Throwback Video Of The Week: The Romantics “What I Like About You”

At the height of their popularity in the '80s, the Romantics looked like a group that could have been on the charts in the late-'50s and early-'60s. In fact, the Detroit band was heavily influenced by the music of that time. Their first hit was a short, catchy, uptempo pop song that would have fit right in alongside the early Kinks.

"What I Like About You" was a moderate success when it was released in December 1979, only going as high as number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100. After it had been used in a Bud Light TV commercial toward the end of the 1980s, it became a much more popular song.

MTV played the video for "What I Like About You" often in the early-'80s. I remember being very impressed that the Romantics' drummer, Jimmy Marinos, sang lead vocals on that one. I'm still impressed by that. Singing and drumming at the same time seems like a lot to manage.