THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

945-Billy Idol-White Wedding.

1982-It didn’t chart when first issued, and then again it failed to chart when re-issued in 1983. The song finally became a hit when it was again re-released in 1985, and reached Number 6.

Best Bit-At 2.24. ‘Love is the Drug.’

Billy Idol was born William Michael Albert Broad on November 30th, 1955, in Stanmore, London, England, his stage name derives from his school geography teacher who wrote on his report that ‘Billy was Idle.’ Billy Idol has said that he chose ‘Idol’ instead of ‘Idle’ as he felt it was too similar to ‘Eric Idle’ of ‘Monty Python’ fame.

Billy Idol began his music career as a guitarist with the English Punk Rock group ‘Chelsea’ in 1976, it was that bands frontman ‘Gene October’ who advised Idol to change his short sighted eye-glasses for contact lenses, and dye his hair blonde with a crew cut, for a retro 1950’s ‘Rocker’ look. Later on in 1976, Idol, along with fellow ‘Chelsea’ band mate Tony James, (see also best songs 163) left that group to form the ‘Punk Rock’ inspired ‘Generation X.’ Billy Idol would release three studio Albums with Generation X, between 1978-1981, and nine singles between 1977-1981, with ‘King Rocker’ from 1979 charting the highest in the UK at Number 11.

After Generation X disbanded in 1981, Billy Idol moved to New York City, United States, in order to pursue a solo career, where he teamed up with the American guitarist Steve Stevens. Together Idol and Stevens have worked together on seven Billy Idol Album projects between 1982-2022. Stevens who was born Steven Bruce Schneider on May 5th, 1959, in New York City, has worked with many other artists as well, including Michael Jackson, (‘Dirty Diana’-1987) and also on the soundtrack of the movie ‘Top Gun’ in 1986.

The solo discography of Billy Idol includes seven studio Albums that have been released between 1982-2014, and 37 singles that have been issued between 1981-2022. In the UK, 10 of those singles have made the top 40, with ‘White Wedding,’ (1985) and ‘Rebel Yell,’ (1985) both charting the highest at Number 6. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, Billy Idol has charted within the top 40 on nine occasions, with his live cover version of ‘Mony Mony’ making Number 1 in 1987. In America ‘White Wedding’ reached a peak of Number 36 on it’s first release, in 1982.

‘White Wedding’ was the second of two singles released from Billy Idol’s self titled debut studio Album from July 1982, all of the Albums 10 tracks were either written or co-written by Idol, with the production by Keith Forsey, who also played the drums on ‘White Wedding.’ Forsey who was born on January 2nd, 1948, in London, England, was involved heavily in the ‘Disco’ boom of the mid to late 1970’s, and can be heard playing the drums on the 1979 Donna Summer Album ‘Bad Girls,’ and the 1979 Album ‘No. 1 in Heaven,’ which was the eighth studio Album from ‘Sparks.’ Both of those Albums were produced by Giorgio Moroder, (see also best songs 78 and 11) who was a big influence on Forsey’s future work as a music producer. Other career highlights for Forsey include co-writing ‘Flashdance…What a Feeling,’ a 1983 Billboard Number 1 single for Irene Cara, (1959-2022) and co-writing and producing ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me’) a 1985 Billboard Number 1 single for Simple Minds (see also best songs 897.)

Billy Idol has explained what ‘White Wedding’ is about,’My sister was pregnant. She was getting married and there was no argument or anything, but I thought about all the different people and all the times past when that was such a taboo thing. I thought about that, the taboo nature and the convention, and the wedding being such a celebration, but then it turns into something like a shotgun wedding. Then it went on from there.Then I thought about this incestuous kind of sick brother who’s gallivanting across the globe on some wild… who knows what he’s looking for, leading a completely unconventional life, leaving behind all your friends and just going and going, and all those things started to play into the song.’

Billy Idol has struggled with alcoholism, and and drug addition, with his drug history including heroin and cocaine. My own personal opinion of what ‘White Wedding’ really means is completely different to what Billy Idol has stated. My interpretation is that the song is about ‘crack cocaine,’ as the clues are are far too many to be coincidental. ‘Crack’ is often referred to as ‘cocaine’s ‘Little Sister,’ since it is cheaper to buy. The ‘White Wedding’ is when a cocaine, or crack addict quits, only to ‘Start Again.’ The ‘Shotgun’ is referring to the practise where smoked drugs are exhaled by one user, in to the mouth of another user.

‘Hey little sister, who is it you’re with? Hey little sister, what’s your vice and wish? Hey little sister, shotgun, oh yeah, hey little sister, who’s your Superman? Hey little sister, shotgun. It’s a nice day to start again, it’s a nice day for a white wedding.’