Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” centers around themes like desire, hesitation, and despair. Idol’s deep voice, with occasional raspy flare, adds more depth to the themes of desperation. The 80’s synthesized guitar, bass riffs, and keys—characteristic of the new wave genre—perfectly back up the vocals.

Idol’s hits perfectly fit the “dad rock” genre, the grouping of songs affectionately named for the prevalence of fathers among their listeners. Especially the title track and highest chart-topper of the album, “Rebel Yell.” Featuring iconic riffs and easily belt-able choruses, making frequent rotations on any classic rock radio station that I can envision myself listening to while sitting in a sweltering garage in the dead of summer with my uncles.

The other song that made it big off this album, “Eyes Without a Face,” recently had a resurfacing on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The prominent opening key sequence creates an entrancing and oddly melancholic atmosphere, which is supported by a subtle bass riff and guitar strumming that sounds more acoustic than electric.

While listening to the opening instrumentals and first verse of “Eyes Without a Face,” I picture myself walking through a dark and crowded room full of unfamiliar faces, the droning and sinking sound of the keys depicting the same tiredness of squeezing past shoulder after shoulder.

Compared to the rest of the album, the final song, “The Dead Next Door,” feels simpleton against its preceding tracks: although it has verses, the prominent feature of the song are the lines “you and me/with the dead next door,” looped numerous times until the song finishes. Throughout the entire song there is a repetitive high-pitched key melody that manages to feel drearier to listen to than the bass-heavy instrumentals of the rest of the album.

“The Dead Next Door” contributes a unique element to the theme of despair since it vocalizes the idea of being one door away from death. Whereas in the song “Daytime Drama,” despair is depicted simultaneously with desire, as a “beautiful star of a daytime drama” represents a woman that plagues Idol’s thoughts because she is pursued by other men.

The fortieth release-anniversary of “Rebel Yell” calls for no stops in accolades. The album shines on—a timeless staple of the new wave rock genre that continues attracting new generations to revel in the easily detectable 80’s rock sound.