"What I Like About You" by The Romantics

Song#:  0051
Date:  02/16/1980
Debut:  85
Peak:  49
Weeks:  8
Genre:  Rock, Power Pop, New Wave



Pop Bits:  This is one of those songs you would swear was a Top 10 hit; yet it couldn't even get into the Top 40. Its legacy obviously grew after its chart run as this was all over rock radio for years. It was the breakout song for the Detroit group debuting the same week as their hometown bros The Rockets single "Desire" (covered in a previous post). The Romantics' polished new wave rock and heavy hooks pushed them nationally into the spotlight leaving The Rockets behind. They had a quick rise and fall, but it was a big enough legacy to keep them going and you can still catch them on tour as of this writing.

ReduxReview:  When I first heard this back in the day I thought it was The Kinks. I knew it wasn't, but it sounded so Kink-ish to me (notice I did not use "Kinky"). The sound is so retro and there are influences from all previous decades of rock crammed in a short three minutes. It's a massive blast of power pop that sounds just as good today as it did then.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  From 1987 to 1993 the band was unable to record due to a lawsuit against their management for misappropriation of funds; in particular the licensing of this hit song. They ended up winning their case.

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