Remembering When One of the Biggest Movie Hits of the 80s Got Turned Down by Everyone, Including the Band That Finally Recorded It in 1985

Several artists, including Simple Minds, initially rejected “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”, the song written for the 1985 film *The Breakfast Club*. Director John Hughes wanted the Scottish band, whose music he admired, for the soundtrack, but singer Jim Kerr was reluctant to record a song the group had not written.

Songwriters Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff also offered it to Bryan Ferry, Billy Idol and The Fixx, who turned it down. A second approach persuaded Simple Minds to reconsider, helped by Kerr’s wife Chrissie Hynde, who thought the song was strong. The band recorded it within hours; boosted by the film’s success, it became their first US Top 40 hit and reached number one.