''Hairspray'' is a 1988 American

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

written and directed by

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

, starring

Sonny Bono Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono ( ; February 16, 1935 – January 5, 1998) was an American singer, songwriter, actor, and politician. In partnership with his second wife, Cher, he formed the singing duo Sonny & Cher. A member of the Republican Pa ...

Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a popular music, pop music ...

Divine Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a singl ...

Debbie Harry Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble, July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie (band), Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1 ...

Ricki Lake Ricki Pamela Lake (born September 21, 1968) is an American television host and actress. She is known for her lead role as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film '' Hairspray'', for which she received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for ...

in her film debut, and

Jerry Stiller Gerald Isaac Stiller (June 8, 1927 – May 11, 2020) was an American comedian and actor. He spent many years as part of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara with his wife, Anne Meara, to whom he was married for over 60 years until her death in 20 ...

, with special appearances by

Ric Ocasek Richard Theodore Otcasek (March 23, 1944 – September 15, 2019), known as Ric Ocasek ( ), was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was the primary vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and frontman for the America ...

in his final film and

Pia Zadora Pia Zadora (born Pia Alfreda Schipani; May 4, 1954) is an American actress and singer. She debuted as a child actress on Broadway, in regional theater, and in the film ''Santa Claus Conquers the Martians'' (1964). She came to national attention i ...

. ''Hairspray'' was a dramatic departure from Waters's earlier works, with a much broader intended audience. ''Hairspray''s PG is the least restrictive rating a Waters film has received; most of his previous films were rated X by the

MPAA The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, the mini-major Amazon MGM Studios, as well as the video streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. F ...

. Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, the film revolves around self-proclaimed "pleasantly plump" teenager Tracy Turnblad as she pursues stardom as a dancer on a local TV show and rallies against

racial segregation Racial segregation is the separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Segregation can involve the spatial separation of the races, and mandatory use of different institutions, ...

. ''Hairspray'' was a moderate success upon its initial theatrical release, earning $8 million. However, it managed to attract a larger audience on home video in the early 1990s, and it became a

cult film A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in repeated ...

. The film received critical acclaim and ranks at No. 444 on ''

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

'' magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest films of all time. This is Divine's final film released during his lifetime as he died three weeks after its release. In 2002, the film was adapted into a Broadway musical of the same name, which won eight

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

s, including Best Musical in 2003. A second film version of ''Hairspray'', an adaptation of the stage musical, was also released by

New Line Cinema New Line Productions, Inc., Trade name, doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production, film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, a division of the Major film studios, ...

in 2007, which included many changes of scripted items from the original. In 2022, the film was selected for preservation in the United States

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...

by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Plot

In 1962

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, overweight teenager Tracy Turnblad dreams of appearing on ''The Corny Collins Show'', a popular local television program featuring a "council" of teenagers dancing to popular songs. One night, she and her best friend Penny Pingleton sneak out to a

record hop A sock hop or sox hop, often also called a record hop or just a hop, was an informal (but officially organized) dance event for teenagers in mid-20th-century North America, featuring popular music. The term sock hop came about because dancers wer ...

emceed by the show's host Corny Collins. Though the event is segregated, she impresses guest judge Motormouth Maybelle Stubbs, who co-hosts the program's monthly "Negro Day". After Tracy and her partner Fender win that night's dance contest, narrowly beating council dancers Amber Von Tussle (the show's reigning queen and a mean, conventionally attractive high school classmate whose racist parents, Velma and Franklin, own Tilted Acres Amusement Park which bans African Americans) and her boyfriend Link Larkin, Corny invites her to audition for his program at the WZZT television studio the next day, inspiring her to bleach, tease, and rat her

big hair Big hair is a hairstyle that emphasizes large volume or largely styled hair, especially when those styles make the hair occupy a large amount of space above and around the head. The label "big hair" for such styles originated in the late 1970s, w ...

. At the audition, Penny nervously stumbles over her answers, and another girl is cut for being black. Tracy's dance moves and stellar performance during the "mock interview" challenge earn her a spot on the council, beginning with that afternoon's taping. After mocking Tracy's weight, Amber is suspended for the day by Corny. Having previously disapproved of her daughter's hairstyle and incessant obsession, Tracy's slightly overbearing and equally overweight mother Edna eventually revels in her daughter's newfound fame and takes her shopping at Hefty Hideaway, a clothing store for plus-size women. The owner, Mr. Pinky, recognizes Tracy and hires her as his model. At school, Tracy is sent to the principal's office for violating the student hairstyle policy; the principal then assigns her to

special education Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...

classes, where she befriends black classmates who have been sent there to be held back academically. Tracy and Link fall in love as she competes for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963, fuelling Amber's jealousy towards her. Later, Tracy, Penny, and Link are invited to Maybelle's R&B record shop on North Avenue, where the trio meet Maybelle's daughter, Li'l Inez, and learn dance moves such as "The Bird" and "The Dirty Boogie". Penny begins an interracial romance with Maybelle's son Seaweed, horrifying her parents, Prudy and Paddy, who imprison her in her bedroom and hire

quack Quack, The Quack or Quacks may refer to: People * Quack Davis, American baseball player * Hendrick Peter Godfried Quack (1834–1917), Dutch economist and historian * Joachim Friedrich Quack (born 1966), German Egyptologist * Johannes Quack ...

psychiatrist Dr. Fredrickson to brainwash her into only dating white boys. Undeterred, Tracy uses her newfound fame to advocate for

racial integration Racial integration, or simply integration, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation), leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of Race (classification of human beings), race, and t ...

. Meanwhile, Maybelle organizes a protest at Tilted Acres as Corny hosts a live special taping, during which Amber falsely claims that Tracy's hairdo is infested with cockroaches. Both black and white protestors storm the park, inciting a

race riot This is a list of ethnic riots by country, and includes riots based on Ethnic conflict, ethnic, Sectarian violence, sectarian, xenophobic, and Racial conflict, racial conflict. Some of these riots can also be classified as pogroms. Africa A ...

that interrupts the taping; Tracy is arrested, Link is severely assaulted, and the Von Tussles' opposition to racial integration increases. Later, Seaweed, who was also wounded during the riot, helps Penny break out of her house and escape from her parents, who furiously disown her. Corny hosts another special broadcast at the Miss Auto Show 1963 pageant, but Tracy is unable to attend as she is stuck in reform school, while Link is now using a wheelchair. Franklin conceals a bomb in Velma's towering bouffant wig, planning for her to throw the bomb should Amber lose. Meanwhile, Maybelle and Li'l Inez handcuff themselves to the governor, refusing to leave until he frees Tracy. When Miss Auto Show is announced, WZZT station manager Arvin Hodgepile reveals that although Tracy is technically the winner, she has been disqualified, and Amber is crowned instead. As Amber celebrates her victory, the governor simultaneously exonerates Tracy, who ventures to the pageant. Disregarding Arvin's mandate, Corny announces the show is now integrated, after which Tracy changes into a dress painted with roaches and introduces a dance called "The Bug", with Link standing up from his wheelchair to join her. As Li'l Inez confiscates Amber's crown, the bomb in Velma's wig spontaneously detonates and the burning hairpiece lands on Amber's head, thwarting the Von Tussles' sabotage plot before the police arrest both Franklin and Velma. Tracy claims her rightful crown and encourages everyone to dance.

Cast

Council members Special appearances *

as the

beatnik Beatniks were members of a social movement in the mid-20th century, who subscribed to an anti- materialistic lifestyle. They rejected the conformity and consumerism of mainstream American culture and expressed themselves through various forms ...

cat *

as the beatnik chick * Buddy Deane as a newsman at the Governor's Mansion

Production

Development

Waters wrote the screenplay under the title of ''White Lipstick'', with the story loosely based on real events. The ''Corny Collins Show'' is based on the real-life '' Buddy Deane Show'', a local dance party program which pre-empted Dick Clark's ''

American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...

'' in the Baltimore area during the 1950s and early 1960s. Waters had previously written about ''The Buddy Deane Show'' in his 1986 book ''Crackpot: The Obsessions of John Waters.''

Filming

Principal photography took place in and around the Baltimore area during the summer of 1987. The school scenes were shot at Perry Hall High School, with set locations including the library, a first-floor English class and the principal's office. In the principal's office, the Harry Dorsey Gough (see Perry Hall Mansion) coat-of-arms that once hung in the main lobby can be seen through the doorway. Tilted Acres amusement park was

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an Amusement park, amusement and water park located in Dorneyville, Pennsylvania, outside Allentown, Pennsylvania, Allentown, in the United States. Owned and operated by Six Flags, Six Flags Entertainment Corpor ...

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in eastern Pennsylvania, United States. The county seat of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, it is the List o ...

. According to Harry, Waters wanted her to not only act but also perform music for the film, but her record label

Sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" an ...

objected. ''Hairspray'' was

's final film to be released in his lifetime; he died on March 7, 1988, three weeks after the film's premiere and nine days after the film's release. ''Hairspray'' was his only film with Waters in which he did not play the lead. Originally, Divine was considered to play both Tracy and Edna. Executives from New Line Cinema, the film's distributor, discouraged this concept, and it was dropped. Instead, Divine played Edna Turnblad and Arvin Hodgepile, the racist TV station manager.

Deleted scenes

A handful of scenes were cut while in post-production, some of which provide context for certain plot developments seen in the finished film. The first occurs before Tracy and Penny go the Parkville VFW record hop. Tracy is required to start her first shift working in the Hardy-Har Joke Shop, but after managing to chase away all her customers, she is excused to go to the hop. The joke shop customers are still listed in the end credits of the final cut. An additional removal shows Tracy skipping school, stealing shoes from the Etta Gown Shop, breaking into the Von Tussles' home, and using a bottle of Amber's peroxide to bleach her hair in Amber's sink, thus explaining Tracy's subsequent change of hair color when she auditions for ''Corny Collins''. Another deleted scene involved cockroaches being placed in Tracy's hair. Although removed prior to release, numerous references remain in the final edit, including the songs "The Roach" (1961) by Gene and Wendell and "The Bug" (1958) by Jerry Dallman and the Knightcaps, as well as Tracy arriving to be crowned "Miss Auto Show" wearing an evening gown painted with black cockroaches. When discussing his decision to ultimately cut the scene, Waters explained, "

Bob Shaye Robert Kenneth Shaye (born March 4, 1939) is an American businessman, film producer, actor, director, and writer. Shaye is the founder of New Line Cinema, a film production studio that was most successful for distributing ''The Lord of the Rin ...

, the head of New Line, probably correctly, said 'This doesn't work. What is this, a

Buñuel Buñuel is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Afric ...

movie?'...And he was probably right." The final deleted scene was a musical number which depicted the teens performing an obscure 1960s dance called "The Stupidity" at the auto show just before Tracy's being released from reform school, but again, Waters ultimately decided it was not appropriate, stating, "I thought, you know, you don't want your leading man to look stupid right in the big finale."

Reception

Box office

''Hairspray'' opened on February 26, 1988, in 79 North American theaters, where it grossed $577,287 in its opening weekend. On March 11, it expanded to 227 theaters, where it grossed $966,672 from March 11–13. It ended its theatrical run with $8,271,108.

Critical response

''Hairspray'' received two out of four from

Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune'' who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert. Siskel started writing for the '' ...

but three out of four from

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

. On the

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, the film holds an approval rating of 98% based on 46 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. It is Waters's second-highest-rated film (behind ''

Multiple Maniacs ''Multiple Maniacs'' is a 1970 independent American black comedy film composed, shot, edited, written, produced, and directed by John Waters, as his second feature film and first "talkie". It features several actors who were part of the Dreamla ...

'') on the website. The website's critics consensus reads, "''Hairspray'' is perhaps John Waters' most accessible film, and as such, it's a gently subversive slice of retro hilarity."

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, which uses a

weighted average The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...

, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 14 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Waters wrote that his all-time favorite review of ''Hairspray'' was

David Edelstein David Edelstein (born 1959) is a freelance American film critic who has been the principal film critic for ''Slate'' and ''New York'' magazine, among others, and has appeared regularly on NPR's ''Fresh Air'' and ''CBS Sunday Morning'' programs. O ...

's in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'': "A family movie both the Bradys and the Mansons could adore".

Accolades

The film was nominated for six

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...

s, and the Grand Jury Prize at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

Other works

Broadway musical

In mid-2002,

Margo Lion Margo Allison Lion (October 13, 1944 – January 24, 2020) was a producer for plays and musicals both on Broadway and off-Broadway, known for her role in producing the stage and screen hit ''Hairspray''. Combined, the works Lion produced won 20 ...

teamed with writers

Marc Shaiman Marc Shaiman ( ; born October 22, 1959) is an American composer and lyricist for films, television, and theatre, best known for his collaborations with lyricist and director Scott Wittman, actor Billy Crystal, and director Rob Reiner. Shaiman ha ...

and Thomas Meehan to turn ''Hairspray'' into a Broadway musical. The show opened on August 15, 2002, starring

Marissa Jaret Winokur Marissa Jaret Winokur (born February 2, 1973), sometimes credited as Marissa Winokur, is an American actress and singer known for her Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Tony-winning performance as Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway theatre, ...

as Tracy and

Harvey Fierstein Harvey Forbes Fierstein ( ; born June 6, 1952) is an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter, known for his distinctive gravelly voice. He gained notice for his theater work in '' Torch Song Trilogy'', winning both the Tony Award for Best ...

as Edna. The show won eight

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...

, including Best Musical, in 2003. The show closed on January 4, 2009.

2007 film adaptation

In 2006, New Line Cinema joined forces with

Adam Shankman Adam Michael Shankman (born November 27, 1964) is an American film director, producer, writer, dancer, author, actor, and choreographer. He was a permanent judge on seasons 6–7 of the television program ''So You Think You Can Dance (American TV ...

to adapt the Broadway show into a movie musical. The film was released July 20, 2007, starring

John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He began acting in television before transitioning into a leading man in films. List of awards and nominations received by John Travolta, His accolades include a Primetime Em ...

as Edna,

Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Marie Pfeiffer ( ; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress. She was one of the most bankable stars in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood during the 1980s and 1990s, and her List of Michelle Pfeiffer performances, performances ...

as Velma,

Christopher Walken Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Christopher Walken on stage and screen, His work on stage and screen has earned him List of awards and nominations received by Christopher Walken, accolades includin ...

as Wilbur,

Amanda Bynes Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress. Bynes began her career as a child actor, appearing on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series '' All That'' (1996–2000) and its spin-off series '' The Amanda Show'' (1999–2002). ...

as Penny Pingleton,

Brittany Snow Brittany Anne Snow (born March 9, 1986) is an American actress. She came to prominence for her role in the CBS soap opera ''Guiding Light'' (1998–2001), for which she won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress and was nominated for two o ...

as Amber Von Tussle,

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, singer, and actress. She has received various accolades, including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe ...

as Motormouth Maybelle,

James Marsden James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973) is an American actor. He began his acting career guest starring in the television shows '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (1993), '' Touched by an Angel'' (1995), and '' Party of Five'' (1995). Ma ...

as Corny,

Zac Efron Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. Efron began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence as a teen idol for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' film ...

as Link, and newcomer

Nikki Blonsky Nicole Blonsky (born November 9, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She is known for playing Tracy Turnblad in the film ''Hairspray'' (2007), for which she won two Critics' Choice Awards and nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Scre ...

as Tracy. The film had a $75 million budget and earned over $200 million worldwide.

2016 live television adaptation

NBC aired a television event of the acclaimed musical on December 7, 2016, starring

as Edna,

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...

as Penny Pingleton,

Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...

as Velma,

Martin Short Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian and American comedian, actor, and writer. Short is known as an energetic comedian who gained prominence for his roles in sketch comedy. He has also acted in numerous films and television ...

as Wilbur,

Dove Cameron Dove Olivia Cameron (born Chloe Celeste Hosterman; January 15, 1996) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame for her dual role of the eponymous characters in Disney Channel's comedy series '' Liv and Maddie'' (2013–2017) and her ...

as Amber Von Tussle,

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, producer, and talk show host. Having received List of awards and nominations received by Jennifer Hudson, numerous accolades for ...

as Motormouth Maybelle,

Derek Hough Derek Bruce Hough (; born May 17, 1985) is an American professional Latin dance, Latin and ballroom dancer, choreographer, actor and singer. From 2007 to 2016, Hough was a professional dancer on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC dance compe ...

as Corny,

Garrett Clayton Gary Michael "Garrett" Clayton (born March 19, 1991) is an American actor and singer. He is known for portraying Tanner in the 2013 Disney Channel movie '' Teen Beach Movie'' and its 2015 sequel '' Teen Beach 2'', and other film, television, and ...

as Link, and newcomer

Maddie Baillio Maddie Baillio (born February 15, 1996) is an American actress and singer who appeared in the television special '' Hairspray Live'' and the film '' Dumplin. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Baillio focused on her health. She became a vegan and ...

as Tracy. It was well received by critics and was seen by 9.05 million viewers, with a ratings share of 2.3 in the 18–49 demographic, and a 5.9 overnight household rating.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was released in 1988 by

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...

. The album featured one original song by

Rachel Sweet Rachel Sweet (born July 28, 1962) is an American singer, television writer and actress. Early life and education Rachel Sweet was born in Akron, Ohio.Campbell, Mary (1979)Rachel Sweet: Busy Singer at 16, Made Debut at 5, Lewiston ''Daily Sun ...

and eleven other songs mostly from the early 1960s by

Gene Pitney Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four in the top ten. In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 h ...

Toussaint McCall Toussaint McCall (1934 – August 7, 2023) was an American R&B singer and organist. Biography Toussaint McCall was born in Delhi, Louisiana, but was a long-time resident of nearby Monroe, Louisiana. His father, Rev. D. L. McCall, was a pastor ...

and

The Ikettes The Ikettes, originally The Artettes, were a trio (sometimes quartet) of female backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite their origins, the Ikettes became successful artists in their own right. In the 1960s they had chart-toppe ...

, and others. Two songs, "

You Don't Own Me "You Don't Own Me" is a pop song written by Philadelphia songwriters John Madara and David White and recorded by Lesley Gore in 1963, when she was 17 years old. The song was Gore's second most successful recording and her last top-ten single ...

" and "Mama Didn't Lie", came out in 1963; "Nothing Takes the Place of You" was released in 1967.

Home media

''Hairspray'' was issued for the first time on VHS and LaserDisc in 1989 by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video.

New Line New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

reissued the film on VHS in 1996. The film was released on DVD by New Line in 2002, with an audio commentary by Waters and Lake, and a theatrical trailer. It was released on Blu-ray on March 4, 2014.

Notes

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hairspray 1988 films 1988 independent films 1988 musical films 1988 romantic comedy films 1980s American films 1980s dance films 1980s English-language films 1980s musical comedy films 1980s romantic musical films 1980s satirical films 1980s teen comedy films 1980s teen romance films American dance films American independent films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films American romantic musical films American satirical films American teen comedy films American teen musical films American teen romance films Civil rights movement in film Cross-dressing in American films Drag (entertainment)-related films English-language independent films English-language musical comedy films English-language romantic comedy films English-language romantic musical films Films adapted into plays Films about interracial romance Films about obesity Films about television Films directed by John Waters Films set in 1962 Films set in 1963 Films set in Baltimore Films shot in Baltimore Films with screenplays by John Waters New Line Cinema films United States National Film Registry films