Top 10 Songs From The Knack

Photo by Alexandru Zdrobău

Our top 10 songs from The Knack looks at a power-pop band that hit it huge in the late 1970s with the single “My Sharona,” which was a massive number one hit around the world. This was a band out of Los Angeles that was promoted heavily by Capitol Records. The taste of money went to some record company executives’ heads as the group had done so well with the single “My Sharona,” there was a desire to promote the group as the next Beatles. We had seen time and time again record company executives making that same mistake.

There was only one Beatles and trying to re-establish that initial excitement of when the Beatles first landed in the States in 1964 was just a futile exercise in ignorance. Nonetheless, the band’s record company went ahead and continued to try to sell the band as part of a new British Invasion that only backfired on the group. Even the group’s debut album cover seems to be a reference to the Meet The Beatles album cover. This was an iconic album cover that many bands have tried to pay tribute to in their own album covers including Van Halen who did it with OU812. Nonetheless, The Knack had arrived, they were huge and all we heard was how they were the next big thing. And you know what, it was incredibly unfair to the band because all those guys wanted to do was probably just play music.

If you were a teenager in 1979, I don’t have to tell you how big the song “My Sharona,” was. Every bar band and garage band played the song. It was pretty easy to play because it was just really based on three chords and a very cool octave bass line. Nonetheless, despite the musical analysis, in the end, it was just a fantastic song that stood out among some other really good music that was being released in 1978 and 1979. “My Sharona,” was really the band’s only big hit. The follow-up single “Good Girls Don’t,” was a hit but it didn’t compare to “My Sharona.” That was a once in a lifetime song and it still resonates in today’s modern world.

Throughout their career, The Knack has released more albums than you probably assumed they did. During the group’s initial run they released three albums including their debut in 1979 entitled Get The Knack. That album was followed up in 1980 with the record…But the Little Girls Understand. Their final album of the time period was released in 1981 entitled Round Trip. The band The Knack broke up at the end of 1981. The band returned ten years later with a comeback album entitled Serious Fun. Eight years after that, the Knack released another album called Zoom with Frank Zappa and Missing Persons drummer Terry Bozzio in the band. The group’s final studio album would be released in 2001 entitled Normal as the Next Guy.

Over the years the band has released some great rock and roll music. It’s sad that they are often referred to as a one-hit wonder because there are actually so many bands that never even had a hit single that is written about historically in much finer terms. Regardless, this article picks out ten really good songs from the band The Knack.

# 10 – Let Me Out

We open up our top 10 songs list with the fabulous song entitled “Let Me Out.” The song was released on the album entitled Get The Knack. This smoking track served as the album’s opening tack and welcomed fans to the world of the Knack. The song was used to open Knack concerts. It was also included as the b side to the “My Sharona,” single. The band’s debut album featured frontman Doug Fieger on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Berton Averre on lead guitar, Prescott Niles on bass and drummer Bruce Gary.

# 9 – Can’t Put a Price on Love

Continuing with our top 10 songs list we take a listen to the mid-tempo song entitled “Can’t Put a Price on Love.” The band was trying hard to showcase their skills songwriters and get out of the shadows of their massive hit My Sharona. The song reminds me of Eddie and The Cruisers who were actually the Beaver Brown Band. The song hit number sixty two on the Billboard Hot 100.

# 8 – Boys Go Crazy

In the number eight spot on our top 10 songs list we present the song entitled “Boys Go Crazy.” The song was released on the album entitled Round Trip. The album was released in 1981. It was the second single released from the album. The song song failed to break onto the pop charts as the album’s first single which was bathed in gospel seemed to really turn a lot of people off from the band. This was a much better single than the first one entitled”Pay the Devil (Ooo, Baby, Ooo),” which made people ask what these guys were thinking.

# 7 – She’s So Selfish

In the number seven position on our top 10 songs list is the song entitled “She’s So Selfish.” This one is fueled by the Bo Diddley hambone style beat. The song was released on the album entitled Get The Knack. The album was released in 1979. The song was never released as a single.The lyrics are a little vulgar which probably stopped it from ever being released as a single. It’s got a ruff from “My Sharona,” in the song.

# 6 – Les Girls

Landing in the number six spot on our top 10 songs list we present the song “Les Girls.” This one sounds very different from the rest of the catalog. It has a very strong Lou Reed “Sweet Jane,” vibe to it, which we find very interesting as it really really sounds like Lou Reed’s song. The song was released on the album entitled Normal as the Next Guy The album was released in 2001 and stands as the band’s final studio album of new material.

# 5 – Rocket O Love

At the halfway point on our list of top 10 songs is the energetic track “Rocket O Love.” The guitar riffs are so excellent in this one. The band sounds a bit like Foghat on this one. The song was issued on the album entitled Serious Fun. The album was released in 1991. This was the band’s comeback album, and it was great to have them back releasing fun music like this. The song broke into the top 10 of the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks charts.

# 4 – Can I Borrow a Kiss

At number four on our top 10 songs list, we present the song “Can I Borrow a Kiss?” The song was released on the album entitled Zoom. The album was released in 1998. This is a great tune written by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger. There is a great 1960s feel to the song. The intro sounds like the chord changes to the song “Needles and Pins,” which Jackie DeShannon had a hit with in 1963.

# 3 – Baby Talks Dirty

“Baby Talks Dirty” was the lead single from the band’s second album entitled …But the Little Girls Understand. The album was released in 1980. It was the first single released from the album. The song was a hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number thirty eight. “Baby Talks Dirty” sounds very similar to the band’s breakthrough single “My Sharona.” It’s obvious the band was trying to repeat the success of their number one single, but it probably was a mistake to do that, even though it’s a great song.

# 2 – Good Girls Don’t

Just off the top spot on our top 10 songs by The Knack list, we celebrate the song entitled “Good Girls Don’t.” This served as the follow-up single to “My Sharona.” The song was released on the album entitled Get The Knack. The song was a hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number eleven. This great video brings you back into the studio with the band in the late 1970s. At times, the band reminded me of The Kinks, especially on this song,.

# 1 -My Sharona

We close out our top 10 songs list with the song “My Sharona,” which turned the band into a household name around the world. “My Sharona” was composed by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger. The song was inspired by Doug Fieger’s real-life girlfriend, Sharona Alperin. Doug Fieger said the girl who was 17 when they met blew his mind and caused him to go on writing spurge as he fell so deeply in love with her. If you’re wondering what happened to Shariona, Sharona Alperin is now a real estate agent in Los Angeles.

Their relationship lasted for four years. The single’s classic picture sleeve featured a picture of Sharona Alperin holding a copy of the band’s album. Not many people realized that it was a picture of the actual Sharona. I had that stunning picture sleeve hanging on my wall for years as a teenager. Sharona was smoking hot!

The song also stands as one of Wierd Al Yankovic’s funniest song parodies. Weird Al released his version of “My Sharona” as “My Bologna” in 1983.

The song “My Sharona” was released on the album entitled Get The Knack. The album was released in 1979. It was the first single released from the album. The song was a hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number one. It stayed at number one for six weeks. It also ended the year as the number one song of 1979 on the Billboard Hot 100. Yeah, it was pretty big; it still is!