2000 Great Songs #1183: Ready Steady Go

While I was never a fan of Billy Idol's solo work, I don't think his original band, Generation X, gets the recognition they deserve (at least here in the US) for their string of sturdy punk-era pop singles. Sure, they're not quite the Buzzcocks, but fun enough.

1978 single "Ready Steady Go," included on their eponymous debut, is pretty unassailable, even for those of us over the ocean not familiar with the titular British music television or its name-checked hostess Cathy McGowan. Just a nifty wash of overly-compressed guitars and chiming hooks, like the Sex Pistols cleaned up for kids yet still retaining its flavor.

On Top of the Pops:

Billy Idol live 1983:

Green Day side-project The Coverups in 2023:

The Highschool Lockers: