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To celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of his signature songs, Billy Idol joins The Story Behind the Song podcast to discuss “White Wedding.”
The name. The look. That hair! And the music talent and charisma to back it all up, Idol has it all. Born William Broad, Idol snarled and fist-pumped his way onto the music scene 46 years ago with platinum blond spiked attitude and boundless talent. A true icon known worldwide by all generations, Idol still makes vital music (his latest EP, The Cage, arrived in September, a year after his previous release, The Road).
While Idol idolized the Sex Pistols as a young lad in the UK, his was always a different kind of punk. While the Pistols mocked the likes of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, Idol unapologetically worshiped their melodies. He infused his authentic punk sensibility with that love of hooks, ushering in a revolution in 1980s music — and music videos.
Released as a single off his 1982 self-titled debut solo album, “White Wedding” set the stage for Billy Idol’s career. Together with is controversial music video playing on an endless loop on MTV, the track became one of pop music’s all-time breakout moments. Even 40 years later, the song endures brilliantly, with millions getting pumped up by blasting the hit even today. But although we’ve all heard the song and felt its powers for decades, very few of us know the real story behind Idol’s “White Wedding.” It’s a fascinating tale that’s surprisingly, deeply personal, and you’ll hear it all straight from the iconic artist’s mouth.
Billy Idol joins The Story Behind the Song host Peter Csathy to dig into “White Wedding,” perhaps his most iconic song from his great catalog of bangers. For his second song, Idol chose the thumping, fist-pumping title track from his Cage EP. It’s an interview with a rebel who still yells, and you can listen to it all above or wherever you get your podcasts.
As always, please like, review, and subscribe to TSBTS wherever you get your podcasts, and keep an eye on the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our series. You can also follow host Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and at Creative Media.