Worst Song Billy Joel Ever Did (2 Viewers)

Frankly, the entirety of Glass Houses.

That album was blasphemy.
How he suddenly went from a guy who wrote stuff like "Ballad of Billy the Kid", "New York State of Mind", "Angry Young Man", etc., etc. to a guy who put out an album of claptrap like "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" and "You May Be Right" just doesn't compute somehow. I guess after reaching the pinnacle with The Stranger there was nowhere to go but down. 52nd Street was a pretty good album, but then he released this piece of garbage.

But, yeah, admittedly for one song "Uptown Girl" is probably the height of his bubblegum '50s derivative pop horror show years.
 
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Frankly, the entirety of Glass Houses.

That album was blasphemy.
How he suddenly went from a guy who wrote stuff like "Ballad of Billy the Kid", "New York State of Mind", "Angry Young Man", etc., etc. to a guy who put out an album of claptrap like "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" and "You May Be Right" just doesn't compute somehow. I guess after reaching the pinnacle with The Stranger there was nowhere to go but down. 52nd Street was a pretty good album, but then he released this piece of garbage.

But, yeah, admittedly for one song "Uptown Girl" is probably the height of his bubblegum '50s derivative pop horror show years.





Dont Ask Me Why is one of my favorite BJ songs... and Someitmes a Fantasy is not bad, i only recently rediscovered it...... There was a time when i loved Still Rock n Roll and You May Be Right, but yeah I’m not sure that they hold up all that well.
 
You Are the One

I recall ian interview even Joel said that was a stinker.

James a close second


I‘ve heard Billy say that he really dislikes Just the Way You Are.. I understand it, since he was trying to be a little bit more of an edgy rocker, and it’s a little sappy.. but i may or may not have serenaded a couple of ladies with that song during my dating heyday... “Dont GOOOOOOO changin’.....”
 
Frankly, the entirety of Glass Houses.

That album was blasphemy.
How he suddenly went from a guy who wrote stuff like "Ballad of Billy the Kid", "New York State of Mind", "Angry Young Man", etc., etc. to a guy who put out an album of claptrap like "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" and "You May Be Right" just doesn't compute somehow. I guess after reaching the pinnacle with The Stranger there was nowhere to go but down. 52nd Street was a pretty good album, but then he released this piece of garbage.

But, yeah, admittedly for one song "Uptown Girl" is probably the height of his bubblegum '50s derivative pop horror show years.

I dunno... he was kind of already headed in that direction with 52nd Street ... Movin Out and Stiletto
 
Dont Ask Me Why is one of my favorite BJ songs... and Someitmes a Fantasy is not bad, i only recently rediscovered it...... There was a time when i loved Still Rock n Roll and You May Be Right, but yeah I’m not sure that they hold up all that well.

For me, there are two Billy Joels:
One, the amazing, breath-taking songwriter and pianist of the 70s
and Two, the tired, out of ideas, pop singer of the 80s regurgitating tired pop song writing cliches (mostly from the 50s) .
After 52nd Street, the only record I find any good at all is The Nylon Curtain because on a few of those songs he finally found something to say again.

From his five first albums Cold Spring Harbor to The Stranger, there is only one song I truly don't like in the whole catalogue. I honestly couldn't answer if I was asked if I was more blown away by his piano skills or his songwriting skills. He is incredible at both.

After 52nd Street, which is an okay album, but not nearly up to the first five, there are only four songs he wrote that I feel are up to his standards that he established in the 70s: Allentown, Pressure, The Downeaster Alexa, and Goodnight Saigon (which is easily the best of the lot).
 
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