Producer: Keith Forsey, Robin Hancock.
Compilation producer: Kevin Flaherty.
Recorded between 1983 & 1993. Includes liner notes by Ben Edmonds.
Digitally remastered by Kevin Bartley & Keith Forsey.
Though he made his initial splash as the singer for UK pop-punks Generation X in the late-'70s, Billy Idol's greatest success came as a solo artist. In the '80s, Idol took punk's bad-boy attitude and merged it with the pop accessibility of new wave to produce a stream of huge hits. All of Idol's biggies are included here, and when they're gathered together in one place, they serve as a reminder of just how strong his popcraft was.
From the turbo-charged R&B of "Mony Mony" to the goth-tinged "White Wedding" and the somewhat surreal balladry of "Eyes Without a Face," this is Idol at his finest. With his Elvis sneer, Jim Morrison baritone, and Iggy-on-steroids image, he was the ultimate '80s rock poster boy, and GREATEST HITS proves that he had the tunes to back up that carefully constructed image.
What the critics say…
Q (6/01, p.128) - 3 stars out of 5 - "…This is effectively 1988's 11-track compilation IDOL SONGS, with just 5 numbers added, including a live acoustic 'Rebel Yell' and, oddly, a completely new version of Simple Minds' 'Don't You Forget About Me'…"
