What I Like About You By The Romantics - Songfacts

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What I Like About Youby The Romantics

Album: The Romantics (1980)Charted: 49 License This Song  lyrics

Songfacts®:

• The Romantics, so named because they formed on Valentine's Day 1977 in Detroit, have only two US Top 40 hits, and "What I Like About You," now their best-known song, isn't one of them. It attracted little attention and was only a minor hit when first released in 1980 on their debut album, but found new life later in the decade when it became a popular choice for an advertising jingle, particularly for Budweiser beer. Since then the song has also become a fixture at sporting events, bars and nightclubs, and parties and celebrations of all kinds, and has taken its place as one of the most popular rock anthems of all time.The Romantics' two Top 40 hits were "Talking In Your Sleep" (#3) and "One In A Million" (#37). Both came in 1983, from their fourth album In Heat.
• In another ironic twist, the licensing of this song for advertising, the very thing that sparked the song's comeback, was apparently handled illegally. It was secured from the band's management without the band's knowledge or approval, which sparked a lawsuit lasting several years. Despite now having faded into obscurity, the band stayed together during this time and long after, albeit with several lineup changes.
• This song's resurgence had a lot to do with MTV. The band made a simple performance video for the song that MTV put in rotation when they launched in 1981. It fit the criteria the network was looking for: American band, rock, catchy song, acceptable production quality. Since few American artists made videos at the time, MTV made do with lots of European imports when they started.
• The Romantics, who were often compared to The Knack when this song was released, were a four-piece that split lead vocals between their guitarist Wally Palmar and drummer Jimmy Marinos, and it was Marinos who sang lead on this one.Marinos and Palmar wrote this song with their other guitarist, Mike Skill.
• The Texas singer Michael Morales took this song back to the charts in 1989 when his version hit #28 in the US. The song was also covered by 5 Seconds of Summer, who released it in 2014 on their EP She Looks So Perfect. They performed the song at the American Music Awards that year.
• In The Office episode "Stress Relief" from season 5, Andy Bernard rewrites this as "What I Hate About You" for a roast of Michael Scott. He sings:What I hate about youYou really suck as a bossYou're the losiest, jerkiestAnd you're dumber than applesauce
• What I Like About You is also the name of a sitcom starring Jennie Garth and Amanda Bynes that aired on The WB from 2002 to 2006. For its theme song, the show used a cover of the Romantics' tune by the Canadian female rock band Lillix. That version was also used in the movies Freaky Friday (2003) and 13 Going On 30 (2004).

• More songs from The Romantics
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• More TV show theme songs
• More songs from 1980
• Lyrics to What I Like About You

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Comments: 6

• Michael Englund from IllinoisThis song is like "Louie Louie". Everything is great about it. The crunching guitars, The harmonica. But the best thing about it is the drummer/Singer. How he whispers and bring the song down and back up again. The sound he makes with his lips. The Hey Hey Hey. RAVE ON
• Seventhmist from 7th HeavenAlways get a kick out of the whispered lines.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 29th 1980, the Romantics performed "What I Like About You" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...At the time the song was at #60 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on February 10th, 1980 at position #85, four weeks later on March 9th it would peak at #49 {for 2 weeks} and spent 8 weeks on the Top 100...Between 1980 and 1985 the Detroit-formed quartet had four Top 100 records; their biggest hit was "Talking in Your Sleep"*, it peaked at #3 {for 3 weeks} in January 22nd, 1984...* On December 4th, 1983 "Talking in Your Sleep" reached #1 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart.
• Mark from Detroit, MiAlways loved this group since I heard them on old WABX radio in Detroit (1980)
• Sean from TorontoThis song has also been covered by Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz, playing their "Shrek" characters (Shrek and Princess Fiona). It appears as an extra on the "Shrek 2" DVD, under the heading "Far Far Away Idol". A full version of their performance was made available on the two-disc edition of the DVD, as it comes with a music CD that contained the performers' songs in full.
• Sean from TorontoThis song has since been covered by the band "Lillix", their version being played in the remake of the movie "Freaky Friday", and also having been used as the theme song for the WB/CW show "What I Like About You" starring Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth. When the show continued in Season 2, the music producer changed the arrangement to a more techo-sound.

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