Cheap Trick

About Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick figured out something crucial in the mid-1970s: you could love the Beatles and the Move, dress like you raided both a tuxedo shop and a thrift store in the dark, and still make music that hit as hard as any punk band. The Rockford, Illinois quartet—guitarist Rick Nielsen, singer Robin Zander, bassist Tom Petersson, and drummer Bun E. Carlos—looked like a deliberate mismatch, which was sort of the point.

They formed in 1973 and spent a few years playing the Midwest circuit before Epic Records signed them. Their first three albums—the self-titled debut in 1977, "In Color" later that year, and "Heaven Tonight" in 1978—were power pop masterclasses that sold modestly in the States but hinted at something bigger. Songs like "I Want You to Want Me" and "Surrender" had hooks that could catch fish, but American radio wasn't quite sure what to do with them yet.

Japan figured it out first. When Cheap Trick toured there in April 1978, the response was overwhelming enough that someone had the sense to record it. "Cheap Trick at Budokan," released in 1979, captured the band when they were tight, hungry, and playing to an audience that treated them like the Beatles they so clearly worshipped. The live version of "I Want You to Want Me" finally became the hit it deserved to be, and suddenly American radio remembered the band existed.

"Dream Police" arrived later in 1979 with the title track hitting the top ten, proving Budokan wasn't a fluke. But the 1980s were less kind. Petersson left in 1980—replaced by Pete Comita, then Jon Brant—and the band chased trends they had no business chasing. Producer after producer tried to figure out what a hit Cheap Trick song should sound like in the new decade.

Then "The Flame" happened in 1988. A power ballad they didn't even write, didn't particularly want to record, and that went to number one anyway. It's probably their most-known song, which has to sting a little when you've written "Surrender."

Petersson came back in 1987, and Bun E. Carlos played with the band in various capacities until his departure in 2010, with Zander's son Rick taking over drums. They kept recording and touring because that's what they do. "Bang, Zoom, Crazy... Hello" in 2016 showed they could still write a decent rock song when most of their peers were either dead or playing casinos.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame finally inducted them in 2016, which felt both deserved and about fifteen years late. They're still out there, still playing "I Want You to Want Me" for audiences who either remember Budokan or discovered it later. Some bands evolve. Cheap Trick just kept being Cheap Trick until everyone else caught up.

They lean into the schmaltz without apology. Zander works the crowd like he's genuinely grateful you showed up. Nielsen bounces around like he's solving math problems with his guitar. People sing every word. You'll see families and longtime fans standing next to casual listeners, and somehow the band makes all of it feel earned.

Known for I Want You to Want Me, Dream Police, Surrender, The Flame, Ain't That a Shame

See Cheap Trick Live