Billy Joel Albums Ranked From Worst to Best
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
- This is the start of 3 consecutive weeks in which the subject of our Listography is being hand-picked by one of the three Listographers. This is different from our usual selection-by-committee approach and is something we may start doing a bit more often. First up is Joe and he's selected the discography of Billy Joel.
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William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and composer. 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 12 studio albums from 1971 to 1993 as well as one studio album in 2001. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, as well as the seventh best-selling recording artist and the fourth best-selling solo artist in the United States, with over 150 million records sold worldwide. His 1985 compilation album, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2, is one of the best-selling albums in the United States.
Joel was born in 1949 in the Bronx, New York, and grew up on Long Island, both places that influenced his music. Growing up, he took piano lessons at the insistence of his mother. After dropping out of high school to pursue a musical career, Joel took part in two short-lived bands, The Hassles and Attila, before signing a record deal with Family Productions and kicking off a solo career in 1971 with his first release, Cold Spring Harbor. In 1972, Joel caught the attention of Columbia Records after a live radio performance of the song "Captain Jack" became popular in Philadelphia, prompting him to sign a new record deal with the company and release his second album, Piano Man, in 1973. After releasing the albums Streetlife Serenade and Turnstiles in 1974 and 1976 respectively, Joel released his critical and commercial breakthrough album, The Stranger, in 1977. This album became Columbia's best-selling release, selling over 10 million copies and spawning several hit singles, including "Just the Way You Are", "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)", "Only the Good Die Young", and "She's Always a Woman"; another song on this album, "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant", is Joel's favorite of his own songs and has become a staple of his live shows.
Joel's next album, 52nd Street, was released in 1978 and became his first album to peak at No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Joel released his seventh studio album, Glass Houses, in 1980 in an attempt to further establish himself as a rock and roll artist; this release featured "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" (Joel's first single to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart), "You May Be Right", "Don't Ask Me Why", and "Sometimes a Fantasy". His next album, The Nylon Curtain, was released in 1982, and stemmed from a desire from Joel to create more lyrically and melodically ambitious music. An Innocent Man, released in 1983, served as an homage to genres of music which Joel had grown up with in the 1950s, such as rhythm and blues and doo-wop; this release featured "Uptown Girl" and "The Longest Time", two of his best-known songs. After releasing the albums The Bridge and Storm Front in 1986 and 1989 respectively, Joel released his twelfth studio album, River of Dreams, in 1993. He went on to release Fantasies and Delusions, a 2001 album featuring classical compositions composed by Joel and performed by British-Korean pianist Richard Hyung-ki Joo. Joel provided voiceover work in 1988 for the Disney animated film Oliver & Company, in which he played the character Dodger, and contributed to the soundtracks to several different films, including Easy Money, Ruthless People, and Honeymoon in Vegas.
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") peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Joel has been nominated for 23 Grammy Awards, winning five of them, including Album of the Year for 52nd Street.
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Let us know how you rank his catalog and what you think of our lists down in the comments. As always, thanks for watching, and be sure to stayed tuned to see what Kramzer has lined up for us next week.
Stock footage provided by Videvo, downloaded from www.videvo.net
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I'm with you, Joe! How dare somebody say he's not a good lyricist! I'm a metalhead primarily, but Billy Joel writes songs that connect with the everyman and I am he.
52nd Street, The Stranger, Glass Houses, An Innocent Man, Turnstiles and The Nylon Curtain are top of the list in order for me. I have also seen him live twice in the 80s, so I am with Joe here, I am quite the fan. I recognise that musical taste is subjective but to rate 52nd Street and The Stranger lower than top 4 is criminal.
I agree with Joe on this one. 100%. Billy is a musical icon whose consistency should be admired. Regards!
Amen brother
Billy grew up in a single parent home in Hicksville/Levittown area not Oyster Bay. But both areas have strong blue collar, working class work ethic. Nothing was handed to him. He worked the docks, learned to box, and tirelessly played the circuit of bars, clubs and colleges. His use of characters was an escape from being Billy Joel, from being this kid from a broken home. He never really wrote songs without thinking of another artist. He hated his own voice, his own look. He tried to kill himself and ended up in a psych ward. Billy’s younger days were definitely reflected in the working class people that inhabited his songs.
You hit the spot on that. But despite Billy picking out his shortcomings , he lived, hit the big time on album number 5 with the risk of being dropped, been ripped off twice, but still has enough money to support his family for many generations. Stops writing songs but never became irrelevant.. Closes his residency at MSG despite the fact he could probably continue to sell it out to his dying day…..and let’s not forget he scored Elle McPherson …The went on to marry the hottest woman in the world at that time…..not bad for a regular guy from Hicksville…
I’m three years late to the party, but I really enjoyed this! I’m a huge Billy Joel fan, so it’s safe to say Kramzer and I couldn’t be more opposite in terms of our views. When he gave The Stranger two stars and ranked it #8 I literally laughed out loud and thought to myself this guy is insane; however, it is great to hear all three of your varying opinions. The world would be pretty boring if everyone felt the same about every musician!
I got your back Joe. Billy Joel remains as one of my two favorite piano players (the other being Elton), an incredible lyricist and just a cool cat that can chat up super models. Win, win, win. Good insights from Kramzer and Jason (looking professional in this vid) but Joe is the Voice Of Reason in this installment. Long live the Piano Man!
Yes Joe I’m with you! Billy Joel is legend.
He’s a really bad lyricist; he writes music like a child given adderall.
As a lifelong Billy Joel fan, I really enjoyed this discussion. The differing opinions made for a satisfying and enlightening review of his work and legacy. I listened to 52nd Street, The Stranger and Glass Houses nonstop as a suburban teenager so those records made a huge impression on me and are still favorites of his. The takeaway here is that Billy Joel was a huge but complex and flawed talent who is a big part of the popular culture and conversation. Really glad Joe urged this discography.
There aren’t very many artists where the lyrics are the main thing that attracts me, but Billy Joel is one of them.
Me too.
Billy joel is brilliant
God I hare people that focus on the lyrics it’s embarrassing for them coz they obviously don’t understand music 😂! Just go buy a poetry book dude dyaniwatimean
@@dondamon4669 😐
yeah I did that with pink floyd and it became my favorite band
Props to Joe for staying cool about William Joel despite the hate from the others. People love him because of that “bar band” sound. All of his hits are sing-a-longs with simpler lyrics that aren’t offensive. He’s the singer for the masses.
One year late to the debate but I recently stumbled upon your channel and am catching up. Love the discussions!
Ever since I found this channel, I’ve been waiting for ya’ll to do Billy Joel. He’s my second favorite artist behind Bob Dylan so I’m sorry if this comment is long, but I love this channel, I love lists, and I love this artist!
12. Cold Spring Harbor (1971) - 2.5 Stars
An album that sounds exactly what it was meant to be, a set of demos for other artists to cover. On top of that, Joel’s voice is just not suited for vulnerable singer songwriter, especially in this period where I guess he figured his natural deeper voice wasn’t “artistic” or appealing and this isn’t even a reference to the terrible mix which the remaster slightly fixes. Some of these songs are still good though like She’s Got a Way, You Can Make Me Free, three quarters of Tomorrow is Today (What’s up with that weird gospel section), and Nocturne is well written. I would like to include Everybody Loves You Now, but this version doesn’t do it justice. As a whole, this album just sounds too uninspired.
11. Streetlife Serenade (1974) - 3 Stars
I’m enjoying this album the more I listen to it (there was a time where it was my least favorite). His singing is the best here in terms of the first four albums. It has some of my favorite Joel songs with The Entertainer, The Great Suburban Showdown, Souvenir, and Root Beer Rag, but the album just starts off so dull with the limpest versions of the title track and Los Angelenos. If their Songs in the Attic versions were here instead, this is almost a 4 star album (mainly for Los Angelenos, the live version is just SO GOOD), but that boring start isn’t worth sitting through on repeated listens for what becomes an album with just 2 good songs and 2 great ones.
10. River of Dreams (1993) - 3.5 Stars
There are times when I think this is one of his best albums. It's his most personal and more cohesive than a lot of his other work. I also think the production is the best since Glass Houses. There are so many interesting arrangements going on here, especially the Great Wall of China, which almost made my top ten songs.The three punch sequence of All About Soul, Lullabye (The most beautiful thing he ever wrote), and River of Dreams (an amazing pop song) is great. Despite all this, I place it this low because I just never have the urge to listen to it all the way through. I think I just prefer a softer pop rock style from Joel and tracks 3-5 really drag the album down.
9. The Bridge - 3.5 Stars
I’ve seen a lot of people put this at the bottom and I can see why. The production is considerably weaker hurting what could be really great songs (Getting Closer and Big Man on Mulberry Street). Temptation and This is the Time are boring songs and Code of Silence tests my cheese tolerance, but there’s just something about this album that is so fun. Running on Ice makes me laugh everytime I listen to it thanks to The Office, but it rocks. Same goes for A Matter of Trust (Neil and Crazy Horse should cover this), and Modern Woman. Baby Grand is beautiful and has what I think to be Ray Charles’ best vocal performance. 80s cheese can be such good cheese sometimes.
8. Storm Front - 3.5 Stars
We Didn’t Start the Fire is one of the best, most unique, vivid, and clever pop songs of the 80s (*mic drop*). A lot of the other songs are great too. I’m not the biggest fan of That’s Not Her Style, Shameless, and When In Rome, but the other 7 songs are really well done arena pop / rock songs that range from great social commentary (The Downeaster Alexa, Leningrad) to great rockers (I Go To Extremes, Storm Front) and heartbreaking love songs (State of Grace, And So It Goes). I wish I could give it a higher grade but those 3 tracks are some of the few tracks I actively dislike from Joel’s catalogue. Not a big fan of the album cover either.
7. Piano Man - 3.5 Stars
This album really suffers because of Joel’s voice and the lack of his classic band. Goes to show it really is all about the players. These songs are really good with Somewhere Along the Line being the only subpar one, but Joel’s voice sounds too thin and it really grates my ears when it comes to most of these songs cause of his over singing. That being said, the songwriting itself is still really good. Its just his vocal delivery. I could see this being a 4.5 star album if his band and voice were there. I oddly love Travlein Player and You’re My Home and wouldn’t change anything about them.
6. Turnstiles - 4 Stars
The most disappointing album in his whole discography. This could’ve easily been a 5 star album, but the production nearly kills it. Even Billy admits it. His voice sounds like he’s singing into an aluminum can from across the hall half the time. The mix can be pretty rough at times. Most, if not all of these songs were perfected live and it's a shame because this album has his most consistent set of songs next to The Stranger. The lyrics are some of his most profound and the melodies and compositions are so well written, its literally just the performances. It's all so good, so different, and so cohesive as the lyrics mainly revolve around his journey back to New York. It coulda been a masterpiece, but despite that, these songs are just too good to not give it at least 4 Stars.
5. 52nd Street - 4.5 Stars
I have the least to say for this one cause its just a great pop album. It has my favorite atmosphere, that dirty sleeze of 70s New York is very infectious. All the songs are great, especially Honesty. Until the Night is amazing and my vote for most underrated Billy Joel song.
4. Glass Houses - 4.5 Stars
I don’t normally want artists to repeat themselves, but I wish he made another New Wave album cause this is great stuff. It's like Elvis Costello wasn’t so upset all the time. I mainly put this album over 52nd street because it has one more song and goes for shorter songs that hit harder and faster rather than the meditative pacing of 52nd Street. This is also the best his band ever sounded and is just a great fun time that's consistent with inventive hooks, memorable lines, and performances. Sleeping with the Television On is the best song Elvis Costello never wrote. It would be 5 stars if it weren’t for the damn french song.
3. The Nylon Curtain - 4.5 Stars
The album that has increased in favor the most over the years. It's his only album that really takes you on a specific journey and I love it. There are so many little touches in the soundscapes and textures that really add to songs like Laura and Surprises, which I love. Goodnight Saigon is an incredible piece of songwriting. His voice sounds a little weird to me in Allentown, I don’t know if it's the Beatles' influence, but it just sounds off. I still love the song though. I use to dislike a Room of Our Own and thought it was weirdly placed in the album, but now I dig it in the same way I dig Monkberry Moon Delight. Its just a weird ass song. I just wish the lyrics were as weird. It goes there with the sardines line, but it doesn’t go far enough and I think it would’ve made the track much more fun and in place with the rest of the album’s abstract songs like Scandinavian Skies. Where’s the Orchestra and its call back to Allentown is also really cool. Pressure’s bridge where it’s just those synth notes is heavenly, the rest of the song makes me feel like Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems. Maybe that was the point?
2. An Innocent Man - 5 Stars
A perfect album and possibly my favorite pure pop album. There’s just so much heart and spirit on this thing, it's infectious. Its an album about learning to believe in love again and going back to your youth, who doesn’t love that? I also think this album has his best vocals, he’s just pouring his soul out for all these tracks. This Night has his best vocal performance. Tell Her about it is a bop. Careless Talk has an amazing bridge. Uptown Girl, while overplayed, is a tremendous pop song. Leave a tender moment alone is so beautiful (Stevie Wonder should cover it!) and I love the end being Keeping the faith where he brings in the listener and explains his reasoning for revisiting these retro songs, grounding the whole experience into a very conscious artistic effort. “The good ol days weren’t always good and Tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems”.
1. The Stranger - 5 Stars
The boring pick, but the right one. Everything just works so well on this album. It's got his best production, his best voice, his best lyrics. It's just so perfect. The whole album is such a great balance of ambition and scale without losing its relatable everyman sentimentality. It's fun and popy without losing its edge and artistic vision. Scenes From an Italian Restaurant is in my top ten songs of all time and Vienna is in my top 20. The whistle intro for The Stranger is so cool and one of my favorite intros to a song. The whole thing just screams New York City and as someone who was born and raised there, it just hits differently. I somehow feel nostalgic for a time I’ve never really lived through but that's the magic of the city I guess. Everybody has a Dream is such a beautiful soul song and has so many great covers (I recommend the Manhattans’ version). The only flaw is that the lyrics to Get it Right the First Time are a little subpar, but the music’s great so it doesn't matter. This album just hits differently, a top ten album of all time for me.
That was a lot. If you made it this far, you’re a legend and I hope you win the lottery! Also, Joe is officially the greatest member of listography and the voice of the people!
I read every word. Great stuff. The Stranger is probably his best. I always had an emotional connection film to Nylon Curtain though. I will try to carry on as the voice of the people. - Joe
Finally someone who also has 'An Innocent Man' up their list. Shocked that there are not more people who see this album as (one of) his best work(s).
@@TastesLikeMusic Thanks! I can never comment long lists cause I'm not familiar with most artist's complete discographies, but I had to show up for the Joel. The man is just too disrespected and I was very happy to see you putting Cold Spring Harbor in its right place. I still don't know what Jason and Kram were thinking with that one.
@@Sir_Eyeball Its definitely surprising to me since its his biggest hit album after The Stranger. I guess people just don't think its cool to like Uptown Girl. I feel sorry for them.
Well though out... but I gotta go Nylon Curtain as #1... Great stuff!
Billy Joel is Pop perfection, I love all of his hits.
Rock*
SONGS FROM THE ATTIC
the best album that cannot be reviewed as an album
ITS BRILLIANT
Agree with Joe . I will forever love Billy Joel for having his breakout album The Stranger be his 5th album instead of his first. I was 14 when it came out. Shortly after saving up the money to buy The Stranger, I discovered 3 albums I could afford to buy in the discount bin: Piano Man, Streetlife Serenade and Turnstiles. I felt like I hit the jackpot, and those discount albums remain at the top of my list to this day.
70's Billy Joel ROCKS! Thx! I agree, I think he's an excellent lyricist.
Billy joel is awesome if you don't like him you don't like music
The Stranger is an amazing album. I love Billy Joel.
Wrong
The Stranger and 52nd Street some way ahead of the others for me, but all his albums have good songs on them.
1. The Stranger
2. 52nd Street
3. Turnstiles
4. Streetlife Serenade
5. The Nylon Curtain
6. River of Dreams
7. Piano Man
8. An Innocent Man
9. Glass Houses
10. Storm Front
11. Cold Spring Harbor
12. The Bridge
The bridge is an excellent album
There was a time when I couldn't stand Billy Joel, then suddenly I turned a corner and really began to get into it. So many hits I once hated I now absolutely love. Not sure what happened...
You saw the light, Paul. You saw the light. - Joe
Your taste for and appreciation for things matured probably.
Man as a lifelong Billy Joel fan and a New Yorker that was brutal to watch... From Kramzers perspective I understand some of his points like how he never had a singing style of his own and he always sounded different.. which is one of the things i loved about it growing up.. McCartney also sang in multiple voices.. anyway pretty brutal to watch but maybe joe will get his revenge next week with the insufferable Sonic Youth
A discussion of the intellectual qualities of Billy Joel's songs is the last thing you hear sitting on a covered sofa while Patrick Bateman takes his axe out behind you.
Enjoyable episode. And all credits to the ones that dig themselves through an enitre discography of an artist they're not very fond of. But in the end I'm with Joe.
"Goodnight Saigon" is very powerful experience live because they usually have a group of Vets singing the chorus
He wrote running on ice for STING to sing. And it was a movie soundtrack. Also, yes, Billy wanted to be a writer for other musicians, but they made him record the songs himself... and then he was a hit, so he kept going.
The longer I watch.
The angrier I got.
I got you. - Joe
I always found it funny how when Elton John asked Billy Joel “Why don’t you make more albums?”, Billy’s response was “Why don’t you make less albums?” 😂
That’s that trademark Billy Joel wit. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic Maybe we can count on future generations to wipe out all evidence that Victim of Love or Leather Jackets ever existed. 😉
If that's true, I love that he said that. And he isn't wrong, is he? Elton could have kept some of those recordings in the vault during the 80s/90s.
Hopefully he used the word “fewer” instead of “less.” Grammar is important.
@@josejones He used “less” in a 2018 interview and “fewer” in a 2016 interview apparently. 😂
In 2018 he said: “There are artists who continue to record because they feel like that's what keeps them relevant. But if the quality of their work deteriorates it drags down the entire catalog. Elton [John] would say to me, 'Why don't you put out more albums?' I would say, 'Why don't you put out less albums?' I didn't want to come out and say, 'You're dragging down your legacy.'"
From 2016: “People can say I'm coasting, but I stopped wanting to write songs. It took its toll…I hate writing but I love having written. I just stopped wanting to do it. Elton was always saying, 'Why don't you do a new album? Why don't you write new songs?' And I would reply, 'Why don't you put out fewer albums?' I guess he wants to remain relevant, but if they don't sell, what's the point? I hate to think I'm a nostalgia act, but we all are, anyone who's going to sell out arenas."
Although i'm impressed by you guy's musical knowledge (considering how relatively young you are) i sometimes feel you can be too wholly dismissive of whatever artist you're discussing. Kramster flies really close to "obnoxious teen dissing all his parents records" territory here. His comment about Billy sounding like the, at the time, completely unknown Brandon Flowers on one track was a particular low point :) Joel is undoubtedly a bit of a musical magpie but he does have his own voice & has often sung like a dream. His musical talent, lyrical wit & versatility shines through and his direct, down-to-earth approach makes his best stuff a pleasure to listen to IMO. If you think of artists in terms of sounds or colours his body of works like a rainbow & we're all the better for it. Contrary to popular belief, a few of his albums were also well received & they went on to earn him 20+ Grammy nominations & 9 wins.
Part of the "issue", or perhaps it is what keeps things interesting and grounded, is that most channels that do album rankings are done by FANS of the artist. In some ways that makes for a "truer" comparison because the people ranking LIKE the music. Here you often get one person who dislikes or is indifferent to the artist in discussion and I think that is a difficult thing to gauge. There are bands I dislike and I think I'd have a difficult time ranking their albums and they most certainly wouldn't align with someone who IS a fan of said artist.
@@crichards1986 i know what you mean, but if it was me i'd try to dig deeper to find some more complimentary things to say. I can still find qualities in acts that i don't like much at all.
@@alansmithee3336 Agreed!
Completely agree kramzer is totally obnoxious.
I discovered Billy Joel as a child on my own. My parents Loved Chanson and Blues. When I started listening to Billy I enjoyed every second of it.
The run of six albums from Turnstiles (76) to An Innocent Man (83) is as good as it gets if you ask me. You can throw in the brilliant Songs In The Attic (81) as well. Here's how I rank the albums:
12 Cold Spring Harbor
11 The Piano Man
10 Streetlife Serenade
09 The Bridge
08 River Of Dreams
07 Storm Front
06 Turnstiles
05 Glass House
04 An Innocent Man
03 52nd Street
02 The Nylon Curtain
01 The Stranger
If included, Songs In The Attic would have been at number 3. Simply a brilliant album.
Cold spring harbor, worst?? I take it you are more into the hits. Which is fine. But thats definitely how it seems.
Definitely with Joe again on Billy Joel. And yes I do think he is better than Elton John in consistency and quality, though it’s not even a fair comparison because Elton John didn’t even write his own lyrics.
Here’s my list:
12. River of Dreams
11. Piano Man
10. Storm Front
9. The Bridge
8. Cold Spring Harbour
7. Street Life Serenader
6. An Innocent Man
5. Turnstiles
4. Glass Houses
3. The Nylon Curtain
2. The Stranger
1. 52nd Street (top to bottom his best album, not a single weak track and every song could have been a hit single)
The Nylon Curtain is a CLEAR #1 album for me.
After that... Songs From The Attic (I know, Live...but the song really come to life for me in that setting), The Stranger, Streetlife Serenade, and the odd songs on every album...
I mean, as a huge Beatles fan AND Bill Joel fan I think Paul McCartney sang in more voices than Joel did. I don’t think that’s a reason to criticise Joel’s songs.
I love character driven songs and the imagination that goes into them rather than songwriters who are so limited they can only write about their personal experiences.
I think Joel’s lyrics are also great! She’s always a woman is so bitter and angry, but this sentiment is disguised within the beauty of the melody. One of my all time favourite songs for sure.
His hits are fantastic. I think the record sales speak for themselves.
He also had the good sense to stop producing records in the early 1990s at the top of his game rather than keep on keeping on!
Totally agree with Joe on this one. Surprised at the hostility for Billy!
In my view, Billy Joel is so much better then Elton John. A lot of Elton’s albums are just unlistenable!
Also, huge fan of this channel. Just discovered it and enjoying the debates!
Joel is great. Stranger is chock full of great. If you grew up in the 70s, his stuff was everywhere, especially '77-82
A great artist, songwriter and pianist. The top three are classics, two five stars and one four and a half.
1. 52nd Street
2. The Stranger
3. Turnstiles
4. Streetlife Serenade
5. Glass Houses
6. An Innocent Man
7. Piano Man
8. The Bridge
9. The Nylon Curtain
10. Storm Front
11. River of Dreams
12. Cold spring harbor
I posted my top 5 above and they are EXACTLY the same as yours. CHEERS!
My rankings usually follow Kramzer pretty closely, but on this one I was with Joe all the way - almost identical lists. Got to say, I really enjoy the episodes where one of you hates the band you're ranking or when two of you totally disagree - as a viewer, watching balance through volatility is far more fun than balance through agreement.
Love Billy Joel. He is simply good at what he does. He shows up and pumps out hits. That said, there are deep cuts that are great. I get what everyone is saying about him sounding like other musicians. He often did try to be contemporary. It sometimes didn't succeed as well.
Ahh! Kramzer! The Stranger is his masterpiece! History plays such a role in our tastes
52nd street is great. BUT!!! The Stranger should of won him album of the year and not 52nd Street but I’m glad he was recognized for one of those two at least. He was robbed regardless the talent pool in 1977.
He wrote "We didnt start the fire" after hearing "Its the end of the world as we know it".He was very open about that.
Aye, always thought Berry, Buck, Mills & Stipe should get a writing credit.
Was at his best whenever he didn’t try too hard. ‘Innocent Man’ and ‘Stranger’ have held up well. Phil Ramone’s insistence on pumping up the drums on everything really hurt many of his songs/ albums.
Waaaaayyy to harsh on the bridge. 1 star for what is generally a fine album is over critical for the sake of being over critical
Billy Joel, in my opinion is a "top tier lyricist."
Agreed. I really don't listen to music for lyrical content, but his lyrics stand out to me a lot more than a lot of other singers/bands.
I guess I have to be from Jersey To like Billy Joel.
My Billy Joel discography rankings - Worst to First:
12. Streetlife Serenade (1974) -- "Root Beer Rag" and "The Mexican Connection" are fillers.
11. Cold Spring Harbor (1971) -- The struggling singer/songwriter's debut effort included two of his more memorable hits -- "Everybody Loves You Now" and "She's Got a Way" -- which appeared live on the Songs in the Attic LP in 1981.
10. An Innocent Man (1983) -- Imagine Frankie Avalon, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Temptations, and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons singing instead.
9. Stormfront (1989) -- We don't know why he goes to extremes, even to this day.
8. Turnstyles (1975) -- Still an "Angry Young Man" who's living in his own "New York State of Mind."
7. The Nylon Curtain (1982) -- "Here you are in the ninth, two men out, and three men on, nowhere to look but inside..."
6. The Bridge (1983) --- "You've got to learn to relax and face the facts of modern woman..."
5. 52nd Street (1978) -- Then again, it is his life.
4. Glass Houses (1980) -- The tracks on the second side are underrated and underplayed.
3. Piano Man (1973) -- While "Piano Man" is his signature hit, "Captain Jack" is a hidden classic.
2. River of Dreams (1993) -- "All about Soul" is, possibly, my favorite throughout Joel's career.
and
1. The Stranger (1977) -- The entire album is mint, from start to finish...a true masterpiece.
Captain Jack, deep cut? Lol that songs a staple in classic rock radio to this day.
Joe comes through again in a big way! Love Billy Joel.
This shows joe is the least pretentious of the 3.
@@TheARJAY69 Completely agree. Joe is the every man and the glue holding the channel together.
Kram putting The Stranger at number 8 is one of the weirdest takes I've ever heard. That album is just one of those brilliant universal pop albums. I also never understood why people think he's a bad lyricist with songs like Vienna, Sleeping with the television on, Downeaster Alexa, lullabye, james, Movin Out and dozens more. The man has sold more albums than Micheal Jackson and Elton John for a reason and Its not just for his hits. The man's gotta deep catalogue of gems and everyone here in New York loves him from what I've seen. Thank you Joe for your great taste and bringing some Billy Joel class into listography. Good luck on that Sonic Youth discography, Ya gonna need it.
🙏 - Joe
I'm not convinced Billy Joel has outsold Elton John or Michael Jackson, not worldwide anyway.
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 according to Business Insider he is right there at #6 with MJ at #7 and EJ at #8. On wikipedia MJ and EJ are #3 and #4 with Billy Joel down the list a bit.
Leaning more to Joe on this ... loved this video guys ... tremendous stuff!
Billy Joel is very interesting in a way, in that he's accused of being too mainstream and radio friendly, yet at the same time his music is obviously very provocative and causes strong reactions. Ironically, the only track by him which I really like is We Didn't Start The Fire, which was a great juke-box favorite back in my college days, and always sounded great after a few beers.
He’s even said it’s a stupid song
I always find that the people who demand "sincerity" the most, usually exhibit it the least
I was 14 when Billy Joel became a house hold name with "The Stranger". I was a huge Elton John fan and was a little dismissive of Joel at first but a friend had the album and I liked the deeper cuts. I bought 52nd Street when it came out and I loved it and I thought he really had his own sound. And then came Glass Houses which was my second and last Billy Joel Album. I did not hate it but man my father tortured me about it. He loved to mock me by singing "you may be right or you may be wrong" in the way that only a father can tease a 15 year old girl and drive her crazy -lol. Ended my love of Joel real quick. Also, the way he treated Liberty De Vitto and the other guys ruffles my feathers. However, I still think The Stranger and 52nd Street are classics and have significant meaning to me as part of my teenage years.
he is a great lyrics writer. Yes not always consistent but maybe twenty great great lyrically written songs.
I would love if y'all would do a John Prine week
Seconded and I definitely got a ranking list already.
@@thebrood138 how would ya rank his albums
His debut is one of the greatest ever
@@painless465 it's definitely one of my favorites
My wife and I saw Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden with my wife not really a fan. On the way out she grabbed my hand and said, “that was a fantastic concert. I never realized how many of his songs I knew.”
I've got Storm Front and River of Dreams higher than basically every other Billy Joel fan, but aside from that Joe is pretty much 100% on point. Boggles my mind having CSH in the top 3, it's basically an album of demos.
Nah, the 1971 mix speed corrected is awesome. Everybody Loves You Now, You Can Make Me Free, Turn Around, Why Judy Why, She’s Got A Way… if youre going of the 1983 mix, aka the “remastered” then yea pure garbage.
I admire Joe for weathering the storm here. I'm surprised there wasn't much discussion about the song, "Piano Man." I have nothing but harsh things to say about it. In spite of me hating the man's signature song, I'm definitely not a Joel-hater. I admire him for being such a prolific hit-maker for so long. Not an easy thing to do.
I don’t hate Piano Man despite it being horrifically over played. - Joe
My top of Billy Joel:
1 Glass Houses
2 The Nylon Curtain
3 River of Dreams
4 Streetlife Serenade
5 Turnstiles
6 The Bridge
7 Cold Spring Harbor
8 The Stranger
9 52nd Street
10 Piano Man
11 An Innocent Man
Bro put his two worst albums at 3 and 4
@@m.e.l.saniepic3419 Es que no lo hice como un top de mejores y peores, sino de los que me gustan más a los que me gustan menos. Porque al final para mí todos sus discos son buenos.
Todays pop music: 4 chords/song (I IV V VI BEATO!), Just the Way You Are...22 different chords! Such a trip. Love his song creation and Joe, I am with you, love this man. SO good. Billy is the bridge master. Always the change there and back into the song.
In regards to his songs as homages I remember he was on Inside the Actors Studio talking his songs & playing bits, he mentioned that Shameless was an homage to Jimi and how he put chewing gum in his mouth while writing it to help him get into character
Thanks for a fun and entertaining video. This is one of your best rankings so far IMHO. It really showcases your differences as music lovers and to some extent your personalities. Jason was surprisingly polite, and I laughed out loud from some of the punches thrown between Joe and Kramzer. Reminds me of the quarrels I used to have with my friends back in the day when most people still cared about music. We often ended up fighting in front of the CD-player at parties, and we had all the characters in our group of high school friends: The alternative/indie to cool for school guy, the hipster dope smoker, the prog rocker, the classic rocker, the real musician who thought he always knew what he was talking about, the unapologetic Top 40 lover and the discoverer that always were showing off the latest and greatest.
As for Billy Joel. I like him. I got 9 of his albums (missing Innocent Man I now realize - which I need to own), plus two live albums and the 3CD version of his greatest hits. He's one of those artists I'd call enjoyable, but not a great album artist that can hold my attention for long. But as a European I haven't been as bombarded with his hits from the radio as you guys probably have. BUt as most big hits artists he's got his share of annoying hits, and songs I've grown tired of.
I'm with Jason for this one. As an album I think The Stranger is his most cohesive and solid work. I quite like the big hits too, Just The Way You Are and She's Always a Woman.
Keep on keeping on guys! Joe, give them hell on Sonic Youth!
1. The Stranger
2. Turnstiles
3. 52nd Street
4. Streetlife Serenade
5. Piano Man
6. The Nylon Curtain
7. Glass Houses
8. The Bridge
9. An Innocent Man
10 Cold Spring Harbor
11 River of Dreams
12 Storm Front
solid list - i might rank stormfront higher - the bridge lower - glass houses higher . . but basically with you here
My favorites are:
1. Turnstiles / The Stranger / 52nd Street
2. Nylon Curtain / StreetLife Serenade
3. Glass Houses
Favorite songs: Honesty and She's Always a Woman
Also like Piano Man, Captain Jack and She's Got a Way from the other albums
Favorite Deep Cuts Scandinavian Skies and I've Loved These Days
Glass Houses is my favorite Billy record and a perfect representation of what Joe was saying - the singles are not what makes this record but the deeper tracks which are phenomenal.
I don't know that I could put the albums in an order at this time. However, I know that I love Turnstiles and The Stranger and that the Streetlife Serenader album is an underrated sleeper. I don't dislike any of his albums. I went into a deep dive with Joel a while back and usually liked about half of the songs or more on each record. He may not be a critical darling, he may always try to be sounding like somebody else, he may not be as rock and roll as far as rock and roll goes, but he's well-worth a Listography review. It may be a "time and place" kind of thing. Growing up when I did - I would have been 10 when the Nylon Curtain came out - you just kind of consumed what you were fed on MTV and didn't judge it too much. Some videos you preferred to others. As sinister as it may sound, we just kind of accepted Billy Joel's music and found it enjoyable as a new record came out every year or so and he released a whole lot of videos. Kramzer, I find your response to Billy Joel interesting. I don't agree with you, but I find it interesting. I am guessing you don't have any children, as "Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel)" will make you weep once you have a child. I'm wondering what other big artists you guys don't like too much.
12: River Of Dreams
11: Streetlife Serenade
10: Cold Spring Harbor
9: The Bridge
8: Piano Man
7: Nylon Curtain
6: Storm Front
5: Turnstiles
4: 52nd Street
3: The Stranger
2: Glass Houses
1: An Innocent Man
I love both Billy Joel and Sonic Youth! ❤️
Billy Joel is not to everyone's tastes, but I do think his mid-period material has a high quality bar that is easily taken for granted because of how overplayed the hits are or were back when. "52nd Street" is pretty amazing all the way through, and I even enjoyed "The Bridge" a fair bit when I had it. Not someone I seek, but I'm always pleasantly surprised when I check him out.
Here in the UK, Billy Joel is a little bit like The Eagles, in that while he did pretty well here (especially An Innocent Man*), he wasn't as huge-selling and his big songs aren't as massively overplayed as they appear to be in the US. As a result, I think, like The Eagles, people rarely express a strong dislike for him over here.
I've never owned or heard a Billy Joel studio album, but I have had a greatest hits compilation and I did see him live in about 1990 and enjoyed the show, at a time when a lot of the music I was into was rather more alternative. If I did listen to all the albums and rate them, I wouldn't be surprised if The Nylon Curtain came out as my number 1, for what it's worth.
I do remember a review of a Billy Joel album (it may have been The Bridge) in the '80s, where the reviewer said that he was perfectly balanced because he had a chip on each shoulder. This was because he felt that Joel really wanted to be an earnest singer-songwriter but couldn't escape the temptation of producing catchy pop songs.
*Uptown Girl goes down a storm here at weddings and other occasions that involve largely middle-aged people dancing.
1. The Stranger (1977) 4.5/5
2. The Nylon Curtain (1982) 4.5/5
3. An Innocent Man (1983) 4/5
4. 52nd Street (1978) 3.5/5
5. Storm Front (1989) 3.5/5
6. Turnstiles (1976) 3/5
7. Glass Houses (1980) 3/5
8. The Bridge (1986) 3/5
9. Piano Man (1973) 3/5
10. Cold Spring Harbor (1971) 2.5/5
11. Streetlife Serenade (1974) 2.5/5
12. River of Dreams (1993) 2/5
1. 52nd Street
2. The Stranger
3. Turnstiles
4. Glass Houses
5. An Innocent Man
6. Piano Man
7. Streetlife Serenade
8. The Nylon Curtain
9. Cold Spring Harbor
10. River of Dreams
11. The Bridge
12. Storm Front
_River of Dreams_ is the trickiest album for me to rank. The first side I consider his best work since _The Nylon Curtain_ ... but then it mostly falls into the adult contemporary slop of the time on the second side. I agree about _The Bridge_ and _Storm Front_ being the bottom 2, though, mostly due to that very late '80s-sounding production. But I think I have to put the latter at the very bottom, since "When in Rome" is probably my all-time least favorite song of his.
1 52nd Street (first lp bought with my own $ in 1979). 2 Nylon Curtain 3 Turnstiles 4 Glass Houses 5 Stranger 6 Piano Man 7 Streetlife Serenade 8 Cold Spring Harbor 9 Stormfront 10 Innocent Man 11 River of Dreams 12 Bridge
Big fan of Billy Joel, even saw him on the Storm Front Tour, great show. My rankings:
12. Cold Spring Harbor
11. Streetlight Serenade
10. Piano Man
9. The Bridge
8. The Nylon Curtain
7. Turnstiles
6. River of Dreams
5. Glass Houses
4. 52nd Street
3. Storm Front
2. An Innocent Man
1. The Stranger
I´m really interested in a Listography of FLEETWOOD MAC - they had so many lineups and changes in sound - should be interesting and a great challenge for you three! ;-)
That's a good choice that wouldn't be too obvious for either Joe, Jason or Kramzer!
That one would be interesting, especially going through the Peter Green era
@@anthonysablan8650 Yes and comparing it all. I'm guess you are either a Peter Green OR a "later day" Mac-fan! Would fun to see if someone likes both and mixes them all over the ranking!
Fleetwood Mac would be great, just because of all their lineup changes. It's like trying to compare a half dozen bands with with each other.
@@anthonysablan8650 I really enjoy the Kirwan-Welch-records - very underrated!!! "Bare Trees" - what a great album!!!
My favorite Rock artist of all time… i dont care about the hits too much. I find myself playing Turnstiles and Thy Nylon Curtain the most now days. I cant rank them, it would always change.
Amazing artist that doesn’t receive enough respect despite his massive sales, accolades and the fact that he can still sell out MSG on a monthly basis. Much respect to Joe during this list.
Grew up on LI, where Joel is idolized and where he also still lives. Used to work as a waiter at a restaurant that he used to frequent. One year he had a Christmas party for his entire band, and their families, at the restaurant and he left everyone including the kitchen staff very generous tips. He also performed with his daughter Alexa at the piano after the party was over. We weren’t allowed to record with our phones but it was a cool moment I won’t ever forget.
My top 5 Billy Joel albums
1) glass houses
2) the stranger
3) an innocent man (earliest memories of Joel’s Music for me)
4) nylon curtain
5) turnstiles
he got more respect back when he was actually naking music - by going quiet he did not really help his reputation
Agreed, Joel is great who is worthy of people getting more acquainted with his albums. He went out on top, he may not have much presence due to not making albums anymore but his status is still pretty good based on massive sales and strong east coast fanbase.
Great video, I love him, for me:
12: Storm Front, 11: The Bridge, 10: River of Dreams, 9: The Nylon Curtain, 8: An Innocent Man, 7: Piano Man, 6: 52nd Street, 5: Glass Houses, 4: The Stranger, 3: Streetlife Serenader, 2: Cold Spring Harbor and 1: Turnstiles.
What an atrocious list by Kram... almost made me vomit... jk... but not really
This was fun and pretty easy to rank.
1. Glass Houses
2. The Stranger
3. An Innocent Man
4. 52nd Street
5. Turnstiles
6. The Nylon Curtain
7. Cold Spring Harbor
8. River of Dreams
9. Storm Front
10. The Bridge
11. Streetlife Serenade
12. Piano Man
Respect anyone ranking Billy anything, but I would HIGHLY recommend a relisten to Pianoman. No album that contains Piano man, Captain Jack, Billy The Kid and You’re My Home (And other great album tracks) should ever be ranked last! Blasphemy!! Lol
@@Badlands26 I know...it doesn't seem like it should be last but on the re-listen that's where it ended up. I like "Home" and "Kid" but never liked "Captain", maybe the most depressing song ever.
12. The Bridge
11. River of Dreams
10. Cold Spring Harbor
9. Streetlife Serenade
8. Piano Man
7. The Nylon Curtain
6. Glass Houses
5. Storm Front
4. An Innocent Man
3. 52nd Street
2. Turnstiles
1. The Stranger
(but those top 3 constantly rearrange depending on the day.)
Just finished listening to Billy Joel's 13 albums - my favourite song from each album is:
Cold Spring Harbor - She's Got a Way.
Piano Man - Piano Man.
Streetlife Serenade - The Entertainer.
Turnstiles - Say Goodbye to Hollywood.
The Stranger - She's Always a Woman.
52nd Street - My Life.
Glass Houses - Don't Ask me Why.
The Nylon Curtain - Goodnight Saigon.
An Innocent Man - An Innocent Man.
The Bridge - A Matter of Trust.
Storm Front - We didn't start the Fire.
River of Dreams - Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel).
Fantasies & Delusions - Opus 10: Air (Dublinesque).
I'm with Joe as a lover of Billy. I think his first four albums are his best, with Turnstiles one of my Top 10 albums of all time. After Turnstiles it's all down hill for me, although he stayed pretty decent throughout the 70s. Maybe I'm the odd one out, give me Billy to Elton any day.
I agree that Turnstiles is the ultimate Billy Joel album.
My List :
12. Storm Front
11. River Of Dreams
10. The Bridge
9. Cold Spring Harbor
8. Streetlife Serenade
7. Piano Man
6. Turnstiles
5. An Innocent Man
4. Glass Houses
3. 52nd Street
2. The Nylon Curtain
1. The Stranger
My favorite listography's are when there is a wide gap in your opinions of the artist. That makes this, along with Abba my favorite ones.
I agree about the wide opinion gap but I'm still scarred by Abba week. Billy Joel was the win Joe needed after that debacle.
I think I’m taking another L this with Sonic Youth
@@TastesLikeMusic You're An Innocent Man, Joe. This one is on Kram.
I think if you grew up in the 70's (me) Billy Joel has a little more meaning. He was a big part of FM rock radio and every album's release was major at the time. A lot of his stuff has not aged well and if you come to him after his public divorces, legal/money issues with managers/band members, bad 80's videos, he comes across differently than when he was a younger singer/songwriter. I like him--but I like Sonic Youth too. LOL! I'm going to watch that video now! Keep up the good work.
Fantastic video as always Jason and Joe...a fair summary...and I think Jason did a great job of highlighting the hidden gems...my Top list of hidden gems from all the albums...in chronological order...
Tomorrow is Today
You're my home
Souvenir (so underrated, beautiful and sad)
I've loved these days
Vienna
Surprises
Where's the Orchestra?
And so it goes (just beautiful)
Lullabye
well here goes
i had to KRAMNZ for the exam
10 piano man
9 glasshouse
8an innocent man
7 52 street
6 stormfront
5 the bridge
4 the stranger
3 streetlife serenade
2 river of dreams
1 the nylon curtain
thanx guys
My ranking
12. Cold Spring Harbor
11. Streetlife Serenade
10. Turnstiles
9. The Nylon Curtain
8. The Bridge
7. River Of Dreams
6. Piano Man
5. Storm Front
4. The Stranger
3. 52nd Street
2. An Innocent Man
1. Glass Houses
I've always preferred Billy Joel to Elton John but that's usually not what most think. Maybe I need to check out more Elton but I feel like Joel put out more consistent quality and quit while on top.
Billy Joel's dad left the family when Billy was young and they were not well off at all.
At 14, I took all of my babysitting/lawn mowing money to our local department store (Woodward's) and bought my first stereo and a few albums to get me started. The Stranger was one of them. You can only imagine how many times I listened to that album waiting for my collection to grow. I stuck with BJ until An Innocent Man before I jettisoned at least half my library when I fully embraced punk and post punk for the remainder of the decade (and beyond). Billy Joel will always be a nostalgia fest for me, but I enjoy it, dammit! ;D Over time Piano Man through to An Innocent Man (including Songs in the Attic) have made their way into my CD library and I'm pretty sure they'll stay there forever. The others each have a song or two worthy of a playlist, but that's as far as I will ever go with them.
1. The Stranger
2. 52nd Street
3. The Nylon Curtain
4. Glass Houses
5. An Innocent Man
6. Turnstiles
7. Piano Man
8. Streelife Serenade
9. Storm Front
10. The Bridge
11. River of Dreams
12. Cold Spring Harbour
1. The stranger
2. The nylon curtain
3. Turnstiles
4. 52nd street
5. Piano man
6. Glass houses
7. Street life serenade
8. An innocent man
9. Storm front
10. Cold spring harbor
11. River of dreams
12. The bridge
Dig the BJ very much. I would say my main go to albums of his are 52nd Street, The Stranger and Glass Houses.
Fantastic listography...for what it's worth, my Top 12...
The Stranger
Turnstiles
The Nylon Curtain
52nd Street
Streetlife Serenade
Piano Man
Storm Front
An Innocent Man
Glass Houses
Cold Spring Harbor
The Bridge
River of Dreams
Joel fan for life. I'm with Joe, I get Joel and he gets me.
Kinda shocked by the disdain expressed for Joel’s lyrics. He’s always been a working mans blue collar songwriter. Seems like something to be aware of before you criticize him for it...
I like his lyrics, I think they are great.
I just get the impression that there are some standard lines used in reviews and so they tend to get crowbarred in regardless as to how inaccurate or unfitting they might be at times.
I like his earlier albums more than his later albums. The ultimate Billy Joel album is Turnstiles. Last really great album is The Nylon Curtain, although The Bridge is quite good and there are some good songs on An Innocent Man. Anyway, he remains one of my top four artists.
First time on your channel, enjoyed this. Nice to see Nylon Curtain so high on all three of your lists - probably my favorite work of his.
He turned himself into a new york icon .. somehow.. well done ..
Been waiting for this!
I've never heard the word "surreptitiously" so mangled before.
I honestly took for granted that The Stranger would be a runaway trifecta at #1. When Kramzer put it at #8 my equilibrium went completely off! AAAAaaAAAhhh!!!!!
One of the funniest gags is in the movie Step Brothers, where the climax of the movie features an 80s Billy Joel cover band called Uptown Girl. Everyone in the crowd is begging for them to play Piano Man or anything from the Stranger, and the lead singer starts yelling at the crowd that they STRICTLY only play 80s Joel.
I love that part. - Joe
Love Billy Joel! Grew up with him. The Stranger, 52nd street, Turnstiles, The Nylon Curtin, songs in the attic, are my favorites.
I’ve paused the video to write
Ha ha ha a billy Joel listen through....I never thought I’d hear that let alone on here - love it...
Good choice Joe! I like the way you guys work in popular mainstream artists with the ones that have more limited appeal. I love your channel, even though I usually only agree with 1 or 2 of you
1. Glass Houses
2. 52nd Street
3. The Stranger
4. Storm Front
5. An Innocent Man
1. Glass Houses
2. 52nd Street
3. The Stranger
4. The Nylon Curtain
5. Turnstiles
6. Streetlife Serenade
7. An Innocent Man
8. The Bridge
9. Cold Spring Harbor
10. Piano Man
11. Storm Front
12. River of Dreams
If Springsteen sang "Allentown" as it's written, it would just sound more genuine.. He just projects more blue-collar. (Even though both of them are billionaires now)
I really don't get all the fawning over Springsteen. I've always found his music pretty 'meh.' Even Seger and Mellencamp have more personality behind them to my ears. 🤷♂️