I Love Rock N’ Roll

Joan Jett is such a rock star.

In the very earliest days of us having cable and MTV, she was the biggest star on the channel. It’s also the earliest I remember being cognizant of the pop charts. It was a big deal when “I Love Rock ‘N Roll” held the top spot for seven weeks in a row. And I remember rooting for her to make it to eight.

My favorite part is when she says, “owww!” And the guitar solo. But the most compelling image was everyone in the black and white video pumping their fist in unison to the song’s triumphant chorus. After that, I was kinda sold on both Joan Jett and MTV.

We weren’t technically allowed to watch MTV. But we were latchkey kids. And in the summertime, when mom and dad were at work, we watched videos all day long. “I Love Rock N Roll” was the beginning of a 15 year love affair with the channel. Do I remember when they used to play videos? Yes. Yes I do.

It’s worth noting that “I Love Rock ’N Roll” is a cover of The Arrows’ 1975 original. Take a listen to their version. It’s all there. Jett’s cover is super faithful and doesn’t really add anything to the core arrangement. But the original is anemic and plodding. Jett’s recording is supercharged. Part of that is just that adding Jett’s voice and rhythm guitar give her recording additional depth and power. But there’s an intangible quality that puts Jett’s version over the top. To use a scientific term, it just rocks a lot more. And I love that.

Fave lyrics:

He smiled, so I got up and asked for his name “That don’t matter”, he said, “'Cause it’s all the same”