Sister Christian - Night Tanger (1984) 7/9/23

Like most big brothers, drummer Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger was very protective of his little sister, Kristy.

She was ten years younger and growing up fast, and Kelly decided to write a song about and how he was looking out for her as she approached adulthood.

He called the song "Sister Kristy," but when he sang it for the rest of Night Ranger, they thought he was singing "Sister Christian," and the rest is history--or HERstory, if you prefer.

Normally, Jack Blades sang lead on Night Ranger cuts, but in this case--for obvious reasons--they let Kelly do the honors.

In 1984, when the song was released as single from Night Ranger's "Midnight Madness" album, the band was shocked and dismayed. They were a ROCK band, and they didn't really want to be known for ballads.

But THIS time, the record company MCA) knew best!

"Sister Christian" Hit #1 on Canada's Top 40, and here in the US, it peaked at #2 on the Mainstream Rock Chart and #5 on the Hot 100. It spent 24 weeks on the charts, and later on, was ranked at #32 on VH-1's "100 Great Songs of the '80s."

It also appeared in films like "Boogie Nights" and "Friday the 13th," as well as several TV shows including "Family Guy," "The Goldbergs" and "Parks and Recreation."

Note: The use of the word "motoring" in the song caused some fans to do a little head-scratching...but Kelly explained that in Eugene, Oregon, where he and Kristy grew up, it was the local term for "cruising the streets (for hookups)."

Update: According to Kelly, Kristy has done well for herself and life is good.

"Sister Christian" by Night Ranger: Big Brother scores a Great Song of 1984! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z92bmlcmyq0

Tomorrow: Hey Jude, sing me a Great Song!