So why is The Knack’s Get The Knack on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
It’s strange, in a way, thinking about a song like “My Sharona” from the standpoint of trying to de-construct why it’s great.
At first it’s like trying to describe something that’s flawless, perfect. “It’s just… it’s just what it is, it’s “My Sharona,” my brain tries to tell me. “Come on brain, this is the best 1,000 albums ever, that ain’t gonna cut it!”
“My Sharona” feels timeless to me simply from the standpoint that I can recall listening to it and enjoying it from my youngest little ‘un days, but then I realize it bridges the divide splendidly between guitar driven-power pop of the 1970s and the emerging new wave sounds of the ‘80s. And then of course there’s that all time, crushing hook, and the perfect way the melody starts out staccato with each line before landing on the glorious repetition of SHARONA.
See that brain, we did it, and on a Saturday, too!
Many bands have covered “My Sharona” over the years. I’m particularly taken with Nirvana’s seemingly off-hand take on it, which is both very Nirvana while showing how influential pop music and new wave were on the band’s sound.
Veruca Salt’s version of “My Sharona” is absolutely fantastic. I love how they slowed things down while sludging up the sound. I’m floored by how good this is.
Get The Knack (and also, side note: how incredible of an album name is Get The Knack?) offers far more than Sharona, and one of the great benefits of embarking on this here wee best 1,000 albums ever project is that it allowed me to explore the space, as Bruce Dickinson once wisely said.
There are songs like “Frustrated” and “Let Me Out,” which bring a similar level of buoyant energy, power pop song writing chops, and vocal flourishes as “My Sharona.”
Then there are others, like “Maybe Tonight,” which bring a really different energy, a glammed up singer-songwriter vibe that touches on influences ranging from David Bowie to Elton John. But then again, it’s really its own thing, and it’s really good.
Some stats & info about The Knack – Get The Knack
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, SoCal Bands, Power Pop, New Wave
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4.5 out of 5 stars
- When was Get The Knack released? 1979
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #472 out of 1,000
The Knack’s Get The Knack on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from The Knack’s Get The Knack that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Ooh, my little pretty one, my pretty one, when you gonna give me some time, Sharona?
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.