Joan Jett, having used her mother’s maiden name since her parents split up many years before, is one of the best-known voices of the 80s since she kind of forced her way onto the scene and made people care about what she had to lay down on the mic. You can’t blame her, and obviously shouldn’t since she managed to come up with some of the best performances that the 80s had to offer, and there were many that were seen as something both interesting and intriguing. Her voice and the glam rock that she brought to the stage were things that have managed to immortalize her in the world of rock and roll to this date and have earned her many accolades throughout the years. Even in the current era her songs are still played since they’ve managed to help define one generation after another.
Here are some of the best songs she became known for in the 80s.
5. Shout
This song was initially made famous by the Isley Brothers in 1959 but has been utilized so much since then that people have tended to forget just where it came from in the first place. If you remember correctly it was also used in Animal House by Otis Day and the Knights as one of the greatest party scenes that’s ever been seen in a college film. But Joan decided to grab onto it and give it her own little bit of pep to make it bounce a bit more and slide as she and her band created the same song but in a slightly different image. It might not have quite the same amount of body but it does have a very raw and energetic sound.
4. I Love Playing With Fire
One thing you can say about Joan back in the 80s and throughout most of her career is that she’s been a very popular and tough woman that did things her way and wasn’t about to compromise when it came to her music. She’s managed to be an inspiration to a lot of other women in music and has shown the kind of attitude that has managed to change music forever in a way that was really needed. She’s been the kind of woman that’s definitely feminine but is also so undeniably tough that she’s not about to lay down for anyone when it comes to what she wants and where she’s going to go with her career.
3. Cherry Bomb
This song was obviously first made popular by The Runaways in the late 70s but once again Joan managed to put her own spin on it and create something that people could get behind as she found a way to make it popular all over again. One has to wonder just how other artists feel when they hear their music being played by another person and if they ever get jealous that they didn’t think of the same kind of style before that new artist took over. Of course those playing these songs have to get permission a lot of times but it still begs the question of how the original recording artists feel about it.
2. Bad Reputation
This song has been replicated many times since it came out and it’s always carried the same amount of attitude that went into it since it’s a very rebellious and very strong track that speaks to many generations about what it means to fight back against those that are attempting to corner them into what they want them to be. It tends to speak to those that don’t want to conform, that don’t want to follow, and want to be free to do what they desire and to lead the lives that appeal to them rather than the lives that others want them to fulfill. You have to respect that honestly since rebellion is the whole reason this country exists.
1. I Hate Myself for Loving You
Just watching Joan perform you get the idea that while she might not have had a rough life, she’s still not going to seem weak or able to be cowed into a corner since she’s tough, she’s opinionated, and she’s the kind of woman that would gladly back anyone off with a look and a few choice words that might make them wish they’d never stepped to her in the first place. While she might be a very nice and balanced individual off the stage her on stage persona is someone that didn’t seem like the type you’d want to cross. Plus, her music isn’t exactly angry, but it’s just forceful enough to let listeners know that she’s got her own life, her own opinions, and she’s going to let them out regardless of what anyone else thinks.
That’s why she appeals to more than one generation.
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