Night Ranger's drummer, Kelly Keagy, wrote this song about his sister Christy, who is 10 years younger than him and was growing up fast. Essentially the song is about her coming of age. The vocalist on most Night Ranger songs was Jack Blades , but Keagy sang lead on this one, singing from his drum kit at shows.

Midnight Madness was Night Ranger's second album. This song was written in time for their first album Dawn Patrol , but was held back. "Sister Christian" was released as the second single from the album, after "(You Can Still) Rock in America."

While some groups can't stand the sound of their signature song, Night Ranger isn't one of them. Jack Blades explained: "To me, it's a highlight to every one of our shows, instead of it being a curse. Maybe a lot of bands think of their big hit as, 'Ugh, we don't want to play that.' But that's not the way it is for Night Ranger. We really do love that song."