Cotton made an appearance in the 1983 film Valley Girl, singing "Johnny, Are You Queer?

In 1984, Elektra issued Cotton's follow-up album, From the Hip, which returned a minor hit with the cover of Looking Glass' "Jimmy Loves Maryann" (with guitar by Lindsey Buckingham).

In 1986, Cotton appeared in a minor role as the character Silver Ring in the John McTiernan horror film Nomads opposite Adam Ant and Pierce Brosnan.

The punk band Screeching Weasel covered the song on their 1994 album How to Make Enemies and Irritate People.

An album of her own music, The Influence of Fear on Salesmen, was planned for release in 2002 on B-Girl but failed to materialize under that title.

Cotton released Movie Disaster Music in 2006, followed by Invasion of the B-Girls, a collection of B-movie theme song covers, also produced in part by Bill Rhea, in 2007.