Crimes of Passion (Pat Benatar album)
1980 studio album by Pat Benatar
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Crimes of Passion is the second studio album by American singer Pat Benatar, released on August 5, 1980, by Chrysalis Records. It is Benatar's first album to feature Myron Grombacher on drums, beginning a long tenure in her band that would last into the late 1990s.
| Crimes of Passion | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 5, 1980 | |||
| Studio | Sound City (Van Nuys, California) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 37:35 | |||
| Label | Chrysalis | |||
| Producer | Keith Olsen | |||
| Pat Benatar chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Crimes of Passion | ||||
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The album debuted on the US Billboard 200 for the week ending August 23, 1980, and remaining at number two for five weeks in January 1981, behind John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy.[1]
Crimes of Passion spawned three singles. "You Better Run" was the second music video ever aired on MTV in 1981, and peaked at number 42 in the US and New Zealand, as well as number 33 in Australia.[2] "Hit Me with Your Best Shot", considered to be Benatar's best-known song,[3] became her first top-10 entry in the US,[2] and entered the top 40 in Australia. "Treat Me Right" became a top-20 entry in the US.[2] The album also contains a cover of Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights".
Crimes of Passion was critically well-received and became Benatar's best-selling album, having been certified four-times Platinum (for shipments in excess of over four million copies) in the United States and five-times Platinum (for shipments of 500,000 copies) in Canada.[4][5] It placed at number five on Billboard magazine's 1981 year-end album chart.[6] It peaked at number two in Canada and number six in New Zealand. It was also Benatar's highest-peaking album to that point in Australia (number 16) and her first album to chart in Sweden (number 27).
In 1981, Crimes of Passion earned Benatar her first Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.[7] The album was reissued and remastered on Capitol Records in 2006.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [8] |
| MusicHound | [9] |
| Rolling Stone | Mixed[10] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [11] |
Crimes of Passion was generally well-received. Billboard wrote in a 1980 review that the album "finds Benatar in an even more rock vein with her powerful yet sensuous vocals blazing a ferocious rock path" and called it "a most credible follow-up to Benatar's near-platinum debut."[12] J.D. Considine, writing in (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide, awarded the album 3 of 5 stars, saying that "Hell Is For Children" "proves [Benatar's] mettle as a writer" and offered praise for her vocals and the album's production.[11] Eric Deggans, writing as part of MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide, awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars, calling it one of Benatar's most consistent albums, and said that its singles such as "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" "cemented her reputation as a toughie with pipes of solid brass".[9]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Treat Me Right" | 3:24 | |
| 2. | "You Better Run" (The Young Rascals cover) | 3:02 | |
| 3. | "Never Wanna Leave You" |
| 3:13 |
| 4. | "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" | Eddie Schwartz | 2:51 |
| 5. | "Hell is for Children" |
| 4:48 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Little Paradise" | Giraldo | 3:32 |
| 7. | "I'm Gonna Follow You" | Billy Steinberg | 4:28 |
| 8. | "Wuthering Heights" (Kate Bush cover) | Bush | 4:28 |
| 9. | "Prisoner of Love" | Scott St. Clair Sheets | 3:05 |
| 10. | "Out-A-Touch" |
| 4:16 |
| Total length: | 37:35 | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Crimes of Passion.[13]
Musicians
- Pat Benatar – vocals
- Neil Giraldo – lead and rhythm guitars, keyboards, background vocals
- Scott St. Clair Sheets – guitar
- Roger Capps – bass, background vocals
- Myron Grombacher – drums
Technical
- Keith Olsen – production, engineering
- Chris Minto – engineering
- Jo Hansch, Greg Fulginiti – mastering at Artisan Sound Recorders
Artwork
- Ria Lewerke-Shapiro – art direction, cover design
- Billy Bass – direction
- Leon LeCash – photographs
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[4] | 5× Platinum | 500,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[20] | Gold | 100,000* |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[21] | Gold | 7,500^ |
| United States (RIAA)[5] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000^ |
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* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||