Professor Lori Shipley
Spirituals to Rock and Roll
23 April 2016
Joan Jett Pioneers Through Rock and Roll History
America has been characterized by revolutionary people changing the aspects and perspectives of its citizens through innovative acts, movements, and even through word of mouth. Martin Luther King Jr. changed the outlook of millions of Americans on the racial division in the country by using peaceful protests and eloquently delivered speeches. Benjamin Franklin and the founding fathers pioneered an idea that a country could be run by the people, which was in direct opposition to the rule they were under in Britain. These two events have set forth a phenomenon in America that allows people to challenge prototypical roles and views. When it comes to music icons that have changed the normalcy of music during their time, one would have to be Joan Jett. She was faced with the overwhelming obstacle of battling sexism and gender inequality throughout her musical career, particularly in the Rock and Roll industry in the 1970s and 80s.
The music industry was changing during the 1960s in part to what Americans were experiencing; the British Invasion, the assassination of President Kennedy, the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights Movement. Rock and Roll quickly made its way into the mainstream being a powerful voice for the cultural revolution. Rock and Roll was a man’s world during the 70s and 80s, and women rockers were unwelcomed by both the musicians and fans. Joan is sometimes overlooked by history when it comes to pioneers to Rock and Roll. Rock history has been primarily written by men, about men, and much of women's presence and contribution have been rendered invisible or played down in the process. The fact that women were so unappreciated in the Rock and Roll industry speaks to the recurring problem in America. Decades before this the American culture thought it was fit not to have women vote. Following along with this idea, it would take women years to break into the music scenery, especially in an industry that was so heavily dominated by men. Men dominated this industry because of the era it was born in, it was not acceptable for woman musicians to have harsh and obscene lyrics in their songs and dress like street walkers displaying heavy dark makeup. Joan Jett would show the world that women could hold their own and succeed despite the overwhelming odds against them.
Joan was born in 1958 in Pennsylvania and at the age of 12, her parent's moved the family to California. She received her first guitar not long after moving to West Covina and taught herself how to play it. In 1975 at the budding age of 15, Joan formed an all-girl rock band called the Runaways out of Los Angeles California. The group was comprised of five female musicians the final line-up included Joan on guitar and vocals, Sandy West on the drums, Cherie Currie on the lead vocals, Jackie Fox on bass guitar, and Lita Ford on guitar. These young girls struggled to be taken seriously from their counterpart male musicians and the Rock and Roll fans throughout America due to gender inequality. Joan comments on the public’s perception that producer Kim Fowley exploited their sexuality in attempts to make them more marketable:
I could say we were manipulated but I was aware of what was going on for the most part ... I knew people were playing up the sexuality. In a way, I liked that because women weren’t allowed to be sexual. I liked sticking it in people’s faces, but it was misread as us being toys and not being in control. Me, I felt in control. (Conniff)
The Runaways received harsh criticism from American's because they were shattering the notion of women that was held during this time. These ladies were young and defying the stereotypical look of a women’s band, "rejecting the sentimental and confidential lyrics of women’s rock in the 1960s" (Kennedy) consequently they did not gain much popularity in the United States. The Runaways released four albums that faintly scraped by; Americans could not accept the fact that their ideology of women was being ravaged by these young girls who sang about sex and rebelling while wearing provocative outfits. Unlike America, Japan and Europe embraced the Runaways’ bad girl style and music. As a result, the Runaways released a live set album titled “Live in Japan” that went gold.
After the early attempts at music fame failed in 1979 with the Runaways, Joan moved onto a solo career. Joan was again blackballed by virtue of her not fitting the convention of a Rock and Roll musician by 23 major record labels while trying to release her self-titled solo debut. She went on to release it under Blackheart Records that she and Kenny Laguna founded; making Joan one of the first woman to own her own label (Uhelszki). While releasing the Joan Jett album she formed the band The Blackhearts and was signed on to Boardwalk Records, and this is where her first hit "I Love Rock and Roll" reached #1 on the Billboard charts in 1982 for seven consecutive weeks (Uhelszki). In this song, she maintained her rock hooks and the seductive image she illustrated with the Runaways and unknown to her at the time continued to align new precedents for women in rock n roll music. Joan, at last, found her niche in Rock and Roll portraying female masculinity in her songs. Moreover, leaving many critics wondering what her songs were inferring to "Her lyrics were sexually driven and even ambiguous at times creating, even more, critics and affliction with typical rock ‘n’ roll" (Kennedy). In 1989, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts had been nominated for a Grammy Award “Best Rock Vocal Performance by Duo or Group” for their song “I Hate Myself of Loving You” (Blackheart Records and JoanJettBadRep.com).
Joan furthered her career by starring in a handful of films and television series throughout the years. In 2000, she stared on Broadway in the revival of the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Kennedy). To this day, Joan continues to tour the world and inspire young woman to follow their dreams of becoming rockers and to challenge constraints set by society. By not conforming to the female gender stereotypes of being ladylike she unintentionally made a political statement that females have just as much right to do what their male collogues do consequently being labeled as an inadvertent feminist by the press. Embracing this label, she continually takes a stand on feminist issues such as violence against woman and abortion rights and is a voice to be heard! In 2015, Joan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame.
Joan did not set out at the age of 15 attempting to change the sexist views of Americans; she was following her love for rock and roll and her dreams! The Rock and Roll genre was dominated by men and Joan was not welcomed with smiling faces despite the fact that Rock and Roll is a genre that more often than not disregards the social norms. She believed in herself and was determined to break through the social barriers defying America's ideology of gender appropriate behavior! Joan Jett was a pioneer in the rock and roll industry causing rifts in the dominance by men “… the Runaways are now credited by the rock press as the precursor to the all-woman punk bands of the 1990s” (Kennedy). Joan has been no stranger to the bitter controversy and criticism in the music world from starting the first women’s rock band to becoming a successful solo artist with the single "I Love Rock ’n’ Roll". The criticism in her youth did not stop her from finding and fulfilling her heart’s desire. Whether it was to escape from the world or to promote women in a new area of music that had never been touched, Joan changed the world with the determination and the work she put into her music, setting a path for future women in any chosen career.

Works Cited
Biography.com Editors. Joan Jett Biography. ND. 22 Apr 2016. <http://www.biography.com/people/joan-jett-531004>.
Blackheart Records and JoanJettBadRep.com. Joan Jett and The Blackhearts Official Bad Repytation Nation Website Biography. ND. 19 Apr 2016.
Jett, Joan. Cool Jett Tamara Conniff. Seconds Magazine, 46, 1998. 15.
Kennedy, Kathleen. "Results of a misspent youth: Joan Jett's performance of female masculinity." Woman's History Review 11.1 (2002): 89-114.
Marchlinski, Kayleigh Lauren. Larkin, Joan Marie (Joan Jett). 2007. 17 Apr 2016. <www.pabook2.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/jett_joan.htm>.
Uhelszki, Jaan. Joan Jett and The Blackhearts Biography. ND. 19 Apr 2016.