[1][2] They were signed to Nat Weiss' Nemperor after a show at Hurrahs, and in September 1979, the band recorded their debut self-titled album with British producer Pete Solley.

[2] The album sold roughly 200,000 copies[2] and yielded the hit "What I Like About You", which reached #49 in the US,[4] #8 in the Netherlands,[5] and #2 in Australia, where the band was especially popular.

[2] Due to frustrations with the songwriting featured on the record, Rich Cole was replaced by a returning Skill, who took over as the band's bassist.

[2] In Heat would be The Romantics' greatest commercial success, and was awarded a gold album in the United States for selling over 500,000 copies.

[9] The Romantics' music videos frequently were shown on MTV during this period, solidifying the band's popularity.

Also during 1983, the Romantics played U.S. and international tours in support of In Heat, and appeared on television shows such as Solid Gold, American Bandstand, and Soul Train.

[2] This lineup released one album, 1985's Rhythm Romance, which peaked at #72[4] and produced one charting single ("Test of Time" #71).

Due to the tour for Rhythm Romance being thwarted by low ticket sales and mounting tension between the band and its management, The Romantics were dropped from the Sony record label.

[2] In the late 1980s, the Romantics discovered that their managers had been misappropriating the profits earned by the band from its records and live performances.

Consequently, the Romantics filed a lawsuit against their management in 1987, and the legalities involved prevented the band from recording new music until the mid-1990s.

[14] On November 21, 2007, The Romantics filed a lawsuit against Activision, RedOctane, Harmonix, and Wavegroup Sound over the cover of the song "What I Like About You" used in Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s.