“Pretty in Pink” soundtrack, the film released on this date, February 28th, 1986. One of the best soundtracks from the 80′s (and on many best-of-all-time lists): The Smiths, Echo & the Bunnymen, OMD, INXS, New Order and of course the title track “Pretty in Pink” by The Psychedelic Furs who re-recorded it for the movie, jazzing it up from the original (the song provided John Hughes with a bit of inspiration for the movie). The Smiths’ “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” is one of my favorites, and one of their most aching, which is no small feat for The Smiths. I also love Echo’s “Bring on the Dancing Horses” which they recorded specifically for Pretty in Pink; it appeared a few months earlier in November ‘85 on their Songs to Learn & Sing comp.  INXS’ “Do Wot You Do” is classic mid-80′s Listen Like Thieves era INXS: big, stomping beats, saxophone and Michael Hutchence’s sultry voice. I think “Left of Center” was the first time I heard Suzanne Vega; she’d manage to irritate the hell out of me later with the inescapable “Luka” in ‘87. While I generally like New Order, “Shell Shock” is not one of my favorites on the soundtrack – I think it’s the vocals that grate on me – nor do I particularly care for “Wouldn’t It Be Good” by Danny Hutton Hitters or Belouis Some’s “Round, Round.”

But it’s Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’s “If You Leave” that holds the most nostalgia. I was in 9th grade, the last year at my junior high, when Pretty in Pink came out. Though I was new to the school that year, I had somehow managed to get myself elected onto the student council (it wasn’t that hard – I think like 40 students from each grade were voted in) and one of our tasks was to organize the Farewell Dance that happened in late spring. I suggested Farewell’s theme song be “If You Leave” and the council agreed. Heavily influenced by the movie, I found my aunt’s flouncy blue prom dress from the late 50′s or early 60′s in our attic and decided to wear it to the dance (though unlike Molly Ringwald, I didn’t do any fancy reconstruction) and pair it with my spiky hair, ripped tights and black boots. The look would complement the blue hair of the beautiful punk rock boy I had asked to be my date for the dance. I never got to wear it – beautiful punk rock boy canceled the night before so I stayed home “sick” the next day to avoid the humiliation of being ditched at the dance. (In hindsight I guess I am grateful he had the grace to call and not just leave me hanging.)