The phantom hit. Some songs are so catchy and become so prevalent in the decades after their release that you’re sure they must have been a hit from the first day. I mean … surely.

The Romantics formed in Detroit circa 1977, influenced equally by the city’s history of gritty rock & roll, the melodic swing of Motown, and the British Invasion bands they listened to as kids. The group put in the work by hitting the road and playing constantly at clubs across the Midwest and Northeast, and the touring paid off when they scored a deal with Nemperor Records (Nemperor began as a management company formed by Beatles manager Brian Epstein and entertainment lawyer Nat Weiss, only turning into a record label in 1974, primarily dealing in jazz).

The fall of 1979 saw The Romantics busy recording their eponymous debut album, and on January 4, The Romantics became the first album released in the 1980s. The record was preceded by a single titled “What I Like About You” which was already a favorite at the band’s gigs. The song and its accompanying video garnered heavy airplay on the nascent MTV in 1981 and 1982 and later in the decade saw a resurgence in popularity after Budweiser used it for a commercial. It went on to become a staple on 80s compilations, classic rock radio, and various other forms of media, including a TV show in the 2000s called What I Like About You which also opened with the song.

You would think this was a Top 10 single upon release. Top 20 at worst. A big hit and a much-loved classic.

Nope. #49.

Hardly anyone heard (or bought) “What I Like About You” when it debuted. Likely the song did well in the big city markets the band had spent years playing in, and then somehow couldn’t break through in the rest of the country, despite its obvious pop potential.

So technically “What I Like About You” was never a hit, but it sure seems like one.

So go up, down, jump around, and think about true romance … with The Romantics.