1982 Rock Hit Ranked ‘Best Song of All Time’ Still Defines a Generation

A legendary 1982 track has been ranked as the best rock song of all time, beating out decades of iconic classics. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a timeless hit that topped the charts for weeks, redefined an era of rock music, and continues to be beloved more than 40 years later.

Who Ranked Joan Jett's 1982 Hit 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll' the Greatest Rock Song Ever?

In July 2023, Entertainment Weekly released its list of the 25 best rock songs of all time. With so many epic and incredibly popular hits from the genre's history to choose from, the competition for the top slot would have been intense. That's why Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" being named the top rock song ever by the outlet is very meaningful.

The song was originally released by the British band The Arrows in 1975, but Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' 1982 cover made the song take the music world by storm. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 20, 1982, and held that spot for seven weeks. While the song's commercial success is impressive, its influence on a generation of rock music arguably is far more important.

A 2018 The New Yorker profile of Joan Jett's career called the song's mainstream success something that "felt like a revelation" due to his fierce and guitar-driven sound. More than four decades after its breakthrough, it still has such a raw and instinctual energy that it gets listeners feeling fired up. That is why thinking of the song first during discussions of 1980s rock music makes perfect sense. The track's straightforward and iconic music video has also helped it pass the test of time with flying colors.

Entertainment Weekly’s Full List: The 25 Best Rock Songs of All Time:

• 1. "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" (1981) — Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
• 2. "Born to Run" (1975) — Bruce Springsteen
• 3. "Starman" (1972) — David Bowie
• 4. "Once in a Lifetime" (1980) — Talking Heads
• 5. "Rebel Girl" (1993) — Bikini Kill
• 6. "Where Is My Mind?" (1988) — Pixies
• 7. "Whole Lotta Love" (1969) — Led Zeppelin
• 8. "La Grange" (1973) — ZZ Top
• 9. "Fell in Love With a Girl" (2001) — The White Stripes
• 10. "Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975) — Queen
• 11. "Gimme Shelter" (1969) — The Rolling Stones
• 12. "There She Goes, My Beautiful World" (2004) — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
• 13. "All Day and All of the Night" (1964) — The Kinks
• 14. "London Calling" (1979) — The Clash
• 15. "Blitzkrieg Bop" (1976) — The Ramones
• 16. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (1991) — Nirvana
• 17. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" (1968) — The Jimi Hendrix Experience
• 18. "Gloria" (1975) — Patti Smith
• 19. "Search and Destroy" (1973) — The Stooges
• 20. "Let's Go Crazy" (1984) — Prince & the Revolution
• 21. "Tutti Frutti" (1955) — Little Richard
• 22. "Johnny B. Goode" (1958) — Chuck Berry
• 23. "Be My Baby" (1963) — The Ronettes
• 24. "A Day in the Life" (1967) — The Beatles
• 25. "Wuthering Heights" (1978) — Kate Bush