Joan Jett
Joan Marie Larkin came up in mid-1970s Los Angeles as the rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the pioneering all-female teenage band the Runaways, then launched a solo career after major labels rejected her — self-releasing her debut before it was picked up. Fronting the Blackhearts, she turned a 1975 Arrows B-side into the era-defining anthem 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll' and built a catalog of tough, hook-driven rock that made her a lasting template for women in the genre.
Jett has called Quatro her idol, saying that seeing a woman play rock and roll on bass showed her it was possible; Quatro's leather-clad, no-frills hard rock was the direct model for Jett's own stance. The tough, unfussy rock-and-roll swagger Jett built her career on starts with Quatro.
listen forThrow on Quatro's stomping 'Can the Can' then Jett's 'Bad Reputation' — hear the same chugging, glam-rooted rhythm guitar and a woman's snarling lead vocal daring you to take her less than seriously.
Jett has named Bowie among the risk-taking artists who inspired her to break the mold, and her teenage haunt was the Los Angeles glam-rock scene that revolved around Bowie and his peers. That glam swagger — big, campy, and guitar-forward — runs through her stomp-along records.
listen forCompare Bowie's glammy 'Rebel Rebel' riff to Jett's 'Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)' — the same strutting, repetitive guitar figure and hand-clap glam-rock stomp built for chanting along.
Jett is steeped in the Stones' brand of raw, blues-based riff rock — she has covered their 'Star Star' both live and on record — and her band's lean, guitar-driven attack draws on that template. The dirty, hook-first rock and roll of the Stones is a foundation under her sound.
listen forPlay the Stones' riff-driven 'Brown Sugar' beside Jett's 'I Hate Myself for Loving You' — both hang everything on a single insistent guitar hook and a swaggering, sing-it-back chorus.