Album · Billy Idol
Whiplash Smile by Billy Idol
Whiplash Smile is an album by Billy Idol, released in 1986. 4 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 14 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “To Be a Lover”, on 7 lists with a best position of #15.
Whiplash Smile, Billy Idol's third album, came out on Chrysalis on 20 October 1986, and after the smash of Rebel Yell, Idol kept the winning team together: producer Keith Forsey and guitarist Steve Stevens, with the pair helping write and shape the songs. The result pushes the sneering ex-Generation X punk further onto the dance floor.
It's built on pulsing dance beats and a slick, synth-heavy gloss, with Stevens slashing his trademark guitar pyrotechnics across the top. "To Be a Lover" is a raucous, gospel-tinged stomp with Idol hollering over handclaps and horns, "Don't Need a Gun" is all leather-jacket menace, and "Sweet Sixteen" is a spare, ghostly ballad that shows a gentler side of the sneer. "Soul Standing By" rounds out a set built for the rock radio of its day.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Whiplash Smile on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | To Be a Lover | 7 | #15 | – | 1986–2003 | |
| 2 | Don't Need a Gun | 3 | #87 | – | 1986–2003 | |
| 3 | Soul Standing By | 3 | #102 | – | 1986–2003 | |
| 4 | Sweet Sixteen | 1 | #1963 | – | 2002 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.