Has anyone else noticed that while Pat Benatar was very popular from roughly 1981 - 1984 (I'd say that at one point her popularity and fan following among teenage girls was comparible to that of '85 Madonna) she doesn't seem to have had much of a revival in the recent 80s comeback craze?  It seems that for the most part she has been forgotten aside from "Love is a Battlefield" being featured in the movie 13 going on 30.  Any thoughts on this?

I think a few of her songs, while sounding like their time, have survived into classic status, such as "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", and as you pointed out, "Love is a Battlefield". However, as a whole, yeah I agree that she hasn't had the comeback or continued success which, say Madonna, Prince, Bon Jovi and U2 have (even if they're in a form accomodating to this decade). She was also influential on female rockers too, probably even hair metal.

The '80s revival seems to be more in pockets, as opposed to the full-blown revivals of previous decades. Probably this is just because so much mainstream culture is driven by hip hop, whereas it was by pop and rock from the '50s through the early 2000s (centrally about 1964-1994). It also seems to be that, while people may be more open to liking the '80s in general now, there aren't really many full-scale comebacks by the actual artists, just some individual songs. Although new wave in all its forms is probably the genre which has resurfaced in the most popularity.

Pat is still doing concerts and touring with her husband. tix on sale now for the winery about an hour and a half away from where I live & I actually looked at buying some tonight. . I saw her in concert around 1999 and she did all the hits along with some new stuff and she was great. lots of energy and her vocals were still nice.

'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' was written by a Canadian (Eddie Schwartz).  Whenever I hear the song on the radio, there is always mention of this LOL  It's like they don't want us to forget

She still puts out albums, but she's not as popular as she was in the 80s :(

I love Pat Benatar. I think she is a really great talent-perhaps very underrated. My take on it is that she is not promoting herself (like you really have to do in the business) and I don't think she really cares to-which I think is great. She doesn't have to PROVE herself. She has her fan base-which I'm sure her concerts are pretty full-if not sold out. She doesn't NEED to be on top of the charts. She is making music because it is what she does and she is good at it. It is not a matter of $$$$$ to her.



Cat

^I agree.

Does anyone else agree that the main reason 1980s stars aren't having '00s comebacks (to the extent of having really big hits that equalled or even surpassed their old stuff) the way '60s and '70s artists did back then, is because of it being a hip hop culture as opposed to a pop/rock culture?

There aren't a whole lot of "We Built This City"s now, with '80s artists having middle-aged revivals, and this is probably at least one reason why. It seems like their resurgence of popularity lies more in people getting into just their old stuff, while they make a living off touring, etc. more than new material.

^I agree.

Does anyone else agree that the main reason 1980s stars aren't having '00s comebacks (to the extent of having really big hits that equalled or even surpassed their old stuff) the way '60s and '70s artists did back then, is because of it being a hip hop culture as opposed to a pop/rock culture?

There aren't a whole lot of "We Built This City"s now, with '80s artists having middle-aged revivals, and this is probably at least one reason why. It seems like their resurgence of popularity lies more in people getting into just their old stuff, while they make a living off touring, etc. more than new material.



Santana made a comeback.



Cat

^I agree.

Does anyone else agree that the main reason 1980s stars aren't having '00s comebacks (to the extent of having really big hits that equalled or even surpassed their old stuff) the way '60s and '70s artists did back then, is because of it being a hip hop culture as opposed to a pop/rock culture?

There aren't a whole lot of "We Built This City"s now, with '80s artists having middle-aged revivals, and this is probably at least one reason why. It seems like their resurgence of popularity lies more in people getting into just their old stuff, while they make a living off touring, etc. more than new material.



I would agree. Pop culture started to shift toward hip-hop music and away from rock in the mid '90s, but it took a good while for it to become the main focus of pop culture. That seemed to happen in about 2002 or maybe 2003 at the latest. I have noticed that, for the most part, the '80s revival has mostly been people getting into '80s artists old stuff, as opposed to those artists actually coming out with new albums.

Even though some '80s artists have come out with new albums this year(quite a few hair bands have made comeback albums over the last few years) you don't really hear a whole lot out of them when they do come out.

i have the last greatest hits album she released, and i love it. it's one of my favorite cd's. i think alot of her later singles should have been big hits, like 'le bel age', 'all fired up', 'one love'. and 'Wide Awake in Dreamland', which was an album track, would have been a good single.

r&b and grunge/alternative, and occasionally ballads (like celine dion's) took over the charts in the 90's, and she didn't fit in....

^Yeah, I like her more polished songs like "Le Bel Age" and "Invincible" too.

I don't think the Nineties were to blame for her downfall. Commercially, hair metal bands like Bon Jovi, or pop like Janet Jackson were cutting into her audience both ways, so it made her stuff sounded a little passe, I suppose by c. 1986. The same thing happened with alot of the pop-styled classic rock bands around in the early MTV era, like Survivor, Foreigner and Journey by this time, too.

I don't care what anyone says, the 80's produced some awesome music and musicians!!!!!!!!!!!! There will never be another era like the 80's, ever. It was one of a kind. I love Pat Benetar. I could sing along with her all day! As far as Journey, Foreigner, and the other mentioned groups, they were all awesome in the 80's. You can't get that kind of sound today. Let's just say the 80's were awesome for alot of things!!!!!!!

Pat is 54 years old, so in the 90s she was in her 40's and it must be difficult to hold onto a young fan base, but she seems to still appeal to a wide age range and is still out on the road with her husband, who by the way, darn near stole the show at the concert I went to, with his amazing awesome guitar work. he's really good.

I'm also a Pat fan, primarily just her earlier stuff though.  I don't care for the more pop-friendly stuff she did (though "Love is a Battlefield" is a personal favorite).

It's a shame that she (like said) has been somewhat forgotten.  She was a notable cultural icon in the 80s, and she had actual talent...an amazing voice.

oh, the eye make up!  what a chick.

where's my neil geraldo!?

Pat Benatar was awesome. She was in a class by itself. I think she still looks and sounds great!  :)

Pat Benatar was awesome. She was in a class by itself. I think she still looks and sounds great!  :)
I agree.  What a great talent.

She's OK

"Love Is A Battlefield",  good song, but horrible video  :P

"Invincible"'s great  8)

oh, the eye make up!  what a chick.

where's my neil geraldo!?


Speaking of Neil Geraldo, I actually respect Pat and her guitarist/husband for remaining married for so long, and not ruining a rock-and-roll career in the same way others have, through circus divorces, rehab and such.....( I sure hope my information is correct and they are still married  ???)

Speaking of Neil Geraldo, I actually respect Pat and her guitarist/husband for remaining married for so long, and not ruining a rock-and-roll career in the same way others have, through circus divorces, rehab and such.....( I sure hope my information is correct and they are still married  ???)
you're probably correct as they are currently touring together.  that is a astute observation of their relationship surviving.