"Wild Thing,
You make my heart sing,
You make everything...groovy,
Wild Thing..."

Although the term “punk rock” was coined in the 70s, there are a number of forefathers that date back a decade earlier and which provided a glimpse of what was to come. One such band was The Troggs, who proved that there was a still a place within the genre for an aggressive and unrefined sound. But that wasn’t all they were capable of by a long shot. During their short stint on the music scene, they proved themselves equally adept at ballads and even the realm of psychedelia. Oh, and they gave the world one of the most beloved rock and roll party songs of all time – a song that millions of garage bands have tried to faithfully reproduce for decades.  

A product of Great Britain, the four members of The Troggs started making music together in the early 60s, playing in the small English community of Andover. They went by the name, The Troglodytes, a rather apt way of describing their rough edge. When they caught the eye of Larry Page, manager for The Kinks, he suggested they shorten their name and from that point forth, they were simply The Troggs. They began producing singles and their second attempt was a major success. Their cover of a song called “Wild Thing”, originally recorded by The Wild Ones in 1965, would rise to the coveted #1 spot on the Billboard charts and make the band famous. Over the years, many other artists would cover “Wild Thing,” including Jimi Hendrix, X, Cheap Trick and even Sam Kinison, but it is The Troggs version that got the most airplay and is most fondly remembered.

The Troggs followed up with more successful singles, including “With a Girl Like You” and “I Can’t Control Myself” – each highlighting the band’s ability to merge a rough edged sound and attitude with an assortment of pop hooks, and in the process, give a glimpse into the future of punk rock. The songs did moderately well on the charts, received regular rotation on the airwaves, and allowed the band to continue making music. They strayed from their traditional sound a bit on their 1968 release, a ballad called “Love Is All Around.” The song, featuring a more atmospheric sound laden with lush harmonies, yet still had enough of the underlying attitude of rock and roll that The Troggs were known for. It would be another Top-10 single for the band.

As the 70s rolled around, The Troggs continued to record and tour. They released other popular songs such as “Cousin Jane” and “Maybe the Madman” which were favorites among their dedicated fans and played numerous shows at college campuses and on the British club circuit. By the mid-70s, a new era of rock and roll was dawning, with artists like The Ramones, The Buzzcocks and Iggy Pop, who were quick to cite The Troggs as a major influence. And as recently as the 90s, The Troggs were still recording and performing for delighted fans. They paired up with mega-band R.E.M. on the 1992 album, Athens Andover, proving that they still had some rock and roll up their sleeves.

And if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, The Troggs are some pretty flattered individuals. The above-mentioned covers are only the tip of the iceberg. British teen band, Wet, Wet, Wet, had a major hit covering “Love Is All Around” in 1997. The song, “Wild Thing” was used extensively in the films Major League, Encino Man, D2: The Mighty Ducks, and Swamp Thing (with the lyrics appropriately altered to pay homage to Swamp Thing.) And it can still be heard regularly at sports arenas around the world and in numerous television commercials to this day. Make no mistake – The Troggs influence continues to be felt on the music industry more than 40 years since they released what may be the ultimate garage band song of all time.