The music industry has long demonstrated a pattern of misreading artistic merit, with major labels rejecting everything from Marvin Gaye's socially conscious work to Queen's experimental composition. The Eurythmics encountered similar institutional skepticism when RCA Records displayed little enthusiasm for their innovative synth-pop offering from their 1983 album, despite Dave Stewart's repeated efforts to convince label management that the band was creating something commercially and creatively significant.

When RCA finally capitulated and released the single after three preceding tracks had underperformed, the song's trajectory proved the band's judgment decisively correct. It climbed rapidly through both UK and American charts, eventually dominating the Billboard Hot 100 and establishing itself as a worldwide phenomenon across diverse markets from Scandinavia to Oceania to the Middle East. The track's unprecedented global success transformed the Eurythmics into international stars, delivering both the band substantial career elevation through magazine features and concert tours, whilst simultaneously generating considerable profits for the record label that had initially failed to recognise its potential.