It's another day stuck in the midst of gridlock and you're flipping radio stations because you either don't have an iPod or forgot your iPod and you're sick of every CD strewn across the front seat of the car. You stumble upon a song and think, “Hey, I remember this. Hey, I like this.” But then you realize that nearly every time you're in this situation, you hear this particular song from this particular band and you think, I could have sworn they had other tracks than this one.

After hearing “Pretty in Pink” a few times too many, I started digging through my record collection for some Psychedelic Furs songs that have been lost in the oldies radio shuffle. Check out the corresponding YouTube clips below.

The Psychedelic Furs play Club Nokia with Happy Mondays on September 18.

Song: “Sister Europe”

Album: The Psychedelic Furs

Produced by Steve Lillywhite, who had previously worked with Ultravox and Siouxsie and the Banshees, this is the song that fans will cite when wanting to make the argument that The Psychedelic Furs are, in fact, too dark and brooding to be a pop band (roughly equivalent to saying, “You need to hear Human League's stuff before Dare“).

Song: “We Love You”

Album: The Psychedelic Furs

If “Sister Europe” was the Psyche Furs goth song, then “We Love You” is the band's punk song. Taken from the debut album, Richard Butler sounds strangely like Johnny Rotten. By listening to his voice, it's hard to discern whether he's being sincere or sarcastic in his love proclamations. This video clip also features a short interview.

Song: “Dumb Waiters”

Album: Talk Talk Talk

Taken from the album that spawned “Pretty in Pink” (though not the same recording that's used in the film of the same name), “Dumb Waiters” always struck me as a very strange song. With the hint of frustration in Richard Butler's voice, the furious horns, wailing guitars and slow-and-steady beat, it sounds like a punk record that has been pitched down. Consider this the counterpoint to the song that would eventually become the band's best known hit.

Song: “Heartbeat”

Album: Mirror Moves

In my geek brain, 1984 is the year when new wave dance music shifted from sounding cutting-edge, yet strangely pop, to over-produced and boring. The album version of “Heartbeat” skates that line, but this live version does the song greater justice.

Song: “Until She Comes”

Album: World Outside

Released in 1991, “Until She Comes” bears the jangly guitars and and swirly synthesizers prevalent amongst the crop of British bands that emerged in the pre-grunge, pre-Britpop 1990s. World Outside was the last Psychedelic Furs album and was produced by the band along with Stephen Street, who is well-known for his work with Morrissey and Blur.

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