Don't You (Forget About Me)

"Don't You (Forget About Me)"

Standard international artwork
Single by Simple Minds
from the album The Breakfast Club (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
B-side "A Brass Band in African Chimes"
Released 20 February 1985 (US)
8 April 1985 (UK)
Format
Recorded 10 July 1984
Length 4:20
6:32 (extended version)
7:17 (12")
Label Virgin
A&M (US)
Writer(s)
Simple Minds singles chronology
"Up on the Catwalk"
(1984)		 "Don't You (Forget About Me)"
(1985)		 "Alive and Kicking"
(1985)
Music sample
"Don't You (Forget About Me)"

"Don't You (Forget About Me)" is a 1985 pop song performed by the Scottish rock band Simple Minds. The song is best known for being played during the opening and closing credits of the John Hughes film The Breakfast Club. It was written by producer Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff (guitarist and songwriter from the Nina Hagen band).

Recording history

Forsey asked Cy Curnin from The Fixx, Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol to record the song, but all three declined; Idol later performed a cover of it on his 2001 compilation album Greatest Hits. Schiff then suggested Forsey ask Simple Minds who, after refusing as well, agreed under the encouragement of their label, A&M. According to frontman Jim Kerr, the band were reluctant to record the song as they felt they should only record their own material, relenting after persuasion from Kerr's wife at the time, Chrissie Hynde, and a phone call from Forsey in which he expressed his admiration for the band.[1] According to one account, the band "rearranged and recorded 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' in three hours in a north London studio and promptly forgot about it."[2]

Continuing the rock direction recently taken on Sparkle in the Rain but also glancing back at their melodic synthpop past, it caught the band at their commercial peak and, propelled by the success of The Breakfast Club, became a #1 hit in the U.S.[3] and around the world. It is the band's only #1 hit on the U.S. Top Rock Tracks chart, staying atop for three weeks. While only reaching #7 in the UK, it stayed on the charts from 1985 to 1987, one of the longest time spans for any single in the history of the chart.

The song did not appear on the band's subsequent album Once Upon a Time but appeared on the 1992 best-of Glittering Prize 81/92. It has since been a fixture of the band's live sets - with an extended audience participation section during its inclusion on the 2015 tour to promote the band's Big Music album.[4]

Two versions were created for release. A short version of 4:23 appeared on the single and the original motion picture soundtrack album of The Breakfast Club. A longer version of 6:32 was released on 12" single. This version contains longer breakdowns and drum fills, a second appearance of the bridge and a longer ending.

John Leland from Spin wrote that "'Don't You Forget About Me,' a romantic and melancholy dance track, therefore cuts ice both in the living room and on the dance floor."[5]

Music video

The music video, directed by Daniel Kleinman, takes place on a dancing floor in a dark room with a chandelier, a rocking horse, and television sets displaying scenes from The Breakfast Club.

Appearances in media

"Don't You (Forget About Me)" is heard in film The Breakfast Club, during both the opening and end credits. It also appears in the teen films American Pie, Easy A and Pitch Perfect, the last featuring the song as part of an a cappella medley.

"Don't You (Forget About Me)" was covered by the cast of Kids Incorporated in 1985, in the episode "New Kid in Town". The song was featured in the 2001 Futurama episode "The Luck of the Fryish," the Family Guy season 2 episode "Let's Go to the Hop," the Lizzie McGuire episode "She Said, He Said, She Said", the Regular Show episodes "Fuzzy Dice" and "The Lunch Club," the MTV comedy series Faking It, and a musical promo for the detective series Psych. The Bob's Burgers episode "The Runway Club" features a parody of the song, "Don't You Love Cotton Candy." The song was also frequently used in "One Tree Hill" and became known as the Brulian "Brooke Davis" and "Julian Baker" song.

The cast of Victorious recorded a cover version of the song for a Breakfast Club-themed episode of the show's third season entitled The Breakfast Bunch.

"Don't You (Forget About Me)" was featured on the soundtrack for the video game Saints Row 2.

Big Pun sampled part of the chorus on his song "Laughing at You", from his album Yeeeah Baby.

The character of Deacon (portrayed by Todd Stashwick) sings the song multiple times during the eleventh episode of the second season of 12 Monkeys.

It was also featured in SyFy's "The Magicians," sung by Alice when trying to summer her brother Charlie, the niffin.

The song was used in advertisements for the CNN documentary miniseries The Eighties.

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1985) Peak
Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 6
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7] 5
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 2
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[9] 2
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 1
Canada (CHUM)[11] 2
France (SNEP)[12] 24
Germany (Official German Charts)[13] 4
Ireland (IRMA)[14] 3
Italy (FIMI)[15] 2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 2
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] 3
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[19] 10
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 13
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 8
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[22] 7
US Billboard Hot 100[3] 1
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[23] 9
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[24] 1
US Cash Box Top 100[25] 1
Chart (1988) Peak
Position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[26] 100
Chart (2004) Peak
Position
Italy (FIMI)[27] 16
Chart (2012) Peak
Position
US Rock Digital Songs (Billboard)[28] 41

Year-end charts

Chart (1985) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[29] 47
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[30] 28
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[31] 1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[32] 21
Germany (Official German Charts)[33] 23
Italy (FIMI)[34] 6
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[35] 8
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[36] 11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[37] 26
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[38] 26
US Billboard Hot 100[39] 16
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[40] 33
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard[41] 10
US Cash Box Top 100[42] 12

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[43] Gold 50,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[43] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Silver 250,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

References

  1. ↑ Simpson, Dave (15 November 2016). "Simple Minds: how we made Don't You (Forget About Me)". theguardian.com. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  2. ↑ "A History of Simple Minds". The Official Glasgow Barrowland & Barras Market Site. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  3. 1 2 "Simple Minds – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Simple Minds. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  4. ↑ Simpson, Dave (April 2015). "The Guardian". The Guardian (2). Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  5. ↑ Leland, John (June 1985). "Singles". Spin. 1 (2): 37. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  6. ↑ bulion. "Forum - ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts - CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". ARIA. Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  7. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Simple Minds – Don't You (Forget About Me)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  8. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Simple Minds – Don't You (Forget About Me)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  9. ↑ "Radio 2 Top 30" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  10. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0530." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  11. ↑ CHART NUMBER 1485 – Saturday, June 08, 1985 at the Wayback Machine (archived 7 November 2006). CHUM.
  12. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Simple Minds – Don't You (Forget About Me)" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  13. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Simple Minds – Don't You (Forget About Me)". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  14. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Don't You (Forget About Me)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  15. ↑ "Hit Parade Italia". HitParadeItalia (in Italian). Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  16. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 22, 1985" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  17. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Simple Minds – Don't You (Forget About Me)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  18. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Simple Minds – Don't You (Forget About Me)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  19. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Acts S". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  20. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Simple Minds – Don't You (Forget About Me)". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  21. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Simple Minds – Don't You (Forget About Me)". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  22. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1985-05-04" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  23. ↑ "Simple Minds – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Simple Minds. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  24. ↑ "Simple Minds – Chart history" Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs for Simple Minds. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  25. ↑ CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MAY 18, 1985 at the Wayback Machine (archived 1 October 2012). Cash Box magazine.
  26. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1988-01-09" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  27. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Simple Minds – Don't You (Forget About Me)". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  28. ↑ "Simple Minds - Chart History". Rock Digital Songs. for Simple Minds. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  29. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  30. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1985". Ö3 Austria Top 40 (in German). Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  31. ↑ "Ultratop Jaaroverzichten 1985". Ultratop 50 (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  32. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0619." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  33. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts 1985". GfK Entertainment Charts (in German). Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  34. ↑ "Hit Parade Italia - I singoli più venduti del 1985". FIMI (in Italian). Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  35. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1985". Dutch Top 40 (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  36. ↑ "Dutch Charts Jaaroverzichten Single 1985". Single Top 100 (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  37. ↑ "The Official NZ Music Charts - End of Year Charts 1985". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  38. ↑ "SWISS YEAR-END CHARTS 1985". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  39. ↑ "Top Pop Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 97 no. 52. New York, NY, USA. 28 December 1985. p. T-21. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  40. ↑ "Top Dance Sales Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 97 no. 52. New York, NY, USA. 28 December 1985. p. T-23. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  41. ↑ "Top Rock Tracks" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 97 no. 52. New York, NY, USA. 28 December 1985. p. T-30. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  42. ↑ The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1985 at the Wayback Machine (archived 30 September 2012). Cash Box magazine.
  43. 1 2 "Canadian single certifications – Simple Minds – Don't You Forget About Me". Music Canada. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  44. ↑ "British single certifications – Simple Minds – Don't You Forget About Me". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 November 2016. Enter Don't You Forget About Me in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
Preceded by
"Leave Right Now" by Will Young		 American Idol Farewell Song
Season 10 (2011) 		Succeeded by
"Please Remember Me" by Scotty McCreery
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