#96 Tiffany (+ Robin Sparkles bonus)

At first glance, you might think this is another card for Alannah Myles (#80-81), but nope, it's Tiffany. Seems this must be from a period when she was rebelling against her bubble gum 80s image, attempting to rebrand as a more serious artist.

I don't know much about Tiffany that isn't mentioned on the back of her lone MusiCard. I'm really only familiar with her one popular song, but I like it fine.

Tiffany - "I Think We're Alone Now"

"I Think We're Alone Now" was Tiffany's biggest hit, but as the back of the card mentions, her follow-up single "Could've Been" rode the momentum to #1 as well, so you can't call Tiffany a one-hit-wonder and get away with it to a music know-it-all.

Tiffany - "Could've Been"

But yeah, that dull ballad isn't quite as memorable as her peppier number one that has become the unofficial anthem of 80s mall fashion. I didn't even realize back then that "I Think We're Alone Now" was a cover of a Tommy James & the Shondells hit from 1967.

Tiffany Darwish has kept busy over the years. She still performs occasionally and released her 11th album in 2022.

Maybe Tommy James and/or the Shondells deserve a shot at a MusiCard-- they got some bangers like "Crimson and Clover" and "Draggin' the Line"-- but I'll go in another direction and make a custom for a fictional character inspired by Tiffany's "now-celebrated 1987 shopping mall tour".

This card is essentially an inside joke for those of us who've watched the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. In a memorable 2006 episode of the show, it's revealed that mild-mannered news reporter Robin Scherbatsky (played by Cobie Smulders) has a secret past: Turns out she was briefly a Canadian pop star in the 80s whose big song was "Let's Go to the Mall". There's a cheesy music video for it and everything. 

Robin Sparkles - "Let's Go to the Mall"

While that one was clearly a Tiffany-inspired parody, Robin Sparkles returned the following season with another unearthed song, "Sandcastles in the Sand", which took its queues from 80s pop ballads by three other artists we've already seen on the blog: Belinda Carlisle's "Circle in the Sand", Debbie Gibson's "Foolish Beat", and Martika's "Toy Soldiers".

Robin Sparkles - "Sandcastles in the Sand"

I don't think I've watched an episode of HIMYM since the finale (which I liked, btw, though my wife hated), and honestly I've forgotten most of that show's run, but those Robin Sparkles episodes were a treat. Maybe I'll do a re-watch of the series at some point? It was my wife's favorite show for a while back then and we own at least a couple seasons on DVD.

That'll wrap up this month's post. I wouldn't expect any of you regular readers to be big Tiffany fans, but who knows! Ha. Let me know in the comments if you've got thoughts to share regarding her or How I Met Your Mother.