Top Ten Songs by Billy Joel

Billy Joel has been cranking out perfect piano pop tunes for over three decades, so cutting that collection down to merely ten tracks was quite a task. I grew up on the music of Billy Joel, dancing to “River of Dreams” and playing air-piano to “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant,” so these songs are near and dear to my heart to say the least. A talented song-writer and instrumentalist who never got the critical acclaim he deserved, I’m happy to highlight a few of his timeless tunes.

10. “Uptown Girl” (An Innocent Man, 1983)

Who doesn’t love this song? It grabs you from the beginning with its tight drum beat and has you, not just tapping but, stomping your foot along with the music. It’s a great pop song with a universal theme. One-hundred years from now there will still be guys falling all over themselves for girls that are out of their league.

9. “Pressure” (The Nylon Curtain, 1982)

This synth-rocker is a charged anthem of the working-man. The speed and instrumentation of this song really made you feel like you were under pressure. Lyrically this song was powerful and insightful with lines like, “You will come to a place/Where the only thing you feel/Are loaded guns in your face/And you’ll have to deal with/Pressure,” and “All your life is Time Magazine/I read it too/What does it mean?”

8. “Two Thousand Years” (River of Dreams, 1993)

I love this song. Again, a timeless classic, and ironically (or not so ironically) this song focuses on the concept of time and how mankind has changed. I can see it as the campaign song for a non-profit organization or the anthem of a new generation. “Two Thousand Years” is beautiful and poignant at the same time. “Sometimes I wonder/Why are we so blind to fate?/Without compassion, there can be no end to hate/No end to sorrow/Caused by the same endless fears/Why can’t we learn from all we’ve been through/After two thousand years?”

7. “You May Be Right” (Glass Houses, 1980)

Wickedly funny and catchy as hell. My own mother quotes this as her life theme song. Now I don’t think she’s trying to say she has a chemical imbalance, but there is something intellectually freeing and comforting about admitting you’re fine with being a little crazy. After all, “it just may be a lunatic you’re looking for.”

6. “New York State of Mind” (Turnstiles, 1976)

If any song could make you pick up and fly (or take a greyhound) to New York, for me it’d be this one. The soulful vocals and simple piano melodies give this song a very old-time and classical feel, making Joel the new crooner in town.

5. “Only The Good Die Young” (The Stranger, 1977)
I was so young when I first heard this song that I was seriously concerned and afraid for my life after learning that apparently good people die sooner! When was old enough to understand the concept of the song it because an instant favorite. Perhaps it was because of my Catholic upbringing or maybe it was simply the catchy hook, regardless, this song has always been in heavy rotation on my playlist.

4. “Storm Front” (Storm Front, 1989)

I can’t really explain why this song should be on my top ten over so many others. All I know is that it has an infectious beat and a ton of energy. This is a song that I sing at the top of my lungs, without paying attention to the fact that I’m actually singing about a “small craft warning on the radio.” That’s how much it rocks.

3. “I Go to Extremes” (Storm Front, 1989)

Another all-out rocker with great lyrics. Joel describes a personality that everyone can relate to: the all or nothing, balls to the wall risk-taker, someone who can’t stand to be mediochre. I love this song for it’s intensity and the way it expresses how such a raw emotion. “Sometimes I lie awake, night after night/Coming apart at the seams/Eager to please, ready to fight/Why do I go to extremes?”

2. “All About Soul” (River of Dreams, 1993)

This song is all about soul, and Billy Joel proves he has a whole lot of it. “All About Soul” is a lyrically uplifting song that makes you want to push yourself: “This life isn’t fair/It’s gonna get dark, it’s gonna get cold/You’ve gotta get tough/But that ain’t enough/It’s all about soul.” This song is perfect for a pre-game pump up or the soundtrack to your power-walking.

And my all-time, personal favorite Billy Joel song�

1. “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” (The Stranger, 1977)

All seven minutes and thirty-three seconds of this song are pure pop bliss. As a little tyke I used to beg my parents to play this song and then immediately demand it be replayed when it ended. I truly think it inspired much of my love for music and drive to play the piano. This song goes through so many different “stages” which all have their own musical style. “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” is the perfect example of Billy Joel’s superior story-telling ability. From the Italian Restaurant, to the Village Green and the Parkway Diner, Joel narrates these tales through song without missing a beat. With incredible saxophone and piano solos on top of that, this song leaves no stone left unturned. This will be one of the first songs I play for my kids someday, and always one of my favorites.