The Runaways

This band came out of Hollywood in the mid-1970s and spawned the long solo career of hard rocker and Riot Grrrl godmother Joan Jett, as well as the shorter career of heavy metal guitar goddess and Ozzy Osbourne duet partner Lita Ford (and the almost non-career of Cherie Currie). Guided by legendary Sunset Strip scenester Kim Fowley, the band brashly combined an authentic jailbait image (most of the members were around 16 years old when the band started) with music that mixed garage rock and glam in a manner that nodded toward the nascent punk movement. The band recorded three official major label albums before breaking up in 1979. Their most famous song is the teen anthem "Cherry Bomb."