How's this for a playlist?
“Love is a Battlefield” by Pat Benatar.
“The Warrior” by Scandal featuring Patty Smyth.
“Obsession” by Animotion.
"Change" by John Waite.
“Never” by Heart.
“Rag Doll” by Aerosmith.
“The Best” by Tina Turner.
You’ve heard those songs, you’ve watched the MTV videos. Now, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame visitors will have the opportunity to meet the virtuoso behind the music: Singer-songwriter and musician Holly Knight.
On Friday, March 14 from 7-9 p.m., Knight will grace the Rock Hall museum’s Foster Theater for an event titled “The Woman Behind the Anthems.” The evening will feature an interview by Rock Hall Director of Education & Community Kathryn Clusman, a performance, and a book signing of Knight’s bestselling memoir “I Am the Warrior: My Crazy Life Writing the Hits and Rocking the MTV Eighties.”
Knight, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013, has had an extraordinary life indeed. She learned classical piano as a child, and later attended the Mannes School of Music in New York City. A survivor in an industry that seems engineered to dismantle a woman’s power, she has personified the word “empowerment,” finding stratospheric success in spite of the odds. Apart from her elite songwriting credentials, she’s won 3 Grammys, 13 ASCAP Awards, and was a key member of two fascinating '80s bands: Spider (their songs “Change” and “Better Be Good to Me” went on to be hits for Waite and Turner, respectively) and Device (best known for the percolating, shimmering Top 40 single “Hanging on a Heart Attack”).
On Friday, March 14 from 7-9 p.m., Knight will grace the Rock Hall museum’s Foster Theater for an event titled “The Woman Behind the Anthems.” The evening will feature an interview by Rock Hall Director of Education & Community Kathryn Clusman, a performance, and a book signing of Knight’s bestselling memoir “I Am the Warrior: My Crazy Life Writing the Hits and Rocking the MTV Eighties.”
Knight, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013, has had an extraordinary life indeed. She learned classical piano as a child, and later attended the Mannes School of Music in New York City. A survivor in an industry that seems engineered to dismantle a woman’s power, she has personified the word “empowerment,” finding stratospheric success in spite of the odds. Apart from her elite songwriting credentials, she’s won 3 Grammys, 13 ASCAP Awards, and was a key member of two fascinating '80s bands: Spider (their songs “Change” and “Better Be Good to Me” went on to be hits for Waite and Turner, respectively) and Device (best known for the percolating, shimmering Top 40 single “Hanging on a Heart Attack”).
 |
| Holly Knight |
When a career like this is called “generation-defining,” it suggests that Knight, already in the Songwriters Hall, is also Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-worthy. Hopefully, she will someday take her rightful place alongside of other (and too scarce) Rock Hall-inducted female songwriters such as Carole King, Ellie Greenwich and Cynthia Weil. Until then, Knight will be saying "Hello, Cleveland!" at the Rock Hall museum this month.
In a recent email exchange with E-Rockracy, Knight went in-depth about her upcoming appearance and her legendary career.
You have an exciting event coming up on March 14 at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, where you'll be doing an interview, a book signing and a performance. First of all, have you ever been to the Rock Hall museum?
No, never!
Secondly, what aspects of your special day at the Rock Hall are you most looking forward to?
I'm looking forward to all of it!
To quote the title of the event, you are "The Woman Behind the Anthems." Let's dig into that a little: For the average person, songwriting is a concept that is a bit mysterious. Certainly, inspiration and hard work are two key ingredients, but could you describe your personal songwriting process and how it has evolved over the years?
Depending on whom I’m writing for, I choose an instrument which best can capture the essence of the band or solo artist. For instance, if it’s going to be for a rock band, I like to pick up a guitar and write on that. I don’t play guitar all that well (by design), so the music ends up being simpler, which is a good thing for rock and roll. The simpler the chords, the wider the berth for the melody, and the wider the birth, the more attitude in the lyrics. On keyboards (which is my main instrument), I tend to write more complicated chord progressions, and that means the vocals have to follow the chords more closely, but again, depending on the artist or project, that can be the right path to take. And then there’s my mood on any given day. If I don’t have a particular band I’m thinking about and I just feel like writing, anything goes.
As far as the evolution of my songwriting process, I try not to write a bad song anymore… in other words, if I feel I’m onto something good, I keep going. And if I'm playing around with it too long and it’s going nowhere, I just walk away and live to write another day.
What challenges would you say songwriters face in 2025 that maybe differ from some of the challenges you faced as you built your career?
Social media for one, is a double-edged sword. The problem is it still costs tons of money to get your music out there — even if it’s DIY. And now there’s so many more people on the planet competing to get their songs recorded by other artists. So, if, for instance, you’re on TikTok and you know how to play the game, you might get more attention than the artist or songwriter who doesn’t have the millions of hits or fans — and it’s not necessarily based on talent or great music. Back in the day, they always listed the writers, so when you bought a record, you knew who wrote what (if you were interested). Now credits are hard to find.
And now with streaming, the loss of revenue to the songwriters is staggering. I could go on and on...
What challenges would you say songwriters face in 2025 that maybe differ from some of the challenges you faced as you built your career?
Social media for one, is a double-edged sword. The problem is it still costs tons of money to get your music out there — even if it’s DIY. And now there’s so many more people on the planet competing to get their songs recorded by other artists. So, if, for instance, you’re on TikTok and you know how to play the game, you might get more attention than the artist or songwriter who doesn’t have the millions of hits or fans — and it’s not necessarily based on talent or great music. Back in the day, they always listed the writers, so when you bought a record, you knew who wrote what (if you were interested). Now credits are hard to find.
And now with streaming, the loss of revenue to the songwriters is staggering. I could go on and on...
Mentoring is such an important part of an artist's development. What opportunities have you had to be a mentor, and who would you say mentored you as you came up in your career?
Mentors are the best! My first one was my classical piano teacher, whom I adored. I was four and she was like the mother I wish I'd had. Then in my early twenties, I met Mike Chapman, who was a huge songwriter/producer himself, and really took me under his wing — we wrote some of the best songs together. Personally, I love mentoring young writers. I have taught my own master classes from time to time and I really enjoy the process.
Mentors are the best! My first one was my classical piano teacher, whom I adored. I was four and she was like the mother I wish I'd had. Then in my early twenties, I met Mike Chapman, who was a huge songwriter/producer himself, and really took me under his wing — we wrote some of the best songs together. Personally, I love mentoring young writers. I have taught my own master classes from time to time and I really enjoy the process.
What final recorded and released versions of your songs would you say most closely matched the original sound you had in your head when writing them?
I would have to start with "The Best." If you were to hear the demo that my co-writer Mike Chapman and I did, you’ll hear that all the parts are there on the demo — in fact, I’ve had Tina record nine of my songs , and she always stuck to whatever we did on the demos. I loved that about her. Also, "The Warrior" (Patty Smyth) and "Invincible" (Pat Benatar) were exact replicas of the demos, and that was because Mike Chapman produced them.
Along those same lines, are there particular MTV music videos of your songs that you feel represented those songs especially well?
Well, I always like to see the bands playing themselves in their videos as opposed to them being "actors" in a movie, which was often “the thing” on MTV. That’s why I liked, say, Heart performing "Never." Obviously it wasn’t a live video, but you still got this sense of who the band was, as opposed to a video like "Love Is A Battlefield" with Pat Benatar. I loved the video of "Invincible" with Benatar.
I would’ve loved to have seen "The Warrior," with Patty Smyth as herself performing with her band. I never really got the kabuki and kimono with a lightning bolt across her face, and neither did she. They were often at the mercy of the director or makeup artist. Ha ha.
Speaking of music videos, your appearance at the Rock Hall has some great timing — the museum currently has an exhibit titled "1984," celebrating the era-defining songs and MTV videos that revolutionized the pop music landscape. Artists such as Prince, Madonna, Tina Turner, Eurythmics, and Duran Duran are featured artists. As someone who was there, and participated directly in this era, how do you remember 1984 and the overall "big boom" of MTV?
Man, that time period was such a blast, honestly. My first cover was with John Waite — he recorded “Change” in 1982 (it initially came out on Spider’s second record), then Benatar recorded "Love Is a Battlefield" in 1983. By the time 1984 came around, "Better Be Good To Me” on Tina Turner’s Private Dancer record came out. It was the second single on an album that became the biggest record on the planet that year. In fact, the record won the Grammy for Record of the Year. So yes, 1984 was an amazing year, not only for me personally, but for the world musically. It was a Renaissance period.
I used to go see Prince perform at a little club in the Village called The Bottom Line, I dragged my manager at the time, Bill Aucoin, to come with me one night because I knew Prince was going to be huge. The first time I saw Madonna’s video “Burning Up,” I made Mike Chapman watch it and I said, "She’s going to be huge."
I would have to start with "The Best." If you were to hear the demo that my co-writer Mike Chapman and I did, you’ll hear that all the parts are there on the demo — in fact, I’ve had Tina record nine of my songs , and she always stuck to whatever we did on the demos. I loved that about her. Also, "The Warrior" (Patty Smyth) and "Invincible" (Pat Benatar) were exact replicas of the demos, and that was because Mike Chapman produced them.
Along those same lines, are there particular MTV music videos of your songs that you feel represented those songs especially well?
Well, I always like to see the bands playing themselves in their videos as opposed to them being "actors" in a movie, which was often “the thing” on MTV. That’s why I liked, say, Heart performing "Never." Obviously it wasn’t a live video, but you still got this sense of who the band was, as opposed to a video like "Love Is A Battlefield" with Pat Benatar. I loved the video of "Invincible" with Benatar.
I would’ve loved to have seen "The Warrior," with Patty Smyth as herself performing with her band. I never really got the kabuki and kimono with a lightning bolt across her face, and neither did she. They were often at the mercy of the director or makeup artist. Ha ha.
Speaking of music videos, your appearance at the Rock Hall has some great timing — the museum currently has an exhibit titled "1984," celebrating the era-defining songs and MTV videos that revolutionized the pop music landscape. Artists such as Prince, Madonna, Tina Turner, Eurythmics, and Duran Duran are featured artists. As someone who was there, and participated directly in this era, how do you remember 1984 and the overall "big boom" of MTV?
Man, that time period was such a blast, honestly. My first cover was with John Waite — he recorded “Change” in 1982 (it initially came out on Spider’s second record), then Benatar recorded "Love Is a Battlefield" in 1983. By the time 1984 came around, "Better Be Good To Me” on Tina Turner’s Private Dancer record came out. It was the second single on an album that became the biggest record on the planet that year. In fact, the record won the Grammy for Record of the Year. So yes, 1984 was an amazing year, not only for me personally, but for the world musically. It was a Renaissance period.
I used to go see Prince perform at a little club in the Village called The Bottom Line, I dragged my manager at the time, Bill Aucoin, to come with me one night because I knew Prince was going to be huge. The first time I saw Madonna’s video “Burning Up,” I made Mike Chapman watch it and I said, "She’s going to be huge."
 |
| Device's 1986 album 22B3 |
Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to be a rock star, playing live to a huge audience before I ever thought about being a songwriter, so I loved it. I was a musician first — I’d been playing piano since I was four. But... I hated the politics and BS that comes with being in a band, and ultimately I was happier with the autonomy of being a songwriter. I had the freedom to flit like a happy bee, savoring honey from one flower to another.
How do you receive new music these days, and would you name a few modern artists that have caught your ear?
I listen to various stations on Sirius radio and Spotify when I’m driving around or cooking in the kitchen. And although none of these artists are really "new," I love Lady Gaga, Halsey, Charli XCX, Måneskin, Cage The Elephant, Tame Impala, and Harry Styles.
I listen to various stations on Sirius radio and Spotify when I’m driving around or cooking in the kitchen. And although none of these artists are really "new," I love Lady Gaga, Halsey, Charli XCX, Måneskin, Cage The Elephant, Tame Impala, and Harry Styles.
When one looks at the high number of songwriters sometimes credited on major pop songs, it's difficult to understand how that works. Without naming names, I'm seeing one hit song had 30 songwriters, where another had 9 songwriters credited to it. What do you make of that trend, and do you find there's a "perfect number" when it comes to the number of people writing a song together?
Well, I’ll just say this — I know the artist you’re talking about, and I think that a lot people tried to defend the fact that there were 30 writers on it, saying it’s an art form when different writers are sampled and therefore have to be credited as writers. To me that’s not what I identify with as songwriting. I said in my book that if you can't write a song on your own or with one or two other writers, you shouldn’t be calling yourself a songwriter. I mean, WTF?
Regarding your book "I Am the Warrior: My Crazy Life Writing the Hits and Rocking the MTV Eighties," it might be fair to say it's the gift that keeps on giving. What are some of the most frequent comments you hear from fans that attend your book signings?
I‘ve been told by readers that they feel like they’re in the room with me when reading my book. Better yet, here are some reader comments from Amazon:
Regarding your book "I Am the Warrior: My Crazy Life Writing the Hits and Rocking the MTV Eighties," it might be fair to say it's the gift that keeps on giving. What are some of the most frequent comments you hear from fans that attend your book signings?
I‘ve been told by readers that they feel like they’re in the room with me when reading my book. Better yet, here are some reader comments from Amazon:
"I knew Holly Knight was a hit-making machine before I read her book, but I was amazed at all the incredible stories of her life among all the artists I revere so much. Her tales behind the making of music will have you turning the pages so quickly that you'll wish a Volume 2 was waiting nearby."
"You will be blown over by Holly's incredible trip to the top of the songwriting business and the iconic musicians she befriended along the way. Easily the best memoir I've read about my beloved decade."
"As a musician and avid music-bio lover (I’ve read literally hundreds of them) I can safely say this is one of the best rock and roll books I’ve ever read. Period. Not only for the story of Holly’s talent and success but because of her ability to overcome obstacles and her tenaciousness: especially in a business that’s predominantly a ‘man’s world’. Her honest and forthright manner also make me want to know her. Highly recommended."
"This is an incredibly well written, honest and fascinating look at the creation of the of the biggest and most memorable songs of the last four decades and more importantly the woman behind them. Frank, often funny, and incredibly insightful."
"One of the best, honest musician bios I ever read! I was a HUGE fan before this book. Now I'm even a a bigger one! Holly Knight is an absolute legend and an unmatched talent on every level! Simply the best....no pun intended."
"Holly approached her book very much like her hits—all killer and no filler! Easy read, lots of cool background info and great insight into the mind and life of a songwriting sorceress."
On level 3 of the Rock Hall museum, they have the Signature Gallery where visitors can see all of the Rock Hall inductees' plaques. So many of the artists you've written songs for — Tina Turner, Heart, Pat Benatar, Aerosmith, KISS, and Bon Jovi — are on the wall there, so you'll definitely have to go see that. On that note, what were some of your thoughts when Tina was finally inducted as a solo artist in 2021?
Well, I get a certain thrill knowing that I had something to do with every one of those inductees you mentioned, and that I contributed something to the music world. And as far as Tina — it was about fucking time!
I will say though, that Tina was not really a songwriter (with the exception of "Nutbush City Limits") and not once during her induction did they mention any of the songwriters that help put her there. I mean, Tina was a supernova — but as usual, fans think that the artists always write their own songs. I wrote nine songs for her, she was my muse.
Anyway, I can't wait to go see the Rock Hall museum. I’ve never been to any of the ceremonies either, but maybe this next one I’ll be able to attend. I'm really honored that they invited me to participate in this upcoming Women’s History Month. Especially as there’s an imbalance in gender of inductees. It’s the same with the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The year I was inducted, there had only been, up to that point, 16 women inductees out of 400 men. And it’s not even the fact of the organization being biased — there just weren’t a lot of women out there being "allowed" to flourish or play in the sandbox with the boys.
As a friend and collaborator of Tina, what would she make of all this, and what do you think she'd say to you about your upcoming appearance at the Rock Hall?
Well, it’s all there in the foreword of my book, which she wrote. She’d definitely be smiling.
I will say though, that Tina was not really a songwriter (with the exception of "Nutbush City Limits") and not once during her induction did they mention any of the songwriters that help put her there. I mean, Tina was a supernova — but as usual, fans think that the artists always write their own songs. I wrote nine songs for her, she was my muse.
Anyway, I can't wait to go see the Rock Hall museum. I’ve never been to any of the ceremonies either, but maybe this next one I’ll be able to attend. I'm really honored that they invited me to participate in this upcoming Women’s History Month. Especially as there’s an imbalance in gender of inductees. It’s the same with the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The year I was inducted, there had only been, up to that point, 16 women inductees out of 400 men. And it’s not even the fact of the organization being biased — there just weren’t a lot of women out there being "allowed" to flourish or play in the sandbox with the boys.
As a friend and collaborator of Tina, what would she make of all this, and what do you think she'd say to you about your upcoming appearance at the Rock Hall?
Well, it’s all there in the foreword of my book, which she wrote. She’d definitely be smiling.
Holly Knight will be appearing at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Foster Theater on Friday, March 14 from 7-9 p.m. Details here.
Photo credits: Holly Knight photo by Matthew Beard; Device photo by Brian Aris; book photo by Ken Nahoum, courtesy of Permuted Press
