"Bop Girl" is the debut single of Australian pop singer

Pat Wilson Patricia Mary Wilson (née Higgins; born 11 June 1948) is an Australian singer and journalist. Wilson wrote for ''Go-Set'', a 1960s and 1970s pop music newspaper, under the pen-name "Mummy Cool" during 1971–1972. Wilson released several ...

. The song was written by her then-husband, Ross Wilson of the bands Daddy Cool and

Mondo Rock Mondo Rock are an Australian rock band, formed in November 1976 in Melbourne, Victoria. Singer-songwriter Ross Wilson (musician), Ross Wilson founded the band, following the split of his previous band Daddy Cool (band), Daddy Cool. Guitarist Er ...

. "Bop Girl" was released in September 1983, peaking at number two on the Australian

Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music historian David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July 19 ...

, number ten in New Zealand and number 28 in South Africa. At the 1983 ''Countdown'' Music Awards, the song won Best Debut Single. Wilson was also nominated for Most Popular Female Performer and "Bop Girl" was nominated for Best Promotional Video.

Music video

Film maker

Gillian Armstrong Gillian May Armstrong (born 18 December 1950) is an Australian feature film and documentary film director, director, best known for ''My Brilliant Career (film), My Brilliant Career'' (1979), ''Mrs. Soffel'' (1984), ''High Tide (1987 film), Hi ...

directed "Bop Girl"'s music video. It is the screen debut of 15-year-old

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...

playing the role of one of three young "bop girls". Kidman was chosen by Armstrong; songwriter Ross Wilson recalled that Kidman was to represent "an up and coming starlet with a bright future." Kidman herself insisted that the video be used for both a

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

documentary about her career, and in an

American Cinematheque The American Cinematheque is an independent, non-profit cultural organization in Los Angeles, California, United States that represents the public presentation of the moving image in all its forms. It presents festivals and retrospectives that ...

tribute (November 2003), with the result that the video returned to Australian music video play lists in 2004. The music video was shot in South Coogee. Much of the video was a pixilation animation in time with the music. At the ''Countdown'' Australian Music Awards for 1983, it was nominated for Best Promotional Video.

Track listings

7-inch vinyl (WEA – 7–259854) # "Bop Girl" – 3:51 # "Tacky" – 3:17 12-inch vinyl (WEA – 0–259850) # "Bop Girl" – 4:33 # "Tacky" – 3:17

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

In popular culture

"Bop Girl" was featured in the short-lived 1980s American sci-fi show ''

Otherworld In historical Indo-European religion, the concept of an otherworld, also known as an otherside, is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other world/side"), a term used by Lucan in his desc ...

'' episode "Rock n' Roll Suicide", with the two young members of the family performing it in a talent show. The song was featured as the title song for the short-lived '' Being Lara Bingle''.

References

{{authority control Songs written by Ross Wilson (musician) 1983 songs 1983 debut singles Song recordings produced by Ross Wilson (musician) Warner Music Group singles Music videos shot in Australia