Currie joined the Runaways in 1975, at age 15. The teen rock anthem "Cherry Bomb" was written for her at the audition. Assessments of her impact at that time differ; one reviewer has written that "the received wisdom that [the Runaways] carved out new territory for female Musicians is hard to justify – it's doubtful that the predominantly male audience who flocked to see the 16-year-old [Currie] in her undies picked up any feminist subtext."

After three albums with the Runaways (The Runaways, Queens of Noise and Live in Japan), Currie went on to be a solo Artist. She signed a contract with Mercury saying she would record four records, but she left the Runaways after the third album, thus she was obligated to record another album. She recorded it solo and the result was Beauty's Only Skin Deep for Polygram Records. Marie Currie did a duet with Cherie on her solo record "Love at First Sight". Cherie and Marie went on a US tour in 1977, and when Marie would join Cherie on stage to sing the encores the audience would go wild. Then they went on a Japan tour in 1978. While in Japan, the twins performed on many TV shows. So Cherie ran with the idea of two blonds are better than one, and changed the band name from Cherie Currie to Cherie and Marie Currie. With Marie Currie, she recorded Messin' with the Boys for Capitol Records and Young and Wild for Raven. Messin' with the Boys was released in 1980. Messin' with the Boys received more radio play than Beauty's Only Skin Deep and, the song "Since You Been Gone" off Messin' with the Boys charted number 95 on US charts. Both the single "This Time" and the album Messin' with the Boys made the top 200 on U.S. charts. Cherie and Marie performed on many television shows to support the album; including the Sha Na Na show, and The Mike Douglas Show. Along with the album recordings with Marie, Cherie and Marie sang, wrote, and produced songs for The Rosebud Beach Hotel and its Soundtrack called, The Rosebud Beach Hotel Soundtrack. In the film, they acted and sang together. In 1991, Cherie and Marie Currie performed at the Coconut Teaser which was a tribute concert to Paula Pierce, she was a member of The Pandoras. For the final performance The remaining Pandoras backed the Currie sisters. Currie performed at The Runaways reunion in 1994 with other Runaways Fox and West. Her sister Marie joined the three Runaways on stage and performed with the band. In 1998, Cherie and Marie held a concert at the Golden Apple, in support of their re-released version of Messin' with the Boys. Cherie's ex-bandmate West joined Cherie on stage to perform some of the Runaways songs. The Curries and West signed autographs after the show. Young and Wild was released in 1998. It was Cherie and Marie's first compilation album. It contains tracks from Beauty's Only Skin Deep, Messin with the Boys, Flaming School Girls (The Runaways compilation album), and one new track co-written by Marie. In 1999 Rocket City Records released Currie's studio album The 80's Collection. The album contains guest work by Marie Currie.

In 1979 an alternative cover photo of Currie's album, Beauty's only Skin Deep, appears in the background of the film Rock 'n' Roll High School. It appears when the Ramones are backstage.

Cherie starred in the film Foxes in 1980 with Jodie Foster. She received strong reviews for her acting debut, and because of this film she received many roles in other films. Along with starring in Foxes (her best known film), she starred in Parasite, Wavelength, Twilight Zone: The Movie, The Rosebud Beach Hotel (with Marie Currie), Rich Girl, and others, as well as numerous guest spots on television series (Matlock and Murder, She Wrote, among others). In 1984 Currie was cast as Brenda in Savage Streets, but was replaced by Linda Blair. In the same year Currie was cast as the lead singer of the fictional band the Dose in the film This is Spinal Tap, but her character was cut out of the film. Cherie was considered for a part in the 1985 film Explorers but, according to her autobiography, she was in the throes of drug dependency and couldn't even make it to a meeting.

Currie was married to actor Robert Hays on May 12, 1990, and they had one son together, Jake Hays. Jake Hays learned to play guitar well enough to be included in recent recording sessions, and as a member of Cherie Currie's new touring band.

The sisters Dot, Helen, and Darby (played by Chloë Sevigny, Carisa Glucksman, and Darby Dougherty) in the film Gummo released in 1997, Korine has mentioned that "Dot and Helen were based off a combination of Cherie and Marie Currie, home schooling, and The Shaggs."

Currie is now a wood-carving Artist using a chainsaw to create her works. She has been doing chainsaw art since 2002 and opened her own gallery in 2005 in Chatsworth, California. Her chainsaw art has been featured on recent television programs.

In 2006 the teen drama The O.C., in the Season 3 episode "The Man of the Year", Marissa makes an entrance to "Cherry Bomb", while dressed in a provocative schoolgirl outfit, to Kaitlyn's boarding school. She pays tribute to Currie because when Currie sang "Cherry Bomb" live she wore a provocative outfit.

Currie struggled with drug addiction for much of her younger life, which was a major factor in the abrupt ending of her career. She later wrote a memoir, Neon Angel, recounting life in the band and her traumatic experiences with drug addiction, sex abuse, and her broken family. The Runaways, a 2010 biographical drama film executive-produced by Joan Jett, focuses on the group's early beginnings and explores the relationship between Currie and Jett. In the film, Currie is portrayed by Dakota Fanning.

Currie was a guest vocalist on Shameless' 2013 album, Beautiful Disaster. Currie released singles with ex-bandmate, Lita Ford and Glenn Danzig the same year. Currie released another studio album, Reverie, in 2015 The album features guest work from ex-bandmate, Lita Ford, Currie's son, Jake Hays, and Currie's ex-manager, Kim Fowley. Cherie toured the UK in November 2015, to support her new album. Her special guest on her UK tour was Last Great Dreamers. While in UK, Currie recorded a live album entitled "Midnight Music in London" which features a special live appearance by Suzi Quatro. It was released in 2016. In late May and early June 2016 Currie toured Australia and New Zealand.