1981 Soft Rock Classic 'Bette Davis Eyes' Became A No. 1 Hit 45 Years Ago

On this day in 1981, Kim Carnes' iconic soft rock hit "Bette Davis Eyes" was dominating the Billboard Hot 100 for the fourth consecutive week. The song, originally written by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon, became the defining track of Carnes' career.

"Bette Davis Eyes" was written and recorded by Weiss and DeShannon in 1974 for the latter's album, New Arrangement. Unfortunately, the song was a commercial disappointment that never made a dent on the charts-until Carnes gave it a modern spin almost a decade later.

Carnes' soft-rock cover of "Bette Davis Eyes" was completely different from the original version recorded by DeShannon. Where the original featured an uptempo piano and R&B-inspired horns, Carnes' version was more commercially accessible with its driving riffs and melodic vocals.

In fact, Carnes reportedly passed on the song when it was first brought to her by producer Val Garay, and it wasn't until keyboardist Bill Cuomo came up with the track's now-iconic synthesizer riff that Carnes finally decided to cover the song (via Mix). "The minute he came up with that," she said, "then it fell into place."

"Bette Davis Eyes" was a massive hit for Kim Carnes, going straight to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining there for nine nonconsecutive weeks. It was knocked off temporarily by "Stars on 45" after five weeks, before returning to No. 1 for a further four weeks.

The song references cinema icon Bette Davis, who was an American actress during the so-called "golden age" of Hollywood in the 1950s. She is best known for playing the lead roles in All About Eve and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Davis was 73 when Carnes' song dominated the charts, and she reportedly sent a letter to Carnes, Weiss, and DeShannon thanking them for making her "a part of modern times". She also sent congratulatory flowers to the trio following their Grammy wins.

Today, "Bette Davis Eyes" is remembered as one of the most enduring soft-rock hits of the 1980s, and the defining song of Kim Carnes' career.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 6:32 AM.