Dave's Music Hall of Fame: Album Inductees (May 2023)

The Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums Originally posted 5/22/2023. January 22, 2019 marked the 10-year anniversary of the DMDB blog. To honor that, Dave’s Music Database announced its own Hall of Fame. This month marks the eighteenth group of album inductees. These are taken from are taken from the DMDB’s top pop albums of all time list. The focus of this set inductees is only on those pop albums from the ‘60s through ‘80s. Previous inductees to fit this category are Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet, Def Leppard’s Hysteria, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Journey’s Escape, Carole King’s Tapestry, The Police’s Synchronicity, Prince’s Purple Rain, Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A., U2’s The Joshua Tree, Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, the Grease soundtrack, and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. See the full list of album inductees here.

The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night (1964) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

The Beatles’ third album featured all original songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney – and what a collection it was. In addition to the chart-topping title cut and “Can’t Buy Me Love,” the album featured “I Should Have Known Better,” “And I Love Her,” and “If I Fell.” The U.S. version topped the charts for 14 weeks but was vastly inferior with only 8 of the 14 cuts from the UK version and four unnecessary instrumentals. Read more.

The Beatles Help! (1965) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

As impressive as A Hard Day’s Night was, the Beatles outdid themselves with Help! Once again, the U.S. version was a truncated collection rounded out by unnecessary instrumentals. Both the U.S. and UK versions featured the #1’s “Help!” and “Ticket to Ride,” but the latter album also had “Yesterday,” another #1 in the U.S. The collection also included “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” and “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl.” Read more.

Phil Collins No Jacket Required (1985) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

A Facebook post by Amanti Del Rock famously claimed that in the 1980s, one out of every four songs on the radio was by Phil Collins. While it was a humorously exaggerated claim, he did seem to be inescapable that decade, alternating between solo hits and success with his band Genesis. No Jacket Required was the album that established Collins as a superstar, giving him #1 hits with “One More Night” and “Sussudio” as well as top-10 hits “Don’t Lose My Number” and “Take Me Home.” The Grammy winner for Album of the Year would sell more than 25 million copies worldwide. Read more.

Whitney Houston Whitney (1987) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

Whitney Houston’s self-titled debut album sent three songs to #1, setting up an impossibly high bar for her sophomore effort. Whitney pulled off the unthinkable – another four chart-toppers, including the iconic “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” It gave her a record seven consecutive #1 songs. The album spent eleven weeks atop the Billboard album chart and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. Read more.

Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

Jackson’s 1986 album Control gave her five top-ten hits, putting her in the top tier pop echelon alongside her famous brother Michael. His Thriller album spawned a record-setting seven top-tens. Janet outdid him with seven top-five hits from her Rhythm Nation 1814 album – four of them went all the way to #1. Read more.

Michael Jackson Bad (1987) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

Michael Jackson faced an impossible task in creating a follow-up to Thriller, the best-selling album of all time. Bad would still sell an impressive 35 million copies worldwide and it would outdo its predecessor on one front. It became the first album in history to generate five chart-topping hits. Read more.

Billy Joel The Stranger (1977) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

Billy Joel landed his first top-40 hit in 1973 with the iconic “Piano Man” but couldn’t match that accomplishment over his next couple of albums. 1977’s The Stranger, however, established Joel as a pop force to be reckoned with. He had a #3 hit with “Just the Way You Are” as well as top-40 hits “Movin’ Out,” “”Only the Good Die Young,” and “She’s Always a Woman.” The Grammy Hall of Fame inductee was his most successful album, selling 15 million copies worldwide. Read more.

Cyndi Lauper She’s So Unusual (1983) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

Lauper’s video for “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was a perfect fit for MTV, showcasing her vibrant personality and equally colorful wardrobe. It became a fun party song that was also embraced as a message of female empowerment. It could have been a one-hit wonder, but she followed it with the chart-topping “Time After Time,” a ballad that showed she had some depth as well. She also landed top-five hits with “She Bop” and “All Through the Night.” She won the Grammy for Best New Artist and garnered nominations for Album, Record, and Song of the Year. Read more.

Madonna Like a Virgin (1984) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

It isn’t often one can pinpoint the exact moment someone became a star. With Madonna, it was when she sang “Like a Virgin” while she writhed on stage in a wedding dress at the MTV Video Music Awards. The song spent six weeks at #1 and propelled the album of the same name to the top as well. The album also generated the top-five hits “Material Girl,” “Angel,” and “Dress You Up.” As if that weren’t enough, in the middle of the album’s success, she also topped the charts with “Crazy for You” from the movie Vision Quest and, in the UK, with “Into the Groove” from Desperately Seeking Susan. Read more.

George Michael Faith (1987) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

George Michael sailed to success with Wham! and the #1 hit “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” He followed that with his own chart-topping “Careless Whisper,” making it clear that he was on the verge of becoming a breakout solo star. His 1987 album Faith more than accomplished that task. It generated four #1 songs, spent twelve weeks atop the Billboard album chart, and sold 25 million copies worldwide. It also won the Grammy for Album of the Year. Read more.

Book: Songs That Made a Mark

Songs That Made a Mark: 100 of Mark Whitaker’s Favorites

For Christmas 2022, I told my brother I’d make a book – just for him – of 100 of his favorite songs. We worked together to come up with the list offered here. Songs are not ranked; they are listed alphabetically by the recording acts. While the book is not available for purchase, all the songs are listed here with links to dedicated Dave’s Music Database pages, each with information about the song’s chart, sales, and airplay statistics as well as links to awards won by the songs, videos, and lyrics. Click here to see other lists from critics and individuals and here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations. Spotify Playlist: You can listen to all these songs via the Spotify playlist Songs That Made a Mark. 1. Ace “How Long” (1974) 2. Adele “Skyfall” (2012) 3. Aerosmith “Janie’s Got a Gun” (1989) 4. Alabama “Mountain Music” (1982) 5. Animal Logic “I’m Sorry Baby (I Want You in My Life)” (1989) 6. Asia “Heat of the Moment” (1982) 7. Asia “Only Time Will Tell” (1982) 8. Asia “Don’t Cry” (1983) 9. The Beatles “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (1968) 10. Pat Benatar “Shadows of the Night” (1982) 11. Clint Black “Killin’ Time” (1989) 12. David Bowie “Changes” (1971) 13. Boyz II Men “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” (1991) 14. Garth Brooks “> Unanswered Prayers” (1990) 15. Kate Bush “This Woman’s Work” (1988) 16. Johnny Cash “Hurt” (2002) 17. Harry Chapin “Cat’s in the Cradle” (1974) 18. Chic “Le Freak” (1978) 19. Chicago “If You Leave Me Now” (1976) 20. Eric Clapton “Wonderful Tonight” (1977) 21. Eric Clapton “Tears in Heaven” (1992) 22. Phil Collins “In the Air Tonight” (1981) 23. Commodores “Three Times a Lady” (1978) 24. Robert Cray “Smoking Gun” (1986) 25. Bing Crosby with David Bowie “Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy” (1977) 26. Crowded House “Don’t Dream It’s Over” (1986) 27. Crowded House “Better Be Home Soon” (1988) 28. Charlie Daniels Band “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (1979) 29. Def Leppard “Photograph” (1983) 30. Depeche Mode “Somebody” (1984) 31. Dennis DeYoung “Desert Moon” (1984) 32. Eagles “Take It Easy” (1972) 33. Eagles “Desperado” (1973) 34. Foreigner “Waiting for a Girl Like You” (1981) 35. Peter Gabriel “Biko” (1980) 36. Genesis “Mama” (1983) 37. Hootie & the Blowfish “Only Wanna Be with You” (1995) 38. Billy Joel “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” (1977) 39. Billy Joel “The Stranger” (1977) 40. Billy Joel with Ray Charles “Baby Grand” (1986) 41. Elton John “Candle in the Wind” (1973) / “Candle in the Wind 1997 (Goodbye England’s Rose)” (1997) 42. Journey “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” (1983) 43. Journey “Faithfully” (1983) 44. Journey “Ask the Lonely” (1983) 45. Kansas “Carry on Wayward Son” (1976) 46. Kansas “Dust in the Wind” (1977) 47. Jonny Lang “Lie to Me” (1997) 48. Led Zeppelin “The Battle of Evermore” (1971) 49. John Lennon “Imagine” (1971) 50. Huey Lewis & the News “Naturally” (1986) 51. Linkin Park “In the End” (2000) 52. Little River Band “Lonesome Loser” (1979) 53. Nick Lowe “Cruel to Be Kind” (1979) 54. Manfred Mann’s Earth Band “Blinded by the Light” (1976) 55. Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder “Ebony and Ivory” (1982) 56. John Cougar Mellencamp “Rain on the Scarecrow” (1985) 57. Metallica “One” (1989) 58. Metallica “Nothing Else Matters” (1992) 59. Mike + the Mechanics “Silent Running” (1985) 60. Mike + the Mechanics “The Living Years” (1988) 61. Mr. Mister “Broken Wings” (1985) 62. Night Ranger “Four in the Morning” (1985) 63. OutKast “Hey Ya!” (2003) 64. The Alan Parsons Project “Old and Wise” (1982) 65. The Alan Parsons Project “Let’s Talk About Me” (1985) 66. Dolly Parton “Jolene” (1973) 67. Pearl Jam “Jeremy” (1991) 68. Steve Perry “Oh Sherrie” (1984) 69. The Police “Roxanne” (1978) 70. The Police “Message in a Bottle” (1979) 71. Elvis Presley “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (1961) 72. Prince & the Revolution “Purple Rain” (1984) 73. Queen “We Will Rock You” / “We Are the Champions” (1977) 74. Queensrÿche “Empire” (1990) 75. Queensrÿche “Silent Lucidity” (1991) 76. The Rainmakers “Downstream” (1986) 77. Bonnie Raitt “Nick of Time” (1989) 78. R.E.M. “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” (1987) 79. REO Speedwagon “Can’t Fight This Feeling” (1984) 80. Lionel Richie “Hello” (1984) 81. Lionel Richie “Say You Say Me” (1985) 82. Kenny Rogers “Coward of the County” (1979) 83. Rush “Free Will” (1980) 84. Kenny Wayne Shepherd “Blue on Black” (1998) 85. Rick Springfield “Affair of the Heart” (1983) 86. Bruce Springsteen “Dancing in the Dark” (1984) 87. Squeeze “Tempted” (1981) 88. Styx “Come Sail Away” (1977) 89. Styx “Renegade” (1978) 90. Tears for Fears “Mad World” (1982) / Michael Andrews & Gary Jules “Mad World” (2002) 91. Toto “Africa” (1982) 92. Toto “Stranger in Town” (1984) 93. Tina Turner “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” (1985) 94. Bonnie Tyler “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (1983) 95. U2 “Sunday Bloody Sunday” (1983) 96. U2 “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (1987) 97. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble “The Sky Is Crying” (1985) 98. Madisen Ward & the Mama Bear “Silent Movies” (2015) 99. Stevie Wonder “Superstition” (1972) 100. Stevie Wonder “Isn’t She Lovely” (1977) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: lists from critics and individuals Dave’s Music Database: lists from publications and/or organizations First posted 12/26/2022; last updated 1/19/2023.

Billy Joel’s Glass Houses released

Glass Houses Billy Joel

Released: March 12, 1980 Peak: 16 US, 9 UK, 17 CN, 2 AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 7.0 US, 0.1 UK, 11.2 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop/rock singer-songwriter

Tracks: Click on a song title for more details. You May Be Right Sometimes a Fantasy Don’t Ask Me Why It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me All for Leyna I Don’t Want to Be Alone Sleeping with the Television On C’Etait Toi (You Were the One) Close to the Borderline Through the Long Night Total Running Time: 35:06

Rating: 4.003 out of 5.00 (average of 23 ratings) Quotable: “The closest Joel ever got to a pure rock album.” – Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic.com Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album “The back-to-back success of The Stranger and 52nd Street may have brought Billy Joel fame and fortune, even a certain amount of self-satisfaction, but it didn’t bring him critical respect, and it didn’t dull his anger. If anything, being classified as a mainstream rocker – a soft rocker – infuriated him, especially since a generation of punks and new wave kids were getting the praise that eluded him.” AM “Instead of turning out to be a fiery rebuttal to his detractors, the album is a remarkable catalog of contemporary pop styles, from McCartney-esque whimsy (Don’t Ask Me Why) and arena rock (All for Leyna) to soft rock (C’etait Toi [You Were the One]).” AM “Comparatively a harder-rocking album than either of its predecessors, with a distinctly bitter edge, Glass Houses still displays the hallmarks of Billy Joel the pop craftsman and Phil Ramone the world-class hitmaker. Even its hardest songs, including the top-10 hit “You May Be Right” and top-40 hit “Sometimes a Fantasy,” “have bold, direct melodies and clean arrangements, ideal for radio play.” AM “The Stranger and 52nd Street were fine albums in their own right, but it’s nice to hear Joel scale back his showman tendencies and deliver a solid pop/rock record… [that is] the closest Joel ever got to a pure rock album.” AM The Songs Here’s a breakdown of each of the individual songs.

You May Be Right Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: 3/7/1980 (single), Glass Houses (1980), Greatest Hits Volume I & II (1985), The Ultimate Collection (2000), The Essential (2001), The Hits (2010) B-side: “Close to the Borderline” First Charted: 3/14/1980 Peak: 7 BB, 8 CB, 2 GR, 7 HR, 2 RR, 48 AC, 2 CL, 64 UK, 6 CN, 28 AU, 2 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 38.5 video, 110.97 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: After becoming a Grammy-winning artist with his top-10 hit “Just the Way You Are” and his 1978 album 52nd Street, Billy Joel still wasn’t satisfied. He was angry that “critics still lumped him in with the middle-of-the-road-soft-rock balladeers of the era.” SG With his 1980 album Glass Houses, Joel intended to “throw a rock at the image people had” FB of him and “show that he could rock as hard as anyone else.” SG The first sound on the album in the lead song “You May Be Right” is of breaking glass. It corresponded with the album cover depicting Joel about to throw a rock at an all-glass house. It was a statement to his critics that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. SF “The snarl of the motorcycle-riding You May Be Right” DB made it clear this would be a harder-rocking album than its two predecessors. The song is sung from the perspective of a man being told he is reckless. The character “confirms the suspicion, admitting that he is crazy and extolling the virtues of a more carefree, but dangerous existence.” SF Cash Box called the song “witty, urbane, and energetic.” WK It features hard guitar playing “reminiscent of Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones.” WK Record World said “Joel’s rock energy blends well with his pop melodies on this smashing cut.” WK The song gave Joel another top-10 hit and was the first of four top-40 hits from the Glass Houses album. Joel himself considers it one of his top 5 songs. SF

Sometimes a Fantasy Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: 10/11/1980 (single), Glass Houses (1980) B-side: “All for Leyna” First Charted: 10/11/1980 Peak: 36 BB, 40 CB, 39 HR, 22 RR, 12 CL, 29 UK, 21 CN, 23 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2.6 video, 15.17 streaming About the Song: “The terrifically paranoid Sometimes a Fantasy” DB is what Billboard magazine called a “melodic, fast paced rocker” WK that “starts with a telephone ring and a rockabilly vocal.” WK Record World called it a “pulsating rocker for AOR-pop.” WK It gave Glass Houses its fourth top-40 hit. “The lyrics are about a sexually frustrated man who tries to convince his significant other to have phone sex. He explains that he is lonely since they are far away from each other (which is implied by the fact that his phone call is long distance).” WK

Don’t Ask Me Why Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: 7/24/1980 (single), Glass Houses (1980), Greatest Hits Volume I & II (1985), The Ultimate Collection (2000), The Essential (2001) B-side: “C’Etait Toi (You Were the One)” First Charted: 8/2/1980 Peak: 19 BB, 21 CB, 17 HR, 10 RR, 12 AC, 8 CL, 73 UK, 4 CN, 4 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 0.5 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 4.80 video, 42.75 streaming About the Song: Joel offers “McCartney-esque whimsy” AM on “Don’t Ask Me Why,” the album’s third top-20 hit. “The track contains all acoustic and Latin percussion instruments performing in an Afro-Cuban rhythmic style. An eclectic, instrumental Latin Ballroom piano solo, played over the bridge section after the second verse, is also featured in part of the song.” WK Billboard said the song was “catchy” WK while Record World called it “one of [Joel’s] easy rollin’ romantic piano ballads that often become pop standards.” WK Cash Box said the lyrics deal with “themes of success and chance” WK backed by a “crisp pop/Latin/rock rhythm.” WK

It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: 5/12/1980 (single), Glass Houses (1980), Greatest Hits Volume I & II (1985), The Ultimate Collection (2000), The Essential (2001), Piano Man: The Very Best of (2004), The Hits (2010) B-side: “Through the Long Night” First Charted: 5/13/1980 Peak: 12 BB, 13 CB, 14 GR, 14 HR, 14 RR, 45 AC, 1 CL, 14 UK, 13 CN, 10 AU, 1 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 4.0 US, 0.20 UK, 4.41 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 39.50 video, 311.61 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: Joel “saw the kind of press that punk and new wave bands were getting, and he decided that there wasn’t actually anything new about these new bands.” SG In railing against the new sound, however, he ended up embracing it. In fact, “thanks to his innate brattiness and gift for stylistic wandering, Joel was able to pull it off better than just about anyone.” DB “You May Be Right,” the first single from Glass Houses, was “basically an Elvis Costello/Joe Jackson new-wave rave-up.” SG The follow-up single, “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” “is a sharp, well-written song” SG that “works in the same mode…but with some angry snark in the mix, as well.” SG With a sound that “ironically Joel showed on the “Cars-imitating It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” DB that it “came naturally to him.” DB His first #1 found him “sarcastically raging against the idea that he should have to switch his style up, to adapt to a new sound…even as he… [does] exactly what he complains that he shouldn’t have to do.” SG Interestingly, even Rolling Stone critic Marsh acknowledged that the song “redeemed the project commercially.” FB Musically, it “is more mannered than ‘You May Be Right.’…It’s a controlled and locked-in rockabilly shuffle – as if Joel is proving how old these new sounds are by making them sound as old as possible.” SG “At times, it nods in the direction of Bruce Springsteen, Joel’s fellow tri-state beach-town road warrior; Richie Cannata’s saxophone solo is a straight-up Clarence Clemons bite. But Joel never tries to wail his way into transcendence, the way Springsteen always did. Joel is more concerned with airing out petty grievances.” SG

All for Leyna Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: February 1980 (UK single), 10/11/1980 (B-side of “Sometimes a Fantasy”), Glass Houses (1980), The Ultimate Collection (2000) Peak: 17 CL, 40 UK, 35 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2.9 video, 14.61 streaming About the Song: “All For Leyna” was released as the lead single for Glass Houses in the UK, but not in the U.S. “The lyrics tell the story of the protagonist who meets a girl named Leyna, and, after a one-night stand, becomes obsessed with her.” WK

I Don’t Want to Be Alone Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: Glass Houses (1980) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.90 streaming

Sleeping with the Television On Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: Glass Houses (1980) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 7.98 streaming

C’était Toi (You Were the One) Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: 7/24/1980 (B-side of “Don’t Ask Me Why”), Glass Houses (1980) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 2.78 streaming

Close to the Borderline Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: Glass Houses (1980) Peak: 25 CL Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 2.22 streaming

Through the Long Night Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: Glass Houses (1980) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 2.16 streaming

Resources/References: AM AllMusic.com review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine FB Fred Bronson (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 527. DB David Browne (6/07). Blender magazine. Pages 114-5. SF Songfacts page for “You May Be Right” SG Stereogum (3/30/2020). “The Number Ones” by Tom Breihan WK Wikipedia page for “All for Leyna” WK Wikipedia page for “You May Be Right” WK Wikipedia page for “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” WK Wikipedia page for “Don’t Ask Me Why” WK Wikipedia page for “Sometimes a Fantasy” Related DMDB Pages: First posted 3/6/2011; last updated 2/11/2026.

 

Billy Joel’s 52nd Street released

52nd Street Billy Joel

Released: October 13, 1978 Peak: 18 US, 10 UK, 15 CN, 15 AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 7.0 US, 0.1 UK, 12.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop/rock singer-songwriter

Tracks: Click on a song title for more details. Big Shot Honesty My Life Zanzibar Stiletto Rosalinda’s Eyes Half a Mile Away Until the Night 52nd Street Total Running Time: 40:26

Rating: 3.911 out of 5.00 (average of 26 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album Billy Joel hit the big time with 1977’s The Stranger, the best-selling album of his career. The follow-up album, 52nd Street, shows an artist who doesn’t abandon that song but is also intent on not repeating himself. Joel returned to the studio with Phil Ramone with the aim of making the follow-up “more sophisticated and somewhat jazzy.” AMHe expanded his “rock vocabulary and influence” GR by injecting “his sound with a new swing, enlisting jazz musicians.” GR However, as on The Stranger, Joel “never shies away from big gestures and melodies.” AM 52nd Street showcases “punching-bag rockers and sublime, Broadway-worthy ballads” DB such as on “Big Shot” and “Stiletto” respectively. “That isn’t necessarily bad, since Joel’s strong suit turns out to be showmanship – he dazzles with his melodic skills and his enthusiastic performances.” AM “He also knows how to make a record. Song for song, 52nd Street might not be as strong as The Stranger, but there are no weak songs…and they all flow together smoothly, thanks to Ramone’s seamless production and Joel's melodic craftsmanship.” AM “It’s remarkable to think that in a matter of three records, Joel had hit upon a workable, marketable formula – one that not only made him one of the biggest-selling artists of his era, but one of the most enjoyable mainstream hitmakers. 52nd Street is a testament to that achievement.” AM It also won him Grammys for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male. The Songs Here’s a breakdown of each of the individual songs.

Big Shot Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: January 1979 (single), 52nd Street (1978), ), Greatest Hits Volume I & II (1985), The Hits (2010) B-side: “Root Beer Rag,” “Half a Mile Away” First Charted: 2/9/1979 Peak: 14 BB, 13 CB, 11 GR, 18 HR, 12 RR, 9 CL, 13 CN, 91 AU, 8 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 0.5 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 49.33 streaming About the Song: Always keen to remind listeners that he can rock as well as he can sing ballads, Joel delivers “Big Shot” in a similar vein to “Only the Good Die Young” from The Stranger. Billboard called it “an upbeat rocker” WK driven by “powerfully rhythmic backing” WK while Cash Box called it “tough-edged and sassy” with “a dramatic arrangement of guitars, piano, horns and drums.” WK Lyrically, Record World praises “Joel’s fine sense sarcasm and his finesse as a story-teller are perfectly blended.” WK Billboard noted the song had “very contemporary lyrical content.” WK The song “is superficially about the protagonist mocking a woman with a severe hangover for her intoxicated escapades around town, making numerous social and verbal faux pas while high on alcohol and other drugs.” WK Joel said the song is about himself and someone he was close to. WK He also said he wrote it after having dinner with Mick and Bianca Jagger. He was thinking of Mick singing it to her. WK

Honesty Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: April 1979 (single), 52nd Street (1978), The Ultimate Collection (2000), The Essential (2001) B-side: “The Mexican Connection,” “Root Beer Rag” First Charted: 4/13/1979 Peak: 24 BB, 23 CB, 12 GR, 17 HR, 11 RR, 9 AC, 8 CL, 16 CN, 80 AU, 20 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, -- UK, 1.15 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 108.0 video, 110.92 streaming About the Song: On 52nd Street Joel doesn’t quite come up with a ballad as iconic as “Just the Way You Are” or “She’s Always a Woman” (both from the previous album The Stranger) but he does come close with “Honesty.” In his book The Words and Music of Billy Joel, Ken Bielen called it “a predecessor of the power ballads of the 1980s and 1990s.” WK Michael Lawson of The Phoenix said it was “well suited for middle-of-the-road tastes.” WK The song was “generally praised [for] its lyrics and piano instrumentation.” WK Record World said it was “a big ballad featuring Joel’s sensitive vocals and piano style.” WK Cash Box called it “a provocative and melodic ballad full of words and meanings.” WK AllMusic.com’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it one of Joel’s best songs. WK “Honesty” was released as the third single from the album and became the album’s third top-40 hit. In France, the song reached #1 and was ranked the 10th biggest hit of the 1970s in France. WK It was nominated for a Grammy for Song of the Year.

My Life Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: 10/28/1978 (single), 52nd Street (1978), ), Greatest Hits Volume I & II (1985), The Ultimate Collection (2000), The Essential (2001), Piano Man: The Very Best of (2004), The Hits (2010) B-side: “52nd Street” First Charted: 11/3/1978 Peak: 3 BB, 3 CB, 3 GR, 3 HR, 2 RR, 2 AC, 2 CL, 12 UK, 3 CN, 6 AU, 4 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 3.0 US, 0.65 UK, 3.73 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 384.48 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: “Fame can be a bitch, and so were, apparently, many of the people around Joel after The Stranger made him a star. Sounding paranoid and defensive, even on a bouncy trifle like My Life, he slid from tough to boorish as he sang about betrayal, hangovers, name-dropping cokeheads and affairs with waitresses.” DB While Joel may have sounded angry on “My Life,” the song is still “infectious” GR and “rings out with the bright bounce and touch of edge for which Joel has become known.” GR The song features Chicago’s Peter Cetera and Donnie Dacus on backing vocals. RC

Zanzibar Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: 52nd Street (1978) Peak: 23 CL, 35 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 62.01 streaming About the Song: On 52nd Street, Billy Joel creates music that often sounds like “responses to Steely Dan – indeed, his phrasing and melody for Zanzibar is a direct homage to Donald Fagen circa The Royal Scam, and it also boasts a solo from jazz great Freddie Hubbard à la Steely Dan.” AM

Stiletto Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: 52nd Street (1978) Peak: 23 CL, 25 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 9.29 streaming About the Song: Like “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” from 1977’s The Stranger, “Stiletto” aspires to be a big Broadway number.

Rosalinda’s Eyes Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: 52nd Street (1978) Peak: 25 CL Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 6.12 streaming About the Song: “Zanzibar” and “Rosalinda’s Eyes” “offer a glimpse into Joel’s range as artist and [producer Phil] Ramone’s willingness to explore.” GR

Half a Mile Away Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: January 1979 (B-side of “Big Shot”), 52nd Street (1978) Peak: 25 CL Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.11 streaming

Until the Night Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: March 1979 (UK single), 52nd Street (1978) B-side: “Root Beer Rag” First Charted: 4/28/1979 Peak: 34 CL, 50 UK, 34 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.68 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: “Until the Night” is “a tale of an Everyman trying to get through the day and to overcome his insecurities until he can truly come alive at night alongside his woman.” SS Music historian Steve Sullivan said it might be the “finest song” SS from Joel’s 52nd Street album. The song “could only have been created by an artist with a deep love for pop traditions.” SS It was a “fabulous musical tribute to the sounds of Phil Spector and the Righteous Brothers.” SS Joel “achieves musical melodrama in the Spector tradition of moving from soft to steadily mounting orchestration and emotion.” SS He sings “multi-tracked baritone-tenor harmonies with himself to evoke Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield.” SS

52nd Street Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel Released: 10/28/1978 (B-side of “My Life”), 52nd Street (1978) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 2.18 streaming

Resources/References: AM AllMusic.com review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine DB David Browne (6/07). Blender magazine. Pages 114-5. RC Rod Couch (2015). The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era: 1955-2015. Page 207. GR Grammy.com (10/13/2017). “Remember When? Billy Joel’s Multi-Grammy-Winning ‘52nd Street’” by Nate Hertweck SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Pages 570-1. WK Wikipedia page for “Big Shot” WK Wikipedia page for “Honesty” Related DMDB Pages: First posted 3/28/2008; last updated 2/11/2026.