The Queen of Covers: 10 Songs By the Amazing Joan Jett
She Makes Every Song Her Own
Cover songs are a staple of any band; they all start out playing them before they have their own music, and most will continue playing at least a few in concert even after they make it big.
During the first concert I ever went to (ELO in 1978), the opening act played, of all things, a cover of Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die.” It’s been true of most concerts I’ve been to since, with Springsteen covering “Twist and Shout” and “Do You Love Me?” in ‘84 and Tom Petty covering “Needles and Pins” in ‘85. Even All Time Low covered Green Day’s “American Idiot” at their 2015 Dallas show.
Playing the occasional live cover is one thing; actually recording them is another thing entirely. One legendary artist has made a career out of mixing covers with original material: Joan Jett. Her secret seems to be an ability to make any song she plays her own. Unless you were a big Tommy James and the Shondells fan, you never knew that Jett’s “Crimson and Clover” was a cover of their song that hit #1 in early 1969. Or that her “Do You Wanna Touch Me” was originally a Gary Glitter song that reached #2 in the UK in 1973.
Even her biggest hit, “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” was a cover of the Arrows’ 1975 original. But whereas you’ve probably never heard of…
