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This Complete List Of Joan Jett Albums And Songs presents Joan Jett’s studio albums in chronological order while also covering important Blackhearts live, collaboration, and EP releases. Joan Jett was born Joan Marie Larkin on September 22, 1958, in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, and rose to prominence in the 1970s as a founding member of The Runaways. After that band ended, Jett built a solo career with producer and longtime collaborator Kenny Laguna before forming Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Her catalog has remained rooted in direct rock and roll while drawing from punk, glam, hard rock, pop, and the music that influenced her as a teenager.
The studio-album sequence begins with Bad Reputation, first issued independently as Joan Jett in 1980 and reissued under its familiar title in 1981, and continues through the acoustic Changeup in 2022. The discography also includes the 1995 Evil Stig collaboration with members of The Gits, the official archival release Live, New York, 1981, and the six-song Mindsets EP from 2023. The latest catalog release included here is the 2026 compilation Essentials. Across these records, Jett’s work with the Blackhearts has produced some of the most enduring guitar-driven rock songs of the past five decades.
JOAN JETT STUDIO ALBUMS
Bad Reputation (1981)
Released January 23, 1981
Joan Jett’s debut solo album, Bad Reputation, established the foundation for everything that followed after The Runaways. The record first appeared independently as Joan Jett in 1980 before being reissued under the Bad Reputation title in 1981. Jett and Kenny Laguna built the album after major labels repeatedly rejected the material, with Ritchie Cordell also playing a key production role. The sessions drew on musicians including Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols, along with other players from the British and New York rock scenes. Songs such as “Bad Reputation,” “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah),” and “You Don’t Own Me” helped define Jett’s direct, stripped-down approach to rock and roll. The album later earned gold certification in the United States and became one of the defining records of her career.
Track Listing:
- “Bad Reputation” – 2:48
- “Make Believe” – 3:06
- “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got” – 3:31
- “You Don’t Own Me” – 3:27
- “Too Bad on Your Birthday” – 2:57
- “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)” – 3:45
- “Let Me Go” – 2:42
- “Doing Alright with the Boys” – 3:39
- “Shout” – 2:48
- “Jezebel” – 3:28
- “Don’t Abuse Me” – 3:40
- “Wooly Bully” – 2:20
I Love Rock ‘n Roll (1981)
Released November 18, 1981
I Love Rock ‘n Roll was Joan Jett’s first album with The Blackhearts and the record that turned her into an international star. Released on November 18, 1981, it was recorded primarily at Kingdom Sound and Soundworks in New York with Kenny Laguna and Ritchie Cordell producing. The Blackhearts lineup included Ricky Byrd on guitar, Gary Ryan on bass, and Lee Crystal on drums alongside Jett. The title track, originally recorded by The Arrows, spent seven weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982. “Crimson and Clover” also became a major hit, while the album itself reached number two on the Billboard 200. Its combination of hard rock, glam, punk attitude, and classic pop hooks remains central to Jett’s sound.
Track Listing:
- “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” – 2:55
- “(I’m Gonna) Run Away” – 2:27
- “Love Is Pain” – 3:07
- “Nag” – 2:45
- “Crimson and Clover” – 3:16
- “Victim of Circumstance” – 2:54
- “Bits and Pieces” – 2:09
- “Be Straight” – 2:40
- “You’re Too Possessive” – 3:35
- “Little Drummer Boy” – 4:15
Album (1983)
Released July 1, 1983
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts followed their breakthrough with the deliberately titled Album, released in July 1983. Recorded at Kingdom Sound in New York, the album featured Jett with Ricky Byrd, Gary Ryan, and Lee Crystal. “Fake Friends” became one of the record’s best-known originals, while “Everyday People” showed Jett’s continued instinct for choosing older songs and making them sound like Blackhearts material. The set also included “The French Song,” “I Love Playin’ with Fire,” and “Coney Island Whitefish.” Compared with the cover-heavy records that preceded it, Album placed greater emphasis on original material. It reached number twenty on the Billboard 200 and remains one of the strongest full-length releases from the band’s early period.
Track Listing:
- “Fake Friends” – 3:12
- “Handyman” – 3:23
- “Everyday People” – 2:38
- “A Hundred Feet Away” – 2:54
- “Secret Love” – 4:03
- “Star Star” – 3:50
- “The French Song” – 3:34
- “Tossin’ & Turnin'” – 2:25
- “Why Can’t We Be Happy” – 3:40
- “I Love Playin’ with Fire” – 3:01
- “Coney Island Whitefish” – 3:33
- “Had Enough” – 2:22
Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth (1984)
Released October 1, 1984
Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth, released on October 1, 1984, continued Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ mix of hard rock, punk, glam, and pop. The album was recorded at several New York studios, including the Record Plant, the Power Station, and Kingdom Sound. Kenny Laguna remained central to the production, with additional production work from Ritchie Cordell, Thom Panunzio, Jimmy Iovine, and Chris Kimsey across different tracks. Jett revisited her Runaways history with a new recording of “Cherry Bomb” while also delivering songs such as “Frustrated,” “I Need Someone,” and “I Love You Love Me Love.” Ricky Byrd, Gary Ryan, and Lee Crystal formed the core Blackhearts lineup behind her. The album did not match the commercial heights of I Love Rock ‘n Roll, but its aggressive sound and variety made it a lasting fan favorite.
Track Listing:
- “Cherry Bomb” – 2:37
- “I Love You Love Me Love” – 3:18
- “Frustrated” – 3:12
- “Hold Me” – 3:14
- “Long Time” – 2:24
- “Talkin’ Bout My Baby” – 3:35
- “I Need Someone” – 3:21
- “Love Like Mine” – 4:12
- “New Orleans” – 2:57
- “Someday” – 3:26
- “Push and Stomp” – 2:53
- “I Got No Answers” – 2:27
Good Music (1986)
Released December 9, 1986
Good Music, released in 1986, found Joan Jett and the Blackhearts stretching their sound without abandoning the direct rock and roll attack that defined the band. The record was made across several New York-area studios and involved Kenny Laguna, Thom Panunzio, and additional producers on individual tracks. Ricky Byrd, Gary Ryan, and Lee Crystal again formed the core Blackhearts lineup. The title track celebrated Jett’s devotion to rock and roll, while the album also included versions of Jonathan Richman’s “Roadrunner,” The Beach Boys’ “Fun, Fun, Fun,” and Jimi Hendrix’s “You Got Me Floatin’.” Darlene Love and members of The Beach Boys were among the guest contributors. Although the album was not a major commercial breakthrough, it remains an eclectic snapshot of Jett’s musical influences.
Track Listing:
- “Good Music” – 4:27
- “This Means War” – 3:37
- “Roadrunner” – 3:32
- “If Ya Want My Luv” – 4:22
- “Fun, Fun, Fun” – 2:29
- “Black Leather” – 4:08
- “Outlaw” – 3:17
- “Just Lust” – 3:10
- “You Got Me Floatin’” – 2:53
- “Contact” – 3:52
Up Your Alley (1988)
Released May 23, 1988
Up Your Alley, released on May 23, 1988, returned Joan Jett and the Blackhearts to major commercial success. Much of the album was recorded at the Hit Factory in New York, with Kenny Laguna working alongside producers including Desmond Child and Ric Browde on different tracks. “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” written by Jett and Child, became one of Jett’s signature songs and earned a Grammy nomination. The album also featured “Little Liar,” “Ridin’ with James Dean,” and a heavy version of The Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” Thommy Price anchored the drums, while the record included contributions from several guitarists and bassists as the Blackhearts lineup evolved. Up Your Alley reached number nineteen on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in the United States.
Track Listing:
- “I Hate Myself for Loving You” – 4:11
- “Ridin’ with James Dean” – 3:17
- “Little Liar” – 4:01
- “Tulane” – 2:56
- “I Wanna Be Your Dog” – 5:12
- “I Still Dream About You” – 3:24
- “You Want In, I Want Out” – 4:14
- “Just Like in the Movies” – 3:05
- “Desire” – 3:54
- “Back It Up” – 3:31
- “Play That Song Again” – 3:42
The Hit List (1990)
Released January 16, 1990
The Hit List, released on January 16, 1990, was Joan Jett’s first full studio album devoted entirely to cover songs. Recorded at the Hit Factory in New York, it was produced by Jett, Kenny Laguna, and Thom Panunzio. The project let Jett openly salute many of the artists who shaped her, including AC/DC, The Everly Brothers, The Sex Pistols, The Kinks, ZZ Top, Jimi Hendrix, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and The Doors. Her version of “Dirty Deeds” reached number thirty-six on the Billboard Hot 100. Ricky Byrd, Kasim Sulton, Thommy Price, and additional guests gave the record a muscular Blackhearts sound rather than treating the songs as museum pieces. The album reached number thirty-six on the Billboard 200.
CD Track Listing
- “Dirty Deeds” – 3:18
- “Love Hurts” – 3:47
- “Pretty Vacant” – 3:24
- “Celluloid Heroes” – 5:28
- “Tush” – 2:23
- “Time Has Come Today” – 4:13
- “Up from the Skies” – 3:01
- “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” – 3:33
- “Love Me Two Times” – 3:07
- “Roadrunner USA” – 3:34
- “Let It Bleed” (Japanese bonus track) – 4:19
- “Dirty Deeds” (Extended Version) (Japanese bonus track) – 4:33
Notorious (1991)
Released August 20, 1991
Notorious, released on August 20, 1991, moved Joan Jett and the Blackhearts into a more polished early-1990s production style while retaining Jett’s hard-rock core. Jett, Kenny Laguna, and Thom Panunzio handled the principal production work. One of the album’s strongest connections to the alternative-rock movement came through “Backlash,” co-written with Paul Westerberg of The Replacements. Other songs such as “Ashes in the Wind,” “Treadin’ Water,” and “Don’t Surrender” mixed tougher guitar tracks with more reflective material. The album arrived at a moment when mainstream rock was changing rapidly, and its sound reflects that transition. Although it was not a major commercial hit, Notorious remains an important bridge between Jett’s 1980s work and the punk-influenced collaborations that followed.
Track Listing:
- “Backlash” – 3:29
- “Ashes in the Wind” – 3:57
- “The Only Good Thing (You Ever Said Was Goodbye)” – 3:53
- “Treadin’ Water” – 4:18
- “Wait for Me” – 4:06
- “Misunderstood” – 3:15
- “Wonderin'” – 3:33
- “I Want You” – 3:44
- “Don’t Surrender” – 3:35
- “Machismo” – 5:00
Pure and Simple (1994)
Released June 14, 1994
Pure and Simple, released on June 14, 1994, reconnected Joan Jett with the raw punk energy that had always been part of her music. The album arrived as a younger generation of riot grrrl musicians openly embraced Jett as an influence, and she worked with artists including Kathleen Hanna and Kat Bjelland. “Go Home,” co-written with Hanna, responded to the murder of Mia Zapata of The Gits, while “Activity Grrrl” and “Spinster” pushed the album’s feminist edge to the foreground. Jett and Kenny Laguna led the production with additional collaborators across sessions in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver, and other locations. The Blackhearts lineup changed during this period, but Jett’s guitar and voice remained the center of the record. Pure and Simple became one of the most socially charged and uncompromising albums of her career.
Track Listing
- “Go Home” – 2:42
- “Eye to Eye” – 3:30
- “Spinster” – 2:44
- “Torture” – 3:35
- “Rubber & Glue” – 3:19
- “As I Am” – 4:35
- “Activity Grrrl” – 3:45
- “Insecure” – 3:11
- “Wonderin'” – 4:53
- “Consumed” – 4:40
- “You Got a Problem” – 3:57
- “Brighter Day” – 6:06
Vinyl Release Alternative Track
- “Here to Stay” – 3:57
Japanese Edition Bonus Tracks
- “Hostility” – 3:37
- “World of Denial” – 4:14
Naked (2004)
Released April 27, 2004
Naked, released in Japan on April 27, 2004, gathered material Joan Jett and the Blackhearts had been developing across several years. The album combined original songs with covers including The Replacements’ “Androgynous,” Donovan’s “Season of the Witch,” and “Science Fiction/Double Feature” from The Rocky Horror Show. Jett worked with longtime collaborator Kenny Laguna and a broad group of producers and musicians during the extended sessions. The lineup included Doug Cangialosi, Sami Yaffa, Thommy Price, and other contributors, while Kathleen Hanna added backing vocals on selected tracks. Several songs from Naked were later remixed or reworked for the U.S. album Sinner. Its Japan-only release made it one of the less familiar full-length records in Jett’s catalog.
Track Listing
- “Naked” – 4:07
- “Bad Time” (JJ Mix) – 4:59
- “Fetish” – 3:22
- “Androgynous” – 3:08
- “Science Fiction/Double Feature” – 3:54
- “Right in the Middle” – 3:48
- “Turn It Around” – 3:45
- “Everyone Knows” – 3:10
- “Baby Blue” – 4:05
- “Kiss on the Lips” – 3:22
- “Watersign” – 3:10
- “Tube Talkin'” – 3:37
- “Season of the Witch” – 5:03
- “Bad Time” (Monster Mix) – 5:00
- “Can’t Live Without You” – 2:34
- “Five” – 5:16
Sinner (2006)
Released June 13, 2006
Sinner, released on June 13, 2006, was Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ first U.S. studio album in twelve years. The record mixed new material with reworked songs that had appeared on the Japan-only Naked. “Riddles” brought unusually direct political commentary into Jett’s songwriting, while her cover of Sweet’s “A.C.D.C.” became one of the album’s standout performances. Jett and Kenny Laguna were joined by producers including Ted Templeman, Bob Rock, Joey Levine, and others across sessions recorded over several years. Dougie Needles, Enzo Penizzotto, and Thommy Price formed the principal Blackhearts lineup on the album. Sinner reaffirmed Jett’s ability to combine punk attitude, hard rock, and pop instinct without softening her identity.
Track Listing
- “Riddles” – 4:01
- “A.C.D.C.” – 3:20
- “Five” – 5:14
- “Naked” – 3:51
- “Everyone Knows” – 3:13
- “Change the World” – 3:07
- “Androgynous” – 3:08
- “Fetish” – 3:23
- “Watersign” – 3:10
- “Tube Talkin'” – 3:37
- “Turn It Around” – 3:44
- “Baby Blue” – 4:06
- “A Hundred Feet Away” – 2:33
- “Bad Time” – 5:01
Unvarnished (2013)
Released October 1, 2013
Unvarnished, released on October 1, 2013, was Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ first studio album in seven years. Its songs were more personal than much of Jett’s earlier work, touching on loss, aging, relationships, and survival while keeping the band’s hard-rock attack intact. Dave Grohl co-wrote and performed on “Any Weather,” giving the album one of its most immediate tracks. Jett and Kenny Laguna produced the record with additional production and engineering contributions from Thom Panunzio and others. Dougie Needles, Acey Slade, and Thommy Price were among the Blackhearts heard on the sessions. The album reached number forty-seven on the Billboard 200, Jett’s strongest album-chart showing in many years.
Tracklisting:
- “Any Weather (606 Version)” – 3:24
- “TMI” – 3:49
- “Soulmates to Strangers” – 3:12
- “Make It Back” – 3:17
- “Hard to Grow Up” – 4:21
- “Fragile” – 3:39
- “Reality Mentality” – 3:05
- “Bad as We Can Be” – 3:53
- “Different” – 3:36
- “Everybody Needs a Hero” – 2:34
Changeup (2022)
Released March 25, 2022
Changeup, released digitally on March 25, 2022, was Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ first full acoustic album. Rather than presenting new compositions, Jett revisited songs from throughout her career and stripped them down to reveal their melodies, lyrics, and rhythmic foundations in a different setting. The twenty-five-track collection includes acoustic versions of “Bad Reputation,” “Crimson and Clover,” “Cherry Bomb,” “I Love Playin’ with Fire,” and “Light of Day.” Jett and Kenny Laguna oversaw the project with longtime Blackhearts collaborators contributing to the arrangements. The acoustic setting changes the texture without removing the toughness that defines Jett’s performances. Changeup demonstrated how well songs built on simple, direct rock and roll structures could survive a complete change in presentation.
Track Listing
- “(I’m Gonna) Run Away” (Acoustic)
- “You’re Too Possessive” (Acoustic)
- “Long Time” (Acoustic)
- “Victim of Circumstance” (Acoustic)
- “Coney Island Whitefish” (Acoustic)
- “Love Is Pain” (Acoustic)
- “Oh Woe Is Me” (Acoustic)
- “You Drive Me Wild” (Acoustic)
- “Frustrated” (Acoustic)
- “Bad Reputation” (Acoustic)
- “Fake Friends” (Acoustic)
- “Fresh Start” (Acoustic)
- “Soulmates to Strangers” (Acoustic)
- “Make It Back” (Acoustic)
- “Fragile” (Acoustic)
- “I Love Playin’ With Fire” (Acoustic)
- “Cherry Bomb” (Acoustic)
- “I Want You” (Acoustic)
- “Crimson and Clover” (Acoustic)
- “A Hundred Feet Away” (Acoustic)
- “Androgynous” (Acoustic)
- “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got” (Acoustic)
- “School Days” (Acoustic)
- “Good Music” (Acoustic)
- “Light of Day” (Acoustic)
JOAN JETT COLLABORATION ALBUM
Evil Stig (1995)
Released 1995
Evil Stig brought Joan Jett together with the surviving members of The Gits after singer Mia Zapata was murdered in 1993. The project grew out of benefit performances intended to help fund the investigation into Zapata’s death, and the name Evil Stig is “Gits Live” spelled backward. Jett handled vocals and guitar alongside Matt Dresdner, Steve Moriarty, and guitarist Joe Spleen, with Kenny Laguna producing the album for Blackheart Records. Much of the record consists of Gits material originally associated with Zapata, while Jett songs such as “Activity Grrrl” and “You Got a Problem” are also included. The album turns Jett’s connection to the Seattle punk community into both a tribute and a practical act of support. It remains one of the most distinctive collaborative releases in her catalog.
Track Listing
- “Sign of the Crab” – 2:22
- “Bob (Cousin O.)” – 2:53
- “Drinking Song” – 2:47
- “Spear and Magic Helmet” – 2:42
- “Last to Know” – 3:44
- “Guilt Within Your Head” – 2:23
- “Whirlwind” – 3:05
- “Another Shot of Whiskey” – 2:37
- “Second Skin” – 2:43
- “Activity Grrrl” – 3:28
- “You Got a Problem” – 3:17
- “Crimson & Clover” – 3:05
- “Drunks” – 7:50
JOAN JETT LIVE ALBUMS
Live, New York, 1981 (2021)
Released November 11, 2021
Live, New York, 1981 is an official Blackheart archival release capturing Joan Jett and the Blackhearts during the breakthrough period surrounding I Love Rock ‘n Roll. The ten-track set focuses heavily on material from that album, including the title song, “Crimson and Clover,” “Love Is Pain,” and “Victim of Circumstance.” It also includes “Black Leather,” giving the release a snapshot of the band’s early live attack rather than a later retrospective performance. Blackheart Records issued the album digitally in 2021 under its distribution relationship with Seeker Music. The recording documents the speed and directness that made the early Blackhearts such a powerful touring band.
Track Listing
- “I Love Rock ‘N Roll” (Live in New York – 1981) – 2:51
- “(I’m Gonna) Run Away” (Live in New York – 1981) – 2:21
- “Love Is Pain” (Live in New York – 1981) – 3:10
- “Nag” (Live in New York – 1981) – 2:45
- “Crimson and Clover” (Live in New York – 1981) – 3:17
- “Victim of Circumstance” (Live in New York – 1981) – 2:52
- “Bits and Pieces” (Live in New York – 1981) – 2:08
- “Be Straight” (Live in New York – 1981) – 2:44
- “You’re Too Possessive” (Live in New York – 1981) – 3:32
- “Black Leather” (Live in New York – 1981) – 3:34
JOAN JETT EPs
Mindsets (2023)
Digital EP released June 2, 2023; Record Store Day vinyl released November 24, 2023
Mindsets is a six-song EP by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, not a full studio album. Released digitally on June 2, 2023, it was the band’s first collection of entirely new original songs since Unvarnished. Joan Jett, Kenny Laguna, and Thom Panunzio produced the EP, which opens with “If You’re Blue” and keeps the Blackhearts’ punk and rock-and-roll sound compact and direct. A Record Store Day Black Friday vinyl edition followed on November 24, 2023. That physical edition placed the six studio recordings on the first side and live versions of the same six songs on the second side. The release proved that Jett could still deliver new material with the economy and force that defined her earliest records.
Digital EP Track Listing
- “If You’re Blue”
- “Whiskey Goes Good”
- “Shooting Into Space”
- “Rear View Mirror”
- “Before the Dawn”
- “(Make the Music Go) Boom”
Record Store Day Vinyl Bonus Live Side
- “If You’re Blue” (Live)
- “Whiskey Goes Good” (Live)
- “Shooting Into Space” (Live)
- “Rear View Mirror” (Live)
- “Before the Dawn” (Live)
- “(Make the Music Go) Boom” (Live)
LATEST JOAN JETT COMPILATION
Essentials (2026)
Released July 10, 2026
Essentials is an eleven-song Blackheart Records collection released in July 2026. It is a compilation rather than a new studio album, so it does not extend the studio-album sequence that ends with Changeup. The set reaches from early Joan Jett material through major Blackhearts hits, bringing together songs such as “Bad Reputation,” “I Love Rock ‘N Roll,” “Crimson and Clover,” “The French Song,” and “I Hate Myself for Loving You.” Its appearance in 2026 keeps the active Joan Jett catalog current while the band continues to tour and celebrate the anniversary era surrounding her breakthrough records.
Track Listing
- “You Drive Me Wild”
- “School Days”
- “Love Is Pain”
- “Bad Reputation”
- “I Love Rock ‘N Roll”
- “(I’m Gonna) Run Away”
- “Crimson and Clover”
- “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)”
- “The French Song”
- “Fake Friends”
- “I Hate Myself for Loving You”
Check out more Joan Jett articles on ClassicRockHistory.com Just click on any of the links below……
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Our 10 Favorite Joan Jett Songs
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