In 1979, a song written from the perspective of a 14-year-old boy spent six weeks at number one

The Knack’s ‘My Sharona’ spent six weeks at number one in the US in 1979, helping rock return to the top of the charts late in the decade. Its blend of punk energy, bluesy guitar and pop melody made it the year’s best-selling US single.

Frontman Doug Fieger said he wrote the song at 25 from the perspective of a 14-year-old boy, capturing the urgency of a teenage crush. It was inspired by Sharona Alperin, whom Fieger met when they were both teenagers and later dated; the article says he imagined the song’s romance as a high-school relationship between peers.