On multiple relistenings, I half-expected to find it annoying, but it’s not. Lyrics about broken friendships have a little kick, given that Joel’s had his share. No focus.”, Three Dwayne Johnsons of Varying Sizes Star in First. Yes, everyone was doing it in 1976, but that doesn’t make it right. Rated 4 points - posted 11 years ago by BradHemphill in category Music. 27 Notable New Releases Over the Next Two Weeks, Betty White Celebrates Her 99th With Carol Burnett Feeding a Baby Elephant. We’ve corrected it to say that the concert is February 18. Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run) 68. 32. I am in his camp. 5. “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. Pretty bad, and on a pretty good album to boot. “C’était Toi (You Were the One),” Glass HousesOh man. Anthony and Mama Leone and Sergeant O’Leary are New Yorkers of a certain age, people we know well, and this is a fine three-and-a-half-minute radio drama about them. “When in Rome,” Storm Front        I’m surprised this didn’t click as a radio hit, because it hits every mainstream note of that era — leaving it sounding a little generic today. “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. But play it in a room full of music snobs, and they know every. 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. Not the most ambitious song; simple structure, simple lyrics, and there’s nothing bad about it. They used to beat him up for his perceived lack of edge. “If I Only Had the Words (to Tell You),” Piano ManA familiar genre: the longing song. Every Billy Joel Album Ranked Worst To Best. “The Night Is Still Young,” Greatest Hits An odd and unique one-off recording, with Joel’s voice multi-tracked. Only The Good Die Young. With the melody sampled many times over in today’s pop culture, this performance version of the song just showcases how talented Billy Joel is. The shattering sound that opens Glass Houses, the helicopters in “Goodnight Saigon,” TV static and dial tones: All are gimmicky, and most are cliché. “Los Angelenos,” Streetlife Serenade He really didn’t like L.A. very much, did he? What’s the deal with the, Music Producer Phil Spector Is Dead at 81. 98. 101. We may have to agree to disagree here. All rights reserved. People who write paeans to the suburbs, on topics that sit on the cusp between white-collar and blue-collar, are unfashionable these days. ‘Nasty’ Nigel Lythgoe on the legacy of Pop Idol: ‘Did I create a monster? “Tell Her About It,” An Innocent ManOne of what I refer to as Joel’s Instructional Songs: records aimed directly at young people who need a boost in times of trouble. “Stop in Nevada,” Piano ManWhy is a guy from Long Island writing a fake-Western song? It does have about the purest, cleanest production he ever had. Billy Joel. 33. 6. “The Great Wall of China,” River of DreamsAnother one with a really polished hook and dull verses. “You’re My Home,” Piano ManWarm, but also dull. 111. The latest offers and discount codes from popular brands on Telegraph Voucher Codes, Pop’s mad king: my extraordinary day at Phil Spector’s castle, In spite of Covid, Celtic Connections shows Scottish folk music has never been healthier, Blue Monday: how the New Order hit ‘broke every single law’ of record sleeve design – and changed music forever, Laugh your way through Blue Monday with our cultural survival guide, Phil Spector’s final interview before jail: ‘I have devils inside that fight me’, RSNO returned with a concert that sought to do more than soothe, plus the best of January’s concerts, Cerys Matthews: 'Poetry's the new rock'n'roll', If Nobody is Listening to Zayn Malik, it’s because he has nothing mature to say. “Baby Grand,” The Bridge The big Ray Charles duet, a bookend to “Piano Man.” A great, heartfelt performance from both of them, but the song itself is a weird extended metaphor that doesn’t entirely come off (the only one who sticks by you is your piano … or whatever it is your piano represents). Points for its complexity and opacity; points off for the blatant “I Am the Walrus” echo. Can I watch it if I don’t have TV? 34. Sits well on the album, though not super-interesting when taken on its own. 69. “Everybody Has a Dream,” The Stranger Joel says “Get It Right the First Time” is the weak link on this album, but this is the song nobody remembers. 113. Too many songs have a chin-jutting defiance, an insistence that I Am an Artist to Be Taken Seriously, as subtext. 31. 117. That’s about a quarter of the songs he’s written and recorded. “Everybody Loves You Now,” Cold Spring HarborSuper-catchy, bouncy piano, sneery. “Dad rock,” one of my younger colleagues said, unimpressed, when I told her about this project: relistening to the 121 songs that Joel has written and recorded, and ranking every one. Soars nicely in the chorus, especially. Lyrically slack. Inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992. “The River of Dreams,” River of Dreams The almost-title song of the album (why add a “The”?). But that whole “Hey, what about me? 6. Fun song in concert; cheesier at home. “Even rode my motorcycle in the rain” is a pretty dumb line, which pulls it down on the list, and it loses a couple more points for the repeat-and-fade. “That’s Not Her Style,” Storm Front          Another dated-sounding track, but the lyrics are actually pretty okay — this is (presumably) one of his Christie Brinkley songs, several of which are more charming. The music … A Matter Of Trust (1986) All About Soul (1993) All For Leyna (1980) Allentown (1982) An Innocent Man (1984) And So It Goes (1989) Angry Young Man (1976) Baby Grand (1986) “Nobody Knows But Me,” single, 1982A kids’ record, made for a CTW compilation album. But stare down the rest of the lyrics: They’re plainspoken and pretty okay. 4. By the measure of hit-making, his stats are staggering. “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. 94. Deserves to be revisited. 65. Better known, perhaps, for the Garth Brooks cover version, and if you don’t hate that Nashville sound, a good one. A really solid performance of a not very interesting song. Best Billy Joel Songs 41 items ranked. Bernie Goetz? Literally forgettable. Billy Joel’s first record, Cold Spring Harbor, was released through Family Production before his second discovery by Columbia Records. When we’re all in the mood for a melody, he gets us feeling alright. 66. But the ranking draws on 30 years of soaking in these songs, plus multiple repeat playings of every one over the past three months. 110. “New York State of Mind,” TurnstilesEvery era produces a couple of standards about New York City, and this one more than holds its own, between Comden and Green on one end and Jay Z and Alicia Keys on the other. “Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel),” River of DreamsNicely sung, presumably for his daughter Alexa, who was about 7 when this was recorded. The synths sound terrible now, and the petulance is creeping in, which does him no favors. Tomorrow Is Today (#58) 73. The unintentionally hilarious video may be affecting my judgment a little here. 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? Here’s a link to the winning song of the list: 9. 106. “Leningrad,” Storm FrontYes, it’s kitsch — of course Russian people live ordinary lives too — and the music is gooey. “Souvenir,” Streetlife SerenadeJoel’s shortest recorded song. * 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. Better than you may remember, mostly for the lyrics and the enthusiasm in the vocals. Billy Joel Song list. “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. “This Is the Time,” The Bridge Another ’80s-prom anthem, and I think you have to be a real churl to hate it. 10. 91. 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. “Ain’t No Crime,” Piano Man Elton-ish record with a lot of backing vocals. 107. 102. 6. A century from now, if you want a wry but ultimately affectionate look at Long Island middle-class life circa 1976, you could do a lot worse than Brenda (sorry, Brender) and Eddie, their paintings from Sears, and the Parkway Diner. The weakest song on an album even Joel doesn’t think much of. 35. “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. “Big Shot,” 52nd Street         Arguably the most pissed-off record he ever made, and about what? song, a bizarre vocal break — he drops an octave and throws in an R&B turn, then snaps back to the sensitive-guy voice — feels like it fell in from Mars. Has more of that Innocent Man lightness and exuberance than most of the stuff on his later records, and benefits from it. “Somewhere Along the Line,” Piano ManAn early song from his Depression Canon, this one seems to be about anhedonia — “it’s all going to catch up to you” — but it’s musically a little flat. William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer and pianist. “Nocturne,” Cold Spring HarborQuasi-Chopin instrumental — though there are unrecorded lyrics — that absolutely refuses to stick in the mind. “The Ballad of Billy the Kid,” Piano ManIs the end of the song, when he inserts himself, cheesy or charming? A song that exemplifies a recurring problem on this list: memorable hook paired with dull verses. Does not fail on the angry-young-man front. “James,” Turnstiles Admittedly a little watery, but in the end, it’s a small, personal song about a mysterious broken friendship. Sinatra could’ve recorded it; Tony Bennett did; many others will. I omitted Fantasies and Delusions, the wordless neoclassical album Joel released in 2001, because another pianist does the playing. “Elvis Presley Boulevard,” B-side, 1982 An offcut, rarely heard and better than you’d think; worth seeking out for a listen. Comes from a good place — Long Island fishermen do indeed have it tough; he probably knows some of those guys, going way back; the whole scene feels honest — but the synths and production have aged terribly. Peaked at #3 on 12.11.1983. “Roberta,” Streetlife SerenadeLonely guy wants to save a stripper who won’t talk to him. The “Wall of Sound” pioneer was serving a 19-year sentence for the 2003 murder of Lana Clarkson. Hard not to get swept up, even if it’s kinda bombastic on the album. ), 108. But “Gotta have a hit / So they cut it down to 3:05” is clever, for sure. It’s an amazingly accurate (and completely unexpected) Elvis Costello pastiche, missing only the organ part. 82. 37. 62. 76. 53. “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. 22. “A Matter of Trust,” The BridgeClosest thing he’s ever made to a Queen-style stadium anthem to play at sporting events, with a chorus that benefits from a lot of people singing along. 20. Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake Confirm Arrival of Quarantine Baby, Phineas. It gets one point for its classroom value: I will admit that I had to look up who Syngman Rhee was, and I learned interesting things. New York State Of Mind (Turnstiles, 1976). 63. Has aged better than you’d think. So much is wrong here: boomer-generation narcissism, the tri-state-area-news myopia (“hypodermics on the shore”? Click on up and down arrows to affect item's ranking Add item. (Although I recently had an argument with someone who claimed that line was junk. (Benefits by comparison with Sting’s “Russians,” a similar, cheesier record.) “House of Blue Light,” B-side, 1990.The flip side of the “We Didn’t Start the Fire” single is bar-band blues, not much more. Another one that I keep listening to, over and over, trying to like it; can’t tell you a word that stuck with me. “Tomorrow Is Today,” Cold Spring HarborTwo minutes into a rather quavery M.O.R. “Code of Silence,” The BridgeCo-written and sung with Cyndi Lauper. Cold Spring Harbour ... and upon its release the whole thing was far from what Joel had intended. 41. 29. 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. 112. New York State Of Mind was influenced by his time working with Ray Charles, who he’d duetted with on the song “Baby Grand”. It feels honest to me. “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway),” Turnstiles That date sounded deep in the future back in 1976, didn’t it? 120. But it’s no embarrassment, either. “Summer, Highland Falls,” TurnstilesEveryone but me seems to single out this song as one of his very best, maybe the best. (Never mind that it was reportedly written about his previous supermodel girlfriend, Elle Macpherson.). Unusually oblique. 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 25. “Sleeping With the Television On,” Glass Houses The best Billy Joel song that was never a hit. “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. ​Sleaford Mods: Spare Ribs, review: when you're this angry and inventive, who needs tunes? “Laura,” The Nylon CurtainA highly conflicted mom song, and the darker counterpart to “Rosalinda’s Eyes,” as it gets at the crueler, more difficult side of Rosalind Joel. “Blonde Over Blue,” River of DreamsNicely written first verse about being lonely at night, but it goes boring after that. “Got to Begin Again,” Cold Spring Harbor Another small but nicely wrought song that someone should dig up and rerecord. Why musicians are falling back into addiction during lockdown. 72. I’ve ranked songs based on each song’s best version. 88. But it’s a vivid, thoughtful song about guys he clearly knew well. 44. Nice little prelude to … something. “Travelin’ Prayer,” Piano ManAnother one that feels like he’s on weird unfamiliar turf, but taken as a product of the early seventies, it’s not bad at all. “You Can Make Me Free,” Cold Spring HarborAn undistinguished song, and then the wildly oversung bit at the end leaves you with a flinch. Seems out of proportion to the problem. 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. The lead single from his fifth studio album The Stranger, it became his first pop top 10 hit peaking at #3. He still plays it in concert now and then, and has been known to introduce it as “kind of an obscure song”; it shouldn’t be. Was he on vacation? 77. 18. “You Picked a Real Bad Time,” B-side from 1993Very slick, not very good white-guy blues. And wait two years for the be-all-end-all live performance of this one, probably at Sun Life Stadium. It also has picked up an unfortunate association of late (Stormfront, to which we will not be linking here, is the premier white-supremacist site on the internet). I like this one, probably more than most people do. The song appeared on the 1976 Turnstiles album, and although it was never released as a single, it still became a firm favourite with his fans. “The Entertainer,” Streetlife SerenadeThe Piano Man finds success! I kinda like this one, but it does feel like a song a lot of people could have written. “Pressure,” The Nylon CurtainYou do, in fact, have to deal with pressure. 71. In no way, shape or form’, Simon Rattle to quit London Symphony Orchestra and head home to family in Germany. “Until the Night,” 52nd StreetA precursor to An Innocent Man’s doo-wop songs, reaching for Elvis territory.

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