"Sister Christian" by Night Ranger

Top 10 Alert!

Rated 10 Alert!

Song#:  1823
Date:  03/10/1984
Debut:  90
Peak:  5
Weeks:  24
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Night Ranger's second album Midnight Madness got off to an okay start when its first single, "(You Can Still) Rock in America," reached #15 at Rock and #51 Pop. The LP seemed in danger of disappearing quickly and the band needed a solid performing single to boost the album. They took a chance on this ballad that was written and sung by the band's drummer Kelly Keagy. It proved to be the right move with the song hitting #2 at Rock and #5 at Pop. It would be their biggest hit and help to push album sales to platinum level. Not only was it a hit when it first came out, but it has been a popular track since appearing in many TV shows, movies, and even in a Broadway show (Rock of Ages).

ReduxReview:  We were certainly "motoring" when playing this song! I remember those warm summer evenings on the Ave with the windows rolled down and this blasting from the speakers of the freshly installed Kenwood cassette car stereo. Then, in later years when we would hit the bars it never failed that the band would get around to playing this song and the dance floor would fill up. It was just an awesome song that hit at the right time for me and my friends. It's a classic from the era that has continued to live on way after its prime hit days.

ReduxRating:  10/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Keagy wrote this song for his sister, Christy. She was ten years younger than him and on a visit home he couldn't believe how fast she had grown up. Keagy then went home and wrote this coming-of-age tune. The original title was "Sister Christy," but somehow when Keagy was singing it, the band thought he was saying "Sister Christian." The misheard lyric stuck. Initially, the band recorded the song in 1982 and contemplated putting it on their debut album. However, when it got down to selecting tracks, the band thought the ballad might strip them of their rock cred, so they shelved it. Luckily, they revived it for their second album and it became their signature song.  2) One phrase in the song has confused folks over the years. The chorus opens up with "You're motoring - what's the price for flight, in finding Mr. Right." It's the "motoring" that confounded listeners. What was it? Ends up it is just another word for cruising. Apparently, when Keagy was growing up in Oregon, "motoring" was a common term for cruising around in a car trying to pick up a date.

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