The Knack are often remembered for their one hit wonder My Sharona and not much else - but that’s doing the band an injustice. While critically panned for their bubblegum pop sound coming out of the post punk era, The Knack carved a place in history with catchy hooks, dynamic riffs, and surprisingly sophisticated structure. It's time to take another look at what this four-piece rock band from LA had to offer: both the good and bad critiques they received between 1979-1984.
When you think of The Knack, what's the first thing that comes to mind? For most, it's their 1979 hit song My Sharona. While there's no denying that it's a catchy tune, it's a shame that the band is often reduced to just that one track. After all, The Knack was more than just a one-hit wonder. The band's relatively short career (1979-1984) saw them release several albums and experiment with different sounds. In this blog post, let's take a deeper dive into The Knack's music and see what made them stand out, despite harsh criticism from music critics.
The Knack was formed in Los Angeles in 1977 by lead vocalist and guitarist Doug Fieger, guitarist Berton Averre, bassist Prescott Niles, and drummer Bruce Gary. They quickly gained popularity with their debut album, Get The Knack, which featured the now-iconic My Sharona. While the song's catchy riff and infectious chorus were irresistible, some critics dismissed The Knack's sound as too derivative of 1960s pop-rock bands like The Beatles and The Kinks. But, there's no denying the influence those bands had on The Knack's music, especially evident in songs such as Good Girls Don't and Your Number Or Your Name.
As The Knack continued to release more albums, they began to experiment with their sound. On their second album, But The Little Girls Understand, they delved into harder rock with songs like Baby Talks Dirty and Can't Put A Price On Love. While the album wasn't as commercially successful as their debut, it showcased the band's versatility and ability to evolve.
Perhaps one of the reasons The Knack received criticism was due to their lyrics often being deemed sexist. Songs such as That's What The Little Girls Do and My Sharona were accused of objectifying women. However, the band insisted that their lyrics were meant to be tongue-in-cheek and satirical. Doug Fieger himself stated in an interview, Nothing we said was serious. It was all a joke. Unfortunately, the joke fell kind of flat, and we were seen as sexist pigs.
Despite the controversy surrounding their music, The Knack proved to be more than just a flash in the pan. Their fourth and final album, Round Trip, showed the band matured significantly with more complex instrumental sections and introspective lyrics on tracks such as It's Not Me and Radiating Love. However, the album failed to gain much commercial success and The Knack soon disbanded in 1984.
While The Knack may not have achieved the same level of success as some of their contemporaries from the post-punk era, their legacy lives on through their catchy hooks and dynamic riffs. It’s unfair to reduce the band to just My Sharona and overlook their evolution, versatility, and experimentation with different sounds throughout their career. Despite harsh criticism from music critics, The Knack remained true to their sound and left a lasting impression on rock music of the 1980s. So, the next time you hear My Sharona on the radio, remember that there's more to The Knack than just that one hit.
