Joan Jett And The Blackhearts "I Love Rock 'n' Roll"

I Love Rock 'n Roll is the second studio album by Joan Jett and the first with her backing band The Blackhearts. Soon after the first recording sessions at Soundworks Studios, original Blackheart guitarist Eric Ambel was replaced by Ricky Byrd. It is Jett's most commercially successful album to date with over 10 million copies sold, largely due to the success of the title track, which was released as a single soon after the album was released.

Joan Jett saw "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" performed on TV in 1976 and was taken away by the song. It was a staple of her set list for 7 years before the album was recorded.


Jett commented that "People worried that I didn't change the words in 'Crimson and Clover' to 'him' from 'her'. It was only because that wouldn't have rhymed."

Early copies of the album released during December 1981 ended with the track "Little Drummer Boy". However, after the holiday season passed, the track was replaced by the newly recorded "Oh Woe Is Me" on most pressings. The LP saw a vinyl reissue in 2009 containing both "Little Drummer Boy", "Oh Woe Is Me", and the rehearsal version of "You Don't Know What You've Got" that was the original B-side to Boardwalk Records issues of the "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" single. It was possible to acquire "Oh Woe Is Me" without purchasing a replacement album, as it was also released as the B-side of the "Crimson and Clover" single.

The album contains several cover songs, including: "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" (originally by Arrows), "Nag" (The Halos), "Crimson and Clover" (Tommy James & The Shondells), "Bits and Pieces" (The Dave Clark Five), "You're Too Possessive" (The Runaways), "Little Drummer Boy" (The Harry Simeone Chorale and other artists), and bonus tracks "Louie Louie" (Richard Berry, later performed by The Kingsmen) and "Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran).

"Summertime Blues" was originally left off the vinyl LP, and Boardwalk passed on releasing it as an official commercial single. Instead, Boardwalk released the song as the b-side to a promo-only 12-inch single (Boardwalk NB-019-S-5, with "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" as the a-side) to US rock radio stations. Many DJs and programmers preferred the b-side to the a-side however, and "Summertime Blues" became a Most Added listing. (The a-side peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100.) The song was eventually released as a one-sided single in Canada and as a 12-inch single in Australia (accompanied by "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)").

The initial CD release was in 1992 on Blackheart Records and comprised 13 tracks.

The album was digitally remastered and reissued on CD in 1998 and included two additional bonus tracks.


In conjunction with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 18, 2015, exactly 33 1/3 years after I Love Rock 'N' Roll was originally released on November 18, 1981, a 2CD/2LP titled "I Love Rock 'N' Roll 33 1/3 Anniversary Edition" was released. The rereleased set included the I Love Rock 'N Roll album plus a second disc of previously unreleased live recordings from New York from 1981.