One of the first all-female acts in hard rock history, The Runaways formed in
Los Angeles, California, in 1975. Record producer Kim Fowley introduced
guitarist Joan Jett and drummer Sandy West that summer, and the group's lineup
eventually coalesced around the additions of guitarist Lita Ford, singer Cherri
Currie, and bassist Jackie Fox. The band's self-titled album was released by
Mercury Records in 1976. The record's combination of hard rock guitars, pop
melodies, and punky attitude was met with lukewarm enthusiasm in America, where
The Runaways stalled at Number 194 on the Bi...