Before I start, let me offer a clarification: I am not now, nor have I ever been, an employee of VH1. And the network is not paying me to stop bitching about its programming. In fact, I'm fully aware I'm not even a smear on a toilet seat in the New York City office building that houses said network. Having said that, I freely admit to recording this entry while parked in front of VH1's viewer-voted countdown of the Top 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s. This is some seriously good television, and it reminds me of why I complain so loudly when the network forgets its roots. Nobody does reminiscing like VH1.OK, sorry Romantics. I do have something to say about "What I Like About You," which squeaked in at No. 97 on VH1's list. This 1980 classic pulls off a rare feat by somehow managing to come off both timeless and fully tied to its era. The key to that, I think, is the killer riff combined with a keen understanding of the rock and roll tapestry. I can say from experience that guys I've known who are candidates for the Least Likely to Dance Ever list will sprint onto the dance floor, shake their asses and certainly make asses of themselves as soon as this tune kicks in. The Romantics' melding of punk energy with mainstream rock, groove and harmonies exemplified the best, most genuine side of new wave... Hey!
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Album Cover Photo Courtesy of Epic Records
Comments
That was (is) a great song.