I Love Rock and Roll

The old jukebox in Eddie’s Vinyl Diner whirred to life with a clank and a hum, just like it had every Friday night since 1982. Its colorful neon lights blinked with stubborn pride, casting a glow on the checkerboard floor. Emma Jameson, 17, dropped a quarter in and punched the buttons: J4.

Then it began.

🎵 “I love rock and roll… So put another dime in the jukebox, baby…” 🎵

Emma bobbed her head as Joan Jett’s voice filled the diner. The intro alone gave her goosebumps. Her dad used to blast that same song from his Camaro on weekend road trips, and now, even after his passing, it was still their song.

She slid into the red booth across from her best friend, Lucas, grinning. “Nothing beats classic rock,” she said.

Lucas chuckled, stirring his vanilla shake. “You say that every time we come here. You're practically a time traveler stuck in the '80s.”

“Hey, I can't help it if music had soul back then.” She leaned forward. “Besides, you can't tell me “Rock You Like a Hurricane” doesn’t get you hyped.”

Lucas gave her a mock salute. “Alright, Scorpions fan. I surrender.”

Emma smiled, but deep down, she was thinking about something else — something big. The Battle of the Bands was coming up at Jefferson High, and she had signed up. Alone. No band. No backing vocalists. Just her and her dad’s old Les Paul guitar.

It was crazy. But it felt right.

Back at home that night, Emma opened her dad’s old music trunk. Inside were worn cassettes, concert stubs, and a leather-bound notebook titled “Rock Dreams”. She flipped through the pages, fingers grazing lyrics scribbled in bold ink: “Rockin’ in the Free World”, “Let There Be Rock”, “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)”…

She smiled through misty eyes.

“I’ll do it for you, Dad.”

Three Weeks Later

The gymnasium pulsed with energy. Students crowded around the makeshift stage, cheering as bands cycled through. Emma stood backstage, gripping her guitar like a lifeline.

She heard someone finish their set with “Rock the Casbah.” The crowd roared.

Lucas walked over, handing her a bottled water. “Nervous?”

Emma nodded. “Terrified. Excited. All at once.”

Lucas grinned. “You’ve got this. You live and breathe this stuff. Just… rock their world.”

She stepped onstage, heart pounding, fingers trembling. The spotlight felt like a solar flare.

She approached the mic. “Hi. I’m Emma. This one’s for my dad. He taught me everything about music… and about living life loud.”

A hush fell over the crowd. Then — she strummed.

🎵 “Rock and Roll All Nite… and party every day…” 🎵

She launched into her medley, blending snippets of the greatest rock hits: “We Will Rock You”, “Rock 'n Me”, “Jailhouse Rock”, and of course — finishing with “I Love Rock and Roll.”

By the end, the audience was on their feet, clapping and stomping in rhythm.

The last chord echoed into the rafters. Emma looked up, picturing her dad cheering in the front row like he used to.

One Week Later

She didn’t win the Battle of the Bands.

But she didn’t need to.

The local radio station had been there and played her performance on air. The next day, Emma got a call from a small indie label — they wanted to hear more. She was stunned.

“Rock dreams don’t die,” she whispered to herself, thumbing through her dad’s notebook again. “They just get louder.”

Epilogue:

Years later, Emma stood backstage once more — but this time at a music festival, her name on the banner above the crowd.

As she stepped up to the mic, thousands of fans chanted her name.

She smiled, guitar in hand, heart still full of love for the music that started it all.

🎵 “I love rock and roll…” 🎵

And they sang it with her.