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100 Songs That Have Moved Me | Song #003: "I Love Rock n' Roll" (1982)
Title: "I Love Rock n' Roll"
Artist: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Composers: Jake Hooker, Alan Merrill
Producers: Ritchie Cordell, Kenny Laguna
Release Date: January 20, 1982
Peak Chart Position: #1 (Hot 100)
Album: I Love Rock n' Roll (1981)
Rolling Stone metadata:
Words from the artist:
How this song moves me:
Joan Jett, along with Pat Benetar, is one of my Badass Female idols, LOL. Whenever this song comes on the radio, I have the immediate urge to sing (shout?) along and rock out - headbanging, fist-pumping, whatever. If I'm alone in the car, you better believe I am having a grand ol' time, jazzing along with this song!
I never realized this was a cover(!), because Joan really makes it her own. I love the rough, ragged quality of her vocals, paired with one of the best guitar riffs of all time - its absolutely intoxicating. I love the confidence and swagger with which she performs, and I like that this is a sexually aggressive song. It's the earliest song that I can recall where it's the woman openly and brazenly pursuing the man:
Smiled, so I got up and asked for his name
That don't matter, he said, 'cause its all the same
I said can I take you home, where we can be alone?
And next we're moving on - he was with me (YEAH, ME)
Next we're moving on - he was with me (YEAH, ME)
Singing I love rock n' roll!
Love it! Combine that with her absolutely smokin' hot good looks, and it's not hard to see why this became such a *huge* hit :D
The story behind the song is also pretty interesting - and the video for "Bad Reputation" is a clever summary of all the crap Joan went through when she first tried to go solo. (This is the song that's heard at the very beginning of the video for "I Love Rock n' Roll," and one that became a smash hit in and of itself.)
I love to pull this song up when I'm writing cool, confident female characters, when I want some heavy metal, or when I just need a little boost of confidence/feeling of solidarity with Badass Women after staring at the pop scene for a little too long. But most of all, I love it when this song comes on in rotation on the classic rock station of the radio - giving me a surprisingly awesome reason to smile. Rock on, Joan!!
Artist: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Composers: Jake Hooker, Alan Merrill
Producers: Ritchie Cordell, Kenny Laguna
Release Date: January 20, 1982
Peak Chart Position: #1 (Hot 100)
Album: I Love Rock n' Roll (1981)
Rolling Stone metadata:
Rank: #491
Blurb: Attempting to jump-start a solo career after her stint in the Runaways, Jett had her demo tape to "I Love Rock 'N Roll" rejected by 23 record labels. Tiny Boardwalk Records finally bit, but the label sold her the radio rights to the track for $2,500. Today, the song is worth nearly $20 million. (Source)
Words from the artist:
In an interview with Songfacts, Merrill said he wrote it as "a knee-jerk response to The Rolling Stones' 'It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)'." (Source)
Jett and Laguna entered The Who's Ramport Studios with the latter at the helm. Jett's self-titled solo debut was released in Europe on May 17, 1980. In the US, after the album was rejected by 23 major labels, Jett and Laguna released it independently on their new Blackheart Records label, which they started with Laguna's daughter's college savings. Laguna remembers, "We couldn't think of anything else to do, but print up records ourselves", and that's how Blackheart Records started. (Source)
How this song moves me:
Joan Jett, along with Pat Benetar, is one of my Badass Female idols, LOL. Whenever this song comes on the radio, I have the immediate urge to sing (shout?) along and rock out - headbanging, fist-pumping, whatever. If I'm alone in the car, you better believe I am having a grand ol' time, jazzing along with this song!
I never realized this was a cover(!), because Joan really makes it her own. I love the rough, ragged quality of her vocals, paired with one of the best guitar riffs of all time - its absolutely intoxicating. I love the confidence and swagger with which she performs, and I like that this is a sexually aggressive song. It's the earliest song that I can recall where it's the woman openly and brazenly pursuing the man:
Smiled, so I got up and asked for his name
That don't matter, he said, 'cause its all the same
I said can I take you home, where we can be alone?
And next we're moving on - he was with me (YEAH, ME)
Next we're moving on - he was with me (YEAH, ME)
Singing I love rock n' roll!
Love it! Combine that with her absolutely smokin' hot good looks, and it's not hard to see why this became such a *huge* hit :D
The story behind the song is also pretty interesting - and the video for "Bad Reputation" is a clever summary of all the crap Joan went through when she first tried to go solo. (This is the song that's heard at the very beginning of the video for "I Love Rock n' Roll," and one that became a smash hit in and of itself.)
I love to pull this song up when I'm writing cool, confident female characters, when I want some heavy metal, or when I just need a little boost of confidence/feeling of solidarity with Badass Women after staring at the pop scene for a little too long. But most of all, I love it when this song comes on in rotation on the classic rock station of the radio - giving me a surprisingly awesome reason to smile. Rock on, Joan!!
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Also, yay for meta! I never would have learned about the story behind the song if you hadn't posted about it. Thanks!
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