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Joan Jett
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Joan Jett, born Joan Marie Larkin in 1958 near Philadelphia, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter. She got her first guitar at thirteen and stopped taking lessons because the teacher wanted to teach her folk. After a move to California she co-founded the Runaways at sixteen, together with drummer Sandy West. With band members such as Lita Ford, Cherie Currie and Jackie Fox, the group released four studio albums between 1975 and 1979. They were the support act for Cheap Trick, the Ramones and Van Halen, among others. In Japan, Europe and Asia they were more popular than in the United States.
Music and breakthrough
After the break-up Jett went solo. Record companies rejected her work, so with producer Kenny Laguna she founded her own label, Blackheart Records. Her debut album appeared in 1980. She then formed Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Their 1981 album I Love Rock 'n Roll reached number two on the American album chart. The title song, a cover of the Arrows, topped the Hot 100 and became her trademark. I Hate Myself for Loving You followed in 1988, along with other hits. She also produced the only studio album by the Germs.
Influence
Jett is called the Godmother of Punk. In 1987 she starred alongside Michael J. Fox in the film Light of Day, and in 2015 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Blackhearts. Her importance lies in her sturdy, simple guitar sound and in the fact that, as a woman, she ran her own label and band.
Listening
Discography
Studio albums
- 1980Bad Reputation
- 1990The Hit List
- 2018Bad Reputation: Music From the Original Motion Picture (soundtrack)