Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Band

Photo: Masao Nakagami · CC BY-SA 2.0
Active 1979-present
Origin Los Angeles, California
Albums 13
Tracks 158
Most frequent collaborator Kenny Laguna · 157 tracks
Genres Hard RockPunk RockGlam Rock
Songwriter
73%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 116 of 158 tracks

Does Joan Jett write her own songs?

She has a credit on 116 of the 158 tracks across thirteen albums, but only 16 of those have nobody else on them. Kenny Laguna, her manager and producer since 1980, shares 68. Her two most famous recordings, "I Love Rock 'n Roll" and "Crimson and Clover", are both covers.

By the Numbers

13
Studio Albums
158
Tracks Credited
73%
Self-Written
47
Years Active
120
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 116 / 158 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 158 tracks: how many Joan Jett and the Blackhearts wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts has a writing credit73%
10%
63%
27%
Sole author16tracks10%
Co-written100tracks63%
Outside writers42tracks27%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 158 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)73%
Composer (music)73%
Producer57%
Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 73%
42%
50%
82%
75%
60%
82%
0%
100%
100%
81%
86%
90%
85%
1980Bad Reputation
1981I Love Rock 'n Roll
1983Album
1984Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth
1986Good Music
1988Up Your Alley
1990The Hit List
1991Notorious
1994Pure and Simple
2004Naked
2006Sinner
2013Unvarnished
2022Changeup
Early · 62% written
Mid · 75% written
Late · 86% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

65%
1980s
Bad Reputation, I Love Rock 'n Roll +4 more
69%
1990s
The Hit List, Notorious +1 more
83%
2000s
Naked, Sinner
90%
2010s
Unvarnished
85%
2020s
Changeup

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Joan Jett and the Blackhearts sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Celine Dion1%
New Edition25%
Bobby Brown38%
Cyndi Lauper60%
Billy Idol81%
Powerman 500089%
Kiss98%
73%Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)
Bad Reputation
Written by Gary Glitter, Mike Leander
Outside writers
I Love Rock 'n Roll
I Love Rock 'n Roll
Written by Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker
Outside writers
Crimson and Clover
I Love Rock 'n Roll
Written by Tommy James, Peter Lucia Jr.
Outside writers
Fake Friends
Album
Written by Joan Jett, Kenny Laguna, Joan Marie Larkin
Co-wrote
Good Music
Good Music
Written by Joan Jett, Kenny Laguna, Joan Marie Larkin
Co-wrote
I Hate Myself for Loving You
Up Your Alley
Written by Joan Jett, Desmond Child, Joan Marie Larkin, John Charles Barrett
Co-wrote
Little Liar
Up Your Alley
Written by Joan Jett, Desmond Child, Joan Marie Larkin, John Charles Barrett
Co-wrote
Dirty Deeds
The Hit List
Written by Angus Young, Bon Scott, Malcolm Young
Outside writers

Discography 13 albums

All thirteen studio albums, including the Japan-only Naked in 2004 and the 2022 acoustic album Changeup. Jett's work with the Runaways, the live records and the compilations sit outside this catalogue.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Photo of Joan Jett and the BlackheartsJoan Jett and the Blackhearts158 tracks
KL157Kenny Laguna, 157 tracks TP84Thom Panunzio, 84 tracks RC48Ritchie Cordell, 48 tracks Photo of Desmond Child28Desmond Child, 28 tracks GK21Glen Kolotkin, 21 tracks TT20Ted Templeman, 20 tracks JV19Jim Vallance, 19 tracks JL17Joey Levine, 17 tracks BR16Bob Rock, 16 tracks TR15Tony Rey, 15 tracks KH14Kathleen Hanna, 14 tracks SJ13Steve Jones, 13 tracks on Sex Pistols's page PC13Paul Cook, 13 tracks on Sex Pistols's page RB13Ricky Byrd, 13 tracks MD12Mark Dodson, 12 tracks JI12Jimmy Iovine, 12 tracks CK12Chris Kimsey, 12 tracks ES12Ed Stasium, 12 tracks JC11John Charles Barrett, 11 tracks RB11Ric Browde, 11 tracks JA10John Aiosa, 10 tracks MS10Mark S. Berry, 10 tracks LS10Larry Smith, 10 tracks RG10Reggie Griffin, 10 tracks PR10Phil Ramone, 10 tracks DG10Dave Grohl, 10 tracks on Nirvana's page CB10Carianne Brinkman, 10 tracks DN6Dougie Needles, 6 tracks PA4Peter Anders, 4 tracks PW4Paul Westerberg, 4 tracks GG3Gary Glitter, 3 tracks ML3Mike Leander, 3 tracks MK2Marty Kupersmith, 2 tracks TJ2Tommy James, 2 tracks KF2Kim Fowley, 2 tracks BH2Bob Halligan Jr., 2 tracks JR2Jonathan Richman, 2 tracks JH2Jimi Hendrix, 2 tracks DW2Diane Warren, 2 tracks TP2Thommy Price, 2 tracks RY2Rudy Yuly, 2 tracks LP2Linda Perry, 2 tracks on 4 Non Blondes's page LJ2Laura Jane Grace, 2 tracks MJ1Marty Joe Kupersmith, 1 track BG1Bo Gentry, 1 track JM1John Medora, 1 track DW1David White, 1 track JM1John Madara, 1 track CK1Charlie Karp, 1 track AR1Artie Resnick, 1 track OI1O'Kelly Isley Jr., 1 track RI1Ronald Isley, 1 track RI1Rudolph Isley, 1 track ST1Sam the Sham, 1 track DS1Domingo Samudio, 1 track AM1Alan Merrill, 1 track JH1Jake Hooker, 1 track AC1Arthur Crier, 1 track PL1Peter Lucia Jr., 1 track DC1Dave Clark, 1 track MS1Mike Smith, 1 track GK1Greg Kihn, 1 track KK1Katherine Kennicott Davis, 1 track HO1Henry Onorati, 1 track HS1Harry Simeone, 1 track KK1Katherine K. Davis, 1 track SS1Sly Stone, 1 track MW1Mike Winter Jr., 1 track RA1Ritchie Adams, 1 track MR1Malou Rene, 1 track PF1Peter Falciglia, 1 track CM1Carlo Mastrangelo, 1 track JR1Joseph Royster, 1 track FG1Frank Guida, 1 track BW1Brian Wilson, 1 track ML1Mike Love, 1 track EM1Eddie Morris, 1 track WA1William Adler, 1 track TA1Terry Abrahamson, 1 track RN1Rick Nowels, 1 track CB1Chuck Berry, 1 track DA1Dave Alexander, 1 track RA1Ron Asheton, 1 track SA1Scott Asheton, 1 track IP1Iggy Pop, 1 track GR1Gary Rottger, 1 track FC1Frank Carillo, 1 track AY1Angus Young, 1 track on AC/DC's page BS1Bon Scott, 1 track on AC/DC's page MY1Malcolm Young, 1 track on AC/DC's page FA1Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, 1 track BB1Boudleaux Bryant, 1 track JL1John Lydon, 1 track GM1Glen Matlock, 1 track on Sex Pistols's page RD1Ray Davies, 1 track BG1Billy Gibbons, 1 track on ZZ Top's page DH1Dusty Hill, 1 track on ZZ Top's page FB1Frank Beard, 1 track on ZZ Top's page WC1Willie Chambers, 1 track JC1Joe Chambers, 1 track JC1Joseph Chambers, 1 track JF1John Fogerty, 1 track JM1Jim Morrison, 1 track RM1Ray Manzarek, 1 track RK1Robby Krieger, 1 track JD1John Densmore, 1 track JM1John McCurry, 1 track RS1Richard Supa, 1 track RS1Richie Supa, 1 track RO1Richard O'Brien, 1 track TB1Tony Bruno, 1 track D1Donovan, 1 track DL1Donovan Leitch, 1 track NC1Nicky Chinn, 1 track MC1Mike Chapman, 1 track BC1Billy Crooked, 1 track BS1Bruce Springsteen, 1 track PL1Peter Lucia, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. KL Kenny Laguna · TP Thom Panunzio · RC Ritchie Cordell · GK Glen Kolotkin · TT Ted Templeman

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Jett writes constantly and almost never by herself. She is on 116 of 158 tracks across thirteen albums and alone on 16, with her manager Kenny Laguna sharing 68 of them, by far the most sustained partnership in the catalogue. The songs that made her name belong to other people: "I Love Rock 'n Roll" is by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker, "Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James and Peter Lucia. A whole album, The Hit List, is nothing but covers.

Quick Facts

  • Her share116 of the 158 album tracks carry her name
  • Alone 16 timesOnly 16 have nobody else on the credit
  • The partnerKenny Laguna shares 68 tracks with her
  • The hits are coversNeither of her two biggest songs is hers
  • An album of coversThe Hit List has ten tracks and none are hers
  • Hall of FameInducted with the Blackhearts in 2015

Creative Fingerprint

A writer joined at the hip to her manager, whose two defining hits were both somebody else's songs.

The Story

Joan Jett is credited on 116 of the 158 album tracks and writes only 16 alone. Her two biggest hits are both covers she had no hand in writing.

Awards & Recognition

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted with the Blackhearts in 2015
Grammy Hall of Fame induction for "I Love Rock 'n Roll" (2016)
Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance for "I Hate Myself for Loving You"

Frequently Asked Questions Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Does Joan Jett write her own songs?
She has a credit on 116 of the 158 tracks across thirteen albums, but only 16 of those have nobody else on them. Kenny Laguna, her manager and producer since 1980, shares 68. Her two most famous recordings, "I Love Rock 'n Roll" and "Crimson and Clover", are both covers.
Who wrote "I Love Rock 'n Roll"?
Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker of the Arrows, who recorded it in 1975. Jett's version spent seven weeks at number 1 on the Hot 100 and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016.
Who wrote "Bad Reputation"?
Jett with Kenny Laguna, Ritchie Cordell and Marty Kupersmith. It is the title track of her 1980 debut.
Who is Kenny Laguna?
Her producer and manager since 1980, and her co-writer on 68 album tracks. No other collaborator is close.
How many albums have they made?
Thirteen studio albums between 1980 and 2022, including the Japan-only Naked and the acoustic Changeup. The Runaways records, live albums and compilations sit outside this catalogue.
Which album has no Jett songs on it?
The Hit List, from 1990, which is ten covers of AC/DC, the Sex Pistols, the Kinks, ZZ Top, Jimi Hendrix and others.
Who else has written with her?
Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill on 14 tracks, guitarist Ricky Byrd on 13, Desmond Child on 11 and Jim Vallance on 11.
Which single did best in America?
"I Love Rock 'n Roll" reached number 1, "Crimson and Clover" number 7 and "I Hate Myself for Loving You" number 8.
Are they in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Yes, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts were inducted in 2015.
Has she won a Grammy?
No. "I Hate Myself for Loving You" brought a nomination for Best Rock Performance, and "I Love Rock 'n Roll" was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Sources

Wikipedia: Joan Jett Wikipedia: Joan Jett discography