It’s July and things are getting hotter, especially for workers. Which makes it especially fitting for the EHSDA Song of the Week to be Bananarama’s “Cruel Summer.”
Coincidentally, the song just celebrated its 40th anniversary, as the U.K. pop trio released it as a single in the summer of 1983 and then on their 1984 self-titled second album. It was an immediate hit in the U.K., reaching #8 on the singles chart, and then grew popular in the U.S. in ’84 thanks to a popular video and its inclusion in the hit movie The Karate Kid. “Cruel Summer” ultimately hit #9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The song captures the vibe of a sweltering summer day as the protagonist laments a breakup while dealing with the brutal heat. Even if you weren’t necessarily a pop fan, there was something irresistible about the song’s hooky chorus.
Bananarama released a remix of the song in 1989 and it’s also been covered by other artists, including Ace of Base and Evanescence. However, the original version remains a summertime classic.