Saw Pat Benatar BTM, Pat Vs Stevie Nicks?

[David A]

Hello All

I was kind of bored yesterday and decided to watch Pat Benatar BTM Re Loaded, Etc

I was wondering, was/is PB career better than SN ? in terms of sales , etc. It’s weird, I went into it thinking no way, but the program really made it sound like PB was huge. I mean, I gathered that PB hasn’t had a top 20 album since 1988, and I know SN Has, but in terms of sales, etc. was wondering what the comparison is like?


Also, they had some other singers on there saying that PB was the first female voice, etc., but wasn’t SN around during that time.

I am not sure what to believe, maybe VH1 BTM really glams up the persons career to make it huge, or maybe SN FM success maybe confuses me with her solo success?

So, what is the comparison like, PB vs. SN?

This is a tough one

[Gypsybecca]

I don't see many comparisons between Pat and Stevie, other than they are female singers.

Pat has some good songs, but I can't think of anytime I've heard them described as "beautiful" or "haunting" the way Stevie's songs are.

Also, Stevie's style is timeless. I don't see people running around with oversized purple blazers and red headbands on. Stevie's clothes from the 70's are still inspiring new designers. Is there a Night of a Thousand Pats? Does Pat have her version of the Ledge? Maybe she does.

Oh, Pat did have memorable videos in the 80's. Love is a Battlefield is cool.

Interesting thread, maybe there's more to Pat than I'm aware of!

[WildHearted]

I'm not sure about actual sales - I think Pat may have Stevie beat, solo-wise, but I'd have to go add it all up which I'm too lazy to do. Someone else might know.

I don know that Pat has won something like 4 grammy's, though, if that means anything to you.

But regardless of who was the most popular back in the day (and if you're including Stevie's work with Fleetwood Mac then I don't think there's any competition at all) - I think it's clear that Stevie has had more longevity and has had greater longterm success as an artist and as a figure in popular culture.

[GarboSpeaks!]

imho, Pat was the sh*t in her day. She didn't front a band. She was her own thing. She was a hard rocking no bs kind of gal. And tho SN solo was a rockin' chick, she was still part of a band, and not balls out/rock out like PB was from the get go. Ladies like PB and Joan Jett and Lita Ford were taking MTV and airwaves by storm, and I think that the BTM is just really pushing that micro-time she had. And also, hubby guitar player (Girardo??) was the first MTV aired guitarist, so that earns some respect/pop culture trivia. Is she better than SN? Not in my book. Is she equally flippin awesome? hells yea. I just saw her for the first time about a year ago and was bowled over. That lady can SING, and she's cute as a frickin' button. Other than being awesome ladies of the 80's, I don't feel that they can be compared.

[mikephxaz]

I have always found the Stevie Nicks / Pat Benatar comparison interesting....Of course I preferred Stevie but I remember that Pat seemed to have an edge that str8 guys my age (in the 80ties) could enjoy while Stevie was always airy/fairy gypsy stuff that guys didnt always connect with...Recently when Oprah had female Rock singers on...Stevie was certainly showcased over Pat. But Stevie has taken on the somewhat honored Grand Dame of Rock now...Pat has not received that respect...As much as I bitch about Lyndsey, make no mistake about it, Stevie's career with Fleetwood Mac has been the driving force of her becoming a legend...to the greater public her solo career has not reached the hiegths of FM...I have always respected Pat's music catalouge but I have LOVED Stevie's....

[GoldDustBoy]

Pat has a magnificent voice, and I like a few of her songs, but I never liked her enough to buy an album. Stevie enjoys cult status, and Pat is definitely not there, and I don't think she will ever be. I don't know if she was the sh*t in the 80's since I was a baby then, but I do believe she was. However, I don't think that her music have stood the test of time like Stevie's did. I don't see new artists covering her songs, or being inspired by her.

P.S. WildHearted mentioned that Pat has won 4 grammys. Isn't it weird that everybody seems to think that Stevie's won like dozens of them? Every now and then I see an article about "the gazillion grammy award winning artist Stevie Nicks", and the whole Kathy Griffin/Bette Midler phone conversation.

[chriskisn]

Pat Benatar is brilliant, I own all of her albums, and her songs are fantastic. I went to see her in concert a couple of years back and she was brilliant.

Can you compare Stevie to Pat or Stevie to Ann Wilson or whatever? They are all different, different music, styles, etc. Personally I think Pat is probably accessible to more people than Stevie is especially these days. I doubt she has the one-eyed fan base though...

They aren't the same though, Pat is Pat and Stevie is Stevie. Bonnie Tyler is still better than any of them

[Buddy]

It was fun to see Pat on Oprah with Stevie. Stevie and Pat hugged and had alot to say to each other after the cameras were turned off. They seemed to enjoy each other and be quite friendly.

Pat really nailed "Love is a Battlefield" on the show. I saw her recently in concert and I like her voice better now. It is richer. She and husband, Neil Giraldo put on a great show. She is adorable and a trail blazing rocker. She is adorable on stage and hip (no 80s shoulder pads and leotard..haha). She was classically trained for opera and has a vocal range of 4 octaves (incredible)! I read her book which was one of the give aways from the Oprah show. Very interesting read about Pat's career and the music business during the 80s and how she raised her daughters.

She has 4 gold records and 6 platinum. Some hits you may recognize are "Heartbreaker", "Hit me with you Best Shot", "Fire and Ice", " Invincible", and "We Belong".

I think it is hard to compare Stevie and Pat. They were both female rockers from the 70s and 80s. Different strengths and weaknesses though. Go see Pat if you have the opportunity, You won't be disappointed.

[APerfectLie]

I think Stevie is the most successful overall, but I think Pat is the more successful solo artist. Not that she blows Stevie out of the water, but because Stevie's solo career has and will always be overshadowed by her career with Fleetwood Mac.

[PolishStevieFan]

I love Pat. I had been listening to her music before I discovered Stevie. I think she outsold Stevie during the 80's but only because she released more albums. Stevie had only 4 while Pat released like 8 or 9 (depending if you count the sales of her 1979's debut album "In The Heat of The Night"). Billboard Magazine ranks Benatar as all time best selling Female Rock artist with probably 15 Top 40 hits. Of course they count only singles because when it comes to albums sales she's way behind Sheryl Crow or Alanis Morisette...or Stevie for that matter (Stevie has sold like 12 milion albums in US and Pat like 11). Benatar was huge in the 80's and definately helped to pave the way for future Pop/Rock artists. She's never become icon or legend in the vein of Stevie because for the most part of her career she depended on outside writers. Besides Stevie always had Fleetwood Mac which only helped to cement her iconic status. What I admire about Pat is however not only her mind blowing vocal and often-pleasant songs but also the way that she conducted her career. Without stripper like gestures, without press fanfares, without scandals and narcotic excesses she has survived with her little fan base Probably she'll never get her place in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, because just like Linda Ronstadt she didn't write her biggest hits. But I lover her very much especially "Gravity's Rainbow" and "Wide Awake In Dreamland".

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by PolishStevieFan

I love Pat. I had been listening to her music before I discovered Stevie. I think she outsold Stevie during the 80's but only because she released more albums. Stevie had only 4 while Pat released like 8 or 9 (depending if you count the sales of her 1979's debut album "In The Heat of The Night"). Billboard Magazine ranks Benatar as all time best selling Female Rock artist with probably 15 Top 40 hits. Of course they count only singles because when it comes to albums sales she's way behind Sheryl Crow or Alanis Morisette...or Stevie for that matter (Stevie has sold like 12 milion albums in US and Pat like 11). Benatar was huge in the 80's and definately helped to pave the way for future Pop/Rock artists. She's never become icon or legend in the vein of Stevie because for the most part of her career she depended on outside writers. Besides Stevie always had Fleetwood Mac which only helped to cement her iconic status. What I admire about Pat is however not only her mind blowing vocal and often-pleasant songs but also the way that she conducted her career. Without stripper like gestures, without press fanfares, without scandals and narcotic excesses she has survived with her little fan base Probably she'll never get her place in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, because just like Linda Ronstadt she didn't write her biggest hits. But I lover her very much especially "Gravity's Rainbow" and "Wide Awake In Dreamland".

Stevie vs. Pat... there was definitely a friendly rivalry in the early 1980s regarding who was the queen of rock and roll (it sure as heck was not Tina Turner). Yes, a female rock solo artist was a bit of a rarity at the time, especially someone as successful as Pat. But she did play the game- she did the obvious things to attain stardom- wearing tight little outfits, wearing lots of makeup, making cheesy videos, utilizing external songwriters, etc. To her credit, there was a 2 - 3-year period during which she was a powerhouse- platinum albums, hit singles, arena tours, MTV ubiquity, etc. But sometime in the late 1980s, after her Wide Awake in Dreamland album, she just seemed to give up. Sure, she was still recording and touring... but she just didn't seem hungry for stardom, for the glamor... for rock and roll. I'm sure it was a natural evolution in her personal life, especially after getting married and having kids and all, but the bloom was off the rose. It's really hard to be enthusiastic about an artist when she herself doesn't seem all that enthusiastic. That's the difference between Pat and Stevie. Stevie has always aspired for greatness, even if she didn't always quite hit the mark. Stevie carefully curates every aspect of her career- her songs, her image, her performances... and she tries very hard to get her music heard. She's still hungry, even though she has more than sufficient reason to rest on her laurels. This is why Stevie plays Jones Beach while Pat plays B.B. King's Bar and Grill in Times Square.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Stevie vs. Pat... This is why Stevie plays Jones Beach while Pat plays B.B. King's Bar and Grill in Times Square.

LOL - word!

I have nothing against Pat - she was a fine artist in her day. A great voice with a few fine songs, but most of her music (IMO) was really more bubble gum covered up with guitars. She is nowhere near Stevie's stature.

[seekerj]

I don't know which Bella Donna interview it was, but there was one radio show interview where Stevie talks about how country music already had successful women, but rock and roll didn't, aside from herself and Ann and Nancy Wilson, so it was important to her that she succeed in rock and roll. The interviewer then mentioned Pat, and Stevie's response was that Pat is good, but she's new.

(Looking back from where we are now, it's kind of funny to think there was a time when Pat was "new". )

Does anyone remember which interview this was?

[seekerj]

Originally Posted by Travis

LOL - word!

I have nothing against Pat - she was a fine artist in her day. A great voice with a few fine songs, but most of her music (IMO) was really more bubble gum covered up with guitars. She is nowhere near Stevie's stature.

Yeah I agree. Pat is tremendously talented with her voice, but her songs tended more toward bubblegum (she herself admits that she doesn't like "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and regrets recording it because it's just so poppy.)

[goliath111]

"Gravity's Rainbow" is such a great album!!! I also really liked her blues album "True Love", the song "Bloodshot Eyes" is soooo good

I like both of them the same, I think Stevie's lyrics hit home for me and grab me a little differently than Pat's songs. I've seen Pat in concert about 5 years ago and she sounds fantastic.