“Time After Time” (15) is a 1983 song by American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper, co-written with Rob Hyman. It was the second single released from her debut studio album, She’s So Unusual, with Hyman contributing backing vocals. The track was produced by Rick Chertoff and released as a single in January 1984. The song became Lauper’s first number 1 hit in the U.S. The song was written in the album’s final stages, after “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, “She Bop” and “All Through the Night” had been written. The writing began with the title, which Lauper had seen in TV Guide magazine, referring to the science fiction film Time After Time (1979). Music critics gave the song positive reviews, with many commending the song for being a solid and memorable love song. The song has been selected as one of the Best Love Songs of All Time by many media outlets, including Rolling Stone. “Time After Time” was also nominated for a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1985. The song was a success on the charts, becoming her first number-one single on the US Billboard chart in June 1984, and remaining there for two weeks. The song reached number three in the UK.
Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, perhaps the earliest artist to interpret the song, recorded an instrumental version of the song for his 1985 album You’re Under Arrest. The song became a regular part of Davis’s live concerts until the end of his career, such as on Live Around The World (a live compilation recorded 1988 to 1991, released 1996). Lauper later stated that while the song has been recorded by dozens of musicians, “The most honored I ever felt was when Miles Davis covered it”, adding: “the way he played it was pure magic.”
In 1993, Mark Williams and Tara Morice recorded a cover for the Strictly Ballroom soundtrack.
American R&B singer INOJ recorded her version of the song in 1998. It peaked at number six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The music video of this version first aired on BET and The Box.
Novespace, a German Eurodance project, covered the song on their album Supernova (2003). It reached number six in Germany, number seven in Austria, and number 15 in Australia.
American alternative rock/pop punk band Quietdrive covered the song for their debut album When All That’s Left Is You in 2006. The cover version was featured in the 2006 romantic comedy film John Tucker Must Die starring Jesse Metcalfe and Brittany Snow. The cover is their only charting song, hitting number 25 on the Mainstream Top 40 Countdown. The cover was certified gold by the RIAA.
