There have been several bands with this name: 1. The Knack was a Los Angeles-based rock band, via Detroit, that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international hit in 1979. The power pop of "My Sharona", coupled with the band's retro 60s look, earned the band comparisons to The Beatles (although the band themselves thought the 'New Beatles' label was tongue-in-cheek humor). Music critics hated disco, which dominated the music industry at the time, and were, at best, coolly receptive to other developing trends like punk rock, hip hop and heavy metal music. ...show more

There have been several bands with this name: 1. The Knack was a Los Angeles-based rock band, via Detroit, that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international hit in 1979. The power pop of "My Sharona", coupled with the band's retro 60s look, earned the band comparisons to The Beatles (although the band themselves thought the 'New Beatles' label was tongue-in-cheek humor). Music critics hated disco, which dominated the music industry at the time, and were, at best, coolly receptive to other developing trends like punk rock, hip hop and heavy metal music.

The Knack's power pop and hard rock influences earned them some critical credibility with their debut 'Get The Knack'. After subsequent albums, though, the social backlash against The Knack (similar to that of The Monkees a generation earlier) was strong. A 'Knuke the Knack' campaign emerged based on the perceived misogynist lyrics and corporate based over-hype. With their later releases receiving less commercial success, the band broke up mid-tour on New Year's Day 1982.

shortly after their third album ('Round Trip'). They re-united sporadically several years later and released a new album in 1991. They continued playing through the 90s and into the new millennium with 2003's 'Re-Zoom' (or 'Zoom') as their last studio album. Commercial airplay mostly eluded the group, but a generation of new fans who loved the 80s new wave sound provided a devoted cult following. ...show less