B-side "First in Line" Recorded 1979 Label Nemperor
Epic | Released February 1980 Genre Power pop
new wave | |
Length 2:55
2:49 (music video) | ||
"What I Like About You" is a song by American rock band The Romantics. The song, written by Romantics members Wally Palmar, Mike Skill and Jimmy Marinos in 1979 is included on the band's self-titled debut album (1980), and was also released as a single. Marinos, the band's drummer, is the lead vocalist on the song. The band filmed a music video for the song that appeared frequently on MTV during the early 1980s.
Contents
Writing and original version
"What I Like About You" was written by Palmar, Marinos and Skill around a guitar part by Skill. The song's "Hey, uh-huh-huh" refrain was influenced by The Yardbirds' "Over Under Sideways Down" and Chuck Berry's "Back in the U.S.A.". The song's riff is slightly similar to Neil Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry" and The Standells 1966 hit "Dirty Water". The Romantics recorded the song and the accompanying album at Coconuts Recording Studio in Miami Beach, Florida.
When first released, "What I Like About You" was already a popular song on the Romantics' concert playlist. In terms of record sales and radio airplay, however, the song was only a moderate success at the time of its release, reaching only number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song did quite well in Australia however, reaching number two on the Australian Singles Chart (Kent Music Report) on its initial release. It was only towards the end of the 1980s, after the song had been licensed for use in television commercials for Budweiser beer, that "What I Like About You" grew to become one of the most popular rock anthems of all time.
Legacy and contemporary usage
"What I Like About You" has become a staple of modern rock, appearing on numerous compilation albums of 1980s pop and rock music hits and heard in frequent rotation on modern rock and classic rock radio. The song is also often played at sporting events, parties and at bars and clubs. In addition to Budweiser, the song has also been heard promoting products, services and institutions including the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, Barbie toy dolls, SeaWorld and T.G.I. Friday's restaurants. The song was also featured in TV commercials for Hampton Inn, Esurance, Papa John's Pizza, Toon Disney and Toyota as recently as 2008. The song was also included in the films Richie Rich (1994), Freaky Friday (2003) Shrek 2 (2004), Surf's Up (2007), Marmaduke (2010), and Open Season: Scared Silly (2015).
The song was voted number 97 on VH1's television special The 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s.
The song is featured in video games Donkey Konga and Cars Maternational Championship.
The song was used in a trailer for the 2006 video game Family Guy Video Game!.
The song was also used in a trailer for the 2002 film Stuart Little 2.
Guitar Hero legal case
In November 2007, The Romantics filed a federal lawsuit against Activision, the publisher of Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, claiming that the video game manufacturer had infringed on the band's rights by featuring a soundalike recording of "What I Like About You" in the game. The Romantics lost their case in December 2007, with the judge stating that Activision had taken all the necessary steps in developing its product.
Cover versions
Channel Ten and Southern Cross Ten used the song to advertise their television channel in 2005–06. They used three different versions of the song, all performed by Green Dragon. The first, used from February–December 2005 was the original version of the song. The second, used from December 2005–February 2006 was a dance mix. The third, used from February–December 2006 was an R&B mix; the song was again used from December 2006–February 2007 in Ten's summer promos.
5 Seconds of Summer version
The song was covered by Australian pop punk band 5 Seconds of Summer for their 2014 She Looks So Perfect EP, reaching number 137 on the UK Singles Chart. The studio mix of the song is included on the group's 2014 live album, LiveSOS, and was serviced to American mainstream radio on 2 December 2014 as its lead single. It received strong airplay for the week ending December 28, 2014 and debuted on the Billboard Pop Songs chart, where it has since peaked at number 30.
The band performed the song live at the 2014 American Music Awards on 23 November 2014 ahead of its release.
Music video
A lyric video for the live version was uploaded to 5 Seconds of Summer's Vevo account 23 November 2014, the same day as their AMA performance. The official music video was directed by Tom van Schelven and premiered on 5 December 2014. It uses the live audio rather than the studio mix and features concert footage from the group's performance at The Forum near Los Angeles, as well behind-the-scenes clips and shots of the audience.