Steve Stevens (born Steven Bruce Schneider; May 5, 1959) is an American guitarist. He is best known as

Billy Idol William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is a British-American singer, songwriter, and musician. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer o ...

's guitarist and songwriting collaborator, and for his lead guitar work on the theme to ''

Top Gun ''Top Gun'' is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by ...

'' – " Top Gun Anthem" – for which he won a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in 1987:

Best Pop Instrumental Performance The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by ma ...

. Stevens has played for

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

Ric Ocasek Richard Theodore Otcasek (March 23, 1944 – September 15, 2019), known as Ric Ocasek, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was the primary co-lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and frontman for the rock ...

Robert Palmer Robert Allen Palmer (19 January 1949 – 26 September 2003) was an English singer and songwriter. He was known for his powerful, soulful voice and wikt:sartorial, sartorial elegance, and his stylistic explorations, combining Soul music, so ...

, and many others. Stevens was in

Vince Neil Vincent Neil Wharton (born February 8, 1961), best known by the stage name Vince Neil, is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, which he fronted from their 1981 format ...

's band from 1992 to 1994, touring and recording on his album '' Exposed''. Stevens was a founding member of the supergroup

Bozzio Levin Stevens Bozzio Levin Stevens is an American supergroup power trio formed by drummer Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa, U.K., Missing Persons, Steve Vai, Jeff Beck), bassist and Chapman Stick player Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Liquid Tension Experimen ...

, which released '' Black Light Syndrome'' in 1997 and '' Situation Dangerous'' in 2000. He brought Spanish flamenco guitar stylings to the song " Pistolero" (1999) for the trance group

Juno Reactor Juno Reactor is a multi-national musical and performing group, primarily based in Brighton, UK. Known for their cinematic fusion of electronic, global influences, and orchestral symphonic approach, collaborating with composer Don Davis and compo ...

. During 2012–2016, Stevens appeared with Kings of Chaos. His "Steve Stevens" group headlined the closing performance at the Musikmesse in

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its ...

, Germany, in April 2016. He is also a television personality on the E! show '' Married to Rock'', alongside his wife, Josie Stevens.

Career

His solo album releases include '' Atomic Playboys'' (1989), '' Flamenco a Go-Go'' (1999), and '' Memory Crash'' (2008).

Discography

Studio albums

* ''The Guitar World According to Steve Stevens'' (1986 cassette from the music magazine ''

Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original arti ...

'') * '' Atomic Playboys'' (1989) * ''Akai Guitar Sample Collection'' (1994) * '' Flamenco a Go-Go'' (1999) * '' Memory Crash'' (2008)

with Billy Idol

* ''

'' (1982) * '' Rebel Yell'' (1983) * '' Whiplash Smile'' (1986) * '' Devil's Playground'' (2005) * ''

Kings & Queens of the Underground ''Kings & Queens of the Underground'' is the eighth studio album by English rock vocalist Billy Idol, released on 17 October 2014 by BFI Records. It was Idol's first album of new original material since '' Devil's Playground'' (2005) and only h ...

'' (2014) * '' The Roadside'' (2021) * ''The Cage'' (2022)

with Ric Ocasek

* ''

This Side of Paradise ''This Side of Paradise'' is the debut novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1920. It examines the lives and morality of carefree American youth at the dawn of the Jazz Age. Its protagonist, Amory Blaine, is an attractive ...

'' (1986)

with Jerusalem Slim

* ''Jerusalem Slim'' (1992)

with Vince Neil

* '' Exposed'' (1993)

with Bozzio Levin Stevens

* '' Black Light Syndrome'' (1997) * '' Situation Dangerous'' (2000)

with Kyosuke Himuro

* '' I·De·A'' (1997) * ''The One Night Stands'' Live (1998) * ''Mellow'' (2000) * ''Beat Haze Odyssey'' (2000) * ''Follow the Wind'' (2003)

with Deadland Ritual

* " Down in Flames" (2018) * "Broken and Bruised" (2019)

Guest appearances

Soundtrack appearances

References

External links

Ram 1997 (text)

From Rockaway to L.A. 2014 (text)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Steve American heavy metal guitarists 1959 births Living people Musicians from Brooklyn Vince Neil Band members Grammy Award winners Lead guitarists American male songwriters 20th-century American Jews Guitarists from New York (state) 20th-century American guitarists Neurotic Outsiders members Bozzio Levin Stevens members American male guitarists Jewish rock musicians Magna Carta Records artists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American Jews