The Mercury Albums Anthology (complete first four albums) (2010)

"Often dismissed during their existence as a marketing gimmick, the Runaways have grown in stature over the years as the first all-female band to make a substantial impression on the public by playing loud, straight-up, guitar-driven rock & roll. Since all of the members were teenagers, the band's music was frequently raw and amateurish, but it neatly combined American heavy metal with the new punk rock sound. In the media, the Runaways were victims of their own hype, supplied by maverick promoter/manager Kim Fowley. Fowley's insistence on a sleazy jailbait image made it easy for the press to dismiss them as nothing but a tasteless adolescent fantasy -- an impression bolstered at the time by the admittedly erratic musical qualities. But in the end, their sound and attitude proved crucially important in paving the way for female artists to crank up the volume on their guitars and rock as hard as the boys; plus, they produced a classic single in the rebel-girl manifesto "Cherry Bomb."" (Steve Huey, Allmusic)