The 10 Greatest Songs From Billy Idol

You can’t deny Billy Idol’s impact on rock music’s early ’80s landscape. Idol was all that an 80s rock star was supposed to be, from his snarling, haughty appearance to his raspy, gin-soaked voice. Below is our Top 10 Billy Idol Songs list, in which we’ve included some of his most popular singles and album tracks that we believe to be among his finest.

 

“Bitter Taste” – The Roadside (2021)

Billy Idol reflected on the lives of the recently deceased and the beginnings of the living for his 2021 EP The Roadside, but he also recalled the traumatic motorbike accident that nearly lost him his life and a leg back in 1990. Idol was unable to write about the disaster for decades, but in “Bitter Taste,” he confronts it head-on.

“Rebel Yell” – Rebel Yell (1983)

Ronnie Wood hosted a function in New York City, and there, Idol saw Mick Jagger and the Stones’ guitarist, drinking straight from an old bottle of Rebel Yell. A song title came to Idol at that same moment, and he quickly crafted the lyrics to go with it.

“Scream” – Devil’s Playground (2005)

Idol’s sixth studio album, Devil’s Playground, features the high-octane rocker “Scream,” the album’s lead single.

“Cradle of Love” – Charmed Life (1990)

Idol had reached its peak in the 1980s, but even at the beginning of the 1990s, he was unconquerable. The lead song “Cradle of Love” from Idol’s fourth album, Charmed Life, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went platinum.

“Eyes Without a Face” – Rebel Yell (1983)

Idol’s Rebel Yell ballad “Eyes Without a Face” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, distinguishing itself from the rest of the album. In keeping with his penchant for horror film titles, Idol chose “Eyes Without a Face,” the title of Georges Franju’s 1960 picture.

“Running from the Ghost” – The Cage (2022)

On Idol’s The Cage (2022), comes the darker “Running from the Ghost,” which begins gently on the piano before revving up around more somber vocals.

“Sweet Sixteen” – Whiplash Smile (1986)

Edward Leedskalnin, a Latvian, had been engaged to Agnes Scuffs, whom he affectionately referred to as “sweet sixteen” since she was ten years younger than him. Leedskalnin emigrated to the United States, where he spent the rest of his life sculpting massive limestone rocks embellished with coral. Idol wrote the ballad “Sweet Sixteen” about this everlasting love tale for his third album, Whiplash Smile.

“Speed” – Single (1994)

“Speed,” composed by Idol and Stevens for the film’s 1994 soundtrack and featuring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, is as quick as a racing bus. The film’s lead single borrows heavily from the guitar melody and percussion rhythm of Idol’s 1983 smash hit “Rebel Yell.”

“Dancing with Myself” – Kiss Me Deadly (1981)

Kiss Me Deadly was Generation X’s third and final album together. The first single, “Dancing with Myself,” was the ideal blend of punk and pop. The song was first inspired by a trip to Japan in 1979 when Gen X was on tour there. Idol and bassist Tony James was fascinated to see Japanese clubgoers dancing with themselves in the mirror instead of with other people.

“White Wedding” – Billy Idol (1982)

Punk musician Billy Idol debuted with his self-titled debut album. “White Wedding” was his second top-ten hit. Idol sings about his girlfriend in the song, but she has designs on another man. Like the American slang term “babe,” the English word “sister” was used to refer to a lover in “White Wedding.”