Seven the Hard Way

Seven the Hard Way is the sixth studio album by American singer Pat Benatar, released on October 30, 1985, by Chrysalis Records. It debuted on the US Billboard 200 for the week of December 14 and peaked at number 26, spawning the singles "Invincible", "Sex as a Weapon", and "Le Bel Age". The album has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The Grammy Award-nominated single "Invincible" was produced by Mike Chapman and recorded for the soundtrack of the Matthew Robbins film The Legend of Billie Jean, which, despite underperforming at the box office, became a cult classic to MTV fans in general. The song became commercially successful and was included on the album, despite its musical style differing from Benatar's at that time and more reminiscent of her earlier efforts. Benatar often commented at her concerts before performing the song that it "is from one of the worst movies ever made." Another track, "Run Between The Raindrops", was featured in The Stepfather (1987 film).

Seven the Hard Way was Benatar's last album to feature bassist Donnie Nossov, who along with drummer Myron Grombacher went on to play with Lita Ford on her breakthrough album, Lita (1988), and on the supporting tour. Grombacher would return to Benatar's band for her follow-up album, Wide Awake in Dreamland, released after the three-year hiatus that followed Seven the Hard Way.

In 1998, BGO Records reissued Seven the Hard Way on CD with Tropico.

Band members

 * Pat Benatar – vocals
 * Neil Giraldo – guitars
 * Charlie Giordano – keyboards
 * Myron Grombacher – drums
 * Donnie Nossov – bass guitar

Additional musicians

 * Maxi Anderson, Rose Banks, Tuffy Cummings, Voncielle Faggett, Tommy Funderburk, Gean Johnson, Tom Kelly, Frank Linx, Phyllis St. James, Carmen Twillie, Táta Vega – background vocals
 * Lenny Castro – percussion
 * Uptown Horns – horns

Technical

 * Neil Giraldo – production (tracks 1–7, 9)
 * Joe Chiccarelli – associate production, engineering (tracks 1–7, 9); mixing (tracks 4, 5, 9)
 * Mike Chapman – production (track 8)
 * William Wittman – engineering, mixing (track 8)
 * Dave Hernandez, Daren Klein, George Tutko – additional engineering
 * Scott Church, Robert Corti, Marc DeSisto, Paul Ericksen, Steve Himelfarb, Gary Hollis, Richard McKernan, Charlie Paakkari, Brian Scheuble, Samii Taylor – engineering assistance
 * Scotty Bem, Jeff Chonis – production coordination
 * Michael Frondelli – mixing (tracks 1–3, 6, 7)
 * George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City)

Artwork

 * Moshe Brakha – photography
 * Larry Vigon – art direction, design