I Touch Myself

Zoo Freaks, get ready for some juicy trivia about I Touch Myself by Divinyls, spinning now on THE ZOO! This 1990 track, from their self-titled album Divinyls, was penned by Chrissy Amphlett, Mark McEntee, and the hit-making duo Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, who also crafted Madonna’s Like a Virgin and The Bangles’ Eternal Flame. Songwriter Billy Steinberg shared in a Songfacts interview that he met Amphlett at a Hollywood club, nervously showing her his lyric notebook. She zeroed in on the first verse and chorus of I Touch Myself, which became the song’s foundation. The track’s bold take on female pleasure stirred controversy, with some U.S. radio stations hesitant to play it, and it was even banned from TV in Australia. Yet, it soared to No. 1 in Australia, No. 4 in the U.S., and No. 10 in the UK, proving its undeniable hook.

The music video, directed by a then-up-and-coming Michael Bay, was shot in a Pasadena nunnery and nominated for three MTV Video Music Awards in 1991. Its provocative imagery, with Amphlett in sultry poses, fueled both its allure and its controversy. Lou Reed, a fan, told Rolling Stone the song captured “a whole different world of being in love.” After Amphlett’s 2013 passing from breast cancer, the song took on new meaning. She had hoped it would remind women to perform breast self-exams, leading to the 2014 I Touch Myself Project, where artists like Olivia Newton-John covered it to promote early detection. Serena Williams’ 2018 Instagram cover for breast cancer awareness became the platform’s most retweeted post that month.

Divinyls began in 1980 in Sydney, Australia, when Chrissy Amphlett, a fiery performer with a rebellious streak, met guitarist Mark McEntee in a Collaroy music venue parking lot, introduced by ex-Air Supply member Jeremy Paul. Amphlett, born in Geelong, Victoria, in 1959, had already lived a wild youth—busking in Europe, getting arrested in Spain at 17, and performing in risqué musicals like Let My People Come. Her raw energy and subversive humor defined the band’s early sound, blending punk, new wave, and hard rock. Their debut single, Boys in Town, hit Australia’s Top 10 in 1981, showing their knack for catchy, edgy anthems. Despite lineup changes, Amphlett and McEntee remained the core, releasing five albums, with Divinyls (1991) as their peak, driven by I Touch Myself.

Though Divinyls disbanded in 1996, reunited briefly in 2006, and dissolved again in 2009, their legacy endures, cemented by their 2006 ARIA Hall of Fame induction. Amphlett’s brash, sexually confident persona paved the way for future female rockers. Sadly, no official Divinyls website exists, but fans keep the spirit alive. Check out the Divinyls Official Facebook for updates and memories, or join the Divinyls Fan Group on Facebook to connect with fellow Zoo Freaks. The band’s official Instagram shares throwback photos, and while their X account is less active, it’s worth a peek for nostalgic posts. For deeper dives, visit fan sites like Last.fm’s Divinyls page for discography and community chatter.