ya to the BrinkReleased: May 27, 2008 Label: Epic Format: CD41874840129—18——— Memphis BluesReleased: June 22, 2010 Label: Mercer Street / Downtown Format: LP, CD2659—453177418577105IMPALA: 2× Silver DetourReleased: May 2, 2016 Label: Sire Format: LP, CD2915—6914264122—5543 "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.
Broadway cast album TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsUSUSCast Albums Kinky BootsReleased: May 28, 2013 Label: Masterworks Broadway511
Compilation albums TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertificationsUSAUSAUTFRAGERJPNNLDNZLSWIUK The Best RemixesReleased: April 21, 1989 Label: Epic—————61————RIAJ: Gold Twelve Deadly Cyns...and Then Some Released: 1994 Label: Epic812518618838672RIAA: Gold ARIA: Gold BPI: 2× Platinum IFPI SWI: Gold RIAJ: Million SNEP: Platinum Wanna Have Fun Released: 1996 Label: Epic—————————— Time After Time: The Best of Cyndi Lauper Released: 13 November 2000 Label: Epic——————————BPI: Gold The Essential Cyndi LauperReleased: 2003 Label: Sony BMG—————29———— The Great Cyndi LauperReleased: 2003 Label: Epic—————————— ARIA: Gold Hey Now! (Remixes & Rarities)Released: 2005 Label: Sony BMG—————————— CollectionsReleased: 2008 Label: Sony BMG—131———————— Released: February 18, 2009 Label: Epic—————102———— Playlist: The Very Best of Cyndi LauperReleased: March 31, 2009 Label: Legacy—————————— True Colors: The Best of Cyndi LauperReleased: June 12, 2009 Label: Sony Camden—146————————BPI: Gold She's So Unusual: A 30th Anniversary CelebrationReleased: March 31, 2014 Label: Sony150————53———— Front and Center (She's So Unusual 30th Anniversary Live)Released: March 25, 2015 Label: Sony Records International—————238———— Released: August 28, 2019 Label: Sony—————28———— Let the Canary SingReleased: May 31, 2024 Label: Legacy———182—————— "—" denotes releases that did not chart or was not released.
Extended plays TitleEP detailsSales Feels Like ChristmasReleased: July 1, 2001 Label: Sony Special Product ShineReleased: May 2, 2002 Label: Epic, Oglio US: 41,000 Shine RemixesReleased: July 2, 2002 Label: Epic, Oglio She's So Unusual: RemixedReleased: October 7, 2014 Label: Epic
Singles Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album US AUS AUT CAN FRA GER "Official Media Control Top Singles (29.04.1985)" IRL NLD NZL"USA for Africa - New Zealand Singles Chart" UK "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" 1983 2 1 3 1 5 6 1 4 1 2RIAA: 6× Platinum BPI: 3× Platinum BVMI: Gold MC: 2× Platinum RMNZ: 4× Platinum She's So Unusual "Time After Time" 1984 1 6 5 1 9 6 2 8 3 3RIAA: 5× Platinum BPI: Platinum BVMI: Gold MC: Platinum RMNZ: 4× Platinum "She Bop" 3 6 5 3 34 19 — 41 6 46RIAA: Gold MC: Gold "All Through the Night" 5 17 5 7 — 35 — — 19 64MC: Gold RIAA: Gold "Money Changes Everything" 27 19 — 23 — 54 — — 14 108 "When You Were Mine" 1985 — — — 62 — — — — — — "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" 10 8 — 9 — 49 — — 22 130MC: Gold The Goonies: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "True Colors" 1986 1 3 12 1 49 18 6 14 8 12RIAA: Platinum BPI: Gold MC: Gold