Night Ranger

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• Genre: AOR
• Night Ranger Website

About

Night Ranger were big in the early 1980s as their slickly produced arena rock found its way onto the charts. Of those hits, none is more representative of the band than "Sister Christian," the power ballad's power ballad, the Bic-worthiest of all Bic-worthy songs. This song could make both the Journey and the Foreigner fan come together in perfect, tear-filled accord. And for those listeners who tried to forget the pleasure they derived from the song, director Paul Thomas Anderson firmly reminded them with his superb inclusion of the track in his film Boogie Nights. But Night Ranger are not simply one song; actually, they're about four. "Don't Tell Me You Love Me," from their first record Dawn Patrol, was a minor hit which showed that they were not averse to dishing out the hard rock. The same goes for "(You Can Still) Rock in America" (go ahead and smirk). "When You Close Your Eyes" is a wrenching power ballad with a shade more drive than the aforementioned "Sister Christian." By the time they recorded the theme song to the Michael J. Fox film vehicle Secret of My Success, their immense popularity was on the wane. Nevertheless, they soldier on, releasing albums into an uncertain ether.

- Will Lerner