Pat Benatar -- Hit Me With Your Best Shot

 

Well, back to the regular Thursday edition of Reminiscings of Youth following last night's tribute to "Star Wars". And tonight, I wanted to focus on one of the first female rock singers that I had ever experienced on television and radio.

Pat Benatar, I was happy to hear, will be inducted into the 2022 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this year. I first heard about her right when I was starting to get into music on both sides of the Pacific and at around that time, music video was beginning to rise in the media. This video of her "You Better Run" was my first view of Benatar, and she looked stunning, intimidating and cool-as-all-get-out at the same time. Her cheekbones could be anyone's well-sharpened scythes!

However, it was her 9th single from September 1980, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", that got me with her best shot. Eddie Schwartz was the songwriter behind this typically growling Benatar rocker of defiance and challenge, and not surprisingly, it was the song of choice for a lot of team sports coverage including ice hockey. I mean, it would be a perfect tune for the best of the best goaltenders.

I was amused to find out from the Wikipedia article on "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" that Schwartz had been inspired to create the song from a pillow-punching therapy session in Toronto of all places. Never thought that my hometown was that violent way back when. Regardless, the song hit No. 10 on Canada's RPM singles chart while in the United States, it went up to No. 9 on Billboard, going Gold. Long may Pat Benatar rock!

Allow me then to give Nos. 1, 2 and 4 for September 1980 on Oricon.

1. Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi -- Junko （順子）

2. Seiko Matsuda -- Aoi Sangoshou （青い珊瑚礁）

4. Los Indios & Silvia -- Wakarete mo Suki na Hito （別れても好きな人）