Turn to the movies, and it seems teenagers have a monopoly on angst and doubt. Pretty in Pink proved as much in 1986, when its soundtrack introduced an entire generation of American kids to New Wave bands like The Psychedelic Furs, whose introspective songs and emotional lyrics fast became cultural touchstones. While the band was largely undiscovered by American listeners up until that point, they had actually long been consoling heavy hearted teens in their native U.K., where they rose out of the punk scene and evolved into one of the more successful post-punk acts on the British charts.

The band's origins trace back to 1977, when they were formed by brothers Richard and Tim Butler, who served as its vocalist and bassist, respectively, as well as drummer Duncan Kilburn and guitarist Roger Morris. Guitarist John Ashton and drummer Vince Ely would later join. They toyed with several different names, including RKO, the Radio and the Europeans before settling permanently on The Psychedelic Furs.

Releasing their self-titled debut album in 1980, the band found immediate if modest success, entering the Top 20 in England. Their follow-up, Talk Talk Talk, was hailed by critics there and scored big on the radio with the single "Pretty in Pink" (another version of which would eventually appear in the film of the same name). Kilburn and Morris left before the release of '82's Forever Now, which included the single "Love My Way." Ely then left, and the band released Mirror Moves in '86.

With the release of Pretty in Pink, the band's popularity in America soared, making 1987's Midnight to Midnight a moderate success in America. Though '89's Book of Days and '90's World Outside both sold poorly, they produced the band's three sole number one singles on the Billboard charts.