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| {{Infobox song
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| | name = Sunglasses at Night
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| | cover =
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| | alt =
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| | type = single
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| | artist = [[Corey Hart]]
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| | album = [[First Offense (album)|First Offense]]
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| | released = {{Start date|1984|6|1}}
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| | recorded = 1983–1984
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| | studio = Le Studio, Morin-Heights, Quebec
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| | genre = [[Synth-pop]], [[New Wave music|new wave]], [[pop rock]]
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| | length = 4:07
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| | label = [[EMI America Records|EMI America]]
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| | writer = Corey Hart
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| | producer = [[Jon Astley]], [[Phil Chapman]]
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| | chronology = [[Corey Hart]] singles
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| | prev_title =
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| | prev_year =
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| | next_title = [[It Ain't Enough]]
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| | next_year = 1984
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| }}
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| "'''Sunglasses at Night'''" is a [[synth-pop]] and [[new wave music|new wave]] song by Canadian singer-songwriter [[Corey Hart]], released in 1984 as the lead single from his debut album ''[[First Offense (album)|First Offense]]''. The song became an international hit, reaching number seven on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] in the United States and topping charts in Canada. It remains Hart's signature song and one of the defining tracks of 1980s pop music.
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| ==Background and writing==
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| Hart wrote "Sunglasses at Night" in the early 1980s while he was an aspiring musician working to secure a record deal. The song was inspired by Hart's observations of style, identity, and the performative nature of self-image. The protagonist of the song wears sunglasses at night as a symbol of attitude, detachment, and cool — traits that resonated strongly with the youth culture of the era.
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| The track was recorded at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, [[Quebec]], a renowned Canadian recording facility that also hosted sessions by artists such as [[The Police]] and [[Rush (band)|Rush]]. Producers [[Jon Astley]] and [[Phil Chapman]] shaped the song's polished, synthesizer-driven sound that became emblematic of mid-1980s pop production.
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| ==Music and lyrics==
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| The song features a driving [[synthesizer]] riff, punchy drum machine patterns, and Hart's melodic vocal delivery. Musically, it draws heavily from [[synth-pop]] and [[new wave music|new wave]] conventions of the time, incorporating layered keyboards and a propulsive beat.
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| Lyrically, the song's narrator addresses a woman and warns her not to "switch the blade on the guy in shades," with the recurring motif of wearing sunglasses at night functioning as a metaphor for emotional guardedness, mystery, and nonconformity. The chorus is widely recognized for its catchy, singalong quality.
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| ==Commercial performance==
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| Upon its release in June 1984, "Sunglasses at Night" achieved significant chart success:
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| * '''Canada''': Reached number one on the [[RPM (magazine)|RPM]] national singles chart.
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| * '''United States''': Peaked at number seven on the [[Billboard Hot 100]], making it one of the biggest Canadian crossover hits of 1984.
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| * '''United Kingdom''': Charted within the top 40, extending Hart's international profile.
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| * '''Australia and Europe''': The song received substantial [[airplay]] and charted in several additional markets.
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| The single's success propelled ''First Offense'' to [[platinum]] status in both Canada and the United States.
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| ==Music video==
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| The music video for "Sunglasses at Night" was directed in the style typical of early [[MTV]] productions, featuring Corey Hart prominently wearing his now-iconic sunglasses. The video received heavy rotation on [[MTV]] and [[MuchMusic]], significantly boosting the song's popularity and cementing the image of Hart wearing sunglasses as a cultural touchstone of the decade.
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| The video's aesthetic — dark, stylish, and slightly mysterious — aligned well with the new wave visual sensibility that dominated music television in the mid-1980s.
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| ==Legacy and cultural impact==
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| "Sunglasses at Night" has endured as a [[1980s in music|1980s]] pop classic and a staple of decade-themed compilations and nostalgia playlists. Its influence can be traced in several areas:
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| * The song is frequently cited in discussions of [[synth-pop]] and new wave music from the era.
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| * It has been featured in numerous [[film]]s, [[television]] shows, and [[advertising]] campaigns seeking to evoke the style and sound of the 1980s.
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| * The phrase "sunglasses at night" entered popular culture as shorthand for a particular kind of performative coolness.
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| * Canadian rock band [[Tegan and Sara]] and other artists have cited the song's melodic construction as an influence.
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| In 2016, the song was referenced and partially interpolated in a viral internet meme cycle, introducing it to a new generation of listeners.
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| ==Track listing==
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| {{Track listing
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| | headline = 7" Single (EMI America, 1984)
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| | title1 = Sunglasses at Night
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| | length1 = 4:07
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| | title2 = <nowiki>[B-side]</nowiki> Sunglasses at Night (Instrumental)
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| | length2 = 4:07
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| }}
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| ==Charts==
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| {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
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| |-
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| ! scope="col" | Chart (1984)
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| ! scope="col" | Peak<br/>position
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| |-
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| ! scope="row" | Canada ([[RPM (magazine)|RPM]] Top Singles)
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| | 1
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| |-
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| ! scope="row" | US [[Billboard Hot 100]]
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| | 7
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| |-
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| ! scope="row" | US [[Billboard magazine|Billboard]] Mainstream Rock Tracks
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| | 14
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| |-
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| ! scope="row" | Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])
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| | 38
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| |-
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| ! scope="row" | UK [[Singles Chart]]
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| | 30
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| |}
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| ==Certifications==
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| {| class="wikitable sortable"
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| |-
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| ! scope="col" | Region
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| ! scope="col" | Certification
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| ! scope="col" | Certified units/sales
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| |-
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| | Canada ([[Music Canada]])
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| | Platinum
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| | 80,000{{sup|†}}
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| |-
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| | United States ([[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]])
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| | Gold
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| | 500,000{{sup|‡}}
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| |}
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| {{certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1984|accessdate=2024}}
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| ==Personnel==
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| * '''Corey Hart''' – vocals, acoustic guitar
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| * '''Jon Astley''' – production, mixing
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| * '''Phil Chapman''' – production, engineering
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| * Additional session musicians – synthesizers, bass, drums
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| ==See also==
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| * [[Corey Hart discography]]
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| * [[First Offense (album)]]
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| * [[New wave music]]
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| * [[1980s in music]]
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| ==References==
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| {{Reflist}}
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| ==External links==
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| * [https://www.coreyhart.com Official Corey Hart website]
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| * {{YouTube|id=X2LTL8KgKv8|title="Sunglasses at Night" music video}}
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| {{Corey Hart}}
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| {{1984 in music}}
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| [[Category:1984 singles]]
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| [[Category:Corey Hart songs]]
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| [[Category:EMI America Records singles]]
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| [[Category:New wave songs]]
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| [[Category:Synth-pop songs]]
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| [[Category:Songs written by Corey Hart]]
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| [[Category:Number-one singles in Canada]]
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| [[Category:Music videos directed by]]
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| [[Category:Canadian pop songs]]
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