The ’80s and ’90s were an interesting twenty years for pop. When you think of ’80s pop, you likely think of people like Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benetar, Michael Jackson, and Madonna.

But behind all that, if you listened close enough (or had a good record store by your house) was a new wave of pop that was acoustic and full of feeling. While this new wave of pop didn’t blast over the radio the way Madonna’s songs did, it was quietly successful – and existed only for those that were paying attention. One of the stars of that quiet new-wave pop scene was Aimee Mann, who started making music with the group ‘Til Tuesday.

‘Til Tuesday to Totally Solo

Aimee made three albums with the band before going out on her own. She’s most known for her solo career, but the band had a few moderate hits you may have heard of, like “Voices Carry,” “Looking Over my Shoulder,” and “On Sunday.” Her time as part of the band gave her a good jumping-off point. She went solo in 1993, with her album Whatever. While the album didn’t top charts, it did get attention from big-name stars of the day for the creativity and quality of its songwriting.

That’s Just What You Are

Her biggest hit of the ’90s was easy “That’s Just What You Are,” which won the honor of being on the modern-soap-opera Melrose Place’s soundtrack. She coasted on that success for a while, then got in a long and drawn-out fight with her record company.

Her next album, Magnolia, which includes the song “Save Me,” was her return to the top of pop music. The song got award nominations and brought Mann back to the front of our minds. As Aimee Mann fans, we’ve always loved her creativity and ability to be raw in her songwriting. And if you think her album performances of her songs are raw, you haven’t seen anything yet.