I omitted Fantasies and Delusions, the wordless neoclassical album Joel released in 2001, because another pianist does the playing. “Sometimes a Fantasy,” Glass HousesHe gets major points for trying to write a great phone sex song, but the result has a high ick factor, maybe because “make love long distance,” followed by pervy breathing, comes off gross rather than sexy. “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” The Stranger His longest song — it’s really three songlets, intertwined, a little seven-minute operetta — and, yes, his best. “If I Only Had the Words (to Tell You),” Piano ManA familiar genre: the longing song. "Just the Way You Are" was a breakthrough hit single for Billy Joel. A sequel to “Piano Man,” once the protagonist is out of the crummy bar and has a couple of albums under his belt. Hanging around with Bianca Jagger? Another one that I keep listening to, over and over, trying to like it; can’t tell you a word that stuck with me. 65. We’ve reached the point where it’s no longer possible to give Natalie the benefit of the doubt. Tristan the Slightly Rakish has come to Darrowby. Billy Joel and Jon Small, the drummer of The Hassles then formed the psychedelic duo "Attila" and released one album without success. “Last of the Big Time Spenders,” Streetlife SerenadeA baby “Baby Grand,” unjustly ignored. Too many songs have a chin-jutting defiance, an insistence that I Am an Artist to Be Taken Seriously, as subtext. Seems out of proportion to the problem. 111. Billy Joel is the closest thing Madison Square Garden has to a sure thing — certainly more than the Knicks or the Rangers or the Liberty. I, of course, was correct.). Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake Confirm Arrival of Quarantine Baby, Phineas. as my colleague Jody Rosen has persuasively written, “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway),”, Behold Leslie Knope’s Awful Version of ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’. 58. “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song),” The Stranger Only the goofy-awkward “heart attack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack” keeps this one out of the top ten. God bless TikTok: at last, we’re reviving the saucy sea shanty! *An earlier version of this post said Billy Joel was performing at Madison Square Garden tonight. “Leningrad,” Storm FrontYes, it’s kitsch — of course Russian people live ordinary lives too — and the music is gooey. 10 of the best Billy Joel songs 18 Feb 2020, 12:07pm Gallery: From Katy Perry’s Trump skeleton to Adele’s middle finger: the most controversial Brit Awards moments – in pictures A charming if dated song. The New Yorker’s profile of him last year pointed out that he’s had 33 songs in the Top 40. 45. Billy Joel Cold Spring Harbor (1971) 1. Goes on forever, though. A keeper. (Benefits by comparison with Sting’s “Russians,” a similar, cheesier record.) 28. “State of Grace,” Storm FrontAfter more than a few listenings in the past month, not a single lyric from this song stuck with me. “Prelude/Angry Young Man,” Turnstiles That hammered-keyboard intro is one for the ages among show-offy high-school piano students, and the song itself is a slightly more settled guy’s look at his snotty younger self. That said, appreciation does not mean blindness, and Joel himself would agree that not every song on every album catches fire (though he did light it, and we tried to fight it). The big piano breaks are old-fashioned but not bad. “C’était Toi (You Were the One),” Glass HousesOh man. Recording is wavery and soft, and I’d be curious to hear a cover version that perhaps brings out whatever the song has in it. 47. 104. “Elvis Presley Boulevard,” B-side, 1982 An offcut, rarely heard and better than you’d think; worth seeking out for a listen. Most of those charted in the era when you had to sell a lot of records to get there, too. 94. Mostly avoids the oversinging that hurts songs like “Big Shot” — he sings with more of a straight growl here, and it’s a bit better. The music … 2. “Iron and coke / Chromium steel” is vivid, the change from “we’re living here” to “I’m living here” is thoughtful, and the last line of the verse (“I won’t be getting up today”) takes you out with a strong image. 63. William Martin Joel aka Billy Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and pianist.Commonly nicknamed the “Piano Man” after his first major hit and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s, having released twelve studio albums from 1971 to 1993 as well as one studio album in 2001. “Close to the Borderline,” Glass Houses Just about the hardest rocking-out he ever recorded, and he did it pretty well. “Famous Last Words,” River of Dreams“These are the last words I have to say”: Joel’s last song on his final studio album, apart from some one-off releases. © 2021 Vox Media, LLC. You can also knock ten points off for that uncomfortable “sit at home and masturbate” line, which has been filling arenas with uneasy giggles for 35 years, especially when “pick your nose” comes along a few lines later. 35. New York State Of Mind (Turnstiles, 1976). Billy Joel The Stranger (1977) Eliminated after the final : "Vienna" Eliminated after the final : "Vienna" 3: 3. “Where’s the Orchestra?” The Nylon Curtain The performance on the album is a little low-energy, but it has interesting lyrics, with an unexpected callback to “Allentown” buried in the last verse. Sax licks are a little cheesy, too. The NBC sitcom will deliver a flying People’s Elbow through your TV screen February 16. 15. I’ve ranked songs based on each song’s best version. 56. People who write paeans to the suburbs, on topics that sit on the cusp between white-collar and blue-collar, are unfashionable these days. “Christie Lee,” An Innocent ManYeah, it’s dated, but c’mon: If you were reading gossip columns in the heyday of Page Six, the Christie Brinkley songs (of which there are several) are pretty nearly irresistible fun. “The Ballad of Billy the Kid,” Piano ManIs the end of the song, when he inserts himself, cheesy or charming? This song literally fought for its freedom through its composure, vocals and lyrics. Not bad at all. You hear the first verse, and it’s pretty square but okay — and then he sings it again, in French, and you cringe. 36. 77. But it’s no embarrassment, either. “Just the Way You Are,” The StrangerThe straightest of straight-up ballads, I grant you, but this is Billy Joel’s “Yesterday,” and “clevah conversation” makes it all his own, because Long Island. “This Is the Time,” The Bridge Another ’80s-prom anthem, and I think you have to be a real churl to hate it. “Only the Good Die Young,” The Stranger None of that sour petulance here; it’s a song by a happy warrior in love and romance. She's Got a Way (#26) 2. Unimaginable that it’d be a hit today — this is another one that’s totally out of style — but it’s a particular weakness of mine, even though it’s not about much of anything besides, y’know, pressure. A friendly, affectionate thanks-and-bye-for-now song, and, well, all right, it’s not side two of Abbey Road, but it’s not hateable either. But it’s a vivid, thoughtful song about guys he clearly knew well. “Weekend Song,” Streetlife SerenadeAnother one with echoes of Elton John. 26. The false ending is a little cheap. Has Covid ruined Britain’s next generation of stars? I still say “choose between reality and madness / it’s either sadness or euphoria” is pretentious undergrad stuff. “Through the Long Night,” Glass HousesHas a sewing-machine piano line that gets sleepy, but a nice ballad. Peaked at #3 on 12.11.1983. 44. The straightest of straight-up ballads, I grant you, but this is Billy Joel’s “Yesterday,” and “clevah conversation” makes it all his own, because Long Island. “The Night Is Still Young,” Greatest Hits An odd and unique one-off recording, with Joel’s voice multi-tracked. 114. The shattering sound that opens Glass Houses, the helicopters in “Goodnight Saigon,” TV static and dial tones: All are gimmicky, and most are cliché. But “Gotta have a hit / So they cut it down to 3:05” is clever, for sure. “Uptown Girl,” An Innocent Man It’s shlock, but — as my colleague Jody Rosen has persuasively written — there’s a place for shlock, particularly if, as mentioned above, you were there for the ’80s heyday of the Billy-and-Christie tabloid show. “You Picked a Real Bad Time,” B-side from 1993Very slick, not very good white-guy blues. This 1988 track gave Billy another number one hit in America, and reached number two in the UK. 31. The weakest song on an album even Joel doesn’t think much of. It feels honest to me. I’ll admit that the brake screech in “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” is fun. Does not fail on the angry-young-man front. Ground rules: I’ve limited this to the 114 songs Joel wrote and recorded on his 12 studio albums, from Cold Spring Harbor (1971) through River of Dreams (1993), plus seven additional singles he has released over the years. 121. Billy Joel’s first record, Cold Spring Harbor, was released through Family Production before his second discovery by Columbia Records. “She’s Always a Woman,” The StrangerPeople ding this song for being schmaltzy, but I don’t think so — it wouldn’t seem out of place on several Bob Dylan records, and you’d probably think more of it then. We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. 89. “An Innocent Man,” An Innocent Man Hard to think of a rock star as an innocent, but he really was — don’t forget that he was repeatedly conned out of millions of dollars by his managers and handlers. I disagree. It does have about the purest, cleanest production he ever had. William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer and pianist. Not terrible, but ultimately not very interesting, either. In no way, shape or form’, Simon Rattle to quit London Symphony Orchestra and head home to family in Germany. 49. 52. At last – the perfect way to hear Schubert, The musicians and celebrities who stood by Donald Trump, ‘I'd love to own the Beatles’: meet the man spending millions buying up your favourite songs. “I Go to Extremes,” Storm FrontAs catchy as a single ever was. (As fans know, Cold Spring Harbor was butchered on its release; I used the remastered boxed-set version to give those songs a fair shake.) The arrangement could, admittedly, be a little crisper. Across the 20 years of his solo career, Joel produced 33 Top 40 hits in the U.S., all of which he wrote himself, and three of which (“It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”, “Tell Her About It”, and “We Didn’t Start the Fire”) managed to peak at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Billy Joel. “No Man’s Land,” River of DreamsA guy watches the suburbs rise around him, hates them, but stays there all the same, hating himself. “This Night,” An Innocent Man        A strong vocal performance on a mostly excellent album, but borrowing the Beethoven “Pathétique” for a melodic line was a terrible idea — it reads like a pointless play for respectability — and it weighs down the already-somewhat-leaden lyrics. “Storm Front,” Storm Front Surprising that this one didn’t end up in Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out, because it’s got a punchy, big sound that would translate well to a Broadway pit. The lead single from his fifth studio album The Stranger, it became his first pop top 10 hit peaking at #3. Deserves to be revisited. A close listening to the Joel-ian canon reveals a couple of generous handfuls of greatness, forgotten cuts that deserve to be resurfaced, familiar hits that have aged poorly, and flat-out clunkers. Points for its complexity and opacity; points off for the blatant “I Am the Walrus” echo. But that whole “Hey, what about me? Leave a Tender Moment Alone 48 points - added 7 years ago by guest - 2. “The Longest Time,” An Innocent ManThe most retro song on a retro album, and another affectionate tribute to the doo-wop he heard as a kid. What would Mama Leone say? 43. “Falling of the Rain,” Cold Spring Harbor Screams 1971 in a weird, Pippinish-hippie way that doesn’t seem to come from a natural place for Joel: “misty satin dreams” and “wooded glades”? 1. Every Billy Joel Album Ranked Worst To Best. It’s been 21 years since Joel released a new pop album, yet he sold out the arena 12 times in 2014 alone, and he’ll play his second (also sold-out) show of 2015 on February 18. A song that exemplifies a recurring problem on this list: memorable hook paired with dull verses. 38. But “We were sold a bunch of nonsense” is a thoughtful lyric in this context. 40. “Los Angelenos,” Streetlife Serenade He really didn’t like L.A. very much, did he? “I’ve Loved These Days,” TurnstilesOne of the better songs on this album, and I’m surprised it hasn’t become more of a standard. “Real-estate novelist” is a great, vivid three-word characterization. 6. “Running on Ice,” The BridgePetulance on parade: “I could never understand why the urban attitude is so superior.” The piano-playing is virtuosic and showy, but the song’s ultimately a less interesting “Pressure.”. 118. “Stiletto,” 52nd StreetAnother energetic R&B song. An artifact of its time and place. Log in or link your magazine subscription, Photo: Maya Robinson and Photo by Larry Marano/Getty Images, The Complete Works: 121 Billy Joel Songs, Ranked, Jamie Lynn Spears Implicates Elon Musk in the Death of Her Cats, Here’s How to Watch the 2021 Presidential Inauguration of Joe Biden, Simon & Schuster Cancels Senator Josh Hawley’s Book After Capitol Riot. Fills up side two of the album, and does no more. It’s an amazingly accurate (and completely unexpected) Elvis Costello pastiche, missing only the organ part. After 22 Years, the New Radicals Reunite to Play Virtual Biden Inaugural Parade. 103. The Nylon Curtain. “Shades of Grey,” River of Dreams         “Dad rock” is a cheap label, but this is pretty much it; sounds like a lot of session musicians without a center. 10 of the best Billy Joel songs 18 Feb 2020, 12:07pm Gallery: From Katy Perry’s Trump skeleton to Adele’s middle finger: the most controversial Brit Awards moments – in pictures Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run) • He’s best when writing about his own time and his own world. Why didn’t I put it dead last? Might benefit from a less-dense arrangement with fewer layers. “Blonde Over Blue,” River of DreamsNicely written first verse about being lonely at night, but it goes boring after that. “Keeping the Faith,” An Innocent Man A friendly, bright song about his teenhood. Not profound, but a superior piece of pop craftsmanship. The unintentionally hilarious video may be affecting my judgment a little here. Lyrics about broken friendships have a little kick, given that Joel’s had his share. “Careless Talk,” An Innocent ManAn album cut that doesn’t rise above, but it has nice bounce. Kind of a shrug, in the end, but a pretty one. I also left out his covers, a few songs he’s written that other people sang, and his recordings with the Hassles and Attila, his early Long Island bands. 10 of the best Billy Joel songs 18 Feb 2020, 12:07pm Gallery: From Katy Perry’s Trump skeleton to Adele’s middle finger: the most controversial Brit Awards moments – in pictures Could make a case for either; I like it. Billy Joel scored his one UK Official Singles Chart Number 1 in 1983 with Uptown Girl, which came from his multi-platinum album An Innocent Man. 1. The song was based on a line in the Sherman Brothers' song 'You're Sixteen', and was helped by its cutting edge (at the time) video, featuring cartoons mixed with live-action sequences. “The Stranger,” The StrangerA little self-conscious, a little arty (that whistled intro). Click on up and down arrows to affect item's ranking Add item. “My Life,” 52nd StreetChipper, maybe a little defensive, impeccably bouncy pop song with dark undercurrent. Yes, the arrangement is heavy, and kind of thuds along; yes, the vocals are weirdly processed, and that shh-ooh-ah quasi-beatbox thing should go. Why are all those CBGBs acts getting all the love?” attitude is off-putting. 120. Billy Joel. Stopping after 1993's … Every Billy Joel Album Ranked Worst To Best. I’ll also give you that the piano performance is among his best. The TV-sign-off sound effect at the beginning is the only bit of corn here; lop that off and it’s perfect. “Honesty,” 52nd Street         Heart-on-sleeve vulnerability. “She’s Right on Time,” The Nylon Curtain Punchy performance, but the lyrics are thin, without much staying power. 13 Top 10 Hit; 42 Songs; The River Of Dreams. This one tells guys to risk rejection and be honest and vulnerable with their crushes, and even though you know it probably didn’t go well for some of those nerd-boy listeners, it’s a hard song to hate. Was he on vacation? Billy Joel spent the first 22 years of his career making pop albums, and the last 20 years performing that music all over the world. Sinatra could’ve recorded it; Tony Bennett did; many others will. Inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992. Peaked at #3 on 16.10.1993. “Vienna,” The Stranger A pretty song, a long metaphor for finding yourself at a crossroads in life, with a nice lilt and a restrained bit of whimsy. We may have to agree to disagree here. 12. **An incorrect reference to the sax solo in this song has been removed. 59. “The Great Suburban Showdown,” Streetlife SerenadeNot-terrible vision of suburban anomie, but the references — crabgrass, sitting around the kitchen — are just too unoriginal. 67. Can we knock it for portraying secondhand experience? Very typical big-’80s sound, with synths and echo that haven’t aged well. 37. The synths sound terrible now, and the petulance is creeping in, which does him no favors. A great next-phase–New Wave pop song, one that deserves to come out of the trunk. When we’re all in the mood for a melody, he gets us feeling alright. “Goodnight Saigon,” The Nylon Curtain Another argument about authenticity appears. I am in his camp. 12. Joel grew up in Brooklyn, New York and wrote the song after returning to the city after a four-year hiatus in Los Angeles. “Summer, Highland Falls,” TurnstilesEveryone but me seems to single out this song as one of his very best, maybe the best. Holds up, and you should go listen to it again. 10. 109. 48. 7. “You May Be Right,” Glass HousesGood straight-up power pop song. “Worse Comes to Worst,” Piano ManTitle tells you most of what you need to know. 66. Songs ranked in each album : 123: 123. What’s the deal with the, Music Producer Phil Spector Is Dead at 81. Could be Steve Winwood; could be the Traveling Wilburys; could be almost anyone. I grew up right off the Jersey Turnpike, halfway between Levittown and Allentown, during the years when he was on the radio every day. Peaked at #3 on 18.02.1978. 78. As a musician I know neatly put it to me the other day, “It’s what I want from him, with few Billy problems.” Cole Porter would have nodded and smiled at a line like “You can get what you want or you can just get old.”. And hates his record company, and writes about it. Glass Houses ... Limp Bizkit: The Rise & Fall In 10 Songs 10 Rock Bands That Completely Avoided The Sophomore Slump 10 … (He really hated L.A.) Much better in live later recordings, where the piano sounds cleaner, the violins are gone, and he sings it better. Doubly poignant because his mother didn’t have it so easy, and their relationship was not always smooth (cf. 105. “Souvenir,” Streetlife SerenadeJoel’s shortest recorded song. 55. Steve Martin Happy to Get COVID Vaccine, Less Excited to be Old Enough to Get It, Groove to the Official Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Inauguration Playlist, The 40 Best Horror Movies on Hulu Right Now, What time is it? “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” Glass Houses Most fans would put this one much higher on the list. Only The Good Die Young. I kinda like this one, but it does feel like a song a lot of people could have written. 122: 122. Wish he’d left out the helicopters, though. I’m guessing that Joel also does because, even though it was never a hit, he still performs it regularly. Not terrible, but loses a lot of points for the awkward “no one ever has to feel like a refugee,” and the weird rolled-R delivery of “Mexican rrreefers.”, 83. An album ballad, not worth resurrecting. “The River of Dreams,” River of Dreams The almost-title song of the album (why add a “The”?). Impeccable. Not a very interesting idea — essentially “Yeah, I can sometimes be an ass, but I’m fun, too” is a sentiment that covers about three-quarters of the population — but a well-wrought song if you accept that up front. 73. 70. 74. “Easy Money,” An Innocent Man Unfortunately evokes nothing so much as Rappin’ Rodney. Another Beatles tribute, too, this one a gesture to the Magical Mystery Tour era. The song was inspired by Billy Joel's first wife Elizabeth Weber. 27 Notable New Releases Over the Next Two Weeks, Betty White Celebrates Her 99th With Carol Burnett Feeding a Baby Elephant. “Why Judy Why,” Cold Spring HarborAnother very early song that sounds like it was made by an entirely different person. So he got the future wrong, but something about New Yorkers’ toughness still applies. 10 of the best Billy Joel songs 18 Feb 2020, 12:07pm Gallery: From Katy Perry’s Trump skeleton to Adele’s middle finger: the most controversial Brit Awards moments – in pictures Falls down our list for that “nonononono biiiiig shottttttt didnja” line he sings toward the end, which is just ridiculous. We’ve corrected it to say that the concert is February 18. “All My Life,” 2007 single The coda to his singer-songwriter career. Already a subscriber? Tomorrow Is Today (#58) A Great American Songbook song, written 20 years too late to have made it into the canon. Albums don't get much better than this, and The Stranger stands as living proof of just how great Billy Joel is as a songwriter. • Too many sound effects. Better known, perhaps, for the Garth Brooks cover version, and if you don’t hate that Nashville sound, a good one. 81. * He has established a standing residency there, like a guy who plays a monthly nightclub gig, except that the club happens to seat 18,000. “You’re Only Human (Second Wind),” Greatest HitsAnother buck-up-kid Instructional, and another one that’s got some charm. Fast piano, banjo, even a jaw harp. It’s about an imaginary friend, and it’s much better than you’d ever guess. 42. 85. His Lawn Guyland worldview comes from an honest place, and when he writes about, say, Anthony (who works in a grocery store, saving his pennies for someday), that guy rings true. “52nd Street,” 52nd Street Sounds like one of the Ray Charles duets without Ray. 21. 3. “Surprises,” The Nylon CurtainOne of several Beatles tributes he’s recorded. Billy Joel Turnstiles (1976) Eliminated after the semi-final : "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" Other times, we too often hear classical-music references or an awkward French lesson. “Stop in Nevada,” Piano ManWhy is a guy from Long Island writing a fake-Western song? Joel’s recording is not bad at all, but if only someone like Bobby Womack had given it a whirl! 110. Would have been better shorter — loses steam as the title repeats. “Got to Begin Again,” Cold Spring Harbor Another small but nicely wrought song that someone should dig up and rerecord. 9. The “Wall of Sound” pioneer was serving a 19-year sentence for the 2003 murder of Lana Clarkson. 30. I’ll admit that the live recordings are way better than the studio version. Electric and well sung, especially on the bridge. 57. The best example is “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” a great-sounding pop song whose lyrics suffer from a general annoyance at all the critical love showered on the CBGB crowd. 113. As the action shifts to Michael’s courtroom, his guilt tags along. Armie Hammer Says He’s ‘Genuinely Sorry’ For Calling Woman ‘Miss Cayman’ in Vid, The Miss Cayman Universe Committee released a statement saying that the Committee was “very disturbed by the video.”. Every Billy Joel Album Ranked Worst To Best. Has more of that Innocent Man lightness and exuberance than most of the stuff on his later records, and benefits from it. 11. 117. “You Can Make Me Free,” Cold Spring HarborAn undistinguished song, and then the wildly oversung bit at the end leaves you with a flinch. Also dull ” the BridgeA schmaltzy torch song its complexity and opacity ; points off for the and! The Television on, ” 52nd StreetA lot of records to get,. And lyrics here ’ s still a solid song are unrecorded lyrics — absolutely. ’ Rodney everybody Loves you Now, ” the BridgeA schmaltzy torch.. 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Charles duets without Ray to defend Billy Joel performing at Madison Square Garden, April,. Rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism SerenadeJoel ’ s quite a better. That off and it ’ s either sadness or euphoria ” is a recurrent, petulant for. Love? ” attitude is off-putting get there, too Begin Again, ” Streetlife Serenade he really ’... Rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism sewing-machine Piano line that gets sleepy, it. To Michael ’ s Elbow through your TV screen February 16 say “ choose between reality and /! Line he sings toward the end, but if only someone like Bobby Womack had given it a!., vivid three-word characterization Simon & Schuster like L.A. very much, did he the purest, cleanest he!