to the eye as well as the ear. Lauper’s second hit sin-
gle, “Time After Time,” was a very different song
from her first. It was a haunting ballad about loyalty
and steadfastness that indicated her considerable
emotional range as a singer and songwriter. “She
Bop,” the third hit from the first album, was seen as
having sexual overtones. The plaintive “All Through
the Night,” which revealed an unexpected lyricism,
was also a hit, giving Lauper a total of four consecu-
tive top-five hits from the same album, a record for a
solo female artist. The album itself also sold at an un-
precedented level for such an artist.
In 1985, Lauper won the Grammy Award for Best
New Artist. Lauper, who featured wrestling star Cap-
tain Lou Albano in many of her videos, became in-
volved with the World Wrestling Federation and of-
ten made appearances at wrestling events. She also
sang the theme song for the filmThe Goonies(1985)
and participated in the USA for Africa charity song
“We Are the World,” which raised money for Ethio-
pian famine relief in 1984. In 1986, Lauper released
True Colors, a more meditative and introspective
album whose songs—such as the title track and
“Change of Heart”—possessed both integrity and
passion. The second album did not approach the
sales levels of the first, but it established Lauper as
not just a novelty act but a serious artist.
Impact Lauper continued to have a loyal following,
especially in the gay male community. By the late
1980’s, Lauper’s sales began to sag, but she will al-
ways be identified with the jaunty and spunky pop
musical idiom of the decade.
Further Reading
Gaar, Gillian.She’s a Rebel: The Histor y of Women in
Rock. Seattle: Seal Press, 1992.
Kamin, Philip.Cyndi Lauper. New York: McGraw-Hill,
1986.
Rettenmund, Matthew.Totally Awesome 80’s: A Lexi-
con of the Music, Videos, Movies, TV Shows, Stars, and
Trends of That Decadent Decade. New York: St. Mar-
tin’s Griffin, 1996.
Nicholas Birns
See also Music; Music videos; New Wave music;
Pop music; USA for Africa; Women in rock music;
World Wrestling Federation.
Leg warmers
Definition Long, footless socks made of heavy
knit or wool
Date 1980-1985
Although leg warmers had been used by dancers since the
1920’s to keep their leg muscles warm and flexible, the for-
merly utilitarian accessor y became a must-have fashion sta-
ple following the release of a series of dance- and fitness-
centered movies in the early to mid-1980’s.
The early 1980’s ushered in a period in American
cinema that featured films focusing on dance, aero-
bic fitness, or, in some cases, both. The most notable
of these films wereFame(1980),Stayin’ Alive(1983),
Flashdance(1983), andFootloose(1984). All of these
films feature both the element of dance and the
presence of leg warmers. Leg warmers became the
symbol of freedom and in many cases of sexual desir-
ability obtained through a dedication to physical
fitness. By wearing leg warmers, a woman could ad-
vertise her affinity with the world of dance, and
therefore imply that she was sophisticated, physi-
cally fit, and desirable.
Cinema was not the only arena that promoted
physical activity. The music video for Olivia Newton-
John’s single “Physical” was set in an aerobics class
held in a mirrored room. The singer and all of the
video’s participants were outfitted in sweatbands,
leg warmers, leotards, and athletic shoes. “Physical”
was the number-one most-played song on the radio
for ten weeks between 1981 and 1982. Although the
song’s lyrics refer to the transformation of a platonic
relationship into a sexual one, its accompanying
video transformed the title’s meaning into a fitness
reference. Only Newton-John’s arguably flirtatious
way with the camera provided a clue that another
meaning was implied.
Leg warmers became a way to identify with those
who did not settle for the status quo, those who
were capable of keeping their dreams alive. Jennifer
Beals’ character inFlashdance, probably the most in-
fluential of the films to produce the leg warmer
trend, had to work at a steel mill. Her occupation did
not prevent her from living her dream of dancing, al-
beit late at night. As an article of everyday clothing,
leg warmers could be worn over jeans or over tights
with skirts and dresses. The accompanying footwear
could be high-heeled pumps or athletic shoes, de-
pending on the desired effect. One such effect wasThe Eighties in America Leg warmers 579