Rocktrospectiva: Pat Benatar's Best-Selling Album "Crimes Of Passion" Turns 45

Released on 5 August 1980 "Crimes Of Passion" was the second studio album by US singer Pat Benatar. It was Benatar's first album to feature Myron Grombacher on drums, beginning a long tenure in her band that would last into the late 1990s. The album spawned thress singles "You Better Run", "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", & "Treat Me Right".

 

Benatar's sophomore recording made her a super star, thanks in huge part of the single "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" a song that would become her most well-known song of her career,  for many critics, the album is a mixed of mild tracks with certain filler tunes, although what really helped her was to avoid the synthesizers trend of the early 80's and instead, delivered some hard rocking and power pop tunes, besides the uplifting "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" there was the cover of Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" which was considered one of the most outstanding tracks of her album.  

 

There was also the single "You Better Run" a truly intense hard rock tune with girl power attitude, that would make history due it was the second music video ever aired on that 1 August 1981 on MTV, peaked at No. 42 in the USA and New Zealand and No. 33 in Australia, another top 20 was "Treat Me Right" but for some rare reason, the single is now forgotten, other highlights were the intense "Hell Is For Children" in which Benartar proved her as a effective vocalist.

 

"Crimes Of Passion" would earned Benatar her first Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1981 and received nice reviews praising that the album founds Benatar in an even more rock vein with her powerful yet sensuous vocals blazing a ferocious rock path.

 

Crimes Of Passion Track List:  

 

1. Treat Me Right

2. You Better Run

3. Never Wanna Leave You

4. Hit Me With Your Best Shot

5. Hell Is For Children

6. Little Paradise

7. I'm Gonna Follow You

8. Wuthering Heights

9. Prisoner Of Love

10. Out-A-Touch