‘Pretty in Pink’ Soundtrack Is Still a Mixtape Masterpiece 40 Years Later

When you think of ’80s movies, especially teen movies, it’s nearly impossible not to think of John Hughes immediately. With a string of hits, including 1984’s Sixteen Candles and 1985’s The Breakfast Club, Hughes and the young actors he worked with were box-office gold.

At the top of the list of these teen flicks is 1986’s Pretty in Pink, which updated the classic tale of the poor girl who likes the rich boy who treats her badly, and doesn’t know her best friend is also in love with her. Molly Ringwald stars as the girl Andie, and, as the story goes, she asked Hughes to write a movie based on a popular song that she loved, the Psychedelic Furs’ “Pretty in Pink.”