British New Wave band The Psychedelic Furs found mainstream popularity with a string of quirky, heartfelt pop tunes that are indelibly intertwined with ’80s pop culture.
∙ Formed in 1977 by brothers Richard and Tim Butler, The Psychedelic Furs built a following with live shows and released their self-titled debut album in 1980.
∙ The 1981 single “Pretty in Pink”—from their sophomore LP, Talk Talk Talk—inspired American filmmaker John Hughes’ classic 1986 teen rom-com of the same name.
∙ Produced by Todd Rundgren, their 1982 track “Love My Way” became a go-to for coming-of-age films—from 1983’s Valley Girl to 2017’s Oscar-winning Call Me By Your Name.
∙ “All That Money Wants” was the band’s first US No. 1 single, topping the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1988.
∙ In 1992, the Butlers formed Love Spit Love, whose cover of The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now?” became the opening theme for the original version of the TV supernatural drama Charmed.
∙ The Psychedelic Furs’ 2020 album, Made of Rain—their first new studio LP in nearly 30 years—rose to No. 13 on the UK charts.