Hot in the City
Encyclopedia
"Hot in the City" is a 1982 song by Billy Idol
, released on his self-titled album
. It charted at #23 in the U.S. and #58 in the UK. A re-release of the song in the UK in 1988 reached #13.
, interspersed with stock footage of nuclear bomb tests. The second version (the 1987 version) was banned by MTV because it showed Idol's girlfriend Perri Lister
nailed to a cross toward the end of the video. The later version was included on the DVD edition of The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself.
Although the released version of the song contains a verse in which Idol shouts "New York
," other versions of the song were recorded for various radio stations, including one in which he shouts "Amarillo
" or "New Haven
."
This song was used as the introduction of Booker
, the TV series spin-off of 21 Jump Street
. It is also featured in the 1988 film hit Big
, starring Tom Hanks.
In 1986, the Norwegian swing/pop duo Bobbysocks! did a cover on their LP Waiting for the Morning
.
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
, released on his self-titled album
Billy Idol (album)
Billy Idol is the full-length solo debut by Billy Idol . Preceded in June 1982 by the hit-single "Hot in the City", the album was released in July 1982. After the next single from the album, "White Wedding", entered the Top 40 a year later, Billy Idol was reissued with the addition of the earlier...
. It charted at #23 in the U.S. and #58 in the UK. A re-release of the song in the UK in 1988 reached #13.
Music video
There are two versions of the video. The first version (the 1982 version) starts off with a girl walking into a record store. She picks up a Billy Idol record and the song starts to play. The video features scenes from New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, interspersed with stock footage of nuclear bomb tests. The second version (the 1987 version) was banned by MTV because it showed Idol's girlfriend Perri Lister
Perri Lister
Perri Lister , is an English actress, dancer, and singer. She featured in her first film in 1980, and has since appeared in films and television series...
nailed to a cross toward the end of the video. The later version was included on the DVD edition of The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself.
Although the released version of the song contains a verse in which Idol shouts "New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
," other versions of the song were recorded for various radio stations, including one in which he shouts "Amarillo
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
" or "New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
."
This song was used as the introduction of Booker
Booker (TV series)
Booker is an American crime drama series starring Richard Grieco that aired on the Fox Network from September 24, 1989 to May 6, 1990. The series was a spin-off of 21 Jump Street...
, the TV series spin-off of 21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools,...
. It is also featured in the 1988 film hit Big
Big
Big is a 1988 romantic comedy film directed by Penny Marshall and stars Tom Hanks as Josh Baskin, a young boy who makes a wish "to be big" to a magical fortune-telling machine and is then aged to adulthood overnight...
, starring Tom Hanks.
In 1986, the Norwegian swing/pop duo Bobbysocks! did a cover on their LP Waiting for the Morning
Waiting for the Morning
Waiting for the Morning is a 1986 album by Norwegian pop duo Bobbysocks. One week before the release date the album had sold over 60,000 copies to record stores in Norway. Because of this, Elisabeth Andreasson and Hanne Krogh were awarded a gold disc on the release date. By the end of 1987, the...
.
Charts
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
58 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
23 |
| Chart (1988)1 | Peak position |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 13 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
13 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
48 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
31 |
- 1Re-released in 1988