Cyndi Lauper Reflects on Friendship Wishes with Madonna During the '80s

Cyndi Lauper Wishes She and Madonna Were Friends Not Competing in 80s

Cyndi Lauper and Madonna Getty Images; WireImage

Cyndi Lauper is looking back on the past and thinking about what might have happened. She remembers a time in the 1980s when fans and the music industry compared her to another popular singer, Madonna, when they were both starting out.

Lauper, who is 70 years old, described the comparison between herself and Madonna as being like "apples and oranges" in a recent interview with The New York Times published on Tuesday, June 4.

She expressed her disappointment at how she and the "Material Girl" singer were frequently seen as rivals, saying, "I wish we could have been friends."

In 1983, Lauper and Madonna both released their debut albums. Lauper's album, "She's So Unusual," had popular songs like "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Time After Time." Madonna's self-titled album included her hit song, "Holiday."

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Ebet Roberts/Redferns

In 1985, Lionel Richie chose Lauper over Madonna, 65, to feature on the charity song, “We Are the World,” which he now admits to regretting.

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live in February, Richie was asked by host Jimmy Kimmel: “Why did it have to be Cyndi Lauper or Madonna?”

“We only had half a line to sing. Let me clarify: just half a line. We needed voices that people could recognize immediately,” Richie explained to Entertainment Weekly. “We weren't sure if Cyndi was going to show up. At the American Music Awards that year, I asked her, ‘Are you coming?’ She replied, ‘My boyfriend doesn't think it's a hit.’ I told her, ‘Don't miss this session.’ Luckily, she showed up and nailed it. The key was to have a distinctive voice, and for some reason, Cyndi fit the bill.”

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Madonna during a performance at MTV Video Awards on September 16, 1984. Images Press/Getty Images

Kimmel then pointed out to Richie that there was a mistake. Richie admitted the error on national and international television, saying, “You’re right!”

In the same year, Lauper addressed the comparisons between her and Madonna in an interview with Newsweek.

“She’s just doing her thing. My thing happens to be different,” she said.

Editor's P/S:

Cyndi Lauper's retrospective on her rivalry with Madonna in the 1980s highlights the unfortunate tendency to pit female artists against each other. While Lauper and Madonna shared similarities as rising stars, Lauper's perspective emphasizes the fundamental differences between their styles and approach. Their comparison by fans and the industry created a false dichotomy that overshadowed their unique contributions to music. Lauper's expression of regret over the missed opportunity for friendship further underscores the negative impact of such comparisons.

Lauper's choice over Madonna for the "We Are the World" charity single sheds light on the complexities of the music industry. Lionel Richie's admission of regret raises questions about the subjective nature of artistic decisions and the factors that influence them. The episode also highlights the importance of seizing opportunities, as Lauper's willingness to participate despite her boyfriend's skepticism ultimately led to her iconic contribution to the song.