While once performing in bands like Generation X and Chelsea, Billy Idol eventually explored a solo career that produced albums like Rebel Yell, Charmed Life, and Kings & Queens of the Underground. Having performed on stage since the late 1970s, the singer recently gained a nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Excited about the opportunity to add his name to the legacy of the music industry, he still needed some time to process the nomination.

Speaking with UCR shortly after the nominations were released, Idol admitted, "It's a great honor. If I do get to be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, you really get a chance to thank your fans. That's what I like about it. You know, you get a chance to really thank everybody who supported you through thick and thin. So that's an incredible honor. I mean, I'm knocked out. I've only just started to take it in."

While Idol took a moment to remember the years spent exploring his love for music, he insisted, "It's one of those things you couldn't imagine when you started out. Because of course, we didn't know how long anything was going to [last]. We were really doing it for the love and [thought], 'Maybe it's just going to last a few months, maybe a year or two years.' And look, it's 50 years later. So of course, all of that stuff starts to happen."

[RELATED: Bad Company, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Idol, & Others Share Reactions to Their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominations]

Just last year, Idol took the stage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony to celebrate the legacy of the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. While enjoying his time with Osbourne, the feeling of seeing his own name on the nominee list seemed surreal.

With Idol helping influence an entire generation of music lovers, he found that the best gift of all. "Things like that are really amazing, because you don't think of that when you start out. You're just literally doing what you're doing for the love of it, not really thinking what's going to happen. You can't imagine it going on this long and that you may have an effect on other musicians and other people who write songs and love rock and roll like I do."