"Wild Thing" by The Troggs

It was sixty years ago today that The Troggs hit no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Wild Thing." The song would become the band's signature tune, and would have a lasting impact on rock music. It is a prime example of proto-punk and I think a good argument could be made that it is outright punk. It would be covered by artists from The Jimi Hendrix Experience to The Runaways to Cheap Trick to X. Given the song is the signature song of The Troggs, it may surprise many that it was not written for them. The first band to record the song was The Wild Ones, who recorded it in 1965. The Wild Ones was the house band of the New York City nightclub Arthur, which was owned by socialite Sybil Christopher, who was the wife of Wild Ones lead singer Jordan Christopher. Sybil Christopher asked songwriter Chip Taylor to write a song for the band. Chip Taylor composed the song in only a few minutes. Their version of "Wild Thing" was released on November 1, 1965, but failed to chart. Precisely who…