Essential Billy Joel Songs (1980/1990)

When I was first becoming a fan of Billy Joel back in 2011 and I was listening to his albums on my parents' record player, I would have been quick to proclaim Glass Houses as Billy's best album with many of it's songs making this list. Now, only a few years later, I'm not so sure I feel that same way. I did like that his concert that I saw in 2014 was heavy on Glass Houses.I still like the album but I feel like I've grown a greater appreciation for every album he's released.

10. "This Night" (An Innocent Man)
An Innocent Man was the last Billy Joel album I listened to in my attempt to cover his entire catalog for my Top Ten lists. I figured I'd end up ranking "The Longest Time"; instead "This Night" grabbed hold of me and didn't let go, as I found myself listening to this on repeat at least a dozen times in a row on more than one occasion. I'm not really a fan of this style of music that Billy Joel is paying tribute to but it's hard to not like this song- he really belts it out in the chorus!

9. "This Is The Time" (The Bridge)
Like many of Joel's 70's songs that made my Top 10 list of his first decade as a song-writer, I came across this song through it's live version on Live At Shea Stadium. After listening to The Bridge, I wouldn't say it's among Billy's strongest albums, but this song definitely is.

8. "Shameless" (Storm Front)
I was aware that this song was done by Garth Brooks but never knew it wasn't his own song. I remember I was in the middle of a conversation through text messages with my friend Todd when I realized that while reading through the album's liner notes. 

7. "All About Soul" (River Of Dreams)
This is Billy Joel's last album and he went out on a high note with one of his best albums. I hated it at the time, with my dad playing it a lot while I was growing up but now I've grown rather fond of it.  

6. "All For Leyna" (Glass Houses)
I really like this song's lyrical imagery about a guy who is so obsessed with a female crush. It seems like Billy morphs into Elton John during the solo portion of this song, and that's pretty cool, too.

5. "I Go To Extremes" (Storm Front)
If any one Billy Joel song could serve as my theme song, it would probably be this one. "Too high or too low there ain't no in-betweens".

4. "The River of Dreams" (River Of Dreams)
This song was already one I enjoyed but hearing it live took it to another level. Much like Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle", there's something about an entire crowd singing along to a song that it transcends being just a "song." It's a shared moment between fans and performer(s), almost like a religious experience. 

3. "Uptown Girl" (An Innocent Man)
I stated I didn't like my dad forcing Billy Joel's music upon me, although I did always like this song. Another song that was also boosted by hearing it in concert. Billy was seated behind his piano for much of the set, but rose to his feet for this song, and it was fun seeing people of all ages dance along from the stands.

2. "State Of Grace" (Storm Front)
In 2011 I felt like Billy's best album was Glass Houses; now in 2016 I feel it's Storm Front.

1."Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel)" (River Of Dreams)
During the closing moments of the finale of the tv series Millennium, there's a piece of music played on a piano that reminded me of this song. I can't tell if its an intentional reference by Mark Snow, the composer of the music on Millennium, yet Billy Joel's song is from the perspective of a father to his daughter. Millennium at it's core also centered on a father and his daughter, with it's finale ended with the two of them going into the unknown. That's enough of a connection between forms of media to strengthen a song that I already enjoyed.