Legendary Hit Crowned 'Best Rock Song Of All Time'

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You don't have to put another dime in the jukebox baby to listen to the absolute best rock song of all time.

The world-famous track is actually a cover, penned by Alan Merrill of British rock band The Arrows, originally recorded in 1975 (per USA Today).

The song went on to spend seven weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart in 1982, all because one gritty female icon and her band decided to dust it off and give it their own electric spin.

According to a list compiled by Entertainment Weekly, the best rock song of all time is 1981's "I Love Rock 'N Roll" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. The standouts clearly had a knack for covers (Crimson and Clover, Dirty Deeds), but also wrote a slew of their own hits including 1980's "Bad Reputation" and 1988's "I Hate Myself For Loving You."

Other songs on the list include 1975's "Born To Run," by Bruce Springsteen, 1972's "Starman" by David Bowie, 1980's "Once In A Lifetime," by Talking Heads, and 1993's "Rebel Girl" by Bikini Kill to round out the top five.

Here's what Entertainment Weekly had to say about the best rock song of all time:

"So what if it's a cover? Joan Jett & the Blackhearts own this song with every ounce of their being. With vinyl-black hair and Gibson-sculpted arms, Jett doesn't just love rock, she is rock. But her toughness was no act — when the Runaways broke up, she recorded a solo album with her backing band, the Blackhearts, and got rejected by 23 labels, making the chart-topping success of "I Love Rock 'N Roll" that much sweeter. Spare as a schoolyard chant, stalwart producer Kenny Laguna created a perfect back-and-forth between crisp handclaps and dirty chords. And in the middle of it all, Jett's husky force of a voice — victory in every word."

To view the 25 best rock songs ever recorded, check out Entertainment Weekly's full list.

Listen to Joan Jett & the Blackhearts on iHeartRadio and watch the official "I Love Rock 'N Roll" music video below!


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