Album · Pat Benatar
In the Heat of the Night by Pat Benatar
In the Heat of the Night is an album by Pat Benatar, released in 1979. 1 song from it has charted on rock radio countdowns, with 81 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Heartbreaker”, on 81 lists with a best position of #9.
In the Heat of the Night, Pat Benatar's debut, came out on Chrysalis on August 27, 1979, and it announces a singer with a voice like a cocked fist. Mike Chapman produced, and he kept it lean and punchy, hard-edged guitar rock with pop hooks sharp enough to cut and Benatar belting over the top with street-corner attitude.
It was a slow fuse. Her takes on "I Need a Lover" and "If You Think You Know How to Love Me" went nowhere as singles in America, and it took the third, "Heartbreaker", to break her. "We Live for Love", penned by Neil Giraldo, her lead guitarist and later her husband, gave her a first top-10 hit anywhere, in Canada. The album kept climbing until it reached number 12 in the States in March 1980, nearly half a year after it came out, and number three in Canada.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from In the Heat of the Night on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heartbreaker#288 of all time | 81 | #9 | – | 1994–2026 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.