The Romantics - What I Like About You (1980)

"What I Like About You" is a song by American rock band The Romantics. The song, written by Romantics members Wally Palmar, Mike Skill and Jimmy Marinos is featured on the band's self-titled 1980 debut album, and was also released as a single. Marinos, the band's drummer, is the lead vocalist on the song. The band filmed a music video for the song that appeared frequently on MTV during the early 1980s.


"What I Like About You" was written by the group around a guitar part by Skill. The song's "Hey, uh-huh-huh" refrain was influenced by The Yardbirds' "Over Under Sideways Down" and Chuck Berry's "Back in the U.S.A.". The song's riff is slightly similar to The Standells hit "Dirty Water." The group recorded the song and the accompanying album at Coconuts recording studio in Miami Beach.


When first released, "What I Like About You" was already a popular song on the Romantics' concert playlist. In terms of record sales and radio airplay, however, the song was only a moderate success at the time of its release, reaching only #48 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song did quite well in Australia however, reaching #2 on the Australian Singles Chart (Kent Music Report) on its initial release. It was only towards the end of the 1980s, after the song had been licensed for use in television commercials for Budweiser beer, that "What I Like About You" grew to become one of the most popular rock anthems of all time.


"What I Like About You" has become a staple of modern rock, appearing on numerous compilation albums of 1980s pop and rock music hits and heard in frequent rotation on modern rock and classic rock radio. The song is also often played at sporting events, parties, and at bars and clubs. In addition to Budweiser, the song has also been heard promoting products, services, and institutions including the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, Barbie toy dolls, SeaWorld and T.G.I. Friday's restaurants. The song was also featured in TV commercials for Hampton Inn, Esurance, Papa John's Pizza, and Toyota as recently as 2008. The song was also included in the films Richie Rich (1994), Shrek 2 (2004), Surf's Up (2007) and Marmaduke (2010).