Generation X were a Punk rock band from London in the late 1970s, largely remembered today for being the musical starting point of the career of its frontman / vocalist, Billy Idol.
Influenced by the punk rock movement in London in late 1976, guitarist & vocalist William Broad, a university drop-out from Bromley and associate of the Bromley Contingent; the drummer John Towe, Tony James, a former member of the London S.S. all replied to an advert placed in the Melody Maker that was seeking musicians to form a new West London band around the vocalist/frontman John O'Hara aka Gene October.
After a few weeks of rehearsals the band became known as Chelsea, and began by playing a few support gigs in West London and Manchester, primarily playing cover versions of rock and roll songs from the 1960s.
However, Gene October felt that Broad and James were becoming too dominant creatively and with 'musical differences' being cited, Broad and James along with Towe abandoned Chelsea (jettisoning October on stage from the line-up in the midst of a gig), and formed a new band called Generation X.
With his photogenic looks and inherent egotism Broad, styling himself with a punk pseudonym of "Billy Idol", abandoned the guitar to be the frontman and lead singer of the new unit. When the 17 year old lead guitarist Bob "Derwood" Andrews was recruited from the Fulham rocker band Paradox.
Their first hit single was 'Your Generation', released in 1977 and one of the first Punk tracks to be featured on Top of the Pops.
They followed this the following year with 'Ready, Steady, Go'
In my opinion their next notable track was 'King Rocker' released in 1979
Then the band seemed to turn into a vehicle for Billy Idol to enable him to launch a solo career in America. One last Generation X single was 'Dancing with Myself' which may well have been released under the name of 'Gen X' and Billy Idol later re-released under his own name.