Pat Benatar

• Genre: AOR
• Hometown: Long Island
• Pat Benatar Website

About

Pat Benatar hit the late '70s rock scene like a teeth-and-spandex tornado. The original Long Island Lolita, Benatar was an impressive belter with a band that brought New Wave-tinged Power Pop to the American mainstream. While her first chart-toppers -- such as "Heartbreaker" and "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" -- remain her best, Benatar's popularity held strong through the mid-'80s, when she took on synth pop leanings. This direction, though popular, eventually made her original audience forget why they liked her music in the first place. The sultry True Love (1991) showed that classic R&B and urban blues are where her passion really lies, but she has since returned to rock instead of further exploring these genres. Joan Jett may be everyone's favorite riot grrrl godmother, but it was Benatar who first showed the general public that rock 'n' roll isn't just a man's world.

- Nick Dedina