Top 37 Best Pat Benatar Songs of All Time
One of the top female Rock singers of the 80s and into the 90s, this lady was something special. Seeking out the Top 10 Pat Benatar songs is not going to be easy because there were so many.
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She was a tough New York-born ball of fire. But when you first met her, you were quite shocked. At just 5′ 1″, she seemed minuscule, but for heaven’s sake, don’t upset her.
A Real Professional
Patricia Mae Andrzejewski, as she was born, had what might best be described as having a tough sexuality. She was a professional artist who didn’t suffer fools gladly. And she had a great voice and on-stage persona that left an impact.
Before her breakthrough, she was singing around bars and clubs in New York. However, it didn’t take long for someone to notice and appreciate her talent. Her first album came out in 1979 and was produced by Mike Chapman. He was, of course, of Chinn and Chapman fame. They worked with Sweet, Mud, The Knack, and a host of others, producing hit after hit in the 70s.
When she came to tour the UK, in about 1983, I think, she played Newcastle City Hall and blew the audience away. And they are a tough crowd to please. So, let’s get on with this and find what might be Pat Benatar’s best songs. All subjective, of course. Some will disagree, so let me apologize in advance if I miss your favorite. These songs are all special, in my opinion.
Top 37 Best Pat Benatar Songs of All Time
1 Hit Me With Your Best Shot
This is a song taken from her second album, Crimes Of Passion. The song was written by Eddie Schwartz and released as a single in 1980. It reached #9 in America and #10 in Canada. In America, it was her first Top 10 hit.
It has a prominent guitar riff, and her vocal snarls away as you would expect. A good song that was an important part of her stage shows until recently.
She told a newspaper in 2022 that despite the song being a little “tongue-in-cheek,” she would not be performing it live again. That decision was a protest at all the mass shootings in America.
2 Heartbreaker
This is a song that was originally written by British writers Geoff Gill and Cliff Wade for Jenny Phillips, or Jenny Darren as she was called. She was a singer working at clubs in Manchester in the 70s, where I also played a residency in a band. Jenny also sang with Clifford T. Ward.
I had met her a few times. She was a very good Rock singer that never had much luck. Jenny put her version on the album Queen of Fools, now lost in the mists of time. But, it was picked up by Pat Benatar for her debut album, In The Heat Of The Night.
“Heartbreaker” was the second single off the album and was a breakthrough song. It charted at #23 in America and #16 in Canada. It’s a driving Rock song with powerful drums that breaks into half rhythm for the chorus. The sort of song that you could imagine someone like Joan Jett singing. As a result, it is one of the most well-known Pat Benatar songs.
3 We Belong
This is one of Pat Benatar’s most successful songs, released in 1984 from her album Tropico. It reached #22 in the UK, #5 in America, and #8 in Canada. For her, it is a different type of song that reflects the musical styles of the time it was released. The arrangement moved away from a straight Rock song to allow some creativity to the backing.
That backing track, apart from prominent percussion, is quite sparse. This allows her voice to sit clearly at the top of the mix. And there are no histrionics here. She sings it quite straight, giving it just enough power.
Furthermore, there are some electronics involved which is also a new thing for her. A good song that was written by David Lowen and Dan Navarro.
4 Invincible
Another collaboration with Mike Chapman brought this 1985 single taken from her album, Seven The Hard Way. It was used as the theme song for the film The Legend of Billie Jean. On the B-side, there was an instrumental version of the same song.
As was the practice of the time, the drums are right at the front of the mix with plenty of keyboards. Given that Benatar was strictly a Rock singer, this might seem a strange choice for one of the Top 10 Pat Benatar songs.
That said, it is here not necessarily for the quality of the song, but for her vocal performance, which demonstrates she could perform in a variety of styles. It reached #53 in the UK, #10 in America, and #6 in the UK.
5 Treat Me Right
This is a song that Pat Benatar co-wrote with Doug Lubahn and was included on her Crimes Of Passion album. It was released in 1980 and reached #18 in America and #12 in Canada.
Again, another music style she can carry off that is almost reminiscent of Blondie at their best. The song was part of the soundtrack for the film, An Officer and a Gentleman from 1982.
6 All Fired Up
Let’s take a look at another music style that Pat Benatar was able to handle. Believe it or not, this was sung by Australian Country Rock singer Kerryn Tolhurst.
The Pat Benatar version is strictly Heavy Rock and was included on her album, Wide Awake In Dreamland, from 1987. Unsurprisingly, even eight years after her first album, she can still turn out great Rock songs. It peaked at number #19 in both the UK and America and reached #8 in Canada.
7 Fire And Ice
This was always one of my favorites of all the songs she recorded. It was released in 1981 and taken from the Precious Time album. Benatar co-wrote the song along with Tom Kelly and her guitarist Scott Sheets. It reached #17 on the American chart and #4 in Canada, but surprisingly, it didn’t chart in the UK.
“Fire And Ice” has a moody style to the verses, and then, that Benatar vocal takes over. Power and emotion without overdoing it. The song has such a great atmosphere added to by a tasty guitar solo in the middle. When I hear the name Pat Benatar, this is the kind of performance that I think of with that biting top-end vocal.
8 Love Is A Battlefield
Possibly the most famous Pat Benatar song, but only placed at #3 on this list. “Only” number three? Still not bad going, though. It was written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight. Knight was also a co-writer of “Invincible.” The song was included as a studio recording on the live album, Live From Earth.
On its initial release in 1983, it reached #5 in America and #2 in Canada. But it topped the charts in Holland, Belgium, and Australia. In the UK, it didn’t do so well, peaking at #49. It was released again two years later in the UK when it did much better, getting to #17.
The song has almost a dance feel to it and was one of the first songs to use dialogue. A great track and one she will always be remembered for.
9 Shadows Of The Night
Moving into the top two now, and a song that deserves to be there. The song has an interesting history. It was written by D.L. Byron, specifically for the film Times Square. But, in the end, it wasn’t included.
It was rejected by various record labels as “not commercially viable.” That was until Pat Benatar got hold of it. She included it on her album, Get Nervous, and released it as a single in 1982. It reached #13 in America but peaked at #50 in the UK.
This is a song that has got pretty much everything. Outstanding vocals, plenty of drum and guitar-led accents, good strong verses, and a powerful chorus. In my view, the second-best song she ever recorded.
10 Sex As A Weapon
And so to my top choice and a song that I am sure may surprise one or two people. It was included on the album, Seven The Hard Way and released as a single in 1985.
To be placed higher than “Love Is A Battlefield” and “Shadows Of The Night,” this had to be special. It was. Another song that had just about everything an 80s Rock song needed, but this was special for another reason.
As usual, the drums are right up front, and the guitars are original in their style and prominent. There is also the standard excellent guitar solo in the middle. Her voice, as always, was excellent and powerful, almost threatening in its delivery. And, some nice backing vocals that aren’t overdone.
So, what made this track stand out?
Well, if there is a better hook in a Rock song, then I haven’t heard it. This changes from an in-your-face Rock song to a chorus that just stays with you in a drumbeat.
It wasn’t that successful, only reaching #28 in America and peaking at #67 in the UK. To a certain extent, I suppose the UK chart performance can come down to a lack of airplay. Unless you were available to do the interviews and be seen on “Top of the Pops,” you were largely ignored as an artist in those days.
Some interesting things are going on underneath as well. Listen to how the bass is right on it with the drummer but then, in parts, goes across his rhythm to move from one section to the next. A great song, a great performance, and my choice as the best Pat Benatar song ever.
11Little Too Late
12Le Bel Age
13One Love (Song of the Lion)
14Out of Touch
15You Better Run
16In the Heat of the Night
17We Live for Love
18Lipstick Lies
19Silent Partner
20Ooh Ooh Song
21Hell is for Children
22So Sincere
23Diamond Field
24Only You
25Somebody’s Baby
26Wuthering Heights
27Don’t Walk Away
28Big Life
29Walking in the Underground
30Strawberry Wine
31Heartbreaker (Live)
32Wide Awake in Dreamland
33I Need a Lover
34True Love
35Go
36Crazy
37Suffer the Little Children
Want More Music From Great Female Singers?
Well, check out our thoughts on the Best Female Singers, the Most Famous Female Singers Of The 1970s, the Most Famous Female Singers Of The 1980s, the Most Famous Female Country Singers Of All Time, and the Most Famous British Female Singers for more amazing song selections.
Top 37 Popular Pat Benatar Songs – Final Thoughts
Was she underrated? I think so. In some ways, she didn’t quite break through as much as many thought she would. Her stage shows were electrifying, and the band she had for those shows was powerful. A cross between out-and-out Rock and more modern synthesized sounds. But, she would keep taking her stand against authority and upset a few people, especially in the music business.
Along with Joan Jett, she started a lot of what you see people like Taylor Swift taking the credit for today. Rebel? Just a bit, and as I said earlier, she might be only five-foot-one-inch, but don’t get on her bad side. She was a fireball and didn’t believe in taking prisoners.
Has your appetite been whetted for more? Then the album you want to get is Pat Benatar: Ultimate Collection. Enjoy.
Until next time, happy listening.
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