If you grew up in the 80s, chances are you were a Pat Benatar fan. If you’ve never heard of her, you’re definitely missing out, and we’ll attempt to introduce her here.
The 1980s was a great time for pop music and many people were watching MTV all day long just to see who was the next big star. I’m sure you’ve heard of Michael Jackson and Madonna, but did you know that there were other artists that also had great songs?
Pat Benatar has been around since the early 80s and she is one of the most iconic female vocalists in American music.
Her style was influenced by rockabilly and punk rock, but her songs were still very catchy and fun to listen to. Her popularity skyrocketed in the 80s with hits like “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and “Heartbreaker”. Here’s the former which is the song that skyrocketed her to superstardom:
Pat Benatar In The 80s
It’s been more than 35 years since Pat Benatar first became a household name. But if you’re too young to remember her musical heyday, here are some facts about the singer:
- She was born Patricia Andrzejewski in Brooklyn, New York in 1953.
- She had a string of hits in the 1980s that include “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “I Need a Lover,” “Heartbreaker” and “Love Is a Battlefield.”
- Her first husband is guitarist Neil Giraldo, they were married from 1981-96; they have two children together: Haley and Hana.
Benatar’s Rise To Stardom
The rise in popularity of Pat Benatar in the 1980s has been attributed to her hit songs “Crimes Of Passion” and “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”. The album reached quintuple platinum and became her first Top 10 million-selling single. In addition to this, she has also made several television appearances on MTV. In the 1980s, she was also a member of the band Styx.
Her career as a pop star in the 1980s was fueled by her vocals against the way she was presented by her record label. She had never been comfortable with the tough chick look, so Chrysalis forced her to adopt the “sexed-up vamp” look.
She stood her ground and left the label, but her vocals did not diminish her popularity. She later wrote a song called “Sex as a Weapon” about sexism in the entertainment industry.
As a child, Pat Benatar studied musical theatre and opera. She worked in a nightclub in Richmond, Virginia, and later met pianist Phil Coxon. They started out as a duo, but eventually expanded to a band of eight. Their name changed to Coxon’s Army. They released a number of albums, including “Love is a Battlefield,” a single featuring Pat Benatar as a rebellious teen running away from home.
“Love is a Battlefield,” song was a breakthrough for rock & roll artists as it included dialogue in the music.
Pat Benatar’s popularity in the 1980s is closely tied to her costumes. When she was promoting her second album, Crimes of Passion, her label decided to run a Billboard advertisement where she was airbrushed so that her outfit was not visible. When she saw the finished product, she threw a temper tantrum. In the ensuing controversy, Benatar continued to be a pop icon.
The style of Benatar’s songs was so influential that it influenced a number of future female artists. Artists like Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Lisa Marie Presley, and Emmy Lou Harris took after her style. And her music remained relevant long after she had gone platinum. She also sold over ten million records during her heyday. Pat Benatar was also a critic’s darling, earning four Grammy Awards in a row from 1981 to 1984.
A breakthrough song in Benatar’s career came in 1982 with the release of her third album, Precious Time. This track reached the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and ranked Number 4 on the rock chart. She earned a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the song.
Final Thoughts On Pat Benatar
The 1980s was a big decade for Pat Benatar. The popularity of her song “Love is a Battlefield” became a global phenomenon and reached the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Also “Hit me with your best shot” was wildly popular and remains a song you often hear in commercials and movies till this day.
She continued to break records with her album, “Painted Desert,” which reached the top ten in the UK and topped the US Hot 100 in January 1986. The song “We Belong” also became a big hit.
So if you haven’t heard of Pat Benatar, definitely check out some of her music. We promise you that you’ll discover an amazing artist whose music still resonates today.
