There are many female musicians, but few genuine female rockers. Joan Jett bucked this trend and pursued straight-ahead rock and roll at a time when it was more fashionable for women to pursue gentler sounds like soft rock and disco.
In the process, she recorded several major hits and became an icon to future femme-rockers like L-7 and Bikini Kill. For many, Joan Jett will always be the original “grrl-rocker”.
Jett got her start at the tender age of 15 as the guitarist for the seminal female rock group The Runaways.
This quartet, which also included a young Lita Ford in its line-up, recorded the classic Cherry Bomb, among others. Jett played with the group until they disbanded in 1980.
She then independently recorded her first solo album, Bad Reputation, with the help of Paul Cook and Steve Jones of The Sex Pistols.
It was a solid slab of punkish hard-rockers like the title track and Joan’s cover of the Gary Glitter classic Do You Wanna Touch Me?, the latter becoming an early MTV favourite.
The next year, Joan Jett formed a backing group called The Blackhearts and landed a record contract.
She hit big in 1982 with I Love Rock and Roll, a snarling hard-rock update of an obscure glam rock song which became an instant rock anthem and stayed at the #1 spot on the charts for seven weeks.
Joan Jett also became a pin-up attraction in teen magazines around this time, and her love of black-leather clothing influenced both male and female rockers.
Jett also scored hits in 1982 with a guitar-heavy remake of Tommy James & The Shondells‘ Crimson and Clover and a reissue of Do You Wanna Touch Me? (aided by its heavy rotation on MTV).
In 1983, Joan Jett released Album and had back-to-back Top-40 hits with the self-penned Fake Friends and a cover of Sly Stone‘s Everyday People.
She later collaborated with The Beach Boys, who lent their airy harmonies to Good Music in 1986.
The next year, she made her acting debut in Light Of Day (1987), a serious drama in which she played sister and rock band mate to Michael J. Fox. Jett also performed the film’s theme song, which was written by none other than Bruce Springsteen.
Joan Jett stormed the US Top-10 in 1988 with I Hate Myself For Loving You, a stomping shout-along rocker from the Up Your Alley album.
She also hit the Top-20 with Little Liar. In 1990, she released an all-covers album called The Hit List, which featured her versions of classics by AC/DC, The Kinks and The Sex Pistols.
By the 90’s, Joan Jett had become a cult idol to a group of young, all-female rockers known as the “grrl-rock” movement.
She performed with L-7, recorded a live album with Seattle femme-punkers The Gits, and collaborated with Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill on songs for her next album.
The result was Pure and Simple, Jett’s most critically-praised album in years. Most recently, Joan Jett reunited with The Blackhearts for Fetish.
30+ years after beginning her solo career, Joan Jett rocks on.
Joan Jett
Vocals, guitar
Ricky Byrd
Guitar
Gary Ryan
Bass
Lee Crystal
Drums
