Is Billy Idol PUNK

yeah the term was too broad. Punk is more like The Damned, Sex Pistols, Black Flag and Gang of Four. I would consider The Clash as borderline
I was into Black Flag and DK's but my thing was more Bad Brains, DRI, Minor Threat, etc.
 
He was punk, then he left behind the purposely sounding shit to remain 'authentic'.
 
Billy Idol still IS..........while most of punk bands are mostly WAS............and most of them never sounded as good live in their prime as Billy sounds at 62 years of age.

I was at the HFstival years ago and could hear the kids saying "some old dude is up next" and Billy Idol came on and rocked the place hard. He made all the so called modern punk bands look like wusses.

Sure he's not "minor threat" or "gang green" hard punk but he's punk enough and totally unrepentant for the things he's done which is the most important facet of being punk.

 
He seems like he was a cool dude in the 80s with his Punk look but his songs sound more Pop than Punk to me but I do admit I only know his radio hits and not much else. So was he a pop star that look Punk or was he legit Punk that made some pop hits.

tumblr_n789gfJGSV1s0sc01o1_500.jpg

His music was definitely Pop. There was nothing Punk about it (except his hairdo).
 
He was a good pop artist with some good songs like Eyes Without a Face and White Wedding.

But punk? No fucking way.
 
I'd say he was pop with a punk look.
 
I remember the days back in jr high and high school where discussions on who was punk and who wasn't were of the utmost importance. People used to get heated over whether Green Day was punk or not.

When they have gay songs like September Ends no, no they are not.

Billy Joe is just the male version of Dolores O'Riordan (RIP) in that track. Nothing punk about the Cranberries. So ya. Well there it is.gif
 
I like how people cite the Sex Pistols as "punk" when they were a band literally conceived, hand-picked and formed by corporation to cash in to the trend. Now, if people were to label them as a boy band, I'd have no qualms about that.
 
The Offspring are fucking horrible. How they became popular still baffles me.
Green Day sucks as well. Dookie was ok, but the rest is garbage.
The enduring popularity of Green Day is fucking baffling. They're not good musicians or songwriters.
 
I like how people cite the Sex Pistols as "punk" when they were a band literally conceived, hand-picked and formed by corporation to cash in to the trend. Now, if people were to label them as a boy band, I'd have no qualms about that.

Who were the punk bands before the Sex Pistols?
 
No.
Hardish rock with a quasi punk coat of paint.

I thought his guitarist had a good sound. But it wasn't even within a half mile of punk.
RebelBox.jpg

I don't play humbucker guitars anymore but if I did I wouldn't mind a set.
 
I would say Billy Idol is alternative punk.
 
I would say Billy Idol is alternative punk.
At that point it ain't really punk.
Punk is more about social message - Dead Kennedys- than it is about a look -Sex Pistols.

"A hairstyle's not a lifestyle,
Imagine Sid Vicious at thirty five!"
 
Back
Top