Strictly Rock

  • Home
  • Bands
  • Videos
  • Store
  • Events
  • Unsigned Bands
  • Blog
  • Contact

Billy Idol

May 15, 2014 by strictlyrock Leave a Comment

Click on the image to buy this print

William Michael Albert Broad (born November 30th 1955), who would later become known as Billy Idol, had to start from the ground up just like everyone else in the music business. In 1976 he started playing with the band Siouxsie & the Banshees and the next year joined Chelsea as a guitarist. After leaving Chelsea, Idol and fellow band-mate Tony James teamed up to start the band Generation X. Idol would take on the role of lead singer, and the band went on to be singed by Chrysalis Records. In 1978 they released their self-titled debut album “Generation X.” Upon it’s US release, the album included a cover of John Lennon’s famous song, “Gimme Some Truth.” Next, the band released “Valley of the Dolls” in 1979. The album reached the #51 spot on the UK charts and was followed up by the 1981 release “Kiss Me Deadly,” which would be the band’s final album.

Click on the image to buy this T-shirt

After parting ways with Generation X, Idol moved to New York and set out to make it as a solo artist. He started working with guitarist Steve Stevens, and in July of 1982, released his first album entitled “Billy Idol.” The record included what would arguably be two of Idol’s most famous songs, “Dancing With Myself,” (which had previously been released as a single) and “White Wedding.” “Dancing With Myself” produced a music video, as did “White Wedding,” and, thanks to the newly created MTV television station, the two videos were played constantly. The album was certified Gold the year of its release.

Click on the image to buy this print

In 1983, Idol’s new found popularity greatly increased his record sales. After being recorded at the very famous Electric Lady Studios in New York City, “Rebel Yell” was released on December 3rd, 1983. The album included the singles “Flesh for Fantasy,” “Eyes Without a Face,” and the unforgettable and essential Idol song, “Rebel Yell.” The single didn’t fair extremely well in the charts, but it helped the album sell over 2 million copies in the US alone, which, for Idol, was a huge step in the right direction.

Click on the image to buy this print

Three years later, in September of 1986, Idol’s next album “Whiplash Smile,” was released. The album did reasonably well in the charts, peaking at #6, with the help of singles “Don’t Need A Gun,” “To Be A Lover,” and “Sweet Sixteen.” Another track, “Fatal Charm” was actually featured in the horror movie “A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master,” which continued Idol’s influence on the world of pop culture. After “Whiplash…” however, long-time partner Steve Stevens and Idol went their separate ways. The next year, a remix album entitled “Vital Idol” would be released. The record included a cover of the very popular song “Mony Mony,” which landed Idol at the top of the charts.

Click on the image to buy this print

Unfortunately the road of life isn’t always a smooth one, and for Idol, that was realized quite literally in 1990 when he was involved in a motorcycle accident. Although the incident almost cost him his leg, he got back on his feet, so to speak, and by 1993 released “Charmed Life.” The album was eventually certified Platinum, and even reached the #11 spot on the US charts, but was nowhere near as successful as his previous attempts. It can be said that Idol was quite ahead of his time however. “Charmed…” was recorded at Idol’s home studio, using an Apple computer that, at the time, was unheard of. In 1993 Idol released “Cyberpunk,” but Idol would not see another one of his albums reach Platinum status until the release of his 2001 “Greatest Hits” record. Despite the fact that he hadn’t been as successful as he was in earlier years, Idol was far from forgotten. In October of 2004 the song “White Wedding” was featured in the hugely popular and successful video game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.” In 2005 Idol released “Devils Playground,” which included a cover of the song “Plastic Jesus,” and in November of 2006 he even released a Christmas album, very appropriately named “Billy Idol: Happy Holidays.” Currently Idol does not have any tour dates scheduled, but expect him to be performing live in the future.

Filed Under: Rock Bands

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Cart

T-shirts

View all Products in this Category
View more T-Shirts

100 Greatest Rock & Roll Bands

  1. The Beatles
  2. The Rolling Stones
  3. Led Zeppelin
  4. Jimi Hendrix
  5. Elvis Presley
  6. The Who
  7. U2
  8. Pink Floyd
  9. The Doors
  10. The Police
  11. Elton John
  12. Metallica
  13. AC/DC
  14. Van Halen
  15. Nirvana
  16. Guns N' Roses
  17. Santana
  18. The Allman Brothers Band
  19. Bon Jovi
  20. David Bowie
  21. Grateful Dead
  22. Rush
  23. Yes
  24. Black Sabbath
  25. Bob Dylan
  26. James Brown
  27. The Beach Boys
  28. Eric Clapton
  29. Fleetwood Mac
  30. The Eagles
  31. Bob Marley
  32. Van Morrison
  33. Bruce Springsteen
  34. The Clash
  35. Queen
  36. Janis Joplin
  37. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
  38. R.E.M.
  39. The Kinks
  40. Steely Dan
  41. Steve Miller Band
  42. Jethro Tull
  43. Tool
  44. The Scorpions
  45. Coldplay
  46. Stone Temple Pilots
  47. Rod Stewart
  48. Marilyn Manson
  49. Creedence Clearwater Revival
  50. KISS
  51. The Pretenders
  52. Green Day
  53. Aerosmith
  54. Tina Turner
  55. Pearl Jam
  56. Ted Nugent
  57. Pantera
  58. Motörhead
  59. Judas Priest
  60. ZZ Top
  61. Megadeth
  62. Motley Crue
  63. Alice Cooper
  64. Def Leppard
  65. Iron Maiden
  66. Billy Idol
  67. Journey
  68. Anthrax
  69. Rage Against the Machine
  70. Blue Oyster Cult
  71. Alice in Chains
  72. Genesis
  73. Red Hot Chili Peppers
  74. Chuck Berry
  75. Buddy Holly
  76. Little Richard
  77. Elvis Costello
  78. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
  79. Sex Pistols
  80. Cream
  81. Frank Zappa
  82. Talking Heads
  83. Stevie Ray Vaughan
  84. Billy Joel
  85. The Band
  86. Ramones
  87. Lynyrd Skynyrd
  88. Jerry Lee Lewis
  89. Doobie Brothers
  90. Foo Fighters
  91. The Cure
  92. Soundgarden
  93. Iggy Pop
  94. Peter Gabriel
  95. The Byrds
  96. Traffic
  97. Deep Purple
  98. Blondie
  99. Velvet Underground
  100. Heart

Home | Bands | Videos | Store | Events | Unsigned Bands | Blog | Contact

Copyright © 2023 · strictlyrock.com

Copyright © 2023 · Website Maintenance Services