Billy Joel turns 75: His 75 best songs, definitively ranked
In his 75th year, Billy Joel is flourishing.
A decade of monthly sold-out concerts at his favorite venue, Madison Square Garden; an equally packed run of stadium shows with pals including Stevie Nicks and Sting; a long-tenured supporting cast who comprise his onstage musical family; a recent CBS concert special; and, after 27 years, a return to the Billboard charts.
This doesn’t happen to most artists in what would be considered the twilight of their career.
But Joel, the plain-spoken New Yorker whose hands turn magical on a piano keyboard, has long defied norms.
Since his tinny 1971 debut, “Cold Spring Harbor,” Joel’s 82 singles have bounced from perceptive pop-rock (“You May Be Right,” “My Life,” “Pressure”) to giddy harmonizing (“Tell Her About It,” “Uptown Girl”) to introspective balladry (“She’s Always a Woman,” “And So It Goes”).
His 122 recorded songs are met with scorn by some, adoration by many. He likely shrugs off both the ridicule and the praise.
Like his equally prolific peers – Elton John, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen – Joel has crafted a stylistically diverse catalog that demands appreciation for its melodic heft and lyrical finesse.
So, on the occasion of his 75th birthday being celebrated May 9, we’ve undertaken what might be considered a task – to rank Joel’s 75 best songs. But really, it’s a privilege.
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75. ‘Half a Mile Away’ (1978)
A track from “52nd Street” that offers pleasant horn-infused jazz-pop but became overshadowed by album hits “Big Shot,” “Honesty” and “My Life.”
74. ‘The Great Wall of China’ (1993)
Taking aim at his former manager brother-in-law Frank Weber, whom Joel sued for mishandling millions of dollars, the song is understandably brimming with vitriol, which surely served its purpose at the time.
73. ‘Sleeping with the Television On’ (1980)
Unapologetic, straightforward pop that finds Joel channeling his inner Joe Jackson on this song from "Glass Houses."
72. ‘No Man’s Land’ (1993)
Thematically similar to “Allentown” with its illustration of economic woes, the lead song on the “River of Dreams” album digs into gentrification and suburban redevelopment – prime topics for Joel in middle age.
71. ‘Leningrad’ (1989)
Joel’s trip to the Soviet Union in 1987 was a trove of life experiences that he later worked into song, like this depiction of a Russian clown, Viktor Razinov, whom he met during his tour.
70. ‘Blonde Over Blue’ (1993)
While the title points to then-wife Christie Brinkley as the protagonist, the lyrics are more nuanced and imply that Joel is merely seeking inspiration.
69. ‘Los Angelenos’ (1974)
Joel wrote the vigorous rocker during his time in L.A. and his observations about lost souls hoping to find the promised land on the West Coast also revealed just how much this New York native missed home.
68. ‘This Night’ (1983)
The B-side to “Leave a Tender Moment Alone” recalls Joel’s brief relationship with model Elle Macpherson (also the muse for “And So it Goes”) as he dives vigorously into front-stoop doo-wop.
67. ‘Shades of Grey’ (1993)
On his “River of Dreams” album, Joel grappled with faith and growing complexities of life. This album track isn’t the most memorable, but continues his voyage through a shifting worldview.
66. ‘Scandinavian Skies’ (1982)
The anxiety is palpable in the jittery snare drum and wonky strings reminiscent of The Beatles’ psychedelic explorations as Joel recounts a nightmare drug experience.
65. ‘Modern Woman’ (1986)
Found both on “The Bridge” and the soundtrack to “Ruthless People,” the chugging midtempo toe-tapper hit the Top 10 despite being thoroughly meh.
64. ‘That’s Not Her Style’ (1989)
Though penned for then-wife Brinkley (and featuring backing vocals from Richard Marx), it was a chart misfire that has dissolved in the enormous cauldron that is Joel’s catalog.
63. ‘Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)’ (1993)
The simple piano ballad written for daughter Alexa Ray – who was about 8-years-old at the time – has a built-in audience with parents, but is a bit snoozy for everyone else.
62. ‘All for Leyna’ (1980)
New Wave flourishes from electric piano and synthesizers power the anecdotal odyssey of a man obsessed after a one-night stand.
61. ‘James’ (1976)
Written as a compilation of several people Joel knew at the time, the unassuming song about unrealized dreams comes with a tidy suggestion: “Do what’s good for you, or you’re not good for anybody.”
60. ‘A Matter of Trust’ (1986)
Some fans appreciated Joel’s desire to grind out electric guitar chords over a plodding beat. Others prefer him behind the piano.
59. ‘You’re My Home’ (1973)
If you’ve found a person who is your sanctuary, this tender acoustic guitar ballad should become your theme.
58. ‘Rosalinda’s Eyes’ (1978)
In a song that offers Fender Rhodes piano, a pan flute solo and a nod to his mother, Rosalind, Joel plays the part of a struggling musician who stays motivated because of love.
57. ‘Root Beer Rag’ (1974)
The instrumental is one of three in Joel’s arsenal, and he still breaks out this fleet-fingered ragtime bop in concert on rare occasion.
56. ‘She’s Right on Time’ (1982)
Joel had always refused his record label’s push for him to record a Christmas album, so he threw them this appetizer - an uplifting look at a couple reuniting with the holidays as the merry backdrop.
55. ‘Where’s the Orchestra?’ (1982)
The final song on “The Nylon Curtain” album is almost a precursor to 2024's “Turn the Lights Back On,” with its philosophical metaphors about curtain calls and curtain falls that represent the “is that all there is?” view of life – all embedded in orchestral swirls for added atmosphere.
54. ‘Downeaster Alexa’ (1989)
Named for Joel’s boat – which was named for daughter Alexa Ray – it’s an account of impoverished fishermen so clearly drawn you can practically smell the salt water.
53. ‘Keeping the Faith’ (1983)
A goofy song from “An Innocent Man” that continues the album’s theme of honoring the sounds of the ‘50s and ‘60s with an easy, shuffling beat and head-bobbing chorus.
52. ‘The Night is Still Young’ (1985)
Shifting priorities compose the lyrical content, which is delivered in a mesmerizing cadence with a double-tracked vocal effect. The song – like “You’re Only Human (Second Wind)” – was a new addition to the “Greatest Hits – Volume I and Volume II” compilation.
51. ‘Streetlife Serenader’ (1974)
The opening track to the “Streetlife Serenade” album tiptoes in and then swings from contented melody to pointed crescendo under Joel’s measured playing.
50. ‘You’re Only Human (Second Wind)’ (1985)
Joel has made no secret of his lifetime struggle with depression, and he uses bouncy, syncopated synths as the cover for a song about fallibility and self-acceptance.
49. ‘Just the Way You Are’ (1977)
At one point, this syrupy piano ballad was inescapable at weddings. Fortunately, future generations moved on from the saccharine song.
48. ‘Leave a Tender Moment Alone’ (1983)
A lulling rhythm nudges and a sharp harmonica trills and thrills in the fifth single from “An Innocent Man.”
47. ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ (1989)
There is no denying the infectiousness that comes with repetition, but Joel’s efficient listing of historical events plays much better live.
46. ‘An Innocent Man’ (1983)
The title track of one of his most popular albums, a soulful homage to Ben E. King and the Drifters, includes some surprising high notes that Joel is still able to land.
45. ‘Storm Front’ (1989)
The titular song from Joel’s 11th album is a thundering march. It’s also the album that introduced the fabulous Crystal Taliefero, Joel’s percussionist/multi-instrumentalist to this day.
44. ‘The Longest Time’ (1983)
With finger snaps and handclaps, it’s evident that Joel is kneeling at the altar of doo-wop idols of the 1950s, such as Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, whom Joel has cited as an influence.
43. ‘All About Soul’ (1993)
Flings are fine, but Joel is more concerned about long-term devotion here (“Who’s standing now, who’s standing tomorrow?"). And a nibble for trivia buffs: Color Me Badd provides the backing vocals.
42. ‘Tell Her About It’ (1983)
Similar to “The Longest Time,” the first single from “An Innocent Man” is a perfumed R&B-tinged ditty with an uncomplicated message: Tell her you love her before it’s too late.
41. ‘Zanzibar’ (1978)
The snaking song is as jazz-heavy as anything Joel has written, steeped in trumpet solos and shuffling rhythms as he brings to life a sports bar that shares a name with the island.
40. ‘Code of Silence’ (1986)
A searing duet with Cyndi Lauper from Joel’s 10th album, “The Bridge,” never saw life as a single, but remains one of the most potent exports from an underappreciated album.
39. ‘The Ballad of Billy the Kid’ (1973)
Joel has said he wanted to write an “impressionist” lyric, so there is no historical accuracy to his cinematic attempt, though the clip-clopping horse sounds and amplified chord progressions inject the song with plenty of swashbuckling drama.
38. ‘Only the Good Die Young’ (1977)
With cheerful handclaps and a lively backbeat as his weapons of seduction, Joel is brazen about his intentions: to have sex with the Catholic girl who is rebuffing his advances.
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37. ‘River of Dreams’ (1993)
Utilizing a loping beat and chanting chorus that sounds like an outtake from “The Jungle Book,” Joel leads listeners on his spiritual journey that questions the afterlife. It’s also the title track from the last studio album he produced.
36. ‘Uptown Girl’ (1983)
Yes, it is very sweet that the woman Joel wrote the song about – his now-ex-wife Brinkley – still enjoys her theme song. It also happens to be Joel’s most authentic attempt at reimagining the sound of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
35. ‘Stiletto’ (1978)
Jabbing piano notes drive the spry, funky melody as Joel artfully applies a double meaning to stiletto, the woman’s shoe so sharp “you don’t even see the blade.”
34. ‘Honesty’ (1978)
Soft piano couches Joel’s pleas for truthfulness, but also trustworthiness, in a relationship as he renounces another pretty face “to tell me pretty lies,” yearning instead for “someone to believe.”
33. ‘This is the Time’ (1986)
Joel’s pensive reflection was a customary presence at proms and graduations, even though its meaning is as much a melancholy we-may-never-pass-this-way-again as it is a reminder to seize the moment.
32. ‘Sometimes a Fantasy’ (1980)
“Fun” and “romp” don’t often apply to Joel’s repertoire, but this caffeinated rocker about phone sex is both – and supremely catchy.
31. ‘Big Man on Mulberry Street’ (1986)
Joel recently told us in an interview he wrote this swinging jazz marathon with Sting in mind. The ambitious song came full circle when the former Police frontman joined Joel to perform it on his CBS special.
30. ‘Big Shot’ (1978)
A cranking guitar riff, a ton of attitude, a vague nod to Mick Jagger and a lyrical visit to storied New York hotspot Elaine’s was enough to propel this into the Top 15.
29. ‘Famous Last Words’ (1993)
“These are the last words I have to say,” Joel sings frequently in the final song on “River of Dreams.” And until this year, he mostly stayed true to a sentiment from 30 years ago.
28. ‘Shameless’ (1989)
There is no doubt that Joel achieved his goal of writing a gritty guitar song a la Jimi Hendrix, even if the lyrics revel in openhearted pining. But Joel likely never thought Garth Brooks could make it even more intoxicating a couple of years later.
27. ‘She’s Got a Way’ (1971)
Much like “She’s Always a Woman,” Joel skillfully details the attributes of his object of affection with precise reasons for his adoration: a smile, a laugh, a touch. Who wouldn’t swoon?
26. ‘Baby Grand’ (1986)
It was undoubtedly a thrill for Joel to duet with one of his heroes, Ray Charles, on this touching ballad that spotlights a different kind of love – the one they share for the instrument that inhabits their lives.
25. ‘Turn the Lights Back On’ (2024)
The thoughtful ballad, Joel’s first new music in decades, is a rare co-write (with Freddy Wexler) and also marked Joel’s first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 since 1997. His lauded reemergence also offered the quintessential Joel lyric: “Maybe you love me, maybe you don’t/maybe you’ll learn to, and maybe you won’t,” delivered with an audible shrug.
24. ‘Don’t Ask Me Why’ (1980)
Billy Joel goes Latin! Well, sort of. The Afro-Cuban rhythm and chugging percussion including maracas and castanets that power the “Glass Houses” track is an obvious detour for Joel, but an enticing one that climaxes with his midsong piano solo.
23. ‘It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me’ (1980)
Tapping into his penchant for snarky commentary, Joel takes delightful aim at a music industry as intent on forcing trends 40 years ago as it is today. Considering his enduring career, Joel’s assertion that regardless of style “it’s still rock ‘n roll,” seems particularly prescient.
22. ‘I’ve Loved These Days’ (1976)
This farewell to an unsustainable lifestyle (“So before we end and then begin/we'll drink a toast to how it's been”) doesn’t necessarily engender sympathy. But projected through Joel’s weary vocals, the ballad lasers in on the realities of “a passing phase.”
21. ‘Goodnight Saigon’ (1982)
The striking imagery of U.S. Marines in combat during the Vietnam War (the eerie whirring of helicopters, listening to The Doors, smoking hash) is visceral enough in audio form. But anyone fortunate enough to witness Joel perform this haunting reverie live knows that the song is intensified by the presence of local veterans he invites to stand onstage. The song, and those moments, are always masterfully patriotic.
20. ‘You May Be Right’ (1980)
The lead track from “Glass Houses” begins, appropriately, with the sound of shattering glass and rips into a stinging rock guitar riff. It’s a leather-jacket-and-motorcycle Joel who is unabashed in his self-assessment. You may be right, he may be crazy. Yes, and?
19. ‘Allentown’ (1982)
Joel has always embraced a blue collar aesthetic and the breezy musicality of the first song on 1982’s “The Nylon Curtain” album belies its lyrics about closing factories and unemployment lines in the steel belt Pennsylvania city with John Mellencamp-esque authenticity.
18. ‘She’s Always a Woman’ (1977)
Unquestionably Joel’s most romantic ballad (sorry, No. 49). He’s sensitive and honest, willing to embrace the icy side of his partner (“She’ll carelessly cut you and laugh while you’re bleeding”), celebrate her independent nature (“She can do as she pleases, she’s nobody’s fool”) and love her, flaws and all.
17. ‘Captain Jack’ (1973)
Joel’s winding study of suburban malaise – a topic explored in many of his best songs – is one of his earliest triumphs. It’s a bleak snapshot of a kid getting high to escape the morbidity of his life (“they just found your father in the swimming pool”) couched in simple piano chords. It’s also the song that caught the attention of Clive Davis and landed Joel his first major recording contract with Columbia Records.
16. ‘Say Goodbye to Hollywood’ (1976)
As a fan of Ronnie Spector and the “Wall of Sound” production method of Phil Spector, Joel found the ideal blueprint – and introductory drumbeat – for his tale penned after his own move from Los Angeles to his native New York.
15. ‘Piano Man’ (1973)
Of course it is Joel’s signature song. But that hardly means it’s his best. In countless interviews, Joel has mused that the waltzing chord progression is monotonous and the lyrics akin to limericks. He is not wrong. Still, when he straps on his harmonica holder as his concerts edge toward their close (or encore), fans squeal in recognition and prepare to sway and shout along to the barroom fable.
14. ‘My Life’ (1978)
That jaunty piano hook and lyrics about avowing independence still resonate. Trivia note 1: It was used as the theme song to the Tom Hanks-starring sitcom “Bosom Buddies,” but with a different singer. Trivia note 2: Former Chicago singer Peter Cetera sings backup on the bridge and outro.
13. ‘And So it Goes’ (1989)
Joel recently told Howard Stern that the naked piano ballad, originally written in 1983 but not appearing on record until 1989’s “Storm Front,” is one of his favorites. Penned after his brief relationship with Elle Macpherson dissolved, the song shudders with relatable resignation.
12. ‘Movin’ Out’ (1977)
The fictional Anthony (who works in the grocery store) and his Mama Leone (who left a note on the door) are the protagonists in another of Joel’s paeans to blue collar life. While it will always be remembered for the lyrical quirk about how working too hard can give you a heart attack (ack ack ack ack ack) and trading in a Chevy for a Cadillac (ack ack ack ack ack), the song underscores Joel’s ability to be playful and clever.
11. ‘Everybody Loves You Now’ (1971)
Originally appearing on a demo tape that would lead to Joel’s 1971 debut album “Cold Spring Harbor,” this cynical look at stardom from afar – “Loneliness will get to you somehow, but everybody loves you now” – is an early indicator of Joel’s sardonic perspective on life.
10. ‘Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out on Broadway)’ (1976)
Joel was in peak songwriting mode in 1976 and 1977 and this vivid unfolding of an apocalypse hitting New York (the title refers to a favorite retirement city for New Yorkers) fueled by driving piano is among his epics. But Joel never could have imagined how lyrics such as “I watched the mighty skyline fall” and “They sent the carrier out from Norfolk” would eerily correlate to the Sept. 11 terrorist attack decades later.
9. ‘The Stranger’ (1977)
The title track of Joel’s fifth album opens with casual whistling, which seemingly sets up a different kind of song. But his pulsing rocker with the snarling guitar lick about our hidden selves – the face “that we hide away forever” – and metaphorical masks is much deeper than the cheery stroll of an intro suggests.
8. ‘Pressure’ (1982)
Coiled synthesizers and a creeping backbeat form the nucleus of the first single from “The Nylon Curtain” album. Anxiety mounts in the music as Joel veers from mocking (“all grown up and no place to go”) and sneering about “Peter Pan advice” to laying bare the reality: You’ll have to deal with pressure.
7. ‘New York State of Mind’ (1976)
Much like “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” and “I’ve Loved These Days,” the elegant ode to Joel’s hometown was crafted after his return from Los Angeles. It’s wistful, but not sappy, as Joel pays homage to neighborhoods (Chinatown, Riverside) and newspapers (The New York Times, The Daily News) that reside in his soul. It’s become one of his most covered songs, with artists ranging from Tony Bennett to Barbra Streisand to Shirley Bassey appreciating the song’s poetic beauty.
6. ‘The Entertainer’ (1974)
The only single from his “Streetlife Serenade” album is a gloriously sarcastic examination of fleeting fame and the impossibility of pleasing public appetites longterm. Brimming with self-awareness, Joel takes some unsubtle digs at the music industry over whizzing synths and hard-strummed acoustic guitar, including the mandate to shorten “Piano Man” for radio. “I won’t be here in another year if I don’t stay on the charts,” he sings. Turns out that wasn’t a problem.
5. ‘Vienna’ (1977)
A meditative exploration of the pitfalls of aging too quickly, the stately piano song with curlicue notes was merely the B-side to “Just the Way You Are.” But in recent years, since Joel has played it regularly in concert, “Vienna” has become a fan favorite. It’s currently his third most-streamed song on Spotify, suggesting cross-generational appeal about a topic that never wanes.
4. ‘I Go to Extremes’ (1989)
Released when Joel was a 40-year-old superstar, the rollicking song applies punchy drums and piano to accentuate a midlife crisis. At one moment, Joel feels like he’s in the prime of his life, but then he’s “falling apart at the seams” during the gorgeously constructed bridge. The zippy piano coda adds an element of sunshine, but it can’t camouflage Joel’s underlying turbulence.
3. ‘Scenes From an Italian Restaurant’ (1977)
The longest song in Joel’s catalog (seven minutes and 37 seconds) is a mini-musical in three parts. A sprightly saxophone links the atmospheric opening (“a bottle of red, a bottle of white”) to a period of reminiscence shrouded in New Orleans Dixieland. Joel then delves into a twinkling piano interlude to introduce the ballad of Brenda and Eddie, aka the “king and the queen of the prom” who just couldn’t effectuate suburban happiness. “Scenes” was never released as a single, but most Joel devotees will agree that it’s the true highlight of his live shows.
2. ‘(Prelude) Angry Young Man’ (1976)
A thoroughly gripping intro – rapidly hammered piano keys, modeled on the drums in The Surfaris’ “Wipe Out,” and dynamic shifts in tempo – forms the “Prelude” before Joel slips into his “Angry Young Man” persona. Stuffed with rebellious spirit, this poor young fellow keeps trying to win (“He’s proud of his scars and the battles he’s lost”), but his idealism is continuously road blocked. Later verses from perhaps the same man, no longer young, emphasize a defeated spirit who ultimately realizes, “I had my pointless point of view/And life went on no matter who was wrong or right.” A frequent entry in his live albums (“Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert” is the friskiest), “Angry Young Man” showcases Joel at the pinnacle of Mount Cynicism.
1. ‘Summer, Highland Falls’ (1976)
Joel’s “Turnstiles” album was hardly a hit. It peaked at No. 122 on the Billboard Top 200 and produced zero chart hits despite the presence of “New York State of Mind,” “Say Goodbye to Hollywood,” “Prelude/Angry Young Man,” “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” and this gem of an album track. It’s short – only 3:15 – but packs a mighty emotional wallop. The piano notes symbolize manic depression, seesawing between low and high, as Joel navigates a crumbling relationship and internalizes his conflictions. The kicker in each verse is unchanging – “It’s either sadness or euphoria.” It’s a sentiment that is pure Joel, but also one that, when examined deeply, prompts a gut check.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Billy Joel birthday: His 75 best songs ranked
