10 Ways The Music Industry Owes John Hughes Big Time

9. He's Directly Responsible For Some Of The Biggest Pop Hits Of The 80's

What would the decade be without songs like Simple Mind's "Don't You Forget About Me" or Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark's "If You Leave" ? A much sadder (or perhaps happier) place, that's what. Hughes films were famous for lifting new and under-exposed songs to mainstream success, as well as for escorting lesser known bands to a place of newfound recognition. For new wave acts like Simple Minds and OMD, the songs they wrote for specific use in their respective Hughes films, were also each's only claim to mainstream chart success (at least in the U.S.). That being true, each has a body of truly quality work well-deserving of exploration. As far as songs not written for but appearing in Hughes films, they benefitted greatly from the Hughes bump, and in some cases found an untapped fanbase in countries yet unconquered. The Psychedelic Furs' "Pretty in Pink" originally appearing on their 1981 album Talk Talk Talk peaked at number 43 on the UK singles chart, whereas its saxophonier 1986 re-recording reached number 18 on the UK charts and 41 on the US charts. Just think, if not for the dateless girl with questionable fashion design skills, the U.S. may never have been graced with such a fantastic song - albeit one originally written about nipples and labias.