8 Rock Bands Who Didn't Write Their Biggest Hits

For most artists, outside songwriters are an essential ingredient for success in the music business. In the pop world, having an army of usually Swedish songwriters pile the sugar into your mix has become an industry standard since the 90s especially, but for rock bands this can often be a badge of dishonour.

It's often a solution imposed by record labels eager to milk a last bit of success out of an ageing band that is running out of hooks. Low on cash, a lot of previously huge bands are willing to take a shot at a crossover hit and eventually cave to adding drum loops and DJ scratches to a recording that will haunt them forever.

Other times, it's a case of the band themselves falling in love with an outside writer's composition. Some of the songs on this list fall into that category and are totally credible entries in the band's discography. Others stand out a like an unsightly pimple, but that's all for the listener to decide.

When a song like this becomes the band's biggest hit, who can complain? Fickle rock fans, of course.

Joan Jett had already achieved cult hero status by the early 80s. She left the chaotic circumstances of pioneering all-girl band The Runaways in 1979 and released a now-iconic self-titled debut filled with snarky glam rock and new wave anthems the following year.

Then in 1981, she scored a platinum album titled I Love Rock 'n Roll, with the title track shooting up to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Rolling Stone magazine even later included it on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Jett was not the author of the hit, though. It was the work of Alan Merril and Jake Hooker from British glam rock band The Arrows. They recorded the song in 1975 and it was originally released as a B-side. Someone dropped the ball on that one, but they definitely made some pocket change on the Jett release.

Two decades later, they would score again when pop phenomenon Britney Spears again resurrected the song and made it chart modestly in many regions. Her version added some badly dated DJ scratches and electronic drums.

It also cemented the intro guitar riff as one that fills listeners with severe angst about whose vocals are about to kick in.