Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1980
Hit Me with Your Best Shot
Buy Hit Me with Your Best Shot now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
"'Hit Me with Your Best Shot'" is a song recorded by American rock singer Pat Benatar and written by Eddie Schwartz. In 1980, it was released as the second single from her second album 'Crimes of Passion', which became her biggest-selling album. It hit No. 7 in 'Cash Box', and reached No. 9 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100, becoming her first Top 10 hit in the US. It was particularly popular at album-rock radio stations, peaking at number 1 on the US Tunecaster Rock Tracks chart. It was also a Top 10 hit in Canada, although the only other country in which it charted was Australia where it reached the Top 40.
"Hit Me with Your Best Shot" sold well over a million copies in the U.S., achieving a gold certification by the RIAA. The song is one of Benatar's most recognizable tracks. Heard at many baseball and soccer games, the song has been featured on many compilation albums, including both multi-artist works as well as those just focusing on Benatar (such as '10 Great Songs' and 'Greatest Hits').
In a 2022 interview, Benatar told 'USA Today' that she would no longer perform the song in protest of mass shootings in the United States. "(The title) is tongue-in-cheek, but you have to draw the line. I can't say those words out loud with a smile on my face, I just can't," she explained. "I'm not going to go on stage and soapbox - I go to my legislators - but that's my small contribution to protesting. I'm not going to sing it."
Structure
Schwartz said that he came up with the title of the song after attending a "pillow punching" therapy session in Toronto, but stated that the title is to be taken metaphorically. The song is in E major and features a general chord progression of I-IV-vi-V, with occasional added chords built on passing and neighboring tones, although Benatar has commented that in hindsight she would have preferred to replace the C# minor (vi) chord with F# minor (ii)."Interview with Geoff Reynolds, "Pat Benatar Fires Away on Marriage, Middle Age, and the Future of Rock and Roll," 'Rocker Quarterly', Vol. IX, No. 4 (Winter 1995-96), p. 47.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Appearances in other media and popular culture
Movies
*The song is performed by Pat Benatar in the 1982 movie 'Spring Fever'.*It is covered in the 2012 movie 'Rock of Ages' by Catherine Zeta-Jones featuring a dance scene.
Alternate song versions and covers
Other artists who have performed the song live include singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson, whose version of "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" received praise by 'Time'.
See also
*Pat Benatar discography
References
Buy Hit Me with Your Best Shot now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1980