6 Suzanne Vega Songs Besides “Luka” and “Tom’s Diner” Everyone Should Know

Suzanne Vega hasn’t spent much time on the Top 40, but when she’s been there she’s really made it count. Vega’s first entry on the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 was “Luka,” and the Solitude Standing track went all the way to No. 3 in August 1987. She would return for her second visit three years later when the pair of English music producers known as DNA released a remix of another song from Solitude Standing, “Tom’s Diner.” That single would peak at No. 5.

Vega has not been back on the Hot 100, much less the Top 40, since then. Just as she didn’t come completely out of nowhere when “Luka” put her in the national spotlight, Vega hasn’t exactly disappeared in the aftermath of “Tom’s Diner.” She has continued to be a presence on the album charts right through the 2020s, and has been peppering the airwaves—particularly on rock stations—with her songs for 40 years. If you’re looking to catch up on what you might have missed in Vega’s discography, these six songs make for a good start.

“Marlene on the Wall” from Suzanne Vega (1985)

Vega’s first single provided us with an introduction to her witty lyricism and tuneful writing. She sings the song from the perspective of imagining a poster of the late actress Marlene Dietrich has been observing her from the wall. It’s a device Vega used to write about an unfulfilling relationship without being too on the nose about it, and she uses it brilliantly. The song received some airplay, though not enough to chart in the U.S. Still, it buoyed sales of her self-titled debut album, which peaked at No. 91 on the Billboard 200.

“Left of Center” from Pretty in Pink soundtrack (1986)

The second single Vega released in the U.S. shared some of the qualities of “Marlene on the Wall,” namely, rapid-fire vocals and an entrancing blend of acoustic instruments and synths. The catchy song features Joe Jackson on piano, not far removed from his commercially successful albums Night and Day and Body and Soul. “Left of Center” was one of four singles released from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, but it was the only one not to chart in the U.S.

“Book of Dreams” from Days of Open Hand (1990)

One might think Vega’s music might have faded from public view after “Luka,” if not for DNA bringing attention to her with their remix of “Tom’s Diner.” “Book of Dreams” suggests otherwise. The lead single from Days of Open Hand was released three months before the “Tom’s Diner” remix came out, and within a month, it was in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart. The interplay of acoustic and electric guitars and Vega’s gentle vocals give the song its appropriately dreamy feel, as do Shawn Colvin’s harmonizing backing vocals.

“Blood Makes Noise” from 99.9Fº (1992)

Vega’s best-known song from her fourth album 99.9Fº sounds quite different from her earlier work. It would be easy to assume the clang-like, rhythmic sounds of “Blood Makes Noise” were influenced by the success of the remixed “Tom’s Diner,” but Vega offered a different explanation. In a 1993 interview for the Los Angeles Times, she said that it was a more confident, risk-taking attitude that led her to make louder songs. As she put it, “Well, I’m 33 years old, if I don’t make a noise now, I guess I never will.” On “Blood Makes Noise,” Vega’s vocals are still understated, but they combine beautifully with the song’s more abrasive soundtrack.

The infectious song isn’t all that similar to the “Tom’s Diner” remix, and if it resembles anything, it sounds like something Peter Gabriel might have recorded. Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that Gabriel’s longtime drummer Jerry Marotta plays on the track. As the third single from 99.9Fº, “Blood Makes Noise” became Vega’s first and only No. 1 song on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart.

“Caramel” from Nine Objects of Desire (1996)

“Caramel” was the first single from Nine Objects of Desire, but it’s been a bit of a sleeper hit for Vega. Unlike the follow-up single “No Cheap Thrill,” it failed to chart in the U.S. (or anywhere else), but it has become one of her five most-streamed songs on both Spotify and YouTube. With its bossa nova feel, the song represents yet another stylistic shift for Vega. The song was included in the 1996 film The Truth About Cats and Dogs, and it was actually completed after Vega agreed to let it be used in the movie. In an interview with the film’s star Janeane Garofalo, Vega noted she had tweaked the song in order to make it better fit the movie’s narrative.

“Rats” (Single, 2024)

Vega’s first single in eight years, “Rats” had its origin in a conversation with one of her former producers. She and Jimmy Hogarth, who has produced albums by Sia, Duffy, and KT Tunstall, in addition to Vega’s 2007 release Beauty & Crime, were comparing the sizes of the biggest rats they had seen. After that conversation, Vega started noticing how she was hearing lots of stories about rats. In her press release for the single, Vega noted the Ramones and Fontaines D.C. were musical inspirations for the song. “Rats” makes her respect for those bands obvious, as well as her respect for (and fear of) the creatures roaming around her hometown of New York.

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