In 1977, rock and roll was in a weird spot. Punk was screaming in London, and the Sunset Strip was a neon-soaked fever dream. Right in the middle of that mess were five teenage girls who didn't care if you liked them or not. The Runaways Queens of Noise album dropped in January of that year, and honestly? It felt like a ticking clock. It was their second studio effort, following their self-titled debut, but the vibe was different this time. It wasn't just about the gimmick of "all-girl rock" anymore. It was about survival.
You've probably heard "Cherry Bomb" a million times. That's the first album. But Queens of Noise is where the band actually started to sound like a cohesive unit, even while they were secretly falling apart at the seams. Cherie Currie, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Jackie Fox, and Sandy West—these were kids, basically. But they played with a heavy, sludge-metal-meets-glam-rock intensity that most grown men in leather pants couldn't touch.
The Power Struggle Behind the Glass
Recording this album wasn't exactly a peaceful retreat. You had Kim Fowley, the band’s infamous and polarizing manager, hovering over everything. But for Queens of Noise, the production duties were split. Fowley brought in Earle Mankey, who had worked with Sparks and The Beach Boys. This changed the sonic landscape. The debut album was raw, almost like a demo recorded in a garage. Queens of Noise had polish. It had thumping low-ends and guitars that actually sounded like they could cut glass.
There’s this tension you can hear in the title track. Joan Jett wrote it, and it's a mid-tempo stomper. It’s heavy. But then you have tracks like "Midnight Music" or "Heartbeat," which leaned into a more melodic, almost pop-rock sensibility. This was the friction point. Cherie Currie was the frontwoman, the "blonde bombshell" image Fowley pushed, but Joan Jett was the heartbeat of the songwriting. Lita Ford? She just wanted to play loud, fast, and heavy. You can hear her fighting for space in the mix.
📖 Related: Dragon Ball All Series: Why We Are Still Obsessed Forty Years Later
Lita’s solo on "I Love Playin' with Fire" is genuinely underrated. People forget she was a teenager playing lead guitar at a level that paved the way for every female shredder in the 80s. She wasn't just "good for a girl." She was just good. Period.
Why the Tracklist Matters More Than You Think
The album starts with the title track, "Queens of Noise." It’s an anthem. It sets the stage for a band that knew they were being watched, judged, and dismissed. Then you hit "Take It or Leave It." It’s snotty. It’s aggressive. It’s everything people feared about teenage girls with electric guitars.
- "Queens of Noise": Written by Billy Bizeau. It’s the mission statement.
- "Take It or Leave It": Joan Jett showing the world she was born to be a rock star.
- "Midnight Music": A bit more experimental, showing they had range beyond just three chords.
- "Born to Be Bad": This is where the Runaways leaned into their reputation. It’s a slow burn.
Most critics at the time didn't get it. They saw the corsets and the fishnets and assumed it was all a manufactured puppet show. But if you listen to Sandy West’s drumming on "Neon Angels on the Road to Ruin," you realize there was a real engine under the hood. Sandy was a powerhouse. She hit the drums like they owed her money. That song, in particular, captures the gritty reality of their lives—touring the world as minors, facing constant harassment, and living in the shadow of "the road to ruin."
👉 See also: Down On Me: Why This Janis Joplin Classic Still Hits So Hard
The Cherie vs. Joan Dynamic
By the time the Queens of Noise sessions wrapped, the cracks were turning into canyons. Cherie Currie was increasingly isolated. On the first album, she was the undisputed lead vocalist. On this one, Joan Jett took over lead vocals on several tracks. You can feel the shift. Joan's voice had that grit, that "I’ve seen too much" quality that defined her later career with the Blackhearts.
"I Love Playin' with Fire" is a Joan-led track that basically predicted the entire "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" era. It’s infectious but dangerous. Meanwhile, Cherie was still delivering the theatrical, Bowie-esque glam vocals on songs like "Hollywood." The contrast is fascinating. It makes the album feel like a tug-of-war between two different bands. One band wanted to be a polished pop-rock act that could play on the radio; the other wanted to burn the radio station down.
The Japanese Fever Dream
You can't talk about The Runaways Queens of Noise album without talking about Japan. Shortly after this album was released, the band went to Tokyo. It was basically Beatlemania but for five girls from Los Angeles. They were mobbed at the airport. They had their own TV specials. Queens of Noise was a massive hit there.
✨ Don't miss: Doomsday Castle TV Show: Why Brent Sr. and His Kids Actually Built That Fortress
There’s a live recording from that tour, Live in Japan, which many fans consider the definitive version of these songs. On that stage, without the studio polish, the Queens of Noise tracks sounded like heavy metal. It’s also where everything finally broke. Jackie Fox left the band mid-tour. Cherie Currie left shortly after they returned to the States. This album was the final moment the "classic" lineup was fully intact in the studio. It was the peak before the cliff.
Technical Specs and Sound Quality
If you're looking for a copy today, the original vinyl pressings on Mercury Records have a specific warmth that the early digital remasters lost. Mankey’s production focused on the "wall of sound" approach but with a 70s grit. The bass guitar on this record—played by Jackie Fox, though rumors always persisted about whether session musicians were used—is actually quite prominent. It drives the rhythm in a way that feels very proto-punk.
In 2026, looking back, the album doesn't sound dated. It sounds like a blueprint. You hear it in the Riot Grrrl movement of the 90s. You hear it in modern garage rock. It’s the sound of people who weren't invited to the party, so they started their own in the parking lot.
Actionable Insights for Music Collectors and Fans
If you want to truly appreciate the Queens of Noise era, don't just stream it on a loop. You have to look at the context of 1977.
- Seek out the 2010s remasters: If you can't find an original 1977 pressing, look for the later reissues that restored some of the dynamic range. The 80s CD versions are notoriously thin.
- Watch the Documentary "Edgeplay": Directed by former bassist Vicki Blue (who joined after Jackie Fox), this film gives the most brutal, honest look at what was happening during the Queens of Noise cycle. It’s not a "fluff" piece; it’s a heavy watch.
- Listen to "Johnny Guitar": This is a deep cut on the album where Lita Ford really gets to stretch out. It’s nearly seven minutes long—unheard of for a "teen" band at the time. It proves their technical chops were real.
- Compare to the Solo Careers: Listen to Queens of Noise and then immediately play Joan Jett’s Bad Reputation and Lita Ford’s Out for Blood. You can see exactly which parts of the Runaways sound belonged to which woman.
The Runaways didn't last long, but they didn't need to. They burned through their fuel in a few years and left a crater. Queens of Noise remains the most complete document of what they were capable of when they were actually playing as a team. It’s loud, it’s messy, and it’s arguably one of the most important rock records of the late 70s.