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Susanna Hoffs is best known as a founding member of the Bangles, but her career extends far beyond the group’s biggest hits. Her instantly recognizable voice, melodic guitar playing, solo recordings, soundtrack performances, and collaborations have connected several generations of pop, rock, folk, and alternative music.
Born in Los Angeles on January 17, 1959, Hoffs grew up in a creative household filled with films, books, art, and the music of the Beatles. Her mother, Tamar Simon Hoffs, became a film director, writer, and producer, while her father, Joshua Hoffs, worked as a psychoanalyst. Susanna began playing guitar as a teenager, immersed herself in records by the Beatles, and later studied art at the University of California, Berkeley.
Her college years coincided with the rise of punk and new wave. Seeing the Sex Pistols and Patti Smith helped convince Hoffs to pursue music seriously. After returning to Los Angeles, she met sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson through an advertisement in The Recycler. Along with bassist Annette Zilinskas, they formed the Bangs in 1981 and changed the name to the Bangles after discovering another group already used the original name.
From the Bangles to a Solo Career
The Bangles released an EP in 1982 before making their full-length debut with All Over the Place in 1984. Different Light followed in 1986 and produced “Manic Monday,” “If She Knew What She Wants,” and “Walk Like an Egyptian.” That same year, Hoffs co-wrote “I Need a Disguise” for Belinda Carlisle.
Hoffs also pursued acting, starring in the 1987 film The Allnighter, directed by her mother. The Bangles returned in 1988 with Everything, the album that included “In Your Room” and “Eternal Flame.” The group disbanded in 1989 before reuniting around the end of the decade. The renewed lineup recorded “Get the Girl” for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released Doll Revolution in 2003, and followed it with Sweetheart of the Sun in 2011.
After the Bangles’ initial breakup, Hoffs released When You’re a Boy in 1991. Its lead single, “My Side of the Bed,” became a Top 40 hit in the United States. Her self-titled second solo album arrived in 1996, followed by Someday in 2012. She later released the covers albums Bright Lights and The Deep End, then opened her archives for The Lost Record in 2024, a collection recorded with friends in 1999.
Hoffs has also contributed music to several films. She recorded “The Look of Love” for Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, “Alfie” for Austin Powers in Goldmember, and “The Water Is Wide” for Red Roses and Petrol. Her connection to the Austin Powers films also included appearances with the fictional band Ming Tea alongside Mike Myers and Matthew Sweet.
Collaborations and Cover Albums
Hoffs and Matthew Sweet created three volumes of Under the Covers, exploring songs from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The first volume appeared in 2006, the second in 2009, and the third in 2013. Their harmonies and shared affection for classic songwriting made the project much more than a conventional collection of remakes.
Her collaborations have continued across generations. Hoffs joined Chris Martin for a piano-and-vocal performance of “Manic Monday” during Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince. Prince wrote the original song, which became one of the most important early hits for the Bangles.
Hoffs has been married to filmmaker Jay Roach since 1993, and they have two sons. Roach directed all three Austin Powers movies, making music, film, family, and comedy unusually interconnected parts of Hoffs’ career.
Top 10 Susanna Hoffs Songs
# 10 – Only Love
“Only Love” appeared on Susanna Hoffs’ 1991 debut solo album, When You’re a Boy. Written with Diane Warren, the song uses a polished pop-rock arrangement to support a message about love as a source of strength after disappointment.
The single did not become a major American chart hit, but its value lies in Hoffs’ emotional clarity. She avoids turning the song into an oversized power ballad, allowing the melody and lyrics to carry the sense of recovery. “Only Love” captures the vulnerable but determined tone that shaped much of her first solo album.
# 9 – The Look of Love
Dusty Springfield first made “The Look of Love” famous through the 1967 film Casino Royale. Burt Bacharach composed the music, and Hal David wrote the lyrics after the piece had initially been conceived as an instrumental.
Hoffs recorded the song for the 1997 soundtrack to Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Her intimate vocal preserves the sensual quality of Springfield’s recording while fitting the film’s affectionate parody of 1960s style. The performance also reflects Hoffs’ lifelong connection to the sophisticated pop songwriting of Burt Bacharach.
# 8 – One Voice
Released for Record Store Day in 2016, “One Voice” brought together Norah Jones, Aimee Mann, Susanna Hoffs, Lydia Loveless, Neko Case, Kathryn Calder, and Brian May. Ruth Moody wrote the song, which appeared during the closing credits of the documentary A Dog Named Gucci.
The documentary examined animal abuse and the legal struggle to strengthen protections for animals. Proceeds from the single supported animal charities, giving the performance a purpose beyond its all-star lineup. Hoffs blends into the ensemble rather than dominating it, reinforcing the song’s message that many individual voices can become one powerful appeal.
# 7 – Manic Monday (Featuring Chris Martin)
“Manic Monday” became a breakthrough hit for the Bangles after Prince gave the group the song. More than three decades later, Chris Martin and Susanna Hoffs reimagined it during Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince.
With Martin accompanying her on piano, Hoffs slows the song into a reflective ballad. The simpler arrangement reveals how strong Prince’s melody was beneath the original recording’s bright 1980s production. Hoffs’ mature vocal also gives familiar lines a new sense of nostalgia, making the performance a fitting salute to the songwriter who helped change the course of the Bangles’ career.
# 6 – Alfie (What’s It All About, Austin?)
“Alfie” was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the 1966 film of the same name. Cilla Black recorded the version used for the British release, while Cher and Dionne Warwick also created important interpretations.
Hoffs recorded a comic rewrite for Austin Powers in Goldmember, replacing Alfie’s name with Austin’s. The idea carried an additional joke because Michael Caine, who starred in the original Alfie, played Austin Powers’ father. Although the sequence was removed from the finished film, Hoffs’ recording appeared on the soundtrack and remains one of her most charming movie performances.
# 5 – My Side of the Bed
“My Side of the Bed” introduced Susanna Hoffs as a solo artist. Released from When You’re a Boy, the single reached number thirty on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her highest-charting solo hit in the United States.
The song was written by Hoffs with Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, the same collaborators who helped create “Eternal Flame.” Its mid-tempo arrangement gives Hoffs room to combine warmth, longing, and quiet urgency. The lyric turns the physical space beside someone into a symbol of emotional closeness, and her intimate delivery keeps the idea from becoming overly sentimental.
Listeners who first knew Hoffs through the Bangles could recognize the melodic sensitivity of her earlier work, but “My Side of the Bed” also established a more personal solo identity.
# 4 – The Only Thing (Featuring Travis)
Scottish band Travis released “The Only Thing” on its 2020 album 10 Songs, with Susanna Hoffs joining Fran Healy on vocals. The two singers sound naturally matched, turning the song into a gentle conversation rather than a competition for attention.
The recording arrived during a period when listeners around the world were separated from friends and family. Its focus on human connection gave the song additional emotional weight, but the performance avoids becoming tied to only one moment. Hoffs and Healy make gratitude, companionship, and the fear of losing what matters feel timeless.
# 3 – I’ll Keep It with Mine
Bob Dylan wrote “I’ll Keep It with Mine” during the 1960s, and Judy Collins became one of the first artists to release it. Dylan recorded several versions, but the song initially became better known through interpretations by other singers.
Hoffs recorded the song for Rainy Day, a 1984 Paisley Underground project assembled by David Roback. Her performance draws on the folk-rock atmosphere that influenced both her solo music and the Beatles-inspired harmonies of the Bangles.
Her clear, tender vocal brings out the lyric’s balance of friendship, protection, and unspoken affection. The recording also provides an early example of Hoffs interpreting a classic songwriter with enough personality to make the song feel newly discovered. Dylan’s own recordings later appeared on releases including Biograph and The Bootleg Series Vol. 9.
For more on Dylan’s work from this period, visit our look at the best Bob Dylan songs of the 1960s. Hoffs’ connection to the Paisley Underground also preceded the national success she would soon find with the Bangles. Her version of “I’ll Keep It with Mine” remains one of the finest recordings from that scene.
# 2 – All I Want
“All I Want” was the lead single from Hoffs’ self-titled 1996 album. The song reached number seventy-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number thirty-two on the United Kingdom singles chart.
The guitar-driven production placed Susanna Hoffs closer to 1990s alternative pop than the glossy sound of her first solo record. Her vocal remains melodic and immediately recognizable, but the performance carries more grit and independence.
“All I Want” works as both a relationship song and a statement of self-definition. Hoffs sounds less interested in meeting someone else’s expectations than in asking for honesty and emotional clarity. That directness helped make the recording one of the strongest moments of her solo career and a natural continuation of the confidence she displayed with the Bangles.
# 1 – Unconditional Love
“Unconditional Love” appeared on When You’re a Boy and was released as a single in 1991. Written by Cyndi Lauper, Billy Steinberg, and Tom Kelly, the song reached number sixty-five on the United Kingdom singles chart.
The arrangement gives Susanna Hoffs a broad pop setting, but her performance succeeds because she keeps the emotion personal. She sings about acceptance without treating love as something effortless or decorative. The vulnerability in her phrasing makes every promise sound considered rather than automatic.
Hoffs had already demonstrated her gift for love songs with the Bangles, but “Unconditional Love” placed that quality at the center of a solo recording. The melody, restraint, and honesty in her vocal make it our choice for the finest Susanna Hoffs song released under her own name.
Susanna Hoffs Solo Studio Albums
When You’re a Boy (1991)
Susanna Hoffs (1996)
Someday (2012)
Bright Lights (2021)
The Deep End (2023)
The Lost Record (2024)
Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs Collaboration Albums
Under the Covers, Vol. 1 (2006)
Under the Covers, Vol. 2 (2009)
Under the Covers, Vol. 3 (2013)
Updated August 3, 2026.
Top 10 Susanna Hoffs Songs article published on ClassicRockHistory.com © 2026
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