Writer Ranks Top 10 Billy Joel Songs, Excludes Piano Man

Billy Joel turns 77 today, sharing the date with the writer's son's second birthday. The writer ranks Joel's 10 best songs, noting the list is subjective and predicting backlash from fans over the absence of "Piano Man."

10. "Pressure" from The Nylon Curtain. Fans often overlook this 1982 album after Glass Houses, but the track delivers cynicism with lines like "But 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." A synthesizer riff heightens its tense feel. It reflects pressure on Joel after late-1970s success.

9. "All For Leyna" from Glass Houses. This B-side captures obsessive longing for a girl named Leyna. An opening synth riff matches the lyrics' tone, nailing young heartbreak in a catchy package.

8. "The Stranger" from The Stranger. Joel showcases piano and whistling before a guitar-driven rock shift. The mid-tempo track with its riff deserves more attention despite the album's commercial success.

7. "Allentown" from The Nylon Curtain. The song addresses Pennsylvania's fading coal mining and steel industry in 1982. It tackles heavy themes of shattered dreams behind an upbeat sound, with factory horns and steel presses enhancing the mood.

6. "Big Shot" from 52nd Street. This guitar-heavy rocker features sharp lyrics like "you had the Dom Perignon in your hand and the spoon up your nose" and "gonna cry in your car, baby don't come bitchin' to me." It evokes late-1970s rock.

5. "Sleeping With The Television On" from Glass Houses. A quieter guitar riff supports lyrics about a woman who rejects suitors and sleeps with the TV on. Joel sings, "I really wish I was less of a thinking man/and more a fool who's not afraid of rejection."

4. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" from The Stranger. The bassline and motorcycle outro sounds capture late-1970s New York. It plays during the writer's solitary chicken parm meals.

3. "You May Be Right" from Glass Houses. A radio staple with a catchy guitar riff and chorus. Lyrics include "I walked through Bedford-Stuy alone/Even rode my motorcycle in the rain." Honking in the outro stands out.

2. "Sometimes A Fantasy" from Glass Houses. Superior to more famous tracks, it offers an early-1980s pop-rock riff, double-entendre lyrics, and a call-and-response chorus: "It's just a fantasy (whoa oh)/It's not the real thing (whoa oh)." The writer cites Joel's angry 1987 Moscow performance.

1. "New York State of Mind" from Turnstiles. This top pick traces Joel's move to California, loss of blues roots, and return to New York. Piano work and lyrics evoke hometown longing, making it a perfect late-night city drive song.