The smash hit song Billy Idol turned down
The 1980s marked a significant era for movie soundtracks. In fact, think of almost any major film from the decade, and it’ll likely be accompanied by a huge hit song, whether it’s ‘Cry Little Sister’ from The Lost Boys or Prince’s contribution to Tim Burton’s Batman. Scores during the ’80s were abundant and impactful. However, there’s one soundtrack that stands out that is etched in everyone’s memory, and interestingly, it’s a song that Billy Idol rejected.
Any ’80s enthusiast will instantly recognise Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ right from its opening chords. Once featured in The Breakfast Club, this song emerged as the anthem for a generation, bringing together jocks, freaks, and geeks in the unlikely camaraderie of a day in detention. Despite its hopeful resonance at the movie’s conclusion, the track was once envisioned as a punk version instead.
During the brainstorming for potential vocalists to take on the main hook, the initial preference was for Billy Idol, riding high on the success of hits like ‘White Wedding’ and ‘Dancing With Myself’, to take on the task. Although Idol’s vocal style resonates with the emotion found in some of his ballads, such as ‘Eyes Without A Face’, the rendition by Simple Minds ultimately outshined, with Jim Kerr infusing the track with heightened drama through his commanding vocals.
Considering Idol’s persona, already resembling a vivid character tailored for MTV, his rendition would have undeniably clashed with the movie’s intended atmosphere. Idol’s association with punk rock and rebellion could have given the emotional final scene a significantly different tone. In contrast, the synths, guitars, and vocals of Simple Minds perfectly capture the essence, prompting an instinctive desire to raise your fist in the air, mirroring the iconic moment from Judd Nelson at the end of the film.
In a surprising twist, Idol wasn’t the only musician to turn down this major hit. When tasked with composing the soundtrack for The Breakfast Club, producer Keith Forsey had Simple Minds in mind to perform it. When they declined, however, Forsey then approached Idol along with Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music, Cy Curnin from The Fixx, and Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, who also happened to be married to Kerr at the time.
All the artists initially approached declined to sing Forsey’s lyrics, forcing him to revisit Kerr. Eventually, after some persistence and negotiation, Simple Minds agreed to record the track for The Breakfast Club, albeit not without challenges. “We turned him down six times,” Kerr once told Christie Eliezer of Mixdown. “Finally, we felt so sorry for him we thought we’d go through the motions of recording it, figuring the record company would hate it, and we’d be off the hook.”
Little did Kerr know, ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ would become the band’s biggest hit, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and haunting the top ten in the UK, Australia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and New Zealand.
