Song of the Day 4/19: Generation X, “Kiss Me Deadly”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2026 has a distinctly British flavor. The only Americans inducted are Queen Latifah, the Wu-Tang Clan and Luther Vandross. Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, Oasis, Sade and Joy Division/New Order are all British acts.
A lot of people would say it’s about time, because Brits have gotten short shrift from the institution for years. For at least three of the inductees, the honor is long overdue.
Iron Maiden never achieved much success outside its genre, but it’s probably second only to Black Sabbath as an influence on every metal band that came later and should have been inducted 20 years ago. Oasis dominated British rock throughout the ’90s and should have been added as soon as they were eligible. New Order’s post-punk dance music was highly influential in that genre.
Phil Collins is, well, Phil Collins, and was already inducted with Genesis. His drumming during their prog days was widely admired, but they and he were honored more for their pop hits. Sade isn’t on the level of those acts, but she has a crucial qualification – she was more popular in the U.S. than in Britain, where the Nigerian-born singer was raised.
And then there’s Billy Idol. Given all the punk bands who’ve been overlooked, it’s bemusing that the frontman of a group widely derided as poseurs – who then ditched the band for a pop-rock career in the U.S. that waned when the ’80s were over – is getting the nod.
Idol, born William Broad, got his start with a group of hangers-on who surrounded the Sex Pistols in the London punk scene. He started out playing guitar in a band called Chelsea and switched to lead vocals when the rest of the band walked out on their singer in the middle of a gig. He got the job as much for his looks and attitude as his voice, but he also wrote most of their music. He and bassist/lyricist Tony James turned out tunes that fused punk energy with more melodic pop elements. That and their lack of political content earned them scorn from the press and hardcore punk fans. “One Hundred Punks” is representative of their sound.
Generation X – the name was taken from a 1964 book about the Mod movement – was never as popular as their peers. It didn’t help that each of their three albums took a different approach in their search for success. They even went through a Springsteen-influenced phase that’s obvious on “Kiss Me Deadly.”
When he left for the U.S. in 1981, Idol brought with him a song he had written for Gen X, the group’s name after a failed re-branding effort. “Dancing With Myself” was never a hit, but it established his image. “White Wedding,” “Rebel Yell” and “Eyes Without a Face” still get classic-rock radio play, but his sole No. 1 single was a remake of Tommy James’ “Mony Mony.” (Why Tommy James is perpetually snubbed is a story for another day).
Idol’s still at it today, and as you’d expect is the one aging rocker who’s thrilled to be inducted. (Iron Maiden, by comparison, said they won’t interrupt their Australian tour to accept the award). Ironically, Idol’s live act features many of the Generation X songs he left behind.
Here he is in a live-in-studio gig in 2017 with his longtime guitarist, Steve Stevens, performing “Kiss Me Deadly” again.
