Idol Songs: 11 of the Best

Idol Songs: 11 of the Best is a compilation album by English rock vocalist Billy Idol, released in 1988. It comprises all the singles released from his first three albums—Billy Idol, Rebel Yell and Whiplash Smile—plus the live version of "Mony Mony" and re-recorded Generation X song "Dancing with Myself", both of which appeared on Idol's debut EP Don't Stop. A limited edition version of the album contains two extra remixes, and another limited edition contains four extra remixes. The album reached number 2 in the UK Albums Chart[2] and was certified Platinum by the BPI. The album was reissued with a different title and cover artwork in 2003 as The Essential.[3]

Idol Songs: 11 of the Best
Compilation album by Billy Idol
Released	1988
Recorded	1981–1987
Genre	Rock
Length	43:49
Label	Chrysalis BILCD 1
Producer	Keith Forsey
Billy Idol chronology
Whiplash Smile (1986) Idol Songs: 11 of the Best (1988) Charmed Life (1990)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Track listings

Original LP

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original album	Length
1.	"Rebel Yell"	William Broad Steve Stevens	Rebel Yell (1983)	4:48
2.	"Hot In The City"	Broad	Billy Idol (1982)	3:38
3.	"White Wedding" (Part 1)	Broad	Billy Idol (1982)	3:34
4.	"Eyes Without a Face"	Broad Stevens	Rebel Yell (1983)	4:10
5.	"Catch My Fall"	Broad	Rebel Yell (1983)	3:43
6.	"Mony Mony" (Live)	Tommy James Bo Gentry Ritchie Cordell Bobby Bloom	Don't Stop EP (1981)	4:10
7.	"To Be a Lover"	William Bell Booker T. Jones	Whiplash Smile (1986)	3:52
8.	"Sweet Sixteen"	Broad	Whiplash Smile (1986)	4:15
9.	"Flesh for Fantasy"	Broad Stevens	Rebel Yell (1983)	3:49
10.	"Don't Need a Gun"	Broad	Whiplash Smile (1986)	4:28
11.	"Dancing with Myself" (Single Version)	Broad Tony James	Kiss Me Deadly (1981)	3:22
Total length:				43:49

Limited Edition with two bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original album	Length
12.	"Don't Need a Gun" (Meltdown Mix)	Broad	Whiplash Smile (1986)	7:08
13.	"To Be a Lover" (Mother of Mercy Mix)	Bell Jones	Whiplash Smile (1986)	6:47
Total length:				57:42

Limited Edition with four bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original album	Length
12.	"Don't Need a Gun" (Melt Down Mix)	Broad	Whiplash Smile (1986)	7:08
13.	"Mony Mony" (Hung Like a Pony Mix)	James Gentry Cordell Bloom	Don't Stop EP (1981)	7:02
14.	"Eyes Without a Face" (Extended Version)	Broad Stevens	Flesh for Fantasy (1983)	4:58
15.	"To Be a Lover" (Mother of Mercy Mix)	Bell Jones	Whiplash Smile (1986)	6:49
Total length:				69:46

Note: "Don't Need a Gun" (Melt Down Mix) was unavailable elsewhere on CD and remained exclusive to the limited edition versions. The "Mony Mony" (Hung Like a Pony Mix) was also available on the Japanese issue of the Vital Idol remix album. These two tracks have been available since 2012 on the So80s compilation.

Personnel

• Kenny Aaronson – bass on "Mony Mony"
• Jocelyn Brown – backing vocals on "To Be a Lover"
• Sal Cuevas – bass on "Eyes Without a Face"
• Terry Chimes – drums on "Dancing with Myself"
• Susan Davis – keyboards on "Mony Mony"
• Judi Dozier – keyboards on "Rebel Yell", "Eyes Without a Face", "Catch My Fall" and "Flesh for Fantasy"
• Phil Feit – bass on "White Wedding"
• Harold Faltermeyer – keyboards on "Don't Need a Gun"
• Keith Forsey – drums on "Hot in the City" and "Sweet Sixteen"; Juno 60 on "To Be a Lover"; keyboards on "Sweet Sixteen"; drum programming on "Don't Need a Gun"
• Connie Harvey – backing vocals on "To Be a Lover"
• Billy Idol – vocals and guitars, bass on "To Be a Lover"
• Tony James – bass on "Dancing with Myself"
• Steve Jones – guitar on "Dancing with Myself"
• Michael Klvana – additional keyboards on "Mony Mony"
• Perri Lister – backing vocals on "Eyes Without a Face"
• Marcus Miller – bass on "Sweet Sixteen"
• Steve Missal – drums on "White Wedding"
• Steve New – guitar on "Dancing with Myself"
• Ainsley Otton – guitar on "Hot in the City"
• Thommy Price – drums on "Rebel Yell", "Eyes Without a Face", "Catch My Fall", "Mony Mony" and "Flesh for Fantasy"
• Mick Smiley – bass on "Hot in the City"
• Stephanie Sprull – backing vocals on "Hot in the City"
• Steve Stevens – guitar on all tracks except "Hot in the City" and "Dancing with Myself"; bass, Casio and keyboards on "Rebel Yell", "Eyes Without a Face", "Catch My Fall", "To Be a Lover" and "Flesh for Fantasy"; programming on "To Be a Lover"; bass on "Don't Need a Gun"
• Richard Tell – piano on "To Be a Lover"
• Steve Webster – bass on "Rebel Yell" and "Catch My Fall"
• Mars Williams – saxophone on "Catch My Fall"
• Janet Wright – backing vocals on "To Be a Lover"

Charts

Chart (1988)	Peak position
Australian Albums Chart	11
Austrian Albums Chart[4]	11
Finnish Albums Chart	1
German Albums Chart[5]	14
Norwegian Albums Chart[6]	4
Swedish Albums Chart[7]	4
Swiss Albums Chart[8]	6
UK Albums Chart[9]	2

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[10]	Platinum	70,000^^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[11]	Gold	25,000^*
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[12]	Platinum	50,000[12]
France (SNEP)[13]	Gold	100,000^*
Sweden (GLF)[14]	Gold	50,000^^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[15]	Gold	25,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[16]	Platinum	300,000^^
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. AllMusic review
2. "Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
3. "The Essential". AllMusic review. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
4. "Discographie Billy Idol - austriancharts.at". austriancharts.at.
5. "Suche - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de.
6. "norwegiancharts.com - Discography Billy Idol". norwegiancharts.com.
7. "swedishcharts.com - Discography Billy Idol". swedishcharts.com.
8. https://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Billy+Idol&titel=Rebel+Yell&cat=a
9. "Billy Idol | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
10. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
11. "Austrian album certifications – Billy Idol – Idol Songs" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
12. "Billy Idol" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
13. "Les Certifications depuis 1973: Albums". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 16 December 2019. (select "Billy Idol" from drop-down list)
14. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
15. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Billy Idol; 'Idol Songs')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
16. "British album certifications – Billy Idol – Idol Songs". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 December 2019. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Idol Songs in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.