BILLY JOEL 100. Today: #30-26. More-  next week.

Caffè Lattè presents:

THE 100 MOST ESSENTIAL SONGS BY

BILLY JOEL

William Martin Joel was born in The Bronx, New York in 1949. He grew up on Long Island and began studying the piano in 1953. Billy joined his first band 10 years later. In 1971, he signed a recording contract as a soloist. That year, he released his solo debut album. Since then, his music has been the soundtrack for countless fans.

Here are 100 of his best works…

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30

YOU MAY BE RIGHT

The sound of breaking glass opens up Billy’s 1980 album ‘Glass Houses’ as the intro to “You May Be Right”. The home shown on the cover was the residence Billy shared with his first wife Elizabeth in Cove Neck, Long Island. As he began writing new material for the LP, Billy was conscious that the music scene had changed. Punk and new wave had made some FM rock darlings seem like dinosaurs. Billy cleverly drew inspiration from the new sounds and attitude. He shifted the focus from his piano to the harder tone from guitars and drums. Phil Ramone was on board again as the producer. The single peaked at #7 in the U.S.A.

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29

BIG SHOT

As “You May Be Right” kicks off ‘Glass Houses’, “Big Shot” opens the ‘52^nd Street’ album. The single made the Top 15 in America and Canada.

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28

MOVIN’ OUT (ANTHONY’S SONG)

‘The Stranger’ effectively showcased how much Billy’s songwriting ability had evolved. The LP opens with the catchy ‘Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)”.

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27

ZANZIBAR

“Zanzibar” has often been cited as similar to a Steely Dan track. Renowned jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard emphasizes the jazzy feel of the song which was inspired by New York City’s jazz clubs. Many other tracks on ‘52^nd Street’ feature elements of the genre.

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26

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

Billy wrote “New York State Of Mind” after his return to New York City. He left Los Angeles behind and was now back at home. Inspiration for the song came to him while he was riding a bus to the Hudson Valley. It remains an indelible celebration of NYC. The song was included on ‘Turnstiles’. At the time, Billy was still not a major recording artist. Barbra Streisand covered the song for her 1977 album ‘Superman’. This raised Billy’s profile as a singer / songwriter.

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Hear the songs as updated on this blog via the new Spotify playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2rYz7gZBJy1zHNoITZ8HwV?si=7ba2b1960f404546