New Wave Outpost Forum

Can anyone who actually lived through it explain to me the "Nuke the Knack" phenomenon? I was still young and living at the edge of North American civilization at the time, and we could only receive one AM radio station...forget about the internet, MTV, MuchMusic, etc. I remember one day going to the "city" and seeing a "Nuke the Knack" bumpersticker. I loved the Knack, and I couldn't understand the backlash. I was perplexed about it and I still am almost 30 years later.

I think they were perceived as being arrogant, misogynistic, and styling themselves as the new Beatles. IIRC, their record company advised them not to give interviews to build a mystique, which backfired.

I love the Knack too. I think "Get the Knack" is a powerpop masterpiece. I'm probably one of the few who's not tired of "My Sharona".

<IMG SRC="http://www.geocities.com/cjmratings/stuff/in_action_small.jpg">

[quote][i]Originally posted by scramjet[/i]
<br>I think they were perceived as being arrogant, misogynistic, and styling themselves as the new Beatles. SRC="http://www.geocities.com/cjmratings/stuff/in_action_small.jpg">
[/quote]

I think that's exactly it. As I recall it was a backlash fueled & influenced by music critics. I also suspect that a power-pop/punky/new wavish group (whatever you want to call them) who were heralded as the second-coming & future of all music were a big threat to the Styx & Journey rock crowd. It reminded me of the Disco Sucks movement.

[quote][i]Originally posted by WolverineSyr[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by scramjet[/i]
<br>I think they were perceived as being arrogant, misogynistic, and styling themselves as the new Beatles. SRC="http://www.geocities.com/cjmratings/stuff/in_action_small.jpg">
[/quote]

I think that's exactly it. As I recall it was a backlash fueled & influenced by music critics. I also suspect that a power-pop/punky/new wavish group (whatever you want to call them) who were heralded as the second-coming & future of all music were a big threat to the Styx & Journey rock crowd. It reminded me of the Disco Sucks movement.
[/quote]

Plus...I think they were looked down upon for not having "paid their dues" and for exploiting the whole teenage sexual energy thing, a theme that clearly ran through a majority of their songs.
As for me, I liked them then, I like them now. I just listened to Get The Knack again about a week ago after a long layoff.



We didn't sell a lot of records, but somehow we left an impression.
-Johnny Ramone-