Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner” remix released

Tom’s Diner Suzanne Vega with DNA

Writer(s): Suzanne Vega O,R, Steve Addabbo and Lenny Kaye R (see lyrics here) Released: June 1987 O; July 16, 1990 R First Charted: July 16, 1987 O; July 28, 1990 R Peak: 32 CO, 58 UK, 3 DF O; 5 BB, 4 CB, 10 GR, 8 RR, 7 MR, 2 UK, 13 CN, 8 AU, 7 DF R (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, 0.2 UK, 1.10 world (includes US + UK) R Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 5.0 O, 52.66 R video, 38.2 O, 173.04 R streaming Codes: O original, R remix

Awards: O Click on award for more details. Awards: R Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Suzanne Vega was born in 1959 in California but grew up in New York. She attended the High School of the Performing Arts and started playing small clubs at Greenwich Village while studying at Barnard College. She released her self-titled debut in 1985. It didn’t gain a lot of attention in the United States, although it reached #11 in the UK and charted with the singles “Marlene on the Wall” (#21) and “Small Blue Thing” (#65). She gained more attention with the track “Left of Center” (#32 UK) from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack the next year. On her second album, 1987’s Solitude Standing, Vega “moved from coffee-house folk singing to exotic and unpredictable musical experimentations.” SS The album reached #2 in the UK and #11 in the United States, largely on the strength of “Luka,” (#3 BB) Vega’s first Billboard Hot 100 entry. It was significant because, as author Toby Creswell said, “Vega almost single-handedly started her own female folk boom.” TC The only other chart entry from the album in the U.S. was the title cut, which stalled at #94 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, one of the highlights on the album was “Tom’s Diner,” which was featured as both an a capella and instrumental version. Vega wrote the song in the early ‘80s about the real-life New York coffee shop Tom’s Restaurant, which would later be famously featured as the hangout for the gang in TV’s hit ‘90s sitcom Seinfeld. TB At the time, the a capella version was a minor hit on the UK charts, peaking at #58. However, the song was not done. Three years later, the British producers known as DNA remixed the cappella version with a dance beat from Soul II Soul’s “Keep on Movin’.” They sent it to clubs without her permission but instead of suing for copyright infringement, A&M arranged to release the remix after consulting with Vega, who liked the interpretation. It “infected listeners with its hypnotic groove and innocent charm.” CS It became a club hit and gave Vega another top-five hit in 1990. Resources: TC Toby Creswell (2005). 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time. Thunder’s Mouth Press: New York, NY. Page 829. CS Chris Smith (2009). 101 Albums That Changed Popular Music. Oxford University Press. Pages 190-2. SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Pages 246-7. TB Thunder Bay Press (2006). Singles: Six Decades of Hot Hits & Classic Cuts. Outline Press Ltd.: San Diego, CA. Page 244. Related Links: First posted 1/31/2025.