The Romantics

About The Romantics

The Romantics came out of Detroit in the late 1970s with something to prove about power pop. While the rest of the city was still processing the Stooges and MC5, these guys decided skinny ties and new wave energy were the move. They formed in 1977, originally as a cover band, before figuring out they could write their own stuff that sounded like a cleaner Flamin' Groovies with better haircuts.

Their self-titled debut dropped in 1980 on Nemperor Records, and "What I Like About You" became the song that would follow them around for the next four decades. It didn't chart particularly high at first, but it had this stupid-catchy guitar riff that made it impossible to forget. The album did well enough to prove they weren't just another band riding the new wave into obscurity.

They kept at it with "National Breakout" in 1980 and "Strictly Personal" in 1981, both solid records that showed they could do more than three-minute radio hits. But it was 1983's "In Heat" that gave them their biggest commercial moment. "Talking in Your Sleep" went to number three on the Billboard Hot 100, which meant suddenly they were everywhere. MTV played the video constantly, and for a minute there, they were actually stars.

The thing about The Romantics is they never really changed their approach. While other bands were adding synths and chasing trends, they stuck with the same leather-and-denim power pop formula. "Rhythm Romance" came out in 1985 and had some minor hits, but the momentum was already shifting. The late eighties weren't kind to bands who looked and sounded like they did.

They spent a chunk of the nineties and 2000s in legal battles with their former label over royalties and rights, which is pretty much the least rock and roll way to spend your middle age. They kept touring though, because "What I Like About You" remained a wedding reception and commercial licensing staple. You've heard it in at least a dozen movies and TV shows without even trying.

The band released "61/49" in 2003, their first album of new material in nearly two decades. It didn't make waves, but it proved they could still write songs when they felt like it.

These days, The Romantics are a touring act playing the eighties nostalgia circuit. The original lineup has mostly stayed intact, which is rarer than you'd think for a band pushing fifty years. They show up at festivals, state fairs, and anywhere else people want to hear "What I Like About You" played by the guys who actually wrote it. They never became legends, but they also never completely disappeared, which might be its own kind of achievement.

Their shows are straightforward and efficient. Crowds sing every word back to them, particularly during Talking in Your Sleep. There's a lot of movement in the room but it's loose, not mosh-pit intense. They play tight, don't waste time, and clearly enjoy the fact that people still show up.

Known for Talking in Your Sleep, What I Like About You, Gimme Some, One in a Million, Body Talk

See The Romantics Live