Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Vinyl Records
Joan Jett's trademark brand of rock & roll is simple, direct, and very effective. Using a stripped-down combination of glam rock stomp, bubblegum hooks, and punk power driven home by her raspy, heartfelt vocals, she is equally at home cranking out three-chord rockers as she is breaking hearts with tear-streaked ballads. Looking to be the leader of a band instead of a solo artist, Jett formed the Blackhearts soon after recording her debut. After some early lineup shifts, the group consolidated around guitarist Ricky Byrd, bassist Gary Ryan, and drummer Lee Crystal. This was the band that recorded the 1981 single "I Love Rock 'n' Roll." Originally the B-side of a single by the glam rock group the Arrows, the song was an enormous success, spending seven weeks at number one in the spring of 1982 and earning timeless classic status.