Joan Jett (3,630 views)

[Baronessa]

Joan Marie Larkin (22 September 1958)
Member of: The Runaways (1975 - 1978), Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (1980...), Evil Stig (1995)
Vocal Range: B2 - F♯6

SPOILER: Click to show

{Synopsis}One of the original female guitar heroes, Joan Jett has acted as a meat-and-potatoes musical feminist icon throughout her career, recognized also for her androgynous vocal delivery and punky image. Ever since founding the scandalous girl group with producer Kim Fowley, Joan has capitalized on her low-slung cool by acting as an outlet for scratching that rough itch for women in a world of increasingly glitzy and glamorous pop stars -- mainly incorporating punk aesthetics into her music and vocals, such as patchy, repetitive melodies, complemented occasionally by harshly distorted exclamations. Due to these loosened standards for vocal performance, Joan has managed to slip quite an unlikely amount of vocal range into her discography, which mainly consists of wild screams and other pseudo-melodic passages. Despite what her sexually ambiguous image may imply, Joan doesn't sing in what could be considered her lowest notes often and instead settles for monotonous vocal lines true to her tangentially punk aesthetic, having only occasionally teased the surprising depths of her voice during very select phases of her career. A storied and well-documented career as she has, Joan Jett's legacy is far from over; thanks to the precedent she helped set, even if Joan herself retires tomorrow, in contrast to the platinum blonde madonna there will now always be a jet black alternative.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Vocal Range Timeline}The Runaways:
The Runaways (1976): G3 - G5 - D6
Queens of Noise (1977): G3 - G♯5
Waitin' for the Night (1977): F♯3 - E5
And Now... The Runaways (1978): A3 - C♯5

Joan Jett:
Joan Jett (1980): F♯3 - G♯5 - F♯6
The Hit List (1990): B2 - A5

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts:
I Love Rock 'n' Roll (1981): G♯3 - E5 - E♭6
Album (1983): G3 - G♯5 - B5
Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth (1984): F3 - E♭5 - B♭5
Good Music (1986): C3 - G5 - C6
Up Your Alley (1988): D3 - G5
Notorious (1991): D3 - E5 - A5
Pure and Simple (1994): E3 - F♯5 - A5
Sinner (2006): D3 - F♯5 - B5
Unvarnished (2013): B2 - E5 - G♯5

Evil Stig:
Live:
Evil Stig (1995): D3 - F♯5

Significant High Notes:

F♯6 ("Wooly Bully")
E♭6 ("Be Straight")
D6 ("Rock 'n' Roll")
C♯6 ("Bird Dog")
C6 ("American Nights", "You Got Me Floating")
B5 ("Fantasy", "Light of Day", "Science Fiction/Double Feature", "Scratch My Back". "She Lost You", "Star Star", "Tossin' & Turnin'", "Turn It Around")
B♭5 ("Bird Dog", "A Hundred Feet Away", "Someday")
A5 ("Celluloid Heroes", "Handyman", "I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are" live Palladium, New York City, NY 7 January 1978, "I Want You" First Sessions version, "Make Believe", "Play With Me", "Rubber and Glue", "Treadin' Water", "Wild Thing" live Palladium, New York City, NY 7 January 1978)
G♯5 ("Activity Grrrl", "Bad Reputation", "Change the World", "Eye to Eye", "Hollywood", "Outlaw", "Star Star", "Talkin' 'Bout My Baby", "TMI")
G5 ("Back It Up", "Bad as We Can Be", "Be My Lover", "Bits and Pieces", "Blackmail", "Coney Island Whitefish", "I Know What I Know", "Long Time", "Make It Back", "You Drive Me Wild", "You Got Me Floating")
F♯5 ("A.C.D.C.", "Call Me Lightning", "Different", "Don't Surrender", "Five", "Handyman", "A Hundred Feet Away", "Oh Woe Is Me", "Real Wild Child", "Roadrunner", "Seriously", "Turn It Around", "You Drive Me Wild", "You Got a Problem")
F5 ("Bad Time", "Blackmail", "C'mon" live Palladium, New York City, NY 7 January 1978, "Had Enough", "I Love You Love Me Love", "Jezebel", "Just Lust", "Pretty Vacant", "Rock 'n' Roll", "Wooly Bully")
E5 ("Activity Grrrl", "American Nights", "Born to Be Bad", "Call Me Lightning", "Coney Island Whitefish", "Don't Abuse Me", "Don't Go Away", "Fetish", "Frustrated", "I Love Playin' With Fire", "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "I Want You", "Jezebel", "Light of Day", "Love Is All Around", "Make Believe", "MCA", "Rebel, Rebel", "Rubber and Glue", "She Lost You", "Spinster", "Take It or Leave It", "Time Has Come Today", "Victim of Circumstance", "Wait for Me", "You Got a Problem", "You're Too Possessive")
E♭5 ("Bird Dog", "Cherry Bomb", "Don't Go Away", "Fake Friends", "Gotta Get Out Tonight", "Spear & Magic Helmet" live Evil Stig, "Summertime Blues", "Too Bad on Your Birthday", "Wasted")
D5 ("Bad Time", "Blackmail", "Call Me Lightning", "Celluloid Heroes", "Consumed", "Had Enough", "Hollywood", "I Got No Answers", "I Hate Long Goodbyes", "I Need Someone", "Little Sister", "Long Time", "Love Is Pain", "Lovers", "MCA", "Midnight Music", "New Orleans", "Rebel, Rebel", "Rock 'n' Roll", "Secret Love", "Spinster", "Treadin' Water", "Wait for Me", "Why Can't We Be Happy", "Waitin' for the Night", "We're All Crazy Now", "Whirlwind" live Evil Stig, "Wild Thing" live Palladium, New York City, NY 7 January 1978, "You Can't Get Me")
C♯5 ("Any Weather", "Backlash", "Bad Lover" live The Bottom Line, New York City, NY 20 December 1980, "Bad Reputation", "Black Leather", "Cherry Bomb", "Coney Island Whitefish", "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)", "Don't Go Away", "Don't Surrender", "Fake Friends", "Fantasy", "Five", "The French Song", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Gettin' Hot" live Tokyo Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan, Tokyo, Japan ca. June 1977, "A Hundred Feet Away", "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", "Jezebel", "Love Hurts", "Play That Song Again", "Push and Stomp", "Real Wild Child", "Reality Mentality", "Ridin' With James Dean", "Right 'Til the End", "Roadrunner", "(I'm Gonna) Run Away", "Saturday Nite Special", "School Days", "Science Fiction/Double Feature", "Secrets", "Sign of the Crab" live Evil Stig, "Star Star", "Talkin' 'Bout My Baby", "This Means War", "Too Bad on Your Birthday", "Tossin' & Turnin'", "Trash Can Murders", "Wasted", "You Can't Get Me", "You Don't Own Me", "You Got a Problem")
C5 ("All Right You Guys" live Tokyo Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan, Tokyo, Japan ca. June 1977, "Back It Up", "Bring It on Home", "C'mon" live Palladium, New York City, NY 7 January 1978, "California Paradise", "Crimson and Clover", "Drinking Song" live Evil Stig, "Everyday People", "Fantasies", "Go Home", "Had Enough", "Handyman", "Hanky Panky", "Have You Ever Seen the Rain", "I Need Someone", "I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are" live Palladium, New York City, NY 7 January 1978, "Just Like in the Movies", "Just Lust", "Let Me Go", "Lie to Me", "Little Lost Girls", "Louie Louie", "Love Me Two Times", "Make Believe", "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", "Midnight Music", "My Buddy and Me", "Nag", "Pretty Vacant", "Riddles", "Rubber and Glue", "Second Skin" live Evil Stig, "Shout", "Take It or Leave It", "Wait for Me", "Why Can't We Be Happy", "Wooly Bully", "You Got Me Floating")
B4 ("A.C.D.C.", "American Nights", "Backlash", "Bad Reputation", "Be My Lover", "Bob (Cousin O.)" live Evil Stig, "Born to Be Bad", "Cherry Bomb", "Consumed", "Contact", "Dead End Justice", "Desire", "Different", "Don't Abuse Me", "Fake Friends", "Fantasy", "Fetish", "Fragile", "The French Song", "Gettin' Hot" live Tokyo Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan, Tokyo, Japan ca. June 1977, "Good Music", "Goodbye", "Gotcha", "Gotta Get Out Tonight", "Guilt Within Your Head" live Evil Stig, "Hard to Grow Up", "Hide and Seek", "Hollywood", "I Got No Answers", "I Hate Long Goodbyes", "I Hate Myself for Loving You", "I Know What I Know", "I Love Playin' With Fire", "I Still Dream About You", "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "I Want You", "I'll Never Get Away", "Indian Giver", "Jezebel", "Just Lust", "Let Me Go", "Little Drummer Boy", "Little Liar", "Little Lost Girls", "Love Hurts", "Love Is Pain", "Love Like Mine", "Machismo", "My Buddy and Me", "New Orleans", "Oh Woe Is Me", "The Only Good Thing (You Ever Said Was Goodbye)", "Outlaw", "Play That Song Again", "Play With Me", "Real Wild Child", "Reality Mentality", "Rebel, Rebel", "Ridin' With James Dean", "Right 'Til the End", "Roadrunner", "(I'm Gonna) Run Away", "School Days", "Science Fiction/Double Feature", "Scratch My Back", "Secret Love", "Secrets", "Seriously", "Shout", "Sign of the Crab" live Evil Stig, "Spear & Magic Helmet" live Evil Stig, "Summertime Blues", "Talkin' 'Bout My Baby", "This Means War", "Time Has Come Today", "TMI", "Too Bad on Your Birthday", "Tossin' & Turnin'", "Tube Talkin'", "Tulane", "Turn It Around", "Victim of Circumstance", "Wait for Me", "Waitin' for the Night", "We're All Crazy Now", "We're Not Gonna Take It", "What Can I Do for You", "Whirlwind" live Evil Stig, "Who Can You Trust", "Wonderin'", "You Can't Get Me", "You Don't Know What You've Got", "You Don't Own Me", "You Drive Me Wild", "You Want In, I Want Out", "You're Too Possessive")
B♭4 ("All Right You Guys" live Tokyo Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan, Tokyo, Japan ca. June 1977, "Back It Up", "Bad Time", "Bits and Pieces", "Blackmail", "C'mon" live Palladium, New York City, NY 7 January 1978, "California Paradise", "Celluloid Heroes", "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)", "Doing Alright With the Boys", "Drinking Song" live Evil Stig, "Everyday People", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Good Music", "Goodbye", "Guilt Within Your Head" live Evil Stig, "Hanky Panky", "If Ya Want My Luv", "Just Like in the Movies", "Little Drummer Boy", "Little Liar", "Little Sister", "Long Time", "Make It Back", "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", "The Only Good Thing (You Ever Said Was Goodbye)", "Outlaw", "Saturday Nite Special", "Someday", "Spear & Magic Helmet" live Evil Stig, "Tearstained Letters", "Tush", "Wasted", "Who Can You Trust", "Why Can't We Be Happy", "Wooly Bully")
A4 ("A.C.D.C.", "Androgynous", "Another Shot of Whiskey" live Evil Stig, "Any Weather", "As I Am", "Ashes in the Wind", "Baby Blue", "Bad Lover" live The Bottom Line, New York City, NY 20 December 1980, "Bad Time", "Be My Lover", "Be Straight", "Bits and Pieces", "Black Leather", "Bob (Cousin O.)" live Evil Stig, "Born to Be Bad", "Brighter Day", "Bring It on Home", "Celluloid Heroes", "Change the World", "Coney Island Whitefish", "Consumed", "Contact", "Crimson and Clover", "Desire", "Different", "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Doing Alright With the Boys", "Don't Abuse Me", "Don't Surrender", "Don't Use Me" live The Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, OH 19 July 1976, "Eight Days a Week", "Everyone Knows", "Eye to Eye", "Fantasies", "Fetish", "Five", "Fragile", "The French Song", "Fresh Start", "Frustrated", "Go Home", "Gotcha", "Handyman", "Hard to Grow Up", "Have You Ever Seen the Rain", "Heart Beat", "Hide and Seek", "A Hundred Feet Away", "I Got No Answers", "I Hate Long Goodbyes", "I Hate Myself for Loving You", "I Know What I Know", "I Love You Love Me Love", "I Need Someone", "I Still Dream About You", "I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are" live Palladium, New York City, NY 7 January 1978, "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "I Want You", "If Ya Want My Luv", "Indian Giver", "Insecure", "Last to Know" live Evil Stig, "Let Me Go", "Lie to Me", "Light of Day", "Little Lost Girls", "Louie Louie", "Love Is All Around", "Love Is Pain", "Love Like Mine", "Lovers", "Machismo", "Make Believe", "Make It Back", "MCA", "My Buddy and Me", "Nag", "Naked", "New Orleans", "Nitetime", "Oh Woe Is Me", "Play With Me", "Pretty Vacant", "Push and Stomp", "Queens of Noise", "Reality Mentality", "Riddles", "Right 'Til the End", "Rock 'n' Roll", "Rubber and Glue", "Scratch My Back", "Second Skin" live Evil Stig, "Secret Love", "Seriously", "She Lost You", "Shout", "Sign of the Crab" live Evil Stig, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" live Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH 31 May 2014, "Spinster", "Star Star", "Summertime Blues", "Take It or Leave It", "Teenage Sex Machine" live The Bottom Line, New York City, NY 20 December 1980, "TMI", "Torture", "Tossin' & Turnin'", "Treadin' Water", "Tube Talkin'", "Tulane", "Up from the Skies", "Victim of Circumstance", "Waitin' for the Night", "We're Not Gonna Take It", "What Can I Do for You", "Wild Thing" live Palladium, New York City, NY 7 January 1978, "You Don't Know What You've Got", "You Got a Problem", "You Got Me Floating", "You Want In, I Want Out")

Significant Low Notes:

B3 ("Activity Grrrl", "Bad as We Can Be", "Bad Reputation", "Black Leather", "Bob (Cousin O.)" live Evil Stig, "Born to Be Bad", "Brighter Day", "C'mon" live Palladium, New York City, NY 7 January 1978, "Cherry Bomb", "Coney Island Whitefish", "Consumed", "Crimson and Clover", "Doing Alright With the Boys", "Don't Abuse Me", "Don't Surrender", "Eight Days a Week", "Everyday People", "Eye to Eye", "Fantasy", "Fetish", "Fresh Start", "Frustrated", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Gotta Get Out Tonight", "Hard to Grow Up", "Hide and Seek", "Hold Me", "I Got No Answers", "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "I Want You", "I'll Never Get Away", "Jezebel", "Last to Know" live Evil Stig, "Let Me Go", "Light of Day", "Love Hurts", "Love Like Mine", "MCA", "New Orleans", "Nitetime", "The Only Good Thing (You Ever Said Was Goodbye)", "Outlaw", "Play That Song Again", "Push and Stomp", "Queens of Noise", "Real Wild Child", "Rebel, Rebel", "Ridin' With James Dean", "Roadrunner", "Rock 'n' Roll", "(I'm Gonna) Run Away", "Science Fiction/Double Feature", "Secret Love", "She Lost You", "Soulmates to Strangers", "Spinster", "Star Star", "Summertime Blues", "Talkin' 'Bout My Baby", "Too Bad on Your Birthday", "Torture", "Tossin' & Turnin'", "Trash Can Murders", "Turn It Around", "Up from the Skies", "Wait for Me", "We're Not Gonna Take It", "What Can I Do for You", "Wonderin'", "You Don't Know What You've Got", "You Drive Me Wild", "You Got a Problem", "You Want In, I Want Out")
B♭3 ("Activity Grrrl", "Back It Up", "Bad Time", "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)", "Drinking Song" live Evil Stig, "Good Music", "Goodbye", "Guilt Within Your Head" live Evil Stig, "Hanky Panky", "A Hundred Feet Away", "I Can't Control Myself", "I Love You Love Me Love", "Just Like in the Movies", "Lie to Me", "Louie Louie", "Lovers", "Make It Back", "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", "Outlaw", "Riddles", "(I'm Gonna) Run Away", "Saturday Nite Special", "Someday", "Soulmates to Strangers", "Take It or Leave It", "Tush", "Watersign", "Who Can You Trust", "Why Can't We Be Happy", "Wooly Bully", "You Don't Own Me")
A3 ("Androgynous", "Another Shot of Whiskey" live Evil Stig, "As I Am", "Ashes in the Wind", "Baby Blue", "Bad as We Can Be", "Bad Time", "Be My Lover", "Born to Be Bad", "Bring It on Home", "Change the World", "Contact", "Dead End Justice", "Desire", "Different", "Don't Abuse Me", "Don't Surrender", "Eight Days a Week", "Everybody Needs a Hero", "Everyone Knows", "Fake Friends", "Fantasy", "Five", "Fragile", "The French Song", "Frustrated", "Have You Ever Seen the Rain", "Hold Me", "I Hate Myself for Loving You", "I Know What I Know", "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", "I Still Dream About You", "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "I Want You", "Indian Giver", "Insecure", "Lie to Me", "Light of Day", "Little Liar", "Love Is All Around", "Make Believe", "MCA", "Naked", "New Orleans", "Push and Stomp", "Riddles", "Right 'Til the End", "Rock 'n' Roll", "Scratch My Back", "Second Skin" live Evil Stig, "Secret Love", "Seriously", "Star Star", "Summertime Blues", "Tube Talkin'", "This Means War", "Too Bad on Your Birthday", "Treadin' Water", "Tulane", "Turn It Around", "Watersign", "Why Can't We Be Happy", "You Don't Know What You've Got", "You Want In, I Want Out")
G♯3 ("A.C.D.C.", "Any Weather", "Ashes in the Wind", "Backlash", "Be My Lover", "Bird Dog", "C'mon" live Palladium, New York City, NY 7 January 1978, "Cherry Bomb", "Different", "Eye to Eye", "Fake Friends", "Five", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Goodbye", "Gotta Get Out Tonight", "Guilt Within Your Head" live Evil Stig, "I Hate Long Goodbyes", "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", "I Love You Love Me Love", "Last to Know" live Evil Stig, "Love Hurts", "Love Me Two Times", "Ridin' With James Dean", "Roadrunner", "Talkin' 'Bout My Baby", "This Means War", "Time Has Come Today", "Trash Can Murders", "Up from the Skies")
G3 ("Another Shot of Whiskey" live Evil Stig, "As I Am", "Baby Blue", "Back It Up", "Bob (Cousin O.)" live Evil Stig, "Brighter Day", "Bring It on Home", "Celluloid Heroes", "Dead End Justice", "Desire", "Drinking Song" live Evil Stig, "Everybody Needs a Hero", "Everyday People", "Fantasies", "The French Song", "Hanky Panky", "Hard to Grow Up", "Have You Ever Seen the Rain", "I Got No Answers", "I Hate Long Goodbyes", "I Know What I Know", "If Ya Want My Luv", "Insecure", "Just Like in the Movies", "Let Me Go", "Long Time", "Make Believe", "Make It Back", "Nitetime", "Second Skin" live Evil Stig, "Take It or Leave It", "Treadin' Water", "Tulane", "We're All Crazy Now", "Wooly Bully", "You Don't Own Me", "You Got Me Floating")
F♯3 ("A.C.D.C.", "Androgynous", "Backlash", "Bird Dog", "Change the World", "Contact", "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)", "Eye to Eye", "Fantasies", "Fantasy", "Fetish", "Fragile", "I Still Dream About You", "Indian Giver", "Insecure", "Last to Know" live Evil Stig, "Naked", "Play That Song Again", "Reality Mentality", "Right 'Til the End", "Science Fiction/Double Feature", "Scratch My Back", "Smells Like Teen Spirit" live Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH 31 May 2014, "TMI", "Tube Talkin'", "We're Not Gonna Take It")
F3 ("Celluloid Heroes", "Good Music", "If Ya Want My Luv", "Long Time", "Love Me Two Times", "You Got Me Floating")
E3 ("Any Weather", "Consumed", "Good Music", "I Hate Myself for Loving You", "I Still Dream About You", "Reality Mentality", "Roadrunner", "Smells Like Teen Spirit" live Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH 31 May 2014, "Time Has Come Today", "TMI", "We're All Crazy Now", "We're Not Gonna Take It", "Whirlwind" live Evil Stig)
E♭3 ("Bird Dog", "Love Me Two Times")
D3 ("Androgynous", "Everybody Needs a Hero", "If Ya Want My Luv", "Just Lust", "Little Liar", "Treadin' Water", "Up from the Skies", "Whirlwind" live Evil Stig)
C3 ("Just Lust")
B2 ("Seriously", "Up from the Skies")

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}F6 ("Dead End Justice"^[1a])
D6 ("Tube Talkin'"^[2a])
C6 ("Born to Be Bad"^[1b], "Long Time"^[1b], "Nag"^[3a])
B♭5 ("Take It or Leave It"^[1b])
A5 ("Contact"^[1b])
G5 ("I Love Playin' With Fire"^[3b], "Secret Love"^[1b])
F5 ("Insecure"^[1b], "Little Sister"^[3b], "Tearstained Letters"^[3b])
E5 ("I Hate Myself for Loving You"^[3b], "Tulane"^[3b])
C♯5 ("Fresh Start"^[3b], "The Only Good Thing (You Ever Said Was Goodbye)"^[3b], "We're Not Gonna Take It"^[3b])
B4 ("Baby Blue", "Torture"^[3b])
C♯3 ("Change the World"^[1c])
..................................................
[1] Questionable representativeness.
a. Ambiguously pitched screams.
b. Short falsetto exclamations.
c. Speaking.

[2] Questionable legitimacy.
a. Hellish power drill noises.

[3] Questionable quality.
a. Voice cracking.
b. Short, raspy exclamations.

..................................................
• Blue marks falsetto notes.
• Green marks harshly distorted notes.
• Bold marks outstanding passages.
• Italics mark non-melodic notes.
• Underlines mark obscured notes.

Special thanks to Brenda for offering to help and her generally enthusiastic attitude in the making of this thread! <3