Precious Time (album)

Precious Time
Studio album by
Pat Benatar
ReleasedJuly 6, 1981
StudioSound City Studios and Goodnight LA Studios, Los Angeles, California
GenreHard rock
Length35:30
LabelChrysalis
ProducerKeith Olsen, Neil Giraldo
Pat Benatar chronology
Crimes of Passion
(1980) 		Precious Time
(1981) 		Get Nervous
(1982)
Singles from Precious Time
  1. "Fire and Ice"
    Released: July 6, 1981
  2. "Promises in the Dark"
    Released: September 25, 1981
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Rolling Stone[2]
Smash Hits4/10[3]
Sounds[4]

Precious Time is the third studio album by American singer Pat Benatar, released on July 6, 1981, through the Chrysalis label. The album peaked at number one on the United States' Billboard 200,[5] her only album to do so in any country, and was certified Double Platinum in the US.

Its lead single, the mid-tempo "Fire and Ice," was a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100[6] and reached number two on the Mainstream Rock chart.[7] It became her biggest hit in Canada, peaking at number four on the RPM Singles Chart, though it only reached the Top 30 in Australia and New Zealand. The song won Benatar the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1982.[8]

Precious Time's second single, the rapid, guitar-driven "Promises in the Dark," one of the few Benatar singles co-written by her and husband Neil Giraldo, was most successful in France, where it reached number 16, while it reached number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 on the US Mainstream Rock chart.[6][7] It also made the Top 30 in Canada but did not chart in other countries.

Precious Time peaked at number two in Canada, marking Benatar's third consecutive Top 3 album there, though its Double Platinum sales certification was less than her first two albums. The album was also a major hit in France, rising to number three, and it was the first of two albums to reach number two in New Zealand. It was her first Top 10 album in Australia and Sweden (her only one in the latter), and it reached the Top 30 in both the United Kingdom[9] and Norway. The album was remastered and reissued on Capitol Records in 2006.

Record World called the title track a "volatile rocker" and noted that "the opening drama explodes with guitar fire."[10]

  1. ^ Theakston, Rob. "Pat Benatar – Precious Time review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  2. ^ Fissinger, Laura (October 29, 2001). "Album Reviews: Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  3. ^ Katz, Robin (August 6–19, 1981). "Pat Benatar: Precious Time" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 3, no. 15. p. 27. ISSN 0260-3004. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  4. ^ Robertson, Sandy (July 25, 1981). "(A waste of) precious time". Sounds. p. 31.
  5. ^ "Pat Benatar Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Pat Benatar Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Pat Benatar Chart History: Mainstream Rock". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  8. ^ "Lennon, Jones lead Grammy nominees". The Milwaukee Journal. Journal Communications. January 14, 1982. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
  9. ^ "Pat Benatar Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  10. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 3, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2023.