Cherry Bomb" is a 1976 punk-influenced hard rock song by the all-girl band The Runaways off of their self-titled debut album. It is widely regarded by many as the band's signature song.[1] "Cherry Bomb" was also ranked 52nd on VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs.[2] Singer/guitarist Joan Jett composed the song with the band's then-manager, Kim Fowley, and would later go on to re-record it with her band the Blackhearts for the 1984 album Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth. Former lead singer Cherie Currie and Kim Fowley claimed in Edgeplay: A film about The Runaways that the song was quickly written just for Currie to audition for the band, because the band members couldn't perform the song she originally chose to sing. [3]
The Runaways' version of the song was used in the TV film Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway and the cult classic film Dazed and Confused, and was featured on its soundtrack album.[4] It can also be heard as a partial cover song by JoJo in the movie RV and was covered by Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart, who played Runaways frontwoman Cherie Currie and Joan Jett, for the 2010 biopic film The Runaways.[5] The song has been re-recorded by Jett and Currie to be featured in the video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock as a playable song.[6]
The Guitar Hero version was heard in the season 5 premiere of the HBO series True Blood during the scene where Jessica and her friends are shown playing the game.
"Cherry Bomb" is also featured in the game Lollipop Chainsaw.