Top 10 Best Songs by Billy Joel

A sober, powerful ballad that touches where it hurts. The production is bare, with Billy's voice and piano at the center. The lyrics are cynical but true: love is easy to find, but honesty is rare. He sings with a frustration and passion that cuts through. No embellishment, just the naked truth.

His signature song. A waltz in 3/4 time that smells of stale beer and peanuts. Billy sketches a portrait of the losers in a bar who want to forget their worries for a moment. The harmonica is iconic and evokes a feeling of melancholy. Everyone sings along with the chorus because everyone feels like that "piano man" sometimes.

Goosebumps. It begins with the sound of crickets and helicopter rotors. The piano is menacing and minimal. It's about the Vietnam War, not from a political perspective, but from the soldiers who dragged each other through. "And we would all go down together." When the chorus swells and the voices come together, you feel the brotherhood and fear. Impressive and heavy.

It starts as a quiet ballad ("A bottle of white..."), then speeds up into a jazzy piano jam, and ends as a rock song. A mini-opera of seven minutes. It tells the story of Brenda and Eddie, king and queen of the school prom, and how life caught up with them. Nostalgic, tragic, and festive all at once.

A history lesson wrapped in a touching ballad. Billy compares his own life in America with that of Viktor, a man in the Soviet Union. The music is stately and classical, with a Russian-sounding melody. It makes the Cold War human and personal. The message of brotherhood at the end, when the children sing, creates a lump in the throat.

All falsetto and joy. This is Billy paying homage to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It's about the working-class boy who falls for the rich girl. The rhythm is infectious and makes you want to move. Despite the light tone, it's musically very clever. An instant mood booster.

A fan favorite for a deeper message. It's about the rush of youth and the fear of missing things. "Slow down, you crazy child." The music has a European, cabaret-like atmosphere, with a nice accordion solo. It feels like advice from an old friend. A song that reassures you: you have time.

A beautiful, bittersweet love song. The melody is folky and simple, carried by piano and acoustic guitar. The lyrics are ingenious: he describes all her flaws, her cruelty and whimsy, but concludes that he loves her precisely for that reason. It's honest and complex, far removed from standard romantic clichés.

Billy Joel as a one-man band. All the sounds you hear (except the bass guitar) are made with his voice and hand claps. It's a perfect tribute to the doo-wop and soul of the 1950s. The pleasure bursts from it. It sounds innocent and happy, like a group of friends singing on a street corner.

The jazzy piano intro and the lazy saxophone solo take you directly to a rainy evening in Manhattan. Billy sings with a deep, soulful voice about his love for the city. It sounds relaxed and mature. You see the neon lights and yellow cabs. A timeless ode to coming home.