The first version was released on vinyl in 1979 on Vertigo records as a B-side to "You Don't Own Me".

In 1981, Jett re-recorded the song, this time with her band, the Blackhearts. This recording became a U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one single for seven weeks.

Billboard ranked it at the No. 3 song for 1982. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, representing two million units shipped to stores, with Jett's I Love Rock 'n Roll album reaching number two on the Billboard 200.

Jett's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016.[8]

Music video

The black-and-white music video for "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" received heavy play by the fledgling MTV network. It featured Jett and the Blackhearts traveling to a small, dingy bar and then exciting the drunken crowd by performing the song and yelling out its chorus.

A snippet of Jett's 1981 hit "Bad Reputation" can be heard at the beginning of the video. The video was originally in color, but it was converted to black and white because Jett hated the look of her red leather jumpsuit in color.

In 1993 Joan Jett & the Blackhearts made another music video for the song as part of the Wayne's World 2 soundtrack.

Comments:

Workdove

Mandela effect alert. It used to be 'I saw him standing there by the record machine' now in this altered reality it says 'I saw him DANCING there by the record machine'.

Raymond Hansen

You haven't heard Joan Jett you don't know what rock n roll

Silver Nightmare Girl

A true Rock n Roll Queen????

BTsMusicChannel

still badass...she kicks more ass with her eyes than anyone.

Justa Dragn

I once knew someone who actually said, to my face, the Britney Spears version was better. I hated to do it, but I immediately disowned my daughter.

GermanShepherdMom

I saw him STANDING there by the record machine, not DANCING..wth???!!!!

nwsurfrider

In 2019, it's more like, "I love rock 'n roll, put another $5 in the jukebox, baby..."

M B

that guy singing "cuz it's all the same" looks so bitchy i love it.

Eric George

Hard rock has taken a backward step after this masterpiece.