"If She Knew What She Wants" by The Bangles

Song#:  2719
Date:  05/10/1986
Debut:  80
Peak:  29
Weeks:  14
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  The Bangles broke through with the Prince-penned "Manic Monday," the first single from their second album Different Light. It was a #2 smash that really pushed the all-female band into the limelight. This follow-up single couldn't quite reach the heights of their previous hit, but it made a slight impression getting into the Top 30 on both the Pop and AC (#24) charts. As this song began climbing the chart, the album initially peaked just outside the Top 10 at #12. But their next single would push the album up to #2 and help it become a triple platinum seller.

ReduxReview:  I thought this breezy tune was a good follow-up to "Manic Monday." It wasn't' a song with a huge hook or one that commanded your attention when heard on the radio. It was just an easy-going pop tune that was a pleasure to hear. I thought for sure it would get up near the Top 10 but it stalled way short. It just didn't seem to catch on and may have been a bit too casual to break through a noisy 80s chart.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  On the band's debut LP, 1984's All Over the Place, they wrote all but two of the album's eleven songs.  On Different Light, they had a hand in seven of the twelve tracks. The other five consisted of three new songs by other composers and two remakes. This single was one of the remakes. It was originally written and recorded by singer/songwriter Jules Shear for his 1985 album The Eternal Return. That LP featured Shear's only Pop chart single, the #57 "Steady," a song he co-wrote with Cyndi Lauper. He issued out "If She Knew What She Wants" as a follow up, but it failed to chart. 

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