Bette Davis Eyes
Updated: 12/11/2025, 5:10:06 PM Wikipedia source
"Bette Davis Eyes" is a song written and composed by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon in 1974. It was recorded by DeShannon that year but made popular by Kim Carnes in 1981 when it spent nine non-consecutive weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It won the 1982 Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The music video was directed by Australian film director Russell Mulcahy. On the Billboard Hot 100, the song was No. 1 for five weeks, interrupted for just one week by "Stars on 45" before it returned to the top spot for another four weeks, becoming Billboard's biggest hit of the year. The single also reached No. 5 on Billboard's Top Tracks charts and No. 26 on the Dance charts. It reached No. 2 in Canada for twelve consecutive weeks, and was 1981's No. 2 hit in that country, after "Stars on 45". It peaked at No. 10 in the United Kingdom, to date Carnes's only Top 40 hit in that country. Additionally, it ranked No. 12 on Billboard's list of the top 100 songs in the first 50 years of the magazine's Hot 100. "Bette Davis Eyes" was a No. 1 hit in 21 countries.
Infobox
Tables
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
| Billboard | The 500 Best Pop Songs | 425 | |
| Rolling Stone | The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s | 137 |
| Year | Chart | Peakposition |
| 1981 | Australia (Kent Music Report) | 1 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) | 2 | |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 5 | |
| Brazil (ABPD) | 1 | |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 2 | |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) | 1 | |
| Denmark (IFPI) | 4 | |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) | 1 | |
| France (IFOP) | 1 | |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 5 | |
| Italy (Musica e Dischi) | 1 | |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 16 | |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 17 | |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 2 | |
| Norway (VG-lista) | 1 | |
| Quebec (ADISQ) | 1 | |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio) | 1 | |
| Spain (AFE) | 1 | |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) | 4 | |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) | 1 | |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 10 | |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) | 15 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 | |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 1 | |
| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard) | 26 | |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard) | 5 | |
| US Record World Singles | 1 | |
| West Germany (GfK) | 1 | |
| Zimbabwe (ZIMA) | 1 | |
| 1997 | Ireland (IRMA) | 21 |
| 2002 | Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) | 67 |
| 2007 | Denmark (Tracklisten) | 14 |
| 2013 | Slovenia (SloTop50) | 45 |
| Chart (1981) | Rank |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 6 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) | 16 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 37 |
| Brazil (ABPD) | 1 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 2 |
| France (IFOP) | 4 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 6 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio) | 2 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Cash Box | 2 |
| West Germany (Official German Charts) | 10 |
| Chart | Rank |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 17 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) | Gold | 100,000 |
| Canada (Music Canada) | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark) | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| France (SNEP) | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
| Germany (BVMI) | Gold | 300,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI) sales since 2009 | Platinum | 100,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | 2× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) 2004 release | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
| Sales figures based on certification alone.^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
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