In 1989, the song was reinvented as a massive rap hit. Produced by Matt Dike and Michael Ross, it sampled Van Halen's "Jamie's Cryin'" and became the first rap single to go platinum.
The song's simplicity made it a perfect canvas for other artists to project their own "wild" energy: Wild Thing
Songwriter Chip Taylor composed "Wild Thing" in late 1965 after being asked by a band called the to write a single. Taylor ad-libbed the lyrics and demoed the song with a raw, stream-of-consciousness feel, even using a tambourine and hand-claps to create a "sexual-kind-of-feeling". In 1989, the song was reinvented as a massive rap hit
The Wild Ones released the first version in November 1965, but it failed to gain traction. It wasn't until a year later that an English band from Hampshire would turn those three chords into history. Taylor ad-libbed the lyrics and demoed the song
The L.A. punk legends recorded a version for the film Major League , which became an iconic sports anthem played at ballparks across the U.S.. Cultural Impact
A recently restored 1982 performance was released as a new music video in 2025 to accompany the expanded edition of their album Long After Dark .