"Sister Christian" is a song by the American hard rock band Night Ranger. A power ballad,[3] it was released in March 1984 as the second single from their album Midnight Madness. It was ranked No. 32 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s. It was written and sung by the band's drummer, Kelly Keagy, for his sister. It was the band's biggest hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, and staying on the charts for 24 weeks. It also reached No. 1 in Canada. The song is used in several films, including Boogie Nights (1997), Superstar (1999), Friday the 13th (2009) and Ben Affleck's 2023 film Air (2023).
| "Sister Christian" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Night Ranger | ||||
| from the album Midnight Madness | ||||
| B-side | "Chippin' Away" | |||
| Released | March 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1983 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 5:02 (album) 4:14 (7" single) | |||
| Label | MCA Epic (Canada) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Kelly Keagy | |||
| Producer(s) | Pat Glasser | |||
| Night Ranger singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Sister Christian" on YouTube | ||||
Origin and meaning
edit"Sister Christian" was inspired by Keagy's younger sister, Christy. Upon returning from a visit to his hometown of Eugene, Oregon, Keagy wrote the song at his San Francisco apartment after being astonished at the speed at which his sister was growing up.[4]
Keagy later recalled that "after we started playing it a lot, Jack turned to me and said, 'what exactly are you saying?,'" adding that bandmate Jack Blades "thought the words were Sister Christian, instead of Sister Christy, so it just stuck."[4]
The meaning of the lyric, "You're motoring. What's your price for flight? In finding Mr. Right?" has generated significant attention and debate. In a VH-1 Behind the Music interview,[5] the band stated that the term "motoring" should be interpreted to mean "cruising".[citation needed]
Differences between album version and 7" single version
editOn the single version, part of the second chorus is omitted. More specifically, the words "You've got him in your sight. And driving through the night," are omitted from the single version. The third chorus is repeated once on the album version, but never on the single.[6]
Music video
editThe music video (which uses the shorter single version) was filmed within San Rafael High School.[7]
Other versions
editA newly recorded acoustic version of the song was produced for the band's ninth album, Hole in the Sun.[8] A medley at the beginning of the movie Rock of Ages starts with a cover of this song.
Glee covered the song in its Season Four premiere episode, "The New Rachel". It was sung by junior student Brody Weston (portrayed by Dean Geyer) in the co-ed bathrooms of NYADA. The poultry company Foster Farms covered the song with singing chickens.[9] Jensen Ackles covered the song at VegasCon 2015 Salute to Supernatural Las Vegas 2015, with the band Louden Swain, and Rob Benedict.[10][11]
Personnel
edit- Night Ranger[12]
- Jack Blades – bass-guitar, backing vocals
- Brad Gillis – guitars, backing vocals
- Jeff Watson – synth
- Alan Fitzgerald – piano
- Kelly Keagy – drums, lead vocals
- Production
- Pat Glasser – producer
- John Van Nest – engineer
- Brian Gardner – mastering
Charts
edit
Weekly Chartsedit
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Year-End Chartsedit
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References
edit- ^ Martoccio, Angie (August 23, 2019). "Flashback: Night Ranger's Hair Metal Masterpiece 'Sister Christian'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ VH1: The Big 80's – Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved June 20, 2021
- ^ Boogie Nights [Original Soundtrack] – Original Soundtrack | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved June 20, 2021
- ^ a b Jones, Carolyn (November 11, 2005). "Night Rangers revisit 'Sister Christian' and San Rafael". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 9, 2008.
Specifically, the song is about Keagy's little sister, Christy. Keagy wrote the song at his apartment, near Divisadero and California streets in San Francisco, after he had just returned from a visit to his hometown in rural Oregon. He had been struck at how fast his teenage sister, 10 years younger than he was, was growing up.
- ^ "True Spin: Our Lips Are Sealed, Sister Christian, and More". VH1. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
- ^ Video on YouTube
- ^ "Night Rangers revisit 'Sister Christian' and San Rafael". SFGate. November 11, 2005. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ "Hole in the Sun". Night Ranger. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
- ^ Nudd, Tim (September 30, 2013). "Ad of the Day: Foster Farms Chicken Doesn't Just Taste Good. It Also Sings Hits of the '80s". Adweek.
- ^ "Jensen Ackles sings Seven Bridges Road and Sister Christian". March 15, 2015. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ Roschke, Ryan (June 30, 2015). "Watch Jensen Ackles Sing the Hell Out of Some Classic Rock Songs". Popsugar.
- ^ Night Ranger – Sister Christian (Official Music Video), October 7, 2009, retrieved March 19, 2022
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6818." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ "Night Ranger – Sister Christian" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ "Night Ranger Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ "Night Ranger Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ "Talent Almanac 1985: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 51. December 22, 1984. p. TA-19.