Seven the Hard Way

Seven the Hard Way continues the slick pop approach of Tropico and is benefitted by a wealth of songs written by professional songwriters. At this point, Pat Benatar and her band weren't coming up with material as catchy or memorable as "Invincible" and "Sex as a Weapon," so the presence of the pro songwriters was a blessing, not a curse.

Live from Earth

One of Pat Benatar's most famed attributes is that she performs extremely well to an audience, and no album solidifies this more than Live From Earth, with tracks taken from her 1982-1983 American and European tour at the height of Benatar's career. Not only does Benatar sound amazingly intense and vibrant, but the choice of songs for the album couldn't have been better. Live From Earth does a good job at showing off Pat Benatar's aggressive yet tamed vocal style outside of the studio.

Crimes of Passion

With Crimes of Passion, Pat Benatar escaped the dreaded sophomore slump, thanks in no small part to the song that would become the most well-known song of her career, "Hit Me with Your Best Shot." The rest of the album is mildly hit or miss, with a few moments of filler. Thankfully, Benatar avoids the synth-happy trends of the early '80s and delivers a hard rocking ten-song session of power pop tempered with a few ballads for balance.