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 an English singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Idol achieved fame in the 1970s on the London punk rock scene as the lead singer of Generation X ...

'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 and 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 ...

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

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

in 1987:

Best Pop Instrumental Performance The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as th ...

. 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 Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

, Ric Ocasek, Robert Palmer, and many others. He was in

Vince Neil Vincent Neil Wharton (born February 8, 1961) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist of heavy metal music, heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, which he fronted from their 1981 formation until his departure in 1992. Neil reunited with the ...

's band from 1992 to 1994, touring and recording on his album '' Exposed'' and was a founding member of the supergroup Bozzio Levin Stevens, which released '' Black Light Syndrome'' in 1997 and '' Situation Dangerous'' in 2000. He played Spanish flamenco guitar on 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 (composer) ...

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

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

, Germany, in April 2016. He is also a television personality on the E! show '' Married to Rock'', alongside his wife, Josie Stevens. In 2025, Stevens was nominated for induction to the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

alongside Idol.

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. The magazine has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original a ...

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

with Billy Idol

* ''

'' (1982) * ''

Rebel Yell The rebel yell was a battle cry used by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. Confederate soldiers used the yell when charging to intimidate the enemy and boost their own morale, although the yell had many other uses. There ar ...

'' (1983) * '' Whiplash Smile'' (1986) * '' Devil's Playground'' (2005) * '' Kings & Queens of the Underground'' (2014) * '' The Roadside'' (2021) * ''The Cage'' (2022) * '' Dream Into It'' (2025)

with Ric Ocasek

* '' This Side of Paradise'' (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)

As Featured Singles

Guest appearances

Soundtrack appearances

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Steve 1959 births Living people 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American Jews American heavy metal guitarists Musicians from Brooklyn Vince Neil Band members Grammy Award winners American lead guitarists American male songwriters 20th-century American Jews Guitarists from New York (state) 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists Neurotic Outsiders members Bozzio Levin Stevens members American male guitarists Jewish American rock musicians Magna Carta Records artists Deadland Ritual members Kings of Chaos (band) members