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Billy Idol released a cover of the Tommy James' single in 1981 (on the Don't Stop EP). Along with the track "Baby Talk", Idol's version of "Mony Mony" went to No. 7 on the Billboard dance chart. In his 2015 memoir, Dancing With Myself, he recalls his affection for the song originally stemmed from a sexual encounter he had as a youth where it played in the background. Before proposing the cover to executives at Chrysalis Records, he originally suggested recording a cover of "Shout" before admitting his intentions for "Mony Mony". A live recording of the song became a hit for Idol in 1987 as well, while promoting his then-forthcoming compilation work Vital Idol. The live version was released as a single and went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, coincidentally displacing Tiffany's cover of another Tommy James song, "I Think We're Alone Now", from the top spot. It also finished directly behind the Tiffany song at No. 19 in the 1987 year-end Billboard chart.
Idol's version gave rise to an interesting custom. When the song was performed live in concert or played at a club or dance, people would shout a certain formulaic (and usually obscene) variation of a particular phrase in the two measures following each line, for example, "Hey, motherf***er… get laid, get f***ed!" This led to the song being banned at high-school dances across North America, although the custom continues at Idol concerts & sporting events today. It became so widespread that Idol would eventually commit the lyrics to record in the "Idol/Stevens Mix" of the song on the 2018 remix album Vital Idol: Revitalized.