Who is the original recorder of the song "I Love Rock 'N' Roll"?

"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written in 1975 by Alan Merrill of the Arrows, who recorded the first released version.

The song was originally recorded and released by the Arrows in 1975 on Rak Records, with lead vocals, guitar, music & lyrics written by Alan Merrill.

Alan Merrill (born Allan Preston Sachs; February 19, 1951) is an American vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, actor, and model. In the early 1970s, Merrill was the first westerner to achieve pop star status in Japan.

Merrill was born in The Bronx, New York City, the son of two jazz musicians, singer Helen Merrill and saxophone/clarinet player Aaron Sachs. He went to Aiglon College in Switzerland from age 9 to 13, followed by a British boarding school. He started his semi-pro career in New York City aged 14 when he began playing in Greenwich Village's "Cafe Wha?" with the bands The Kaleidoscope, The Rayne, and Watertower West.

The song was Originally a B-side song to the Arrows song "Broken Down Heart".

The song was later flipped to an A-side status and only had one Television performance with the song.

The song's most famous cover is of course by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

Joan Jett saw the Arrows perform "I Love Rock 'n Roll" on their weekly UK television series Arrows when she was touring England with the Runaways in 1976.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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16 Comments

teacherchicky

I was looking for the Arrows, rather than just Alan Merrill;he didn't record it by himself! And your wording in that question is awful!

Al Breyette

Answer really should be The Arrows not just Alan Merrill. The way the question is worded the real answer should be the studio that produced it as they are the one that "recorded it" it.

Mark Krijgsman

toughlady, like the first sentense says "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written in 1975 by Alan Merrill of the Arrows, who recorded the first released version" Thus indication Alan Merrill of the Arrows wrote it, and the arrows recorded it. "

Mark Krijgsman

Alec Boreham, exactly, so he did record it with the arrows, I mean joan jett recorded it with the blackhearts, and nobody is going " IT was actually the blackhearts with lead singer joan jett, who recorded the cover"

Richard D. Boyle

Alan Merrill wrote the song for his band, The Arrows, for which he was the lead singer. Joan Jet’s more famous version was a later cover. The answer is correct and is not a trick...it is trivia.

Alec Boreham

Keith Richard Mears, Allen Merril was the lead singer of the Arrows

Denise Currie

Nearl fell into the trap of Joan Jett, but went 50/50 and got her and Alan Merrill, and although I have not heard of him I went for that because I was almost certain Joan Jett's version was a cover

Keith Richard Mears

Trick question, Allen Merrill was the writer, the song was originally recorded by the arrows, merril did not record the song in his own right.

Julie Allen

"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and first recorded by the Arrows in 1975. It is best known for its 1982 cover version by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts,

Albeck1994

I think whoever wrote this question cut and pasted from wiki, and misunderstood that although Alan Merrill wrote it it was his group the Arrows that recorded it, luckily I remembered he was in the Arrows so got it right.