I Want You To Want Me - Wikipedia

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• 1 Background
• 2 Version differences
• 3 Critical reception
• 4 "Oh Boy"
• 5 Charts Toggle Charts subsection
  • 5.1 Weekly charts
  • 5.2 Year-end charts
• 6 Certifications
• 7 All appearances
• 8 Letters to Cleo version Toggle Letters to Cleo version subsection
  • 8.1 Track listings and formats
• 9 References
• 10 External links

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Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 1977 single by Cheap Trick For the Solid Harmonie song, see I Want You to Want Me (Solid Harmonie song). Not to be confused with I Want You (Cheap Trick song).

"I Want You to Want Me"
US single of the studio recording
Single by Cheap Trick
from the album In Color
B-side	"Oh Boy (Instrumental Version)"
Released	September 1977 (1977-09)
Recorded	1977
Studio	Kendun Recorders, Los Angeles
Genre	Power pop pop rock music hall
Length	3:07
Label	Epic
Songwriter	Rick Nielsen
Producer	Tom Werman
Cheap Trick singles chronology
"Oh, Candy" (1977) "I Want You to Want Me" (1977) "Southern Girls" (1977)
Audio
"I Want You to Want Me" (studio) by Cheap Trick on YouTube

"I Want You to Want Me"
Single release of the live recording
Single by Cheap Trick
from the album Cheap Trick at Budokan
B-side	"Clock Strikes Ten"
Released	April 1979 (1979-04)
Recorded	April 1978
Venue	Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Genre	Power pop hard rock
Length	3:38
Label	Epic
Songwriter	Rick Nielsen
Producer	Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick singles chronology
"California Man" (1978) "I Want You to Want Me" (1979) "Ain't That a Shame" (1979)
Live video
"I Want You to Want Me" (live, 1979) by Cheap Trick on YouTube

"I Want You to Want Me" is a song by the American rock band Cheap Trick. It is originally from their second album In Color, released in September 1977. It was the first single released from that album, but it did not chart in the United States in its original studio version.

19 months later, a more hard rock-oriented live version from the band's successful Cheap Trick at Budokan album was released as a single and became one of their biggest hits, peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, number two in Canada, and number one in Japan. It has since become Cheap Trick's signature song.

Background

[edit]

"I Want You to Want Me" was a number-one single in Japan.[1] Its success, as well as that of its preceding single "Clock Strikes Ten", paved the way for Cheap Trick's concerts at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo in April 1978 that were recorded for the live album Cheap Trick at Budokan.[2] A live version of "I Want You to Want Me" was released from the album in 1979, becoming their biggest-selling single and reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, representing sales of one million records. In Canada, it reached No. 2 in on the RPM national singles chart, remaining there for two weeks[4] and was certified gold for the sale of 500,000 singles in September 1979.[5] It was also the band's highest charting single in Britain, where it reached No. 29 on the UK singles chart.

Years later, Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson criticized the lightweight production of "I Want You to Want Me" as it originally appeared on their second album In Color. Cheap Trick went as far as to mostly re-record that album in 1997, though this version has not been officially released. Producer Tom Werman explains:

"'I Want You To Want Me' was a fabulous dance hall type of song, and a perfect pop tune, and it was meant to be a little campy. I put the piano on—a guy named Jai Winding played it. I remember asking the band what they thought of it, and Rick Nielsen kind of shrugged and said, 'You're the producer.'" Further: "It was a burlesque song, like a 30s number. That is what they wrote it as."[citation needed]

Version differences

[edit]

The live version has a faster tempo than the album version, which contributed to its success.[citation needed] However, the album version features an echo at the verse "Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin' (cryin)". This echo does not appear in the live version. The crowd, however, emulates the echo by chanting "cryin'". The studio version features guitar by Jay Graydon.[6] The live version consists of two guitar solos, while the studio version has a piano fill as a second instrumental. In early 1977, Cheap Trick recorded a version played in the style they played in concerts. It was played with dramatic vocals, high tempo and two guitar solos. It was later released in 1998 and is almost identical to the "alternate" version, with a slightly different song structure, that was released two years earlier in 1996, from the box set Sex, America, Cheap Trick.[citation needed] In 1997, the band recorded another version as part of a complete remake of In Color with producer Steve Albini. This version generally follows the live arrangement as heard on At Budokan.

Thirty-three years after the Budokan version became Cheap Trick's first top ten hit, the band recorded a festive version of the song with the same arrangement, but with slightly modified lyrics, called "I Want You for Christmas", included on A Very Special Christmas: 25 Years Bringing Joy to the World, in 2012.[7]

Critical reception

[edit]

The Guardian critic Paul Lester ranked "I Want You to Want Me" as one of the 10 best power pop songs, calling it Cheap Trick's "pop zenith" and praising its "candy flavours and sherbet zip".[8]

Classic Rock critic Malcolm Dome rated it as Cheap Trick's greatest song, saying "conceived by Nielsen as an overblown pop parody, the irony is that it's became a true pop rock classic."[9] '

In the 2007 book Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide, a section on Cheap Trick features reviews on the top 20 stand-out tracks from the band, including "I Want You to Want Me", where author John M. Borack wrote "the In Color version lacked anything resembling balls, but that was remedied on the hit version from the groundbreaking Cheap Trick at Budokan disc. A piece of history and a darned cool tune, to boot."[10]

Billboard magazine found the live version to be "high energy" with "an infectious melody and raspy guitar work."[11] Record World said it "has a catchy hook over a powerful rock rhythm line."[12]

"Oh Boy"

[edit]

The studio version single is backed with the non-album track "Oh Boy (Instrumental)", which was later re-worked with vocals and released on a promotional single.[13]

Charts

[edit]

Weekly charts [edit] Chart (1977) Peakposition Canada RPM 100 Top Singles [14] 97 US Record World Singles Chart 101–150 [15] 119 Chart (1979) Peakposition Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[16] 15 Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[17] 1 Canada RPM 100 Singles [18] 2 Japan (Oricon International Singles Chart)[19][20] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[21] 1 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 23 UK Singles Chart[23] 29 US Billboard Hot 100[15] 7 US Cash Box Top 100 [15] 3 West Germany (GfK)[24] 18

Year-end charts [edit] Chart (1979) Rank Canada [25] 11 US Billboard Hot 100[26] 34 US Cash Box [27] 27

Certifications

[edit]

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[28]	Gold	75,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[29]	Platinum	30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[30]	Silver	200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[31]	Gold	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

All appearances

[edit]

• 1977: In Color
• 1978: From Tokyo to You
• 1979: Cheap Trick at Budokan (Recorded April 28, 1978)
• 1991: The Greatest Hits
• 1991: Queens Logic soundtrack
• 1996: Sex, America, Cheap Trick compilation (alternate version)
• 1997: Private Parts soundtrack
• 1998: Cheap Trick (1998 Reissue) (early version)
• 1998: Cheap Trick at Budokan: The Complete Concert
• 1999: That '70s Album (Rockin')
• 1999: Music for Hangovers
• 2000: Authorized Greatest Hits

Letters to Cleo version

[edit]

"I Want You to Want Me"
Single by Letters To Cleo
from the album 10 Things I Hate About You
Released	1999
Genre	Pop punk[32]
Length	3:25
Label	Hollywood
Songwriter	Rick Nielsen

American alternative rock band Letters to Cleo recorded a cover in 1999 for the 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack. It was released as a single, but failed to chart.[33]

Track listings and formats

[edit]

• CD single[34]

1. "I Want You to Want Me"  – 3:24
2. "Cruel to Be Kind"  – 3:01

References

[edit]

1. ^ McLane, D. (June 14, 1979). "Cheap Trick Finds Heaven". Rolling Stone. p. 49.
2. ^ BUDOKAN! 30th Anniversary DVD+3CDs (insert booklet).
3. ^ "Cheap Trick singles Billboard performance". AllMusic. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
4. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
5. ^ "Gold and Platinum". Musiccanada.com. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
6. ^ "CRR Interview - Bun e. Carlos - Everything Works Out if You Let It.. Well, Sort Of."
7. ^ "Song Search for "i want you for christmas"". AllMusic. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
8. ^ Lester, Paul (February 11, 2015). "Powerpop: 10 of the best". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
9. ^ Dome, Malcolm (June 28, 2016). "The top 10 best Cheap Trick songs". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
10. ^ Borack, John M. (2007). Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide - John M. Borack - Google Books. Shake Some Action - PowerPop. ISBN 9780979771408. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
11. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. March 24, 1979. p. 135. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
12. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. March 24, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
13. ^ Lawson, Robert (November 20, 2017). Still Competition: The Listener's Guide to Cheap Trick. FriesenPress. ISBN 978-1-5255-1227-8.
14. ^ "RPM 100 Top Singles" (PDF). RPM. Toronto: RPM Music Publications. November 26, 1977. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
15. ^ a b c Whitburn, Joel (2015). The Comparison Book. Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-89820-213-7.
16. ^ "Cheap Trick – I Want You to Want Me" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
17. ^ "Radio2 top 30: 8 oktober 2016 | Radio2". Top30-2.radio2.be. Archived from the original on April 9, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
18. ^ "RPM 100 Singles" (PDF). RPM. Toronto: RPM Music Publications. August 11, 1979. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
19. ^ Fire Breaks Out After Cheap Trick Concert. Ultimate Classic Rock. 7 June 2014.
20. ^ Surrender!. Telegram & Gazette. 1 August 2019.
21. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Cheap Trick" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
22. ^ "Cheap Trick – I Want You to Want Me". Top 40 Singles.
23. ^ "Cheap Trick". officialcharts.com. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
24. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Cheap Trick – I Want You to Want Me (Live)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
25. ^ "Top 100 Singles (1979)". RPM. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
26. ^ Musicoutfitters.com
27. ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 29, 1979". Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
28. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Cheap Trick – I Want You to Want Me". Music Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
29. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Cheap Trick – I Want You to Want Me". Radioscope. Retrieved February 8, 2025. Type I Want You to Want Me in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
30. ^ "British single certifications – Cheap Trick – I Want You to Want Me". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
31. ^ "American single certifications – Cheap Trick – I Want You to Want Me". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
32. ^ Lutes, Alicia (August 23, 2016). "LETTERS TO CLEO are Back with New Music and a Tour". Nerdist. Retrieved March 29, 2025. From their cover of "I Want You to Want Me" or their hit tune "Here and Now," the band embodied the attitude of the late nineties/early aughts with their upbeat, alt-pop-punk sound
33. ^ "Letters to Cleo - I Want You to Want Me". Discogs. 1999.
34. ^ I Want You to Want Me (European CD single liner notes). Letters to Cleo. Hollywood Records. 1999. 0104565HWR.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

External links

[edit]

• Allmusic entry

v t e Cheap Trick
Rick Nielsen Tom Petersson Robin Zander Bun E. Carlos Jon Brant
Studio albums	Cheap Trick In Color Heaven Tonight Dream Police All Shook Up One on One Next Position Please Standing on the Edge The Doctor Lap of Luxury Busted Woke Up with a Monster Cheap Trick (Cheap Trick '97) Special One Rockford The Latest Bang, Zoom, Crazy... Hello We're All Alright! Christmas Christmas In Another World All Washed Up
Compilation albums	The Greatest Hits Sex, America, Cheap Trick Authorized Greatest Hits The Essential Cheap Trick The Epic Archive, Vol. 1 (1975–1979) The Epic Archive, Vol. 2 (1980–1983) The Epic Archive, Vol. 3 (1984–1992)
Live albums	Cheap Trick at Budokan Budokan II Music for Hangovers Silver Sgt. Pepper Live
EPs	Found All the Parts
Singles	"Oh, Candy" "I Want You to Want Me" "Southern Girls" "Elo Kiddies" "Clock Strikes Ten" "Surrender" "California Man" "I Want You to Want Me (Live)" "Ain't That a Shame" "Dream Police" "Voices" "Way of the World" "Everything Works If You Let It" "Day Tripper (Live)" "Stop This Game" "World's Greatest Lover" "Reach Out" "If You Want My Love" "I Want You" "She's Tight" "Saturday at Midnight" "Dancing the Night Away" "I Can't Take It" "Up the Creek" "Tonight It's You" "Mighty Wings" "It's Only Love" "Kiss Me Red" "The Flame" "Don't Be Cruel" "Ghost Town" "Never Had a Lot to Lose" "Let Go" "Can't Stop Fallin' into Love" "Wherever Would I Be" "Magical Mystery Tour" "Woke Up with a Monster" "You're All I Wanna Do" "Didn't Know I Had It" "Cold Turkey" "Say Goodbye" "Carnival Game" "That '70s Song" "Scent of a Woman" "My Obsession" "Too Much" "Perfect Stranger" "If It Takes a Lifetime" "When I Wake Up Tomorrow" "Long Time Coming" "Gimme Some Truth"
Other songs	"He's a Whore" "Hello There" "High Roller" "Auf Wiedersehen" "Stiff Competition" "Need Your Love" "Gonna Raise Hell" "Back 'n Blue"
Related articles	Discography Fuse Fuse (album) Tinted Windows Tom Peterson and Another Language Robin Zander "I've Always Got You" Rock & Rule

v t e Dwight Yoakam singles
Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.	"Honky-Tonk Man" "Guitars, Cadillacs" "It Won't Hurt"
Hillbilly Deluxe	"Little Sister" "Little Ways" "Please, Please Baby" "Always Late with Your Kisses"
Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room	"Streets of Bakersfield" (With Buck Owens) "I Sang Dixie" "I Got You"
If There Was a Way	"Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose" "You're the One" "Nothing's Changed Here" "It Only Hurts When I Cry" "The Heart That You Own"
This Time	"Ain't That Lonely Yet" "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere" "Fast as You" "Try Not to Look So Pretty" "Pocket of a Clown"
Gone	"Nothing"
A Long Way Home	"Things Change"
Last Chance for a Thousand Years:Dwight Yoakam's Greatest Hits from the 90's	"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
Tomorrow's Sounds Today	"What Do You Know About Love" "I Want You to Want Me"
Other	"Suspicious Minds" "Who'll Stop the Rain"

v t e Chris Isaak
Discography
Studio albums	Silvertone Chris Isaak Heart Shaped World San Francisco Days Forever Blue Baja Sessions Speak of the Devil Always Got Tonight Christmas Mr. Lucky Beyond the Sun First Comes the Night
Singles	"Heart Full of Soul" "Wicked Game" "Solitary Man" "Somebody's Crying" "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (with Stevie Nicks) "I Want You to Want Me"
Compilation/live albums	Wicked Game 3 for One Best of Chris Isaak Live in Australia Live at the Fillmore
Television	The Chris Isaak Show The Chris Isaak Hour

v t e 10 Things I Hate About You
Film	10 Things I Hate About You (1999) 10 Things I Hate About Life (cancelled)
Television	10 Things I Hate About You (episodes) (2009-2010)
Music	"I Want You to Want Me"
Related topics	The Taming of the Shrew

Authority control databases	MusicBrainz work

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I_Want_You_to_Want_Me&oldid=1325500250" Categories:

• 1977 songs
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• 2001 singles
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• Songs written by Rick Nielsen
• Oricon International Singles Chart number-one singles
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