Billy Idol – real name William Michael Albert Broad, is an English rock musician, singer, songwriter, and actor born on November 30, 1955, in Stanmore, Middlesex, England. He first rose to fame as the lead vocalist of British punk band Generation X in the late 1970s, then broke through globally as a solo artist during the MTV era of the 1980s.
He is the face behind some of rock’s most recognisable songs: White Wedding, Rebel Yell, Dancing With Myself, and Eyes Without a Face. He is considered part of the MTV-defined “Second British Invasion” and was one of the first MTV stars.
In 2026, he is more relevant than ever, a new album, a documentary, and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination all arrived in the same year.
Quick Facts:
- Full name: William Michael Albert Broad
- Born: November 30, 1955, he is 70 years old
- Genre: Punk rock, new wave, hard rock
- Net worth: Estimated $60 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2026)
- 2026 status: New album Dream Into It, documentary on Hulu, Rock Hall nominee
What is Billy Idol’s Genre?
Billy Idol first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as a member of Generation X. His solo sound then shifted into new wave and hard rock, blending the raw energy of punk with polished, radio-ready production.
Billy Idol’s genre sits across:
Genre | Era |
Punk rock | Late 1970s – Generation X years |
New wave | Early 1980s solo debut |
Hard rock / glam rock | Mid-to-late 1980s peak |
Electronic / industrial | 1993 Cyberpunk experiment |
Rock | 2000s onwards |
The short answer: he started punk, went mainstream rock, and never fully left either.
What Was Billy Idol Like When He Was Young?
Idol was born to Bill and Joan Broad in Stanmore, Middlesex, England. At the age of two, his family relocated to New York City, returning to England when he was six. He spent his formative years in Dorking, Surrey, and later in Bromley, London.
He attended Worthing High School for Boys and later enrolled at Sussex University to study English, but dropped out after a year. Music pulled harder than academia.
In late 1976, he joined the newly formed West London retro-rock band Chelsea as a guitarist. That lasted briefly. He then co-founded Generation X with bassist Tony James, and the band signed with Chrysalis Records.
The name “Billy Idol” was inspired by a schoolteacher’s description of him as “idle.” He kept it. It fit.
What Are Billy Idol’s Most Famous Songs?
Billy Idol placed 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, four of which reached the Top 10, including one number one. He also achieved eight Top 10 entries on the US Rock chart.
His biggest Billy Idol songs ranked by chart performance:
Song | Peak US Chart Position | Year |
Cradle of Love | #2 Billboard Hot 100 | 1990 |
Mony Mony (live) | #1 Billboard Hot 100 | 1987 |
Eyes Without a Face | #4 Billboard Hot 100 | 1984 |
To Be a Lover | #6 Billboard Hot 100 | 1986 |
White Wedding | Top 40 | 1982 |
Rebel Yell | Top 40 | 1983 |
Dancing With Myself | Charted 1980 | 1980 |
Eyes Without a Face reached number four in the US Billboard charts in 1984 and remains one of his most enduring songs.
What is Billy Idol’s “Cradle of Love”?
Billy Idol Cradle of Love was released in 1990 from the Ford Fairlane soundtrack and became one of his biggest commercial hits. Cradle of Love spent 16 weeks on the American Top 40. The music video became an MTV staple, young woman, loud music, helpless accountant type. It was peak Billy Idol: playful, provocative, impossible to ignore.
What are All of Billy Idol’s Albums?
Complete Billy Idol albums, studio discography:
Album | Year |
Billy Idol | 1982 |
Rebel Yell | 1983 |
Whiplash Smile | 1986 |
Charmed Life | 1990 |
Cyberpunk | 1993 |
Devil’s Playground | 2005 |
Kings & Queens of the Underground | 2014 |
Dream Into It | 2025 |
In April 2025, Billy Idol released the album Dream Into It, his first full-length since 2014’s Kings & Queens of the Underground. It follows two EP releases: The Roadside (2021) and The Cage (2022).
The album reached #7 on the US charts and features collaborations with Avril Lavigne, Joan Jett, and Alison Mosshart of The Kills.
What is the Connection Between Billy Idol and Miley Cyrus?
Miley Cyrus collaborated with Idol on the 2020 song Night Crawling and performed with him before Super Bowl LV in Tampa in February 2021.
Cyrus also appears in the 2026 documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead, directed by Jonas Åkerlund, alongside Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan, Pete Townshend, and Sex Pistols members Steve Jones and Paul Cook.
What did Miley say about him in that documentary? She said: “I watch Billy Idol footage like it’s porn. There’s no one hotter than Billy Idol.” Safe to say the admiration is real.
What is Billy Idol Should Be Dead?
Billy Idol Should Be Dead premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 10, 2025, and received a limited theatrical run beginning February 26, 2026. It arrived on Hulu shortly after.
The documentary was directed by music video director Jonas Åkerlund and mixes rare archival footage with new interviews and animation.
The title comes from the man himself. Idol survived a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 1990 that shattered his leg and nearly ended both his life and his career. He has said simply: “I should be dead, but someone up there likes me.”
The documentary features an original song, Dying to Live, which was shortlisted for Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards.
The documentary also reveals how a DNA test led Idol to discover a long-lost son named Brant.
Who is Billy Idol’s Wife? What is His Personal Life Like?
Billy Idol has never officially married. His personal life has been complicated, and he has been open about that in interviews and in his 2014 autobiography Dancing With Myself.
- He had a long-term relationship with actress and dancer Perri Lister in the 1980s. They had a son, Willem Wolf Broad, born on June 15, 1988.
- He also had a daughter named Bonnie with Linda Mathis in 1989.
- The 2026 documentary revealed he discovered a third child, Brant, through a DNA test.
He has spoken openly about drug addiction, excess, and the chaos of his 1980s and 1990s lifestyle, which is central to the documentary’s narrative.
What is Billy Idol’s Net Worth?
Billy Idol’s net worth is $60 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth (last updated March 2026).
Where the money came from:
Income Source | Details |
Music royalties | Decades of album sales and streaming |
Live touring | Sold out venues across US, Europe, Latin America in 2025 |
Acting roles | The Wedding Singer, Californication, The Doors |
Autobiography | Dancing With Myself, published 2014 |
New music | Dream Into It (2025), Billy Idol Should Be Dead original song |
Billy Idol’s fortune was built slowly and steadily across nearly five decades, not one windfall moment.
What Makes Billy Idol’s Legacy Last?
Collaborations with Miley Cyrus in 2020 and with Joan Jett, Alison Mosshart, and Avril Lavigne on 2025’s Dream Into It signify his continuing legacy and influence.
A 2025 US tour and the career-spanning 2026 documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead affirm the timeless appeal of Billy Idol.
In 2026, he received his second Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination. Other nominees that year include Iron Maiden, Phil Collins, Lauryn Hill, Mariah Carey, and Wu-Tang Clan.
At 70, he is touring internationally, releasing new music, and appearing in a documentary shortlisted for an Academy Award. That is not a legacy. That is a still-active career.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Billy Idol’s real name? William Michael Albert Broad. He adopted the name Billy Idol after a teacher described him as “idle.”
What genre is Billy Idol? Punk rock originally, then new wave and hard rock. He crosses all three comfortably.
What is Billy Idol’s most famous song? White Wedding, Rebel Yell, and Eyes Without a Face are his most recognised. Mony Mony reached number one in the US in 1987.
Is Billy Idol in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Not yet, but he received his second nomination in 2026, alongside Iron Maiden, Phil Collins, and others. Fan voting is open.
How old is Billy Idol in 2026? He turned 70 on November 30, 2025.
What is Billy Idol Should Be Dead? A 2026 documentary directed by Jonas Åkerlund, now streaming on Hulu. It covers his full life and career, and features Miley Cyrus, Billie Joe Armstrong, Pete Townshend, and others.
