Biography of The Knack

This Los Angeles band (formed 1978) made a nod to the '60s power-pop sound, pushing the image of themselves as the American Beatles on their debut album cover. All experienced musicians, they didn't try to hide their attempt to market their way to the top. Cleverly crafted pop songs like their smash hit "My Sharona," which sold over five million copies, were aimed straight at the teen-pop market. "Good Girls Don't," another song from the same album, was another strong hit. Their subsequent albums tried to repeat this initial success, even using blatant carbon copies of previous songs, but failed as The Beatles comparisons began to fade. After the third album, The Knack folded; some members stayed together as The Game, while vocalist Doug Fieger started the band Taking Chances. In the '90s, the band has re-formed with a new drummer, Billy Ward, but has so far not made much of a splash. ~ Scott Bultman