Billy Idol Shares Rarely Seen Original Video For ‘Hot In The City’

Billy Idol has shared the rarely seen original 1982 music video made for his hit single “Hot In The City,” directed by Kort Falkenberg III, which you can check out below.

Shop the best of Billy Idol’s discography on vinyl and more.

“Hot In The City” also features on the newly-expanded edition of Idol’s self-titled debut album, set for release through Capitol/UMe on July 28. It was the original album’s first single and charted at No. 23 in the US and No. 58 in the UK. A remix of the song was released in 1987 and reached No. 13 in the UK.

The rarely-seen original “Hot In The City” video opens with a girl walking into a record store. She picks up a Billy Idol record and the song starts to play. The striking video also features scenes from New York City, interspersed with stock footage of nuclear bomb tests. The second video ( released to coincide with the 1987 version) depicted Idol’s girlfriend Perri Lister bound to a cross and was famously banned by MTV.

The new reissue of Billy Idol includes the original 10-track album, but adds the previously unreleased August 12,1982 concert from The Roxy in West Hollywood, CA as well as the recently unearthed and previously unreleased 12-minute Clubland Extended Remix of the classic “White Wedding.”  The story behind another Idol classic, “Eyes Without A Face” is also currently trending on TikTok.

Idol began working on his solo debut following the break-up of his influential punk-era outfit, Generation X in 1981. Produced by Keith Forsey (Sparks, Donna Summer), Billy Idol was an exciting rock album with new wave stylings and it also included the singles “Dancing With Myself” and Idol’s signature hit “White Wedding.”

Largely well received by the critics, the record proved was a sizeable commercial success, peaking at No. 45 on the Billboard 200 and was later certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Fans are now also encouraged to celebrate the release of this iconic album with a Dolby Atmos aural upgrade by Grammy-winning engineer Paul Hicks who has remixed albums in Atmos for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, George Harrison and more.

For 46 years, Billy Idol has been one of the most recognizable faces and voices of rock’ n’ roll. Between 1977 and 1981, Idol released three albums with Generation X as their camera-ready frontman. In 1982, he embarked on a transatlantic/trans-genre solo career that integrated the bold and simple lines of punk and rock’ n’ roll decadence.

In January this year, he was honored with the first Hollywood Walk of Fame Star of 2023. The ceremony included guest speakers Henry Rollins and Shepard Fairey.

Pre-order Billy Idol expanded edition.