Billy Idol's Only No. 1 Hit Turned This 1968 Toe-Tapper Into A Rock Anthem

It would take nearly 20 years, and the involvement of '80s rocker Billy Idol at the peak of his powers, to take the hard-charging and ultra-catchy rock classic "Mony Mony" to the top of the Billboard pop chart. Idol's lively and transformative but still faithful cover of the 1968 hit by Tommy James and the Shondells would mark the only time the sneering pop-punk icon would reach No. 1.

After songwriter Ritchie Cordell penned the group's top-five hit "I Think We're Alone Now," Tommy James and the Shondells brought him back to write a gritty, messy, and rollicking rock song that would appeal to U.K. listeners. Cordell wanted to compose something built on a female name, but struggling for ideas, he took a suggestion from James (an iconic musician who is surprisingly poor). James offered "Mony," which he grabbed from the MONY, or Mutual of New York, sign he'd seen on the insurance company's headquarters.

Cordell's "Mony Mony" was undeniably catchy, and it got the job done, ascending to No. 1 on the U.K. pop chart in 1968. Back in the U.S., it couldn't manage to completely climb the Hot 100 — at least not at first. With a cover that's possibly better than the original version, Idol took "Mony Mony" all the way.

Billy Idol had been a fan of "Mony Mony" since he first heard the original Tommy James and the Shondells version. After leaving the U.K. punk band Generation X for the U.S. and a shot at solo stardom, he recorded a studio version of "Mony Mony" for his 1981 EP "Don't Stop." The EP failed to jumpstart Idol's stateside career, and nothing from it got noticed enough to even make the pop chart.

The story of Billy Idol, pre-eminent 1980s rock star, began when he later scored hits like "White Wedding" and "Eyes Without a Face." His popularity and momentum were such that by 1987, Idol could finally take a song to No. 1 in the United States. Once again, Idol covered "Mony Mony," but this time it was a live recording. With louder guitar, lots of synthesizers, a radio-friendly sheen, and a palpable vibe that can only come from an audience of appreciative fans, this "Mony Mony" was captured and assembled from two Seattle shows in 1986. The live version appeared as a new song on Idol's best-of album, "Idol Songs: 11 of the Best." In November 1987, Idol's vital and visceral remake of a remake of "Mony Mony" spent one week at No. 1; Tommy James and the Shondells had only gotten as high as No. 3 back in 1968.