Welcome to another song-related Top Ten Things, here at Enuffa.com!
I recently watched And So It Goes
, the new HBO documentary on the life and career of the legendary Billy Joel! So why not do a list of his greatest compositions?
I first became aware of Billy Joel at age seven or eight, around the time of
An Innocent Man, Joel's 1983 homage to the music of the 1950s and 60s, with which he had grown up. Each song is a pastiche of a particular artist or style from that era, and even as a young boy Joel's songs immediately stood out from other early 80s radio fare. Though I couldn't have put it into words at the time, I was drawn in right away by Joel's relatable, working-class approach to songwriting; these were instantly memorable tunes with universal lyrical themes and more often than not a rock-solid groove (Billy's longtime drummer Liberty Devitto was a monster behind the kit). Over my subsequent childhood and adolescent years I was exposed to many more of Billy's hits, and by the time his final pop album came out in 1993 he'd racked up no fewer than 25 timeless radio standards, no small feat for a 12-album career.
Joel's discography has covered so many genres and influences (probably the most prevalent of which is The Beatles; Joel has cited them as a major inspiration on many occasions and to this day incorporates a few of their songs into his live set), giving each album its own sound and feel, and demonstrating his consummate skill in crafting robust pop-rock songs that the radio simply adores. His live performances over the years have been wildly energetic and entertaining, but he also shows genuine humility onstage and gives each of his backup musicians ample moments to shine.
Joel decided to stop making pop-rock albums at the age of 44, after
River of Dreams, but his expansive catalog of evergreen songs continues to inspire and delight new generations.
Here is a list of his finest tunes....
HM: The Entertainer
Billy's satirical take on the cynicism of the music industry and the fickleness of its audience has a peppy, upbeat sound but lyrical content bordering on resentment, with lines like "It was a beautiful song, but it ran too long/If you're gonna have a hit, you gotta make it fit/So they cut it down to 3:05." "The Entertainer" chronicled Billy's refusal to simply churn out homogenized product to stay atop the charts, and his desire to always push himself artistically.
HM: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
One of Joel's working-class anthems, "Movin' Out" explores the struggles of the New York 9-to-5 crowd, spending all their energy to achieve a higher status in life rather than attaining happiness. In the end material wealth is not a substitute for inner contentment. "If that's movin' up, then I'm movin' out."
HM: My Life
I first became aware of this song as the intro theme to the Tom Hanks/Peter Scolari sitcom Bosom Buddies, but its late 70s keyboard groove still gets the ol' toes tappin'. "My Life" is an ode to individuality, doing things your own way regardless what others think. Another easily relatable song from Mr. Joel.
HM: Goodnight Saigon
Joel's seven-minute opus from
The Nylon Curtain is a tribute to the soldiers of Vietnam, its lyrics covering the details of what it was like for them, their sacrifice, their fears, their comraderie, rather than taking a stance on the war itself. It is a poignant consideration of the Vietnam experience and a touching acknowledgement to all soldiers, living and dead.
HM: We Didn't Start the Fire
Maybe the ultimate guilty pleasure song, this iconic list song chronicling major news events throughout Joel's 40 years up to that point is undeniably catchy but also undeniably silly. Joel himself has never been all that proud of it from a musical standpoint ("The melody is like a dentist's drill"), but it put him right back into heavy radio and MTV rotation after
The Bridge's somewhat lackluster reception. Also I can't hear this song anymore without thinking of this:
Okay, now for the Top 10...