Joan Jett

Often named “the Queen of Rock ’n Roll” and “Godmother of Punk,” Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Jett rose to fame as one of the founding members and front-woman of the all-female rock band, The Runaways. Following their dissolution in 1979, she became one of the first women to form a record label (Blackheart Records), on which she released her debut solo album.

Today, Joan Jett is best known for her work with the Blackhearts, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with her band in 2015. I Love Rock ‘n Roll is considered to be her most successful album with the Blackhearts, selling over 10 million copies.

Throughout her career, Jett has become an icon and feminist symbol, inspiring numerous girls to form bands of their own. Speaking about her influence, she explained:

I’ve always taken that aspect of my life as serious as a heart attack. If anyone ever said anything against girls playing rock and roll, I was ready to go to war… And how I want to be remembered? As one of the first women to really play hard rock and roll.