‘I Love Rock 'n' Roll’ is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, released as the first single from her album of the same name, became Jett's highest-charting hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the No. 3 song for 1982. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, representing two million units shipped to stores. Jett's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016.
In an interview with Songfacts, Merrill said he wrote the song as "a knee-jerk response to the Rolling Stones' 'It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)'." He said “I don’t just like Rock ‘n Roll, I love it.”
Joan Jett saw the Arrows perform ‘I Love Rock 'n' Roll’ on their weekly UK television series Arrows while she was touring England with the Runaways in 1976. The Runaways' producer and manager Kim Fowley had the band learn the song in the summer of 1977, during the brief period when Vicki Blue had replaced Jackie Fox as bass player and Cherie Currie was still the group's vocalist.
Jett first recorded the song in 1979 with two of the Sex Pistols, Steve Jones and Paul Cook. This first version was released on vinyl in 1979 on Vertigo records as a B-side to ‘You Don't Own Me’. In 1981, Jett re-recorded the song, this time with her band, the Blackhearts. This single was released in late 1981. This recording became a US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single for seven weeks, being the only one for the band
The music video for ‘I Love Rock 'n Roll’ received heavy play by MTV. It featured Jett and the Blackhearts traveling to a small, dingy bar and then excitin’ the drunken crowd by performing the song and yelling out its chorus. A snippet of Jett's 1981 hit "Bad Reputation’ can be heard at the beginning of the video. The video was originally in color, but it was converted to black and white because Jett hated the look of her red leather jumpsuit.
Songwriters – Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker
Producers – Ritchie Cordell, Kenny Laguna
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1: Joan Jett]I saw him dancin' there by the record machine
I knew he musta been about 17
The beat was goin' strong
Playin' my favorite song
And I could tell it wouldn't be long
'Til he was with me, yeah, me
And I could tell it wouldn't be long
'Til he was with me, yeah, me, singin'
[Chorus: Joan Jett & Ricky Byrd & Gary Ryan]
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock 'n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with me
[Verse 2: Joan Jett]
He smiled, so I got up and asked for his name
"That don't matter," he said, "'cause it's all the same"
Said, "Can I take you home where we can be alone?"
And next we were movin' on
He was with me, yeah, me
Next we were movin' on
He was with me, yeah, me, singin'
[Chorus: Joan Jett & Ricky Byrd & Gary Ryan]
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock 'n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with me
[Verse 3: Joan Jett]
Said, "Can I take you home where we can be alone?"
Next we were movin' on
He was with me, yeah, me
And we'll be movin' on and singin' that same old song
Yeah, with me, singin'
[Outro: Joan Jett & Ricky Byrd & Gary Ryan]
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock 'n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with me
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock 'n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock 'n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock 'n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock 'n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with me