Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t retire. It reloads.
Billy Idol has been nominated for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s Class of 2026, landing alongside Phil Collins, Lauryn Hill, Oasis, Sade, Iron Maiden and Jeff Buckley.
To mark the moment, Idol has unveiled a new trailer for his feature-length documentary, Billy Idol Should Be Dead, now playing in theatres nationwide following its premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre.
Directed by three-time Grammy winner Jonas Åkerlund and produced by Live Nation Studios, the film tracks Idol’s arc from snarling punk insurgent to MTV-era global star. Built around rare archival footage and deeply personal interviews with Idol, his family, bandmates and peers, the documentary doesn’t flinch. It digs into the chaos, the near self-destruction and the unlikely longevity that’s kept him standing nearly five decades in.
The film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last summer before an award-qualifying run. It also features a new original song, “Dying To Live,” co-written with Academy Award–nominated songwriter J. Ralph. The track drives the film’s closing sequence, blending animation and archival footage from across Idol’s life and career, with longtime collaborator Steve Stevens helping shape the sound.
Meanwhile, Idol’s first full-length album of new material in over a decade, Dream Into It, is out now via Dark Horse Records. The album cracked the U.S. Top 10 and continues to draw critical praise. Alongside Stevens, it features appearances from Avril Lavigne, Joan Jett and Alison Mosshart of The Kills, with production by Tommy English.
Idol recently wrapped legs of his “It’s a Nice Day To…Tour Again!” run, selling out venues across the U.S., Europe and Latin America with support from Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and New Model Army.
From fronting Generation X in the late ’70s to redefining what a punk could become in the ’80s, Billy Idol has never played it safe.
Hall Of Fame nomination. New music. A documentary that refuses to sugarcoat the damage.
Still here. Still sneering. Still alive.
