A leading icon of the British music revolution of the 1960s, Pete Townshend made his name by creating the power chord, smashing guitars on stage, and penning anthems of teenage rebellion like My Generation. Now, approaching 70 and half a century after he penned the archetypal rock lyric Hope I die before I get old, Townshend has created a classical version of one of The Who's landmark albums Quadrophenia for a symphony orchestra, opera singer and choir.

Billy Idol is the eponymous debut studio album by English rock vocalist Billy Idol, released on 16 July 1982 by Chrysalis Records. After his departure from the band Generation X and the release of his first solo extended play, Don't Stop (1981), Idol began working on his debut album. Produced by Keith Forsey, Billy Idol is a rock album with strong influences of new wave music. Upon its release, the album received generally positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success, peaking at number forty-five on the Billboard 200. Billy Idol was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Call him a punk-pop icon, but Billy Idol is also a rock journeyman on 2025's introspective yet still swaggeringly fun Dream into It. Produced by Tommy English, the singer's ninth studio album moves deftly between blisteringly hooky pop-punk anthems and more atmospheric midtempo cuts, all of which nicely evoke the genre-crossing dance-rock of Idol's best work. As with all of his albums since his early-2000s renaissance, it also features plenty of sonic riffage from his longtime collaborator, guitarist Steve Stevens. English - who has worked with a stylistically varied mix of artists, including BØRNS, Foster the People, and blink-182 - brings a warmth to the production, kicking up the guitars when needed, but also adding in subtle synth and drum machine textures that smartly evoke an '80s pop atmosphere…

2012 collection from the New Wave icon compiled by German Electronic duo Blank & Jones. Features remixes and album versions of his biggest hits including 'Dancing with Myself', 'Rebel Yell', 'White Wedding', 'Catch My Fall' and many others.
Along with Duran Duran, Billy Idol was one of the first young pop/rock artists to achieve massive success in the early '80s due to the advent of MTV. Mixing his bad-boy good looks with an appealing blend of pop hooks, punk attitude, and dance beats, Idol quickly rocketed to stardom before hard living briefly derailed his career and almost proved fatal.

There's a cool aggression to 1983's "Rebel Yell," Billy Idol's second album that is equal parts new-wave, metal, punk, and pop. Although his debut was a hit and remains a classic, it was "Rebel Yell" that is his masterpiece. The album reunited Billy with the hit-making team of producer, Keith Forsey and the atmospheric guitarwork of Stevie Stevens that can only be called rock & roll nirvana. The album reached #6 on Billboard's Top 200 propelled by four hit singles including, "Rebel Yell," the eloquently gorgeous "Eyes Without a Face" with the haunting female backup singing of Perri Lister, and "Flesh for Fantasy" all of which were hit music videos. With a permanently snarled upper lip and the perfect matinee-idol blond hair, Billy Idol made punk rock palatable for MTV and the masses.

Billy Idol’s second studio album, 1983’s Rebel Yell, is being reissued for its 40th Anniversary. The album features the singles ‘Eyes Without a Face’, ‘Flesh for Fantasy’, ‘Catch My Fall’ and ‘Rebel Yell’. There are two physical editions of this reissue, a 2CD set and a 2LP vinyl version. The former features 13 bonus tracks, including five that were on the 1999 expanded CD. The extra tracks include the rather good ‘Poolside Remix’ of Eyes Without A Face (a new remix was issued as a digital single in early 2021), the previously unreleased ‘Best Way Out of Here’ and a cover of ‘Love Don’t Live Hear Anymore’ (from the original sessions). Of the latter, Billy said “We found out Madonna was doing a version on her Like A Virgin album and we had a full compliment songs so we thought we’d leave it off the album”.

Billy Idol was still a rock & roll bad boy despite being over the hill by the start of the new millennium. Billy Idol: VH1 Storytellers captures that typical snarl without the bombast and returns to basics. The real rawness behind such classics as "Flesh for Fantasy," "Cradle of Love," and "To Be a Lover" is stripped, and the acoustic mix found on this album showcases Idol's appeal on a different level. The sexiness is still there, and Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens compose a magic as well. Fans should be pleased, for the tantalizing swagger of "Rebel Yell" is ageless. Renditions of Generation X's "Kiss Me Deadly" and "Dancing With Myself" are just as exciting, however it's the intensity of the punk anthem "Ready Steady Go" that brings everything together. While Billy Idol was issuing smash singles during a decade criticized for being unoriginal, Billy Idol: VH1 Storytellers suggests otherwise.

BFI LIVE! is a 3-LP set featuring 16 tracks recorded live during the 2014-15 Kings & Queens of the Underground Tour!