The Romantics is an American new wave band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1977. The band adopted the name "The Romantics" because they formed on Valentine's Day, 1977. The Romantics achieved popularity in the United States, Canada, parts of Asia, Australia, Europe, and Latin America during the first half of the 1980s on the strength of the band's songs and music videos. They were influenced by 1950s American rock and roll and 1960s American garage rock as well as British Invasion music. The Romantics were considered the second wave of punk rock from Detroit, following in the footsteps of such well-known area bands as MC5, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, and The Stooges.

The Romantics play a more power pop/pop rock-oriented variation of punk rock known as pop punk. The band is also commonly classified into the categories of "post-punk" and "new wave" by pop music historians.