Hit Me with Your Best Shot

"Hit Me with Your Best Shot"
Single by Pat Benatar
from the album Crimes of Passion
B-side "Prisoner of Love"
Released September 15, 1980
Format Vinyl record (7")
Recorded 1979
Genre Power pop
Length 2:51
Label Chrysalis
Writer(s) Eddie Schwartz
Producer(s) Keith Olsen
Certification Gold (RIAA)
Pat Benatar singles chronology
"You Better Run"
(1980)		 "Hit Me with Your Best Shot"
(1980)		 "Treat Me Right"
(1981)

"Hit Me with Your Best Shot" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Eddie Schwartz. It is best known for its cover version by American rock singer Pat Benatar. In 1980, it was released as the second single from her second album Crimes of Passion. It hit No. 7 in Cash Box, and reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first Top 10 hit.

"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).

Structure

Eddie Schwartz, writer of the song, 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.[1] 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,[2] although Benatar has commented that in hindsight she would have preferred to replace the C# minor (vi) chord with F# minor (ii).[3] The song was released as a single in the USA, and possibly other markets, in a mix with an additional lead guitar track. The song was later one of the songs available to put on a free mail-order customized mix CD with every pizza order as a part of a Pizza Hut promotion for their "New Yorker"-style pizza.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1980–81) Peak
position
Australia[4] 33
Canada 10
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 9
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 7

Year-end charts

Chart (1980) Position
U.S. Cash Box[5] 70
Chart (1981) Position
U.S. Billboard[5] 46

Sampling

The song was sampled by D12 in a song of the same name. It was originally made for Eminem's seventh studio album Recovery, released in 2010, but it did not make the final cut. In early 2011, however, the song was leaked on the Internet.

Appearances in other media and popular culture

Video games

TV commercials and reality TV programs

Sports

Movies

TV shows

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.[11]

Fictional music group Alvin and the Chipmunks recorded a male rendition for their 1982 album Chipmunk Rock.

Aberdonian Singing Sensation Karen Sinclair performed a cover of "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" to qualify for the Globe Inn 2015 'Can You Front a Rock Band' competition, with local rock band FUBAR.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Wilhite, Jud (2007). That Crazy Little Thing Called Love: The Soundtrack of Marriage, Sex, and Faith. Standard Publishing. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-7847-1944-2.
  2. ↑ "Benatar Pat "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" Chords". Tablaturas.buanzo.com.ar. 1997-06-30. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  3. ↑ "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.
  4. ↑ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 50 Singles 1988". Aria.com.au. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
  5. 1 2 "Top 100 Hits of 1981/Top 100 Songs of 1981". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
  6. ↑ Inc, Activision. "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - Xbox 360: Video Games". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  7. ↑ Inc, Activision. "Guitar Hero Smash Hits: Nintendo Wii: Video Games". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  8. ↑ Inc, Activision. "Guitar Hero: On Tour: Video Games". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  9. ↑ "Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Pat Benatar // Songs // Rock Band®". Rockband.com. 2007-11-20. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  10. ↑ ""Hit Me With Your Best Shot" - Xbox.com". Marketplace.xbox.com. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  11. ↑ Samantha Grossman. "Kelly Clarkson Best Covers: Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Nick Jonas". TIME.com.

External links

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