" Tom's Diner " is a song by American singer and songwriter Suzanne Vega . Written on November 18, 1981, it was first released as a track on the January 1984 issue of Fast Folk Musical Magazine . Originally featured on her second studio album, Solitude Standing (1987), it was released as a single in Europe only in 1987 following the success of her single " Luka ." It was later used as the basis for a remix by the British group DNA in 1990, which reached No. 1 in Austria, Germany, Greece and Switzerland. The song is known for its use in testing various digital compression schemes during the development of the MP3 , earning Vega the title of "Mother of the MP3." - source