Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin on September 22, 1958) is an American rock singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and businesswoman. She became one of the most recognizable women in rock through a direct, guitar-driven style that combines punk attitude, hard rock force, and the concise songwriting of classic pop. Her work has made her an enduring figure in rock music and earned her the informal title "Godmother of Punk."
Jett began playing guitar as a teenager and entered the professional music world in the mid-1970s as a founding member of The Runaways. Formed in Los Angeles, the all-female band challenged the male-dominated conventions of rock with its aggressive sound, provocative image, and youthful energy. Jett shared lead vocals and played rhythm guitar, helping define the band's punchy attack. The Runaways released several albums, including The Runaways (1976), Queens of Noise (1977), and Live in Japan (1977). Their song "Cherry Bomb" became the group's best-known recording and later gained renewed attention as an important early example of feminist-minded rock rebellion.
The Runaways dissolved in 1979, but Jett continued working toward a solo career. She recorded material in England with members of the Sex Pistols and began developing the sound that would become her trademark: blunt guitar riffs, forceful vocals, and compact arrangements with little interest in musical excess. Record companies initially rejected her recordings, leading Jett and producer Kenny Laguna to establish Blackheart Records. The label gave her control over her releases and became a significant part of her long-term independence.
Her first album, originally issued as Joan Jett in 1980 and later retitled Bad Reputation, introduced her as a solo artist. She then formed Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, the backing band that would remain central to her career. Their breakthrough came with the 1981 album I Love Rock 'n Roll. The title track, a hard-edged version of a song originally recorded by the Arrows, became a worldwide hit and reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1982. It remains Jett's signature recording. The album also produced successful versions of "Crimson and Clover" and "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)."
Jett followed with albums such as Album (1983), Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth (1984), Up Your Alley (1988), Notorious (1991), Pure and Simple (1994), and Unvarnished (2013). Her later work retained the straightforward rock sound that had established her, while her performances continued to emphasize the energy and immediacy of a live band. She also recorded interpretations of songs by artists ranging from Tommy James and the Shondells to Gary Glitter and AC/DC, treating cover versions as a central part of her musical identity rather than as occasional departures.
Beyond recording, Jett has worked as a producer, actor, and advocate for animal rights. Her influence is especially visible in the generations of women who entered punk, alternative rock, and hard rock with guitars in hand. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, while "I Love Rock 'n Roll" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016. Her career is defined less by stylistic reinvention than by consistency: Jett made independence, volume, and unapologetic rock performance the foundation of a career lasting more than five decades.