Shortly after that, with Kenny's assistance, Joan formed the backing group "The Blackhearts" with three obscure New York area musicians: Gary Ryan on bass, Eric Ambel (replaced shortly thereafter by Rick Byrd) on guitar and Lee Crystal on drums. After almost a year of touring, Joan's first album with The Blackhearts, entitled I Love Rock'N'Roll came out in December of 1981. The album included a version of "Little Drummer Boy" on the pre-Christmas editions. The album's impact on the music scene was immediate with the LP reaching the Top Five, while the single "I Love Rock'n'Roll" hit the very top of the Billboard's Charts on March 20, 1982 and stayed #1 for 7 weeks. Joan Jett had come back from nowhere.
A string of Top 40 hits followed, as well as sellout tours with The Police, Queen, and Aerosmith, among others. Jett was the second American act of any kind to perform behind the Iron Curtain, the first one being Blood, Sweat & Tears in Romania in 1969. She was among the first English-speaking rock acts to appear in Panama and the Dominican Republic.
Forced label changes in the 80's led to a decline in popularity. Despite the follow-up albums "Album" and "Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth" being praised by her devout fans, neither got the attention or radio play the first two albums received.
After receiving her own MTV New Year's Eve special, Jett beat out a number of contenders to appear in the movie Light of Day with Michael J. Fox. It was about this time that Ryan and Crystal left the Blackhearts. They were soon replaced by the powerful rhythm section of Thommy Price and Kasim Sulton. Later that year, Jett released "Good Music", which featured appearances by The Beach Boys, The Sugarhill Gang and singer Darlene Love. The album only spawned two minor singles which received little airplay. This label decided the band had to either take in outside help or they would lose their contract.
And so they did. Her next release, Up Your Alley, went multi-platinum and was followed by "The Hit List", which was an international hit. Popular songwriter/producer Desmond Child was brought in, resulting in the release of album "Up Your Alley". This album brought the band a resurgence in popularity, with top 10 singles "I Hate Myself for Loving You" and "Little Liar".
This return to the spotlight would be short-lived, however. Follow-up album "The Hit List", an all-cover songs release, spawned only a minor hit with Jett's version of AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds".
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts became the first rock band to perform a series of shows at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway, breaking the record at the time for the fastest ticket sell-out ever.
1991 and 1994 had two more releases, "Notorious" and "Pure & Simple". But radio had started looking to grunge by this time, and neither album got the attention they deserved.
In the 1990s, Jett and Laguna released "Flashback", a compilation of her career so far on their own Blackheart Records. Her next release, "Notorious" (which featured The Replacements' Paul Westerberg) was the last with Sony/CBS as Jett switched to Warner Brothers.
In 1994, the Blackhearts released the well received Pure and Simple, which featured tracks written with Kat Bjelland (Babes in Toyland), Donita Sparks (L7) and Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill).
While a slew of hits packages, some with an occasional new or previously unreleased track were released following this, it would be 10 years before a new studio album would appear.
This would be 2004's "Naked", and thus far has been a Japan-only release. The album sees Jett returning to a more raw and experimental sound, closer to that of her first 4 releases than the polished material that began with "Good Music".
Failing to get "Naked" released in other markets, Jett released on a more international level "Sinner" in June 2006, on Blackheart Records, her own label.. This album featured many remixed tracks from "Naked", and a complete rewrite of "Stuck in the Middle" to new version "Riddles". Lead-off single and video was a cover of "A.C.D.C." by Sweet.
To support the album, the band appeared on the 2006 Warped Tour, and embarked on a Fall 2006 tour with Eagles of Death Metal.
After a long break from recording, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts released a 6-song EP of new material, "Mindsets," in June 2023.
Wynnewood
Joan Jett-I Love Rock N' Roll
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew he must a been about seventeen
The beat was goin' strong
Playin' my favorite song
And I could tell it wouldn't be long
'Til he was with me, yeah, me
And I could tell it wouldn't be long
'Til he was with me, yeah, me, singin'
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with me
Ow
He smiled, so I got up and asked for his name
"That don't matter", he said, "'cause it's all the same"
I said, "Can I take you home where we can be alone?"
And next we were movin' on
He was with me, yeah, me
Next we were movin' on
He was with me, yeah, me singin'
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with me
Ow
Said, "Can I take you home where we can be alone?"
Next we were movin' on
He was with me, yeah, me
And we'll be movin' on
And singin' that same old song
Yeah, with me, singin'
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with me
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with me
Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll" is a classic rock song that expresses the singer's love for the genre of music. The song talks about a girl who falls in love with a boy while dancing to her favorite rock song at a jukebox. She approaches the boy she likes and asks him to come home with her, but he casually agrees, saying that it doesn't matter. The rest of the song describes their journey towards love as they dance and enjoy their time together.
The lyrics of "I Love Rock and Roll" are simple and straightforward, but they symbolize the spirit of rock music. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy melody reflect the energy and rawness of rock music, a genre that originated in the 1950s and continues to inspire generations of music lovers.
The chorus of "I Love Rock and Roll" serves as a call to action for anyone who loves rock music. The lyrics "So put another dime in the jukebox, baby" encourage listeners to keep the music playing and keep the party going. The song also celebrates the power of music to bring people together and create a sense of community.
Overall, “I Love Rock and Roll” is a song that perfectly captures the essence of rock music through its simple lyrics, upbeat rhythm, and catchy melody.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw him dancin' there by the record machine
The singer sees a boy dancing by the jukebox.
I knew he must a been about seventeen
The singer estimates the age of the boy to be around seventeen years old.
The beat was goin' strong
The music playing on the jukebox has a strong and energetic beat.
Playin' my favorite song
The song playing on the jukebox is one of the artist's favorite songs.
And I could tell it wouldn't be long
The artist senses that the boy will soon approach her.
'Til he was with me, yeah, me
The singer believes that the boy will soon be dancing with her.
He smiled, so I got up and asked for his name
The singer takes initiative and asks the boy for his name.
"That don't matter", he said, "'cause it's all the same"
The boy brushes off the importance of names because all that matters in the moment is enjoying the music.
I said, "Can I take you home where we can be alone?"
The artist suggests they go somewhere private and continue their connection.
And next we were movin' on
The two of them continue to dance together and enjoy the music.
And we'll be movin' on
The singer looks forward to continuing their relationship and experiences together.
And singin' that same old song
The artist and the boy bond over their mutual love for the song playing on the jukebox.
Yeah, with me, singin'
The singer shares a moment of singing the song with the boy.
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
The singer urges the boy to continue playing songs on the jukebox.
So come and take your time and dance with me
The singer invites the boy to slow down and enjoy the moment with her.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alex Gianco
I saw him dancin' there by the record machine
I knew he must a been about seventeen
The beat was goin' strong
Playin' my favorite song
And I could tell it wouldn't be long
'Til he was with me, yeah, me
And I could tell it wouldn't be long
'Til he was with me, yeah, me, singin'
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with me
Ow
He smiled, so I got up and asked for his name
"That don't matter", he said, "'cause it's all the same"
I said, "Can I take you home where we can be alone?"
And next we were movin' on
He was with me, yeah, me
Next we were movin' on
He was with me, yeah, me singin'
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with me
Ow
Said, "Can I take you home where we can be alone?"
Next we were movin' on
He was with me, yeah, me
And we'll be movin' on
And singin' that same old song
Yeah, with me, singin'
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with me
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with me
Heidi Nehrkorn
My daughter absolutely loves Joan Jett. She is 7 and wants to be just like her.
Benjamin Schumacher
Honestly, Let her.
Liam Garrett 17
Not much hope anymore its all rap pop and country now
Dean Bianchi
Support her we need good music nowdays!
steven F
Good for her!! Another woman owning her on record studio, making great music, I love the idea. Good luck to her. LOL buy her a guitar.
Carlos M
goodfellas lol trust this coming from a teenager bro, rock is gonna come back, give it 2-3 years
JP Kairinen
2020 and this is still legendary! The one and only!
WoGi
wait rlly?
Monica Ann
That's right
Dante Tej
2021 and it’s still legendary