Seven the Hard Way

For the progressive metal band, see Seven the Hardway.

Seven the Hard Way
Studio album by
Pat Benatar
ReleasedOctober 30, 1985
Recorded1985
Studio
Genre
Length37:05
LabelChrysalis
Producer
Pat Benatar chronology
Tropico
(1984) 		Seven the Hard Way
(1985) 		Best Shots
(1987)
Singles from Seven the Hard Way
  1. "Invincible"
    Released: June 24, 1985[1]
  2. "Sex as a Weapon"
    Released: November 4, 1985
  3. "Le Bel Age"
    Released: January 20, 1986
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Rolling StonePositive[3]

Seven the Hard Way is the sixth studio album by American singer Pat Benatar, released on October 30, 1985, by Chrysalis Records. It debuted on the US Billboard 200 for the week of December 14 and peaked at number 26,[4] spawning the singles "Invincible", "Sex as a Weapon", and "Le Bel Age".[5] The album has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[6]

The Grammy Award-nominated single "Invincible" was produced by Mike Chapman and recorded for the soundtrack of the Matthew Robbins film The Legend of Billie Jean, which, despite underperforming at the box office, became a cult classic to MTV fans in general. The song became commercially successful and was included on the album, despite its musical style differing from Benatar's at that time and more reminiscent of her earlier efforts.[7] Benatar often commented at her concerts before performing the song that it "is from one of the worst movies ever made."[8] Another track, "Run Between The Raindrops", was featured in The Stepfather (1987 film).

Seven the Hard Way was Benatar's last album to feature bassist Donnie Nossov, who along with drummer Myron Grombacher went on to play with Lita Ford on her breakthrough album, Lita (1988), and on the supporting tour. Grombacher would return to Benatar's band for her follow-up album, Wide Awake in Dreamland, released after the three-year hiatus that followed Seven the Hard Way.

In 1998, BGO Records reissued Seven the Hard Way on CD with Tropico.

  1. ^ "FMQB" (PDF). p. 29.
  2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Pat Benatar – Seven the Hard Way". AllMusic. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  3. ^ Holmes, Tim (January 16, 1986). "Album Reviews: Pat Benatar – Seven the Hard Way". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 30, 2007. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference bb200 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Pat Benatar Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference RIAA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Grein, Paul (January 11, 1986). "Benatar's Music, Image in Transition". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 2. p. 48. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Ponti, Aimsel (April 21, 2012). "Review: Benatar rocks the State". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved July 27, 2014.