“Rebel Yell” is the first song on the Billy Idol album of the same name. When first released in 1983, it charted outside the UK Top 40, but a re-issue in 1985 reached #6. It did not fare as well in the US, only reaching #46. The song was named the 79th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.

At a televised performance of VH1 Storytellers Billy Idol said that he had attended an event where Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones were taking swigs of a “Rebel Yell” bottle of bourbon whiskey. He didn’t know the brand, but he liked the name and decided to write a “Rebel Yell” song.

The song was co-written by guitarist Steve Stevens. The instrumental introduction, which sounds like a combination of electric guitar and electronic keyboard, is performed by Stevens on guitar alone, who intended it to sound this way. Stevens states that he was inspired by acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke’s style.