Ya he's not really a jerk in his interviews he is always pretty humble and kind

never judge a book by it's cover. He's not a jerk. He is a party animal back in the 80's.

Not sure why you think he’s a jerk, I went to his concert in the 80”s & he was brilliant on stage he’s now a grandfather & still rocking

He's down to earth and has a great sense of humor. Absolutely nothing about him is a jerk. Amazing entertainer.

Billy Idol created a punk-rock persona, but his songs are actually pop/new wave. He is a very talented singer & songwriter. "Dancing With Myself", "White Wedding", and "Eyes Without a Face" are worth a reaction.

Arrogance is typically a stage persona of Rock stars. Many times, they tend to be nice and maybe introverted people in person, but extroverted on stage.

The "slavery" hes talking bout is drug addiction.. She wont sit and beg but she wants MORE MORE MORE.. And its sex too. Billy was fusion of sex and drugs.

Please dont pre judge based on looks and please dont attach things out of context of the actual song. Its not about slavery at all. There's no race in this at all.

No need to get all "triggered" just because he uttered the word "slavery". It is appropriate in the context of the song. Just curious but what exactly due you consider a "jerk" in terms of just a video performance?

It wasn't racist at all, he with sitting at a table at a bar in London with Mick Jagger and Keith Richard's of the Rolling Stones they were drinking a whiskey called Rebel Yell, he asked the Stones if he could write a song called that and they said go ahead and he wrote it in a few minutes.

He talkin bout grown folk stuff.. you know

Billy Idol used hair gel that allowed his hair to be stiff enough to be spiked and stand straight up. He also bleached his hair (it is naturally dark brown). It was his signature, held over from his days as a punk rock singer. The guitarist is Steve Stevens, he was Billy's guitarist for many years, but he also wrote the "Top Gun Theme" for the Tom Cruise movie 'Top Gun'. He is an excellent guitarist.

He’s actually really nice in person another great song by him is white Wedding great song check it out.

Got to admit I really think he has one of the best voices in rock music. You might like Eyes Without A Face.

Billy Idol is one of the most likable rock stars. He's loved by his fans for being a real person. He's also a huge fan of Elvis. Notice the whiplash snarl just like Elvis.

He’s actually if you’ve seen interviews of him a little shy very sweet and very humble it’s just a stage persona that worked very well for him. This song was massive

Hahaha. Never judge a book by its cover hombre!!! Your gonna be wrong most of the time. 🥳

William Micheal Albert Broad, aka Billy Idol started in the 70's with the Punk Rock band Generation X, he called himself Billy Idol because in school his teachers called him "idle" as he wasn't the best student. Generation X was part of the second British Invasion with the rise of Punk Rock in the US. His guitarist Steve Stevens is one of the most underrated musicians in rock.

I meet Billy Idol when I was stationed in California. I saw him while in uniform and he stopped to sign autographs and take pictures.

My friend used to work at a video store in Studio City L.A. back in the 90's. Billy would come in there and rent videos. Apparently he's a really chill guy and quite friendly. It's just his persona to be a "Jerk " I think

This song came out in 1983, that's 38 years ago and he was the bomb! He was never a jerk....he was a sexy rebel. That was the image of punk, new wave and rock back in the days.. The 80's had many genre's and all of them were hugely successful. I personally think the 80's produced most of the best music ever.

"How did he get his hair like that?". It was the 80's, so would have been enough hair spray to destroy the ozone layer 😉😁.

Jojo Billy Idol that is So 80s check out his song White Wedding and the Cure Love Song

He is actually a really down to earth guy.I have adoreed him since I was a kid

its usually better to listen to words in the context that they are delivered in rather than pick and choose fragments

Never ever heard the artist or the song ...... "Sounds like a jerk"? Literally, the first TEN SECONDS of the song .... "looks like a jerk"? Wow .... already judged before he's even opened his mouth to sing. Great open-minded reaction there. Well, at least he didn't use auto-tune, could actually sing, didn't need social media for popularity, wrote his own music and could play an instrument or two (ie. like a REAL musician). That kind of puts him one up against 90% of the "artists" today.

Yup Billy is the poster boy for "rock star." That band was killer and he really could sing and made some incredibly catchy songs throughout his career. Guitarist is Steve Stevens and he's a beast. This is a live video, therefore the album version of the song was used, but back in the 80s, all rock stars could do this live! They had to. Too much stiff competition out there for them to not be good for real. White Wedding is a must.

Billy is one of the original British punks from the mid-70s, the period that spawned the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Damned, and others. The punk movement in the mid-70s literally changed British music and London society overnight; it was like a bomb went off in exactly the right place. Billy was part of a social group called The Bromley Contingent, a group of Londoners who, inspired by the Pistols, formed many crucial punk and post-punk bands like Siouxsie & the Banshees. Billy fronted a group called Generation X when he was still a teenager. The spiky hair came from the punk movement, pioneered in particular by Sid Vicious of the Pistols (whose Elvis-like sneer Billy copied). After Generation X broke up, Billy struck out on his own, and eventually by the middle of the 80s found commercial success in the post-punk/New Wave terrain of MTV.

Rebel Yell is a drink that he and the Rolling Stones got hammered on one night....

I know someone that worked with him back in San Francisco during the height of his career and she said that he was nothing like his persona. In fact she said that he was actually quite soft spoken and well mannered.

He was a fusion of Disco, New Wave, and Punk.

I don't understand why you think he's a jerk? He's so super cool and a truly incredible man.

Billy Idol was so huge in the 80', especially on Mtv.

It was the 80's....true rock stars in that era. Check out White Wedding and Mony Mony.

Billy Idol - White Wedding, Mony Mony

That guitarist would be one of the 80's original legends: Steve Stevens.

Steve Stevens also plays guitar on Micheal Jackson’s Dirty Diana.

So fun watching young ones "reacting" to songs "we" listened to while making your parents! ;)

The jerk persona was an act. He was a humble guy. Great punk music from the 80s. Loved dancing to his music.

Billy idol white wedding

Billy is actually a Kool kind n humble man. Had a hard up bringing and fame didn't go to his head. OG in that Grunge look. Really a good voice.

im still trying to figure out why people called billy are jerks? :D also i think you misunderstood the "slavery" line, just saying

First, I've enjoyed a lot of your reviews, truly. But, and I really wish there was a better way to say this, if you want to actually deal with music from before your time or outside of your typical genre, you have to have kind of let some of the ultra-sensitivity drop for a minute or two now and then. That, or possibly understand and accept the fact that 20 years from now what you think is fine will be something someone else takes offense with.

I love seeing youngsters discovering music I was rocking out to back in the day 😂 had such a crush on Billy 😍

I had such a crush on him, posters everywhere... my grandma came and saw one of the posters and said "he's kindly attractive, even sexy, but I wish he'd do somethin with that hair!" 🙄😂 oh gramma!

He wasn't referring to " slavery" as a bad thing; in regards to this song it was more along of S&M and he is saying "set you free"....I'm not going to "dominate"

At school, one of his teachers wrote: "Billy Is Idle"...which Billy remembered and later used as the band name. He was big in the 80's and White Wedding was also massive! Thanks for the reaction.

Rebel Yell is the name of a whiskey. One night Billy Idol and the guitarist Steve Stevens were at a party and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones were there drinking Rebel Yell. Billy asked if they were going to do anything in a song with that. They said No, and Billy and Steve used the term for their next song. He's not a "jerk" . Geeze, He was the hottest guy ever and is still selling out shows to this day

His hair! His hair! I'm a 56 year old Gen Xer. And I still rock a Billy Idol style rock Mohawk.

The guitarist is legendary guitarist steve stevens, who also co-wrote the song.

Fun fact, he appeared in Oliver stones The Doors, one of his favorite bands, and mine. He was just in a motorcycle accident and had to lay on a table in one scene. Dudes trooper, a maniac and bad ass. His partying in the Uk was legendary. By the way check out Jim Morrison and The Doors, he was a poetic genius, a man far ahead of his time.

Just watched him a couple of years ago at the House of Blues in Anaheim California. Hell of a show he put on!🎸👊

Always loved him!

The guitar player is Steve Stevens, absolute underrated legend. Played on the Grammy winning top gun anthem for the classic Tom cruise movie, Dirty Diana with Michael Jackson just to name some of his contributions outside of being Billy Idol’s main axeman

Billy Idol is awsome... not a jerk... and the best screamer of the 80s... you should see his looks a few years late, total killer

In Sweet Sixteen, his voice sounds like Elvis. I swear he could do Elvis songs.

Saw him in concert in Miami 20 years ago. He’s outrageous! “Hot in the City” from the movie “Big” was Billy Idol.

Well, once upon a time singers had to be able to sing. Not like today.

He’s one I prayed would not destroy his life, and he didn’t. Almost did himself in with a motorcycle crash, but he’s still singing and enjoying his life today.

More Billy Idol!! 💖 Steve Stevens on guitar. Hot In The City, Money Money, White Wedding, Eyes Without a Face, Dancing With Myself.

Slavery was a reference to sexual submission...and also all through history all races and colors of people experienced slavery...but that's not what he is referring to.

You're thinking in terms of Americans when you read, 'Rebel Yell.' He's an English punk rocker, he absolutely couldn't give a s#1t about good old boy values. Side note: I have always referred to Billy and Glen Danzig as, "Evil Elvis" in the way they sound. Fits.

And probably my favorite Billy Idol tune. You have to check out "To be a lover". It ROCKS!

Hip Hop will Never Stand The Test Of TIME like these classics!!!

Alice Cooper's Poison from the same era has a similar vibe to it and it's a real banger as well

This came out when I was in High School. You notice how he curls his lip he said he got that from Elvis. My hair was like that back then, its called mouse.

It's not really a "jerk vibe." You have to understand that rock 'n' roll is all about ATTITUDE. Billy was dripping with attitude.

He’s very appreciative of his fans.

I did my hair like his and the earrings too when I was a teen

So many great things to say about Billy Idol. His timing was perfect because MTV brought singers and their image to everyone's living room. His whiplash smile and good looks were tailor made for the venue. He also had a great wing man in Steve Stevens. That guy is bloody brilliant. Good review. You picked a good one to feature.🙂

Not only was he great at what he did, Billy is a really nice guy.

“One of those jerk rock stars??” Says a lot for me!...The pre- judgements were a bit of a turn off, as well as comments like that- Yes I want honesty.. however.. can we tone down the stereotypes of rock stars please? You labeled him a jerk from the get go- I could say some things about today’s music too.. but I won’t- Love your family- ✌️

How can u judge someone u don't know ?!? Billy Idol is pretty cool ! U HAD to know how to sing back then, it's totally different now with the crap that's popular !!

Steve Stevens is the guitarist. He played guitar on the Top Gun movie theme tune (won a Grammy for it) and he was the guest guitarist on Michael Jackson’s ‘Dirty Diana’. Exceptional player and he wrote all the music for Idol’s hits.

One word from a song doesn’t define a person. Billy idol is a great singer and probably a great guy.

Billy Idol is a 80s rock band LEGEND!!..His voice, cool demeanor, wardrobe, and of course super sexy..even tho its been 40yrs since this video..his music never gets old for me..I still blast this in my truck to this day!

Billy Idol is a rebel. And an Idol. He is on tour i think and if he's not, he should be.

I get the vibe you didn't understand what the song was about at all.

It's a great show! My eldest son loved him, copied his style. So cute. I got him tickets to see him when he was a grown man.

Wow i can't believe i have to say this rock of the 80s ...Bill idol has alot of music and hes great see we had rock befor rap came out ..and you will hear alot of rock groups from the 80s that are fantastic......

Saw him in concert pre covid and he’s amazing live. I was dancing so much he brought the mic down to me and my bf and we got to sing the rest of dancing with myself with him. He loves his fans

Billy Idol, 19th / 20th Centuries Punk/Rock "Elvis Presley". My favorite of them all.

Not a Jerk but an absolute Legend & so is his guitar player Steve Stevens who also played the Top Gun Anthem.

"How does he get his hair like that?" Lots and lots and lots and lots of hair gel.

This has to be the best reaction. Thank for for making my day

For the story Rebel Yell is actually a whisky. Billy was hanging out with Mick Jagger, Keith Richard and they were drinking this whiskey and Billy thought it would be a great song name

I really love watching you listen to my music! lol it's nice to see it's still appreciated. I saw billy Idol 4-6 times, I used to go to concerts almost every weekend and saw many artists multiple times. My 2nd fav concert ever is KISS. I've seen KISS too many times to count, every time they were in my town, pretty much every tour since 1983 to this last one just before COVID. My all time fav was Prince with Sheila E, who I only got to see once, though he's the GOAT. BUT Billy Idol, the last 2 times I saw him he was stumbling all over the stage, it was sad, he just lost it. You could tell something else took over his life, I'm guessing alcohol. he tripped and fell twice in the last concert and his singing just really went down by that time. I don't remember exactly what year I last saw him, but I'd guess between 1986-88, when I was 16-18.

Just saw a video of an interview he did in 1985 in New Zealand. He said this song is not about a girl but about his love for the united states and everything its given to him.

Check out "Flesh for fantasy"...An excellent vocal.

Billy Idol still has that six pack to this day.

"Putting it all on the line" sums up the Billy Idol performance style perfectly. 😍👌🏻

Love me some Billy idol he is such a sweetheart

He's brilliant,great performer,great voice ,pure talent and what a voice,he's even better live in concert 🇬🇧✌️

Bruh, slavery existed since the dawn of time. It’s not inappropriate if you understand that a slave is anyone who is governed by someone else. No racial connections just facts. Like if someone kidnaps someone and holds them against their will and makes them do what they say is slavery bro. When you get a bit older and feed your brain you’ll see the dichotomy of the context. Knowledge is power young blood.

He not only sang, he wrote most of his songs. English. From all accts, a good father now.

You can see him in Adam Sandler's "Wedding Singer".

I went to see him perform Rebel Yell at the 2016 IHeart radio concert where he performed with Miley Cyrus. He genuinely is a good guy as I got to meet him afterwards. Best memory ever.

No no...Not a jerk....LOVE him! Try his song "Dancing With Myself"...great one.

This man was killing it back in the 80 s and his songs still to this day are being sung by Miley cyrus etc his songs are iconic ...