Big Life (album)

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Big Life
Studio album by
Night Ranger
ReleasedMarch 23, 1987 (1987-03-23)[1]
StudioFantasy Studios, Berkeley, California, Chartmaker Studio, Malibu, California
Genre
Length42:15
LabelMCA
ProducerKevin Elson & Night Ranger, David Foster ("The Secret of My Success")
Night Ranger chronology
7 Wishes
(1985) 		Big Life
(1987) 		Man in Motion
(1988)
Singles from Big Life
  1. "The Secret of My Success"
    Released: March 1987 (US)[3]
  2. "Color of Your Smile"
    Released: April 1987 (UK)[4]
  3. "Hearts Away"
    Released: July 1987[5]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Classic RockSuperior[7]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal7/10[8]

Big Life is the fourth studio album by Night Ranger, released in March 1987. It featured the single "The Secret of My Success", which was written for the 1987 film of the same name starring Michael J. Fox. The single flopped, stalling outside the Top 40, peaking at No. 64.[9] It was a top twenty hit on the Mainstream Rock Chart though, hitting number 12,[10] and was one of the most played videos in the spring of 1987 on MTV. "Hearts Away" was the second single/video and peaked at No. 90 on the Hot 100 chart.[9] The third single/video, "Color of Your Smile" failed to chart in the U.S. at all.

This album would be the last to feature soon-to-depart original keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald until his return to the band a decade later for the Neverland album.

Track listing[edit]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Big Life"Jack Blades, Brad Gillis5:16
2."Color of Your Smile"Blades4:13
3."Love Is Standing Near"Alan Fitzgerald, Blades, Kelly Keagy4:24
4."Rain Comes Crashing Down"Blades5:56
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."The Secret of My Success" (from the motion picture soundtrack of The Secret of My Success)Blades, David Foster, Tom Keane, Michael Landau4:26
6."Carry On"Blades, Keagy4:19
7."Better Let It Go"Keagy, Blades4:40
8."I Know Tonight"Blades4:03
9."Hearts Away"Blades4:58

Personnel[edit]

Night Ranger
Additional musicians
Production
  • Kevin Elson – producer, engineer, mixing
  • David Foster - producer/arranger on "Secret of My Success"
  • Wally Buck – engineer
  • Rick Hulbrook, Tom Size – additional engineering on "The Secret of My Success"
  • David Thoener – mixing
  • Frank Pekoc – mixing assistant

Charts[edit]

Chart (1987) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[11] 28

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[12] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "RIAA".
  2. ^ a b c "Album » Night Ranger - Big Life". Metal.it (in Italian). Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  3. ^ "Night Ranger singles".
  4. ^ "Night Ranger singles".
  5. ^ "Night Ranger singles".
  6. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Night Ranger - Big Life review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-09-15.
  7. ^ Elliott, Paul (February 20, 2015). "Buyer's Guide: Night Ranger". Classic Rock. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  8. ^ Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 243. ISBN 978-1894959315.
  9. ^ a b "Night Ranger Chart History". Billboard. Eldridge Industries. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  10. ^ "Night Ranger Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs Chart History". Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  11. ^ "Night Ranger Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  12. ^ "American album certifications – Night Ranger – The Big Life". Recording Industry Association of America.
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