Today in 1991, the Australian band Divinyls released their self-titled 5th album that included their biggest-selling single, "I Touch Myself". It reached number one in Australia, number four in the US and number 10 in the UK. It was their only hit in America.
Divinyls vocalist Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee wrote the song with the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, who had also written hit songs such as the Pretenders "I'll Stand by You", Madonna’s "Like a Virgin", "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles, and Cyndi Lauper’s "True Colors".
Sadly, Amphlett died from breast cancer and multiple sclerosis in 2013 at age 53. Before her death, she expressed hope that "I Touch Myself" would remind women to perform annual breast examinations. 12 months later, the ‘I Touch Myself Project’ was launched in her honor with its mission to create educational forums to promote self-examination.
In 2018, tennis superstar Serena Williams recorded "I Touch Myself" and posted her version on Instagram. It became Instagram's most retweeted post, most widely discussed campaign and most watched video during International Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
