After the Runaways disbanded in 1979, Jett produced an album for Los Angeles punk rock band, The Germs, then embarked on a solo career. Although she approached many labels, not one would sign her due to the stigma that accompanied her former band, The Runaways, and so she and manager and co-writer Kenny Laguna created their own independent record label, Blackheart Records to release recordings by her new band distributed by Boardwalk Records, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
With the Blackhearts, she had several singles in the top ten, including the #1 "I Love Rock 'N Roll" cover, originally by The Arrows, as well as covers of Tommy James' "Crimson and Clover" and Gary Glitter's "Do You Wanna Touch Me". "Bad Reputation", whose accompanying video narrates the story of the rejection of Joan by major labels and the creation of her own record label, was also a hit. During this time, Jett toured relentlessly. One of the highlights of her live performance is the cover of the AC/DC song "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". Unfortunately Boardwalk Records went under after the death of its founder Neil Bogart, and Jett and Laguna never made the money they were owed from the massive hit "I Love Rock'n Roll".
After making the two classic albums on Blackheart Boardwalk, Jett and Laguna signed to MCA Records and released the Gold-certified "Album" and the critically acclaimed "Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth." 1986's "Good Music" was released for new label, CBS, followed by the multiplatinum "Up Your Alley," which featured collaborations with noted producer/songwriters Desmond Child, and Ric Browde. The follow-up, "The Hit List," an album of all covers, featured the top-40 hit "Dirty Deeds." To date, it has been more than 10 years since Joan Jett has released an album of new music in the U.S. She and Laguna currently host a radio program on Sirius satellite radio.
