Joan Jett is best known among some of rock’s finest as the rough-and-tumble songstress with attitude and talent to spare. Her commanding voice and snarling delivery have soundtracked many popular tunes, and when she puts those skills to a cover, she makes each song her own.
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Here are 10 killer covers from Joan Jett.
1. “Crimson and Clover”
The frontwoman, alongside her Blackhearts, turns this Tommy James & the Shondells hit into a punked-out rock anthem full of grit. Keeping with the hypnotic swaying pace of the original, the band amps up the tune with treacherous guitar sounds and a thunderous finish.
2. “Fun, Fun, Fun”
Ditching The Beach Boys’ surf-rock style for more of a barroom blues, Jett’s smokey lilt makes the sweet, beachy classic sound tough as nails.
3. “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”
She stays pretty true to the Creedence Clearwater Revival original, “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” but it’s her unique voice that gives the rock standard a different texture.
4. “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”
Originally by the Arrows, “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” was made famous by Jett. When she cut the cover with the Blackhearts, her version—a crisper, cleaner rendition when compared to its predecessor— quickly became a chart-topper.
5. “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
At the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Jett joined Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear onstage for a performance of Nirvana’s ’90s teen anthem, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Her performance is one of sheer power and unflinching confidence.
6. “Real Wild Child”
Jett gives the Iggy Pop hit, “Real Wild Child,” heaps more oomph. Didn’t think it possible? Well, she does, turning the ’80s synth bop into a racing rock frenzy from start to finish.
7. “Love Stinks”
The melancholy “Love Stinks” is turned on its head when the frontwoman gets ahold of it. When Jett-ified, the J. Geils Band hit gets a lot more conviction because when love stinks, you say it like you mean it.
8. “Tush”
Her cover of Z.Z. Top’s “Tush” keeps much of its fiery country-rock attitude, but it’s her darkly angelic, nicotine-scorched vocals that make the song her own.
9. “Rebel, Rebel”
Taking on a David Bowie classic is no small feat, but Jett’s rendition of the legend’s “Rebel, Rebel” is nothing to turn a nose up at.
10. “Dirty Deeds”
As if AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds” could be any more of a banger, Jett takes the reins for a rock-steady rendition neck-and-neck with the thunderous original.
Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images for USO of Metropolitan New York
