My Sharona

"My Sharona" is the debut single by the Knack. The song was written by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger, and released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for 6 weeks, and was number one on its 1979 Top Pop Singles year-end chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, and was Capitol Records' fastest gold status debut single since the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in 1964.[6]



Contents
[hide]  *1 Inspiration  ==Inspiration[ edit] == The characteristic riff of "My Sharona" was written by the band's guitarist, Berton Averre, years before he joined the Knack. He had played the riff as well as a drum groove for Doug Fieger, the group's lead singer and rhythm guitarist, who loved it and promised to make it a song, although he did not have any ideas for the lyrics.[citation needed]
 * 2 Music and lyrics
 * 3 Artwork
 * 4 Reception
 * 5 Legacy
 * 6 Charts and certifications
 * 6.1 Chart performance
 * 6.2 Year-End charts
 * 6.3 Sales and certifications
 * 7 Cover-versions/multiple-renditions
 * 7.1 Parodies
 * 7.2 Audio samples
 * 7.3 Cover versions
 * 8 "Let Me Out"
 * 9 References
 * 10 External links

When Fieger was 25, he met 17-year-old Sharona Alperin,[7]  who inspired a two-month-long run of songwriting, as well as becoming Fieger's girlfriend for the next four years. Fieger recounted that "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." Fieger and Averre worked out the structure and melody of the song. Averre was originally averse to using Alperin's name in the song, but Fieger wanted it to be a direct expression of his feelings; Averre ultimately relented.[8]  Fieger claimed that "My Sharona" was written in 15 minutes.[9] ==Music and lyrics[ edit] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The music of the song echoes elements of songs from the 1960s. According to a Trouser Press reviewer, the song's main melodic hook is "an inversion of the signature riff" from "Gimme Some Lovin'," a 1967 song by the Spencer Davis Group.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-wave_10-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10]  Fieger has acknowledged that the song's tom-tom drum rhythm is "just a rewrite" of "Going to a Go-Go," a song from Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-wave_10-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10]  Drummer Bruce Gary has stated that although he didn't particularly like the song when Fieger introduced it to the band, he came up with the stuttering beat for the song similar to a surf stomp.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-toledo_11-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[11]  He also decided to incorporate a flam, in which two drum strokes are staggered, creating a fuller sound, which Gary considered to be crucial to the song's success.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-toledo_11-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[11]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In an interview with The Washington Post, Fieger noted that the song was written from the perspective of a 14-year-old boy.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-wp_7-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[7]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The song's stuttering vocal effect of the repeated "muh muh muh my Sharona" phrase is reminiscent of the Roger Daltrey's vocals in the 1965 song "My Generation" by the Who.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-wave_10-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10] ==Artwork<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In addition to being the inspiration for the song, Sharona Alperin posed for the single's picture sleeve. She holds a copy of their album Get the Knack.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-12" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[12] ==Reception<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The song's clean production sound was also reminiscent of the sound of the 1960s British Invasion.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-wave_10-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10]  Dick Nusser of Billboard Magazine remarked on the song's "catchy, deliberately awkward, stop-go drum and guitar breaks," its "quirky lyrics" and "suggestive tone," and that the song will "make you ready, willing and able to hum the refrain at the right moment."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-billboard_13-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13]  Chris Woodstra of Allmusic referred to the song as an "unforgettable hit."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-14" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[14]  The New Rolling Stone Album Guide claimed that the song "was a hit for a good reason. The beat is urgent, the chorus calls out for drunken shouting along and the guitar solo is a firecracker flash."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-15" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[15] ==Legacy<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]  == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The New York Times called the song "an emblem of the new wave era in rock and a prime example of the brevity of pop fame."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-bs_9-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[9]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 1990, on the TV series Full House episode “One Last Kiss”, Jesse Katsopolis and his band play the song at their high school reunion.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 1994, "My Sharona" re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at number 91,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-awards_17-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[17]  when it was released as a single from the Reality Bites soundtrack album. In the film itself, the characters dance to the song at a convenience store.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[18]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 2005, the song gained some attention when it appeared on the playlist of U.S. President George W. Bush's iPod.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[19]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 2008, "My Sharona" was ranked in two Billboard 50th anniversary charts. It ranked 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[20]  and 16 on the Top Billboard Hot 100 Rock Songs.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-21" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[21] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-22" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[22] 

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In video games, "My Sharona" is featured as a downloadable content single for the Rock Band series. On March 1, 2011, an updated version of the cover song was made available to download for use inRock Band 3 in PRO mode which takes advantage of the use of a real guitar / bass guitar, along with standard MIDI-compatible electronic drum kits / keyboards in addition to up to three-part harmony vocals.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-23" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[23]  The original version of the song, along with its music video, is featured on Lips: Party Classics on Xbox 360.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In films, the song was heard in the 1997 Disney film RocketMan,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-24" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[24]  the trailer for Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-25" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[25]  and in J.J. Abrams' Super 8.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-26" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[26]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The song was heard in the TV series The Wire ' s season two opening episode "Ebb Tide" when Nick and Ziggy return from the Greek's.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Also the song was once heard in the Eerie Indiana episode "No Brain, No Pain" in which The Knack's "My Sharona" figures prominently in the story—variations were used in the background music and the music over the credits.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In the 2011 film "Super 8", the cast is seen singing the song as they are waiting for Alice Dainard (Elle Fanning) to drive up. The song is also heard in the credits after the kids' film, "The Case".

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Sharona Alperin, who was the inspiration for the hit, had been a major booster for the band, and brought many girls to their early shows.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ra_8-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[8]  She has since become a real estate agent in the Los Angeles area,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-wp_7-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[7] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[27] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[28]  and uses the domain name mysharona.com for her business.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-29" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[29] ==Charts and certifications<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ==Cover-versions/multiple-renditions<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">With both the notoriety gained from being an international hit, and its distinctive rock guitar riff, "My Sharona" has been the subject of parodies, samples, and covers, which include: ===Parodies<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The song has also been featured in several commercials including "My Chalupa" (Taco Bell), "My Toyota" (Toyota), "My Mohegan" (Mohegan Sun) ===Audio samples<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Cover versions<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">This is a list of notable "My Sharona" covers and the albums on which they can be found:
 * "My Bologna" by "Weird Al" Yankovic - The 1979 song kickstarted Yankovic's career in song parody.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-45" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[45] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-jv_46-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[46]  The Knack approved of the parody and even had Yankovic inked to a one-off deal with their label,Capitol Records. A re-recorded version appeared on his eponymous debut album.
 * "Ayatollah" by Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl - The song covered current events related to the Iranian Revolution of 1979.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-jv_46-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[46]
 * "Pull My Strings" by The Dead Kennedys - The 1980 song used the guitar riff and changed the phrase from "My Sharona" as "My Payola" to satirize the music industry.
 * "Girl U Want" by Devo, from the album Freedom of Choice, was heavily inspired by "My Sharona".
 * "My Scrotum" by Cheech Marin - The song was featured in the 1980 film Cheech & Chong's Next Movie.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-jv_46-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[46]
 * "9 Coronas" by John Mammoser. - Originally recorded in 1987 with release in 1995, and with two followup versions ("10 Coronas" in 1996, and "9 Coronas ('99 version')" in 1999) that were showcased on the Dr. Demento radio programs.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-47" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[47]
 * "Babylona" by Christian parody band ApologetiX - In 2001, this song was on their Keep the Change album.
 * "Comme des Connards" ("Like Jerks") by the French comedian Michaël Youn - A parody for the 2004 film Les 11 commandements.
 * "My Menorah" by American Comedy Network - a Flash parody in 2004 with singing candles.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-jv_46-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[46] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-48" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[48] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-49" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[49]
 * "My Toyota" by radio personality Bob Rivers - This was a video spoof of the Toyota Recall events in 2010.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-50" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[50]
 * Run–D.M.C. used an unauthorized audio sample from the song in their 1986 hit "It's Tricky". In 2006, Berton Averre and Doug Fieger filed suit against Apple, Run DMC and others for electronically redistributing the work. The case was settled in 2009.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-51" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[51]
 * Rogue Traders used re-recorded elements of the riff in their 2006 hit "Watching You".
 * Madonna mixes instrumental elements of the song on her Sticky & Sweet Tour with her own song "Dress You Up".
 * Hip hop artists Everlast and DJ Lethal sampled the song for the track "I Got the Knack", which first appeared in the 1990 Everlast album Forever Everlasting.
 * British girl group Girls Aloud incorporated parts of the song for the track "No Good Advice".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ac_52-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[52]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In The Simpsons episode, "Marge's Son Poisoning", Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney sing "My Sharona" outside the house. The song also plays during the closing credits. (2005) =="Let Me Out"<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == For the 2013 Korean film, see Let Me Out (film).<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The B-side of the "My Sharona" single was "Let Me Out". It was written by Fieger and Averre to fill the band's need for a strong opening track for concerts and later for their Get the Knack album.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-gtk_65-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[65]  Averre has stated that the song is "absurdly fast."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-gtk_65-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[65]  Drummer Bruce Gary felt that the words of "Let Me Out" helped make the song a perfect opener since the band wanted to "let out," and bassist Prescott Nilesnoted that, with the song, the band was all of a sudden "out of the box."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-gtk_65-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[65]  Gary has also claimed that the song was "me trying to be Buddy Rich in a rock 'n' roll band. It was just full on."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-gtk_65-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[65]
 * Alvin and the Chipmunks – Chipmunk Punk (1980)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sp_53-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[53]
 * Destruction – Cracked Brain (1990)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-54" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[54]
 * Nirvana<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-55" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[55]  – only live at Salle Omnisports, Rennes, France (1994)
 * Veruca Salt – B-side to "Victrola" (1995)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sp_53-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[53]
 * Eldritch – Reverse (2001)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-56" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[56]
 * Cactus Jack – DisCover (2002)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-jv_46-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[46]
 * Polysics – For Young Electric Pop (2002)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-57" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[57] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-58" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[58]
 * Pink Cream 69 – Thunderdome (2004)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-59" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[59]
 * The Dandy Warhols – All Money or Simple Life Honey, video pt. 2 (2005)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ac_52-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[52]  - spoken word rendition
 * The Number Twelve Looks Like You – An Inch of Gold for an Inch of Time EP (2005)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-60" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[60] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-61" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[61]
 * Pearl Jam – Arena di Verona (2006)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sp_53-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[53]
 * Yo La Tengo – Yo La Tengo Is Murdering The Classics (2006)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sp_53-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[53]
 * Leningrad Cowboys – Zombies Paradise (2006) - this was a cover album<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ac_52-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[52]
 * The Urge – Live at Mingara (2009)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-jv_46-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[46]
 * HammerFall - No Sacrifice, No Victory (2009)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-62" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[62] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-63" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[63]
 * Bradford Cox − At a solo show, Deerhunter vocalist and guitarist Bradford Cox responded to a request for "My Sharona" by playing the song for an hour non-stop. (2012)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-64" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[64]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Billboard Magazine described "Let Me Out" as "a teen anthem delivered at full throttle" and praised the song's "delightful" harmonies, "slapping" guitars and "perfectly tuned" drumming.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-billboard_13-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13]  Superchunk andThe Mountain Goats drummer Jon Wurster commented on the "full force" of Gary's drumming on "Let Me Out."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-66" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[66]  Ira Robbins and Michael Sandlin of Trouser Press described the song as "tight guitar pop."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-67" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[67]  Author John Borack described the song as "a damn fine pop tune."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-68" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[68]  Audio magazine called it a "basher" with "plenty of style."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-69" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[69]  Allmusic critic Mark Deming stated that the live version of "Let Me Out" has "a joyous force nearly any act would envy."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ru_70-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[70]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">A 1979 live performance of "Let Me Out" from Carnegie Hall was included on the laser disc of Live at Carnegie Hall.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-71" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[71]  The song was included on their compilation album, Premium Gold Collection.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-72" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[72]  A 2012 vinyl EP for Record Store Day includes 1978 live performances of "Let Me Out" and "My Sharona" from Los Angeles and two other songs. The two performances are also included on the live CD of the entire 1978 Los Angeles concert Havin' a Rave-Up.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ru_70-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[70] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-73" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[73]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">"Let Me Out" was covered by The Dickies on their 1998 album Dogs from the Hare That Bit Us.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-74" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[74]  Tinted Windows also covered the song.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-75" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[75]