Showing posts with label Joan Jett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joan Jett. Show all posts

Friday, October 4, 2019

"I Love Playin' With Fire" by The Runaways

The Runaways were a breakthrough hard rock band led by Cherie Currie, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Micki Steele, and Sandy West. This boatload of talent didn't stay together long as most members soon went onto successful solo careers or stints with other famous bands (Steele joined The Bangles). 

Despite their now legendary status, The Runaways never cracked the Top 100. Their most widely known song is the brilliant anthem, "Cherry Bomb." "I Love Playin' With Fire" is another should've been hit in the same vein.


Wednesday, April 11, 2018

"Victim Of Circumstance" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

After the demise of the pioneering all-girl rock group, The Runaways, Joan Jett teamed with The Blackhearts to front her own band. She scored a legendary hit off her sophomore record with a cover of "I Love Rock 'N' Roll," which stayed on top the chart for an amazing seven weeks in 1982 (the song was originally written and performed by The Arrows).

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts became a virtual cover band, landing them more charting hits like "Crimson And Clover" (#7), "Everyday People" (#37), "Light Of Day" (#33), and "Dirty Deeds" (#36). Many other cover tunes can be found scattered among their originals throughout the band's catalogue. 

Jett would return to the top 10 in 1988 with "I Hate Myself For Loving You," a song that she co-wrote with Desmond Child. The pair also co-wrote the follow-up single, "Little Liar," which got to #19.

One of my favorite Jett originals goes back to their landmark sophomore record: "Victim Of Circumstance." To my ears, this album is not only the best in their catalogue, but one of the best of the decade. There is a raw energy that comes through better than any subsequent work.