10 Greatest Rock Cover Songs Of The 1980s
3. I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll - Joan Jett And The Blackhearts
Time now for one of the great "Didn't Know That Was A Cover" songs of all time.
Coming from her debut album of the same name, Joan Jett and the Blackheart's I Love Rock 'n' Roll is in strong contention for the icon's best-known track. A simple, yet highly effective note of affection to the genre, it's catchy, uncomplicated radio rock fun and it has more than stood the test of time.
And yet, it's not her song at all.
Six years before Jett made the song her own, British band The Arrows introduced the world to I Love Rock 'n' Roll as their own creation. It was whilst on tour in England that Jett saw the band perform the song and decided she could do a better job with it. As it turns out, she was right.
Though they may have written, The Arrows don't have a patch on double J, as her version is superior in every way. Punchier, sharper, rockier, there's a reason why Jett has the definitive say on the song.
Well, her and Weird Al, but that's for entirely different reasons.