10 Classic Bands Who Only Had One Classic Album

Billy Idol was an artist that seemed tailor-made for MTV. After winning the hearts of punk fans all over the world with Generation X, his more exaggerated take on the punk formula made him the darling of the early days of MTV. While his star was one of the brightest in the early days, it may have ended up burning him in the process.

While Idol’s debut record started his career off strong with songs like “White Wedding,” it wasn’t until his sophomore effort Rebel Yell that people really started to take notice. From the blistering title track to the more downtempo ballad “Eyes Without A Face,” this album catapulted Idol to the top of the rock heap, with his videos constantly getting played on MTV. Even the standalone singles from the era like “Dancing With Myself” ended up becoming classics, but even Idol didn’t realize that he was peaking way too fast.

Though Idol still kept his signature style throughout the rest of the decade, he quickly became a caricature of the punk attitude, with songs like “Cradle of Love” feeling like they were more novelties of the glam era than sincere rock. Idol did try to distance himself from his typical sound on albums like Cyberpunk, but by the time the alternative movement came in, people had stopped caring. It may be fine to throw on “Mony Mony” at parties, but don’t expect Idol to make a massive comeback any time soon.