How "I Want You to Want Me" Became a Classic

The Power of Live Performances: How "I Want You to Want Me" Became a Classic

Some songs are best experienced in the studio, while others truly come alive when performed live. For the band Cheap Trick, the difference between their original studio recording and the live version of "I Want You to Want Me" is a prime example of how a performance can elevate a track from obscurity to legend.

Originally released as the first single from the band's second album, In Color (1977), the studio version of "I Want You to Want Me" didn’t even chart. However, when a second take of the song was included on the band’s groundbreaking live album Cheap Trick at Budokan in 1979, it became an instant hit. The live version peaked at #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and reached #1 in Japan, where it was recorded. This dramatic shift in popularity highlights how live performances can transform a song into something entirely different.

According to Tom Petersson, the band’s bassist, the original studio recording was not what the band had in mind. He explained that guitarist Rick Nielsen had written the song with a pop and disco influence, inspired by the music of the time.

“My recollection is that he just did that song as a bit of a joke,” Petersson said. “At the time, there was a lot of pop music on the radio — ABBA, and all sorts of things, disco. He thought: ‘I’m just going to do an over-the-top pop song. I just want to do one that’s so silly — total pop — and then we’ll do a heavy version of it.’”

The idea was to create a “heavy metal pop song,” blending Cheap Trick’s rock energy with the catchy hooks of pop and disco. However, the original production of the song didn’t match the band’s vision.

“The studio version wasn’t produced in the way we would have done it,” Petersson recalled. “We’ve never done it since like that anyway — with a little ‘Shakey’s Pizza Parlour piano’ and twinky little sounds. It was like, ‘Ugh!’”

Despite this, the live version of the song was a completely different story. The energy of the crowd, combined with the band’s powerful performance, made it a standout track.

Petersson noted that during the concert at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, the audience was already highly enthusiastic for every song the band played.

“That in particular was no more of a hit than anything else,” he said. “We had, for some reason, had several hit singles over there, so they were just going bonkers no matter what we did. It wasn’t that they were sitting there politely applauding, and then all of a sudden ‘I Want You To Want Me’ came on and they went wild, they were going wild no matter what.”

For the band, the success of the live version was a surprise. They hadn’t anticipated that the song would become their biggest hit up to that point. But it was a welcome one.

Decades later, the band still enjoys performing the song live. According to Nielsen, it continues to resonate with audiences.

“We play to a different audience every night, so it’s not like you’re playing it to somebody who’s heard it every night like we have,” he said. “It makes people clap, smile and have fun. Gee, if we were certain bands we wouldn’t do it. But we’re Cheap Trick — it’s good to get applause.”