Billy Don't Be a Hero US version sold over three and a half million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in June 1974. Donaldson and the Heywoods's version was a massive hit in Latin America and Japan as well, but it remained largely unknown elsewhere as of late July 2017. "Billboard" ranked it as the No. 21 song for 1974. Despite the song's popularity, it was poorly received, and it was voted No. 8 on "Rolling Stone" magazine's readers' poll of "10 Worst Songs of the 1970s." The song is mentioned as having played on K-Billy's "Super Sounds of the '70s
To Be a Lover the track and an 'interlude' with distorted female groans. It is this version that is featured on the remix compilation album "Vital Idol" 1987 US/1988 Japan editions. The UK 12" was also released as a limited-edition picture disc. To Be a Lover "To Be a Lover" is a song by Billy Idol from his 1986 album "Whiplash Smile". As the album's lead single, it became Idol's second top 10 hit in the US, peaking at No. 6 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and No. 22 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was co-written (with Booker T. Jones) and originally