My Sharona - The Knack

The Knack released their debut single 'My Sharona' in 1979. According to lead singer/guitarist Doug Fieger, he met Sharona Alperin (who was 16 at the time) and she inspired a two-month-long run of songwriting. 'It was like getting hit in the head with a baseball bat; I fell in love with her instantly. And when that happened, it sparked something and I started writing a lot of songs feverishly in a short amount of time.' The main riff of 'My Sharona' was written by the band's guitarist, Berton Averre, long before he ever joined The Knack.

Sharona appears on the picture sleeve for the single, and became a major booster of the band bringing many girls to their early shows. The single reached number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 6 on the UK singles chart and number 20 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1895
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 2, 1993
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'My Sharona' / 'Let me out'