In the Heat of the Night
Studio album by
Pat Benatar
ReleasedAugust 27, 1979
RecordedJune–July 1979
StudioMCA Whitney (Glendale, California)
Genre
Length38:01
LabelChrysalis
Producer
Pat Benatar chronology
In the Heat of the Night
(1979) 		Crimes of Passion
(1980)
Singles from In the Heat of the Night
  1. "I Need a Lover"
    Released: August 27, 1979
  2. "If You Think You Know How to Love Me"
    Released: September 14, 1979
  3. "Heartbreaker"
    Released: October 26, 1979
  4. "Rated X"
    Released: 1979 (France only)
  5. "We Live for Love"
    Released: February 25, 1980
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Rolling StoneMixed[2]
The Village VoiceC+[3]

In the Heat of the Night is the debut studio album by American singer Pat Benatar, released on August 27, 1979, by Chrysalis Records. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 for the week ending October 20, 1979, peaking at No. 12 in March 1980, almost six months after its release.[4]

The album includes "Heartbreaker", her breakthrough single in the United States (where it reached the top 25),[5] Canada and New Zealand (it reached the top 20 in both those countries). "Heartbreaker" was the third single released from the album, as neither the first single, Benatar's version of "I Need a Lover", or the second single, her rendition of "If You Think You Know How to Love Me", charted in the US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

In the Heat of the Night also contained "We Live for Love", which became Benatar's first top-10 entry in any country when it rose to No. 8 in Canada, while also reaching the top 30 in the US, New Zealand and Australia, her first sizable hit in the latter. In France, "We Live for Love" reached the top 40, although "Rated X" had previously reached the French top 30. In the Netherlands and Belgium, Benatar's rendition of "I Need a Lover" charted within the top 30.

On Billboard magazine's 1980 year-end top pop albums chart, In the Heat of the Night was listed at No. 7. The album also reached No. 3 in Canada, No. 8 in New Zealand, and No. 25 in Australia.

In the Heat of the Night was remastered and reissued on Capitol Records in 2006.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Heartbreaker"
  • Geoff Gill
  • Cliff Wade
3:26
2."I Need a Lover" (John Mellencamp cover)John Cougar Mellencamp3:28
3."If You Think You Know How to Love Me" (Smokie cover)
4:20
4."In the Heat of the Night" (Smokie cover)
  • Chinn
  • Chapman
5:22
5."My Clone Sleeps Alone"
3:27
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."We Live for Love"Neil Giraldo3:54
7."Rated X" (Nick Gilder cover)
  • Gilder
  • James McCulloch
3:15
8."Don't Let It Show" (The Alan Parsons Project cover)
4:01
9."No You Don't" (Sweet cover)
  • Chinn
  • Chapman
3:18
10."So Sincere"
  • Capps
  • Benatar
3:30
Total length:38:01

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of In the Heat of the Night.[6]

Musicians

Recorded At

Technical

Management and Direction

Artwork

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for In the Heat of the Night
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[15] 4× Platinum 400,000^
France (SNEP)[16] Gold 100,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[17] Platinum 15,000^
United States (RIAA)[18] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Theakston, Rob. "Pat Benatar – In the Heat of the Night". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  2. ^ Fissinger, Laura (April 3, 1980). "Album Reviews: Pat Benatar – In the Heat of the Night". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert (April 28, 1980). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Pat Benatar Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  5. ^ "Pat Benatar Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  6. ^ In the Heat of the Night (liner notes). Pat Benatar. Chrysalis Records. 1979. CHE 1236.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. pp. 32–33. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4768a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  9. ^ "Charts.nz – Pat Benatar – In the Heat of the Night". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  10. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  11. ^ "Top 100 Albums". RPM. Vol. 34, no. 6. December 20, 1980. ISSN 0315-5994 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  12. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1980". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  13. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1980". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  14. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  15. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Pat Benatar – In the Heat of the Night". Music Canada. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  16. ^ "French album certifications – Pat Benatar – In the Heat of the Night" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved November 26, 2021. Select PAT BENATAR and click OK. 
  17. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Pat Benatar – In the Heat of the Night". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  18. ^ "American album certifications – Pat Benatar – In the Heat of the Night". Recording Industry Association of America. December 8, 1980. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
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