The Psychedelic Furs were born amidst the chaos of the late-'70s punk scene in England when bands like The Sex Pistols were chewing scenery and spewing vitriol to the delight of disgruntled teens. But the Furs, formed by brothers Richard and Tim Butler, resist the constant stream of labels thrown at them and their unique blend of sound. Tim explained in a Songfacts interview: "People for years have been trying to lump music into different categories. Music is just music. I can remember when we first came out, people were asking, 'How would you describe yourself? Punk? Or alternative? Or new wave?' Why pigeonhole people? It's just music."
The group is far more popular than their chart success indicates. Their most popular song, "Pretty in Pink" - forever linked to the 1986 John Hughes classic of the same name - made just #41 in America and #18 in the UK when it was re-released that year. "Love My Way" (#44 US, #42 UK) and "Heartbreak Beat" (#26 US, #79 UK) still get significant airplay, but were only middling hits.
The Psychedelic Furs is an interesting choice for a band name, considering the band doesn't play psychedelic music. One of the prevailing stories is that the name is an homage to the Velvet Underground's "Venus In Furs." Tim Butler set the record straight in an interview with That Music Magazine: "It's a myth. We were getting drunk in a pub one night and were thinking of all of the punk band names we liked, such as The Clash and The Sex Pistols. There was an interest in the psychedelic and 'Furs' just fit."
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