Rebel Yell (song)

"Rebel Yell"
Single by Billy Idol
from the album Rebel Yell
B-side"Crank Call"
Released12 January 1984[1]
StudioStudio A, Electric Lady (New York City)
Genre
Length
  • 4:47 (album version)
  • 3:43 (7-inch version)
LabelChrysalis
Songwriters
ProducerKeith Forsey
Billy Idol singles chronology
"White Wedding"
(1982) 		"Rebel Yell"
(1984) 		"Eyes Without a Face"
(1984)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help
Music video
"Rebel Yell" on YouTube

"Rebel Yell" is a song by the English rock singer Billy Idol. It is the title track of his second studio album Rebel Yell (1983), and was released as the album's lead single in January 1984 by Chrysalis Records. Initially, it only reached No. 62 in the UK and No. 46 in the US upon its release. However, a 1985 re-issue proved to be a big hit, peaking at no. 6 in the UK. The song received wide critical acclaim and in 2009 was named the 79th best hard rock song of all time by VH1 based on a public vote.[3][4]

Composition and lyrics

At a televised performance of VH1 Storytellers, Idol said that he had attended an event where Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones were taking swigs from a bottle of "Rebel Yell" bourbon whiskey. He was not familiar with the brand, but he liked the name and decided to write the song.[5]

The song was co-written by guitarist Steve Stevens. The instrumental introduction, which sounds like a combination of electric guitar and electronic keyboard, is performed by Stevens on guitar alone, who intended it to sound this way. Stevens states that he was inspired by acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke's style.[6]

Reception

In 1984, music magazine Cash Box wrote that the song "combines the tough swagger and high-powered drive of 'White Wedding' with the decadent dance focus of 'Dancing With Myself.'"[7]

“Rebel Yell” also garnered Idol his first Grammy nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards.[8]

The song was also adopted by English Association football club Worthing FC as an official anthem. Idol went to secondary school in the town of Worthing, and with one of Worthing FC's nicknames also being "the Rebels", prompting the decision to affiliate.

Formats and track listings

  • UK 7-inch vinyl single
  1. "Rebel Yell"
  2. "Crank Call"
  • UK 12" vinyl single
  1. "Rebel Yell"
  2. "Crank Call"
  3. "White Wedding"
  • (1985 re-issue) UK 7-inch vinyl single
  1. "Rebel Yell"
  2. "(Do Not) Stand in the Shadows♱"

♱Recorded live at Hollywood Palladium Los Angeles, California, March 1984.

  • (1985 re-issue) UK 12-inch vinyl single
  1. "Rebel Yell (Extended Version)"
  2. "(Do Not) Stand in the Shadows♱"
  3. "Blue Highway♱"

♱Recorded live at Hollywood Palladium Los Angeles, California, March 1984.

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Germany (BVMI)[17] Gold 300,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[18] 2× Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Acoustic version

In 1994 Idol released the single "Speed", a song from the box office hit movie of the same name, with a live acoustic version of "Rebel Yell" accompanying the lead song on the UK CD single release.

"Rebel Yell" has been covered by many different bands such as Children of Bodom, HIM, Drowning Pool, Scooter, Dope, Black Veil Brides, Adrenaline Mob, Bullets and Octane, Otherwise, Kill Hannah, Blue Stahli, and Queensrÿche. It was referenced in Against Me!'s 2007 song "Thrash Unreal" (she can still hear that rebel yell just as loud as it was in 1983).

The song appears in a cassette tape in the videogame Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and can be heard during gameplay.[20]

The song is featured in the video games WWE 2K16, BandFuse: Rock Legends and Guitar Hero World Tour, as well as in Rock Band 2 as downloadable content.

The song has been parodied in a 1985 Sesame Street segment entitled "Rebel L" directed by Jon Stone, with Billy Idle (a Idol-lookalike Muppet) lying in his bedroom one night when he's awakened by a little rebellious letter L dancing and singing on his front lawn until the police arrive to stop it from disturbing the peace, which Idle and the officers end up singing and dancing along with.[21] The song also appeared on Sesame Street compilation albums 1993's Sesame Road, Volume 1[22] and the 2014 digital album Lyrical Letters.

The music video of "Rebel Yell" appeared in the 1988 film Big starring Tom Hanks.

Live versions

Idol performed the track with Miley Cyrus at the 2016 iHeart Festival.[23]

Scooter cover

"Rebel Yell"
Single by Scooter
from the album Our Happy Hardcore
B-side"Euphoria"
Released9 May 1996[24]
GenreHappy hardcore
Length3:40
LabelClub Tools
Songwriters
Producers
  • H. P. Baxxter
  • Rick J. Jordan
  • Jens Thele
  • Ferris Bueller
Scooter singles chronology
"Let Me Be Your Valentine"
(1996) 		"Rebel Yell"
(1996) 		"I'm Raving"
(1996)
Music video
"Rebel Yell" on YouTube

In 1996, "Rebel Yell" was covered by German dance music band Scooter, released on 9 May by the labels Club Tools and Scorpio Music as the third single of their second album, Our Happy Hardcore (1996). It was produced by the band and became a top-10 hit in Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands. In the UK, the song reached number 30 on the UK Singles Chart. The B-side was "Euphoria". The accompanying music video was directed by Rainer Thieding and filmed in Prague, the Czech Republic. It was produced by Chopstick Films.[25]

Critical reception

Daniel Booth from Melody Maker wrote, "Scooter subvert the reverence of rock and the pomposity of heavy metal, then shatter them in the blink of a maquillaged eye. This, unless you're asleep at the back, you'll realise is Billy Idol's 'Rebel Yell', technofied and amplified into dance oblivion. It is incessant and addictive, exhilarating and infectious, just like those Europopped-up versions of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', 'Wonderwall' and (sodding) 'Zombie'."[26]

Track listings

Charts

See also

References

  1. ^ "US promo disc".
  2. ^ Monger, James Christopher. Various Artists - Playlist: New Wave (2008) Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b "VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs". 5 January 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Revisiting America's Hard 100". Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  5. ^ Warren, Craig A. (7 September 2014). The Rebel Yell: A Cultural History. University Alabama Press. p. 141. ISBN 978-0817318482. ... Idol explained that he came to use the title 'Rebel Yell' ... not because of any knowledge of the Confederacy but because of his enthusiasm for Rebel Yell bourbon.
  6. ^ Reesman, Bryan (1 June 2006). "Classic Tracks: Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell"". Mix Magazine. Penton Media, inc. Archived from the original on 20 September 2006. Retrieved 15 March 2007.
  7. ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 21 January 1984. p. 7. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  8. ^ ""Billy Idol | Artist | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 21 November 2025".
  9. ^ a b "Kent Music Report No 548 – 31 December 1984 > National Top 100 Singles for 1984". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 23 January 2023 – via Imgur.
  10. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 Singles 1984". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  11. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Image 6262". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  12. ^ Steffen Hung. "New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  13. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 24/3/1984 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  14. ^ "Billy Idol Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  15. ^ "Billy Idol Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  16. ^ "Top 100 Singles of 1984". RPM. Vol. 41, no. 17. Library and Archives Canada. 5 January 1985. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  17. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Billy Idol; 'Rebel Yell')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  18. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Billy Idol – Rebel Yell". Radioscope. Retrieved 24 July 2025. Type Rebel Yell in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
  19. ^ "British single certifications – Billy Idol – Rebel Yell". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 September 2023. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Rebel Yell Billy Idol in the "Search:" field.
  20. ^ Roberts, David (1 October 2017). "Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain '80s cassette tape locations guide". gamesradar. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Sesame Street - Rebel L". YouTube. 14 January 2023.
  22. ^ ""Rebel L" - Sesame Street: Sesame Road, Vol. 1 track". YouTube. 12 July 2018.
  23. ^ Carter, Simone. "From Def Leppard to Elton John, Here Are Miley Cyrus' Most Powerful Collabs". Newsweek, 30 September 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022
  24. ^ Scooter Discography – Rebel Yell Archived 8 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine ScooterTechno.com
  25. ^ "Scooter - Rebel Yell music video Apr 1996". Eurokdj.com. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  26. ^ Booth, Daniel (25 May 1996). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 54. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  27. ^ Rebel Yell ScooterTechno.ru
  28. ^ "Scooter – Rebel Yell" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  29. ^ "Scooter: Rebel Yell" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  30. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name.
  31. ^ Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Group. "The Irish Charts". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  32. ^ "Scooter – Rebel Yell" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  33. ^ "SCOOTER - REBEL YELL". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  34. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 18/5/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  35. ^ "Scooter – Rebel Yell". Singles Top 100.
  36. ^ "Scooter – Rebel Yell". Swiss Singles Chart.
  37. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 25/5/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  38. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1996" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
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