In 1979, "My Sharona" became the first – and biggest – hit for Fieger's band, The Knack. The bouncy, catchy song was written about Fieger's girlfriend, Sharona… and their eight-year age difference was reflected in the PG-13 lyrics. Those lyrics – along with the driving drums and guitar and Fieger's stuttery delivery – rocketed the song to No. 1, where it stayed for six weeks. It quickly achieved gold status – more quickly, in fact, than any other debut single since "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in 1964. It can be hard to follow that kind of success, but second single "Good Girls Don't" made it to No. 11 and kept the momentum strong for The Knack's album Get the Knack.
Despite having a modest hit with "Good Girls Don't," The Knack never again achieved the wild success of "My Sharona." But "My Sharona" doesn't seem likely to go away any time soon. From its initial chart-topping status to its prominent appearance in movies like 1994's Reality Bites and 2011's Super 8, from its inclusion on George W. Bush's iPod playlist to its #75 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs, Doug Fieger's greatest composition is here to stay. Written by Linnea Crowther
