By Gavi Tropper, Staff Writer
As a kid sitting in the backseat of my dad’s car, I would groan loudly whenever he turned on his iPod. He refused to play anything except for the rock and roll of his childhood, and that meant an endless stream of raspy vocals and heavy guitar riffs. I would beg him to play anything released after the year 1986, but he would never budge.
However, I eventually discovered that there was one singer I could tolerate: Billy Joel.
One of the most popular music artists of the ‘70s and ‘80s, Joel was born on Long Island to a Jewish family. He dropped out of high school to pursue his music career, but failed to gain traction with his first few bands. Joel achieved moderate success as a solo artist, but it was the release of his fifth album, The Stranger, in 1977 that catapulted him to international stardom. Joel went on to release seven more rock albums until he retired from songwriting in 1993. Over the course of his three-decades of songwriting, Joel produced 12 albums featuring 33 Billboard Top 40 hits. More than 50 years after the release of his first album, he is still considered one of the best-selling artists of all time.
Although Joel’s fan base largely consists of older, longtime listeners, I’ve discovered that younger fans like myself are relatively common as well. Millions of Gen Z listeners over the last few years have discovered songs such as “Piano Man,” “Vienna” and “My Life” when segments of the songs went viral as TikTok sounds. Joel also resurfaced in 2021 when pop star Olivia Rodrigo, who was only 18 at the time, directly mentioned him and his song “Uptown Girl” in her hit song “Deja Vu.” Joel eventually invited her on stage during one of his concerts in August 2022, and they performed “Uptown Girl” as a duet. His music has achieved something rare — it is not only popular in its time, but continues to resonate with younger audiences.
The secret to the longevity of Joel’s songs is largely tied to his style of music. A major difference between Joel and many other rock stars is that he was classically trained on the piano as a child. This allowed him to craft melodies that were far more intricate than those normally found in rock music. He generally stuck to a simple lineup of instruments — usually little more than a piano accompanied by drums, a guitar and a bass — and allowed the melody to dominate his songs. So, while the songs of that period that relied on fad sounds such as synth and disco sound dated to modern ears, Joel’s music loses none of its appeal with time.
Not all Joel songs follow this formula. “Just The Way You Are,” for example, is marred by a slow pace, long saxophone solo and dominant synthesizer that mark it an unmistakable child of the ‘70s. So, while the song was largely responsible for launching Joel into the mainstream, it is unsurprising that it has not achieved the same staying power as many of his other hits. The songs that have remained popular in recent years all share strong musical fundamentals without tacky, outdated sounds.
Joel’s lyrics are also a critical reason for the enduring interest in his songs. Unlike many pop and rock artists who fill their songs with the same generic love clichés, Joel has surprisingly few pure love songs. His music rather tackles a more complex range of themes. In his cult classic “Vienna,” for example, Joel sings from the perspective of someone giving advice to a younger person, encouraging them to relax and enjoy life. Together with a stately melody inspired by Joel’s own trip to Vienna, the song encapsulates the sudden feelings of humility and perspective that can dawn upon a person when they are awed. These are timeless emotions that people of all ages experience, making the song relatable to someone of any generation.
Despite his discussion of profound ideas, Joel does not fall into the trap of writing in high poetic terms either. “I don’t dwell in a lot of metaphor and simile,” he has said in a recent HBO documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes. “I write like I talk.” Rather, most songs rely on a series of poignant details to create powerful imagery. Joel also often writes in stories, which make his songs even more engaging. The result is that Joel’s writing requires no analysis to understand the message; even the most casual listener will find themselves immersed in his songs.
“Piano Man,” for instance, masterfully paints the picture of a dreary piano bar. With pithy portraits of the patrons that oftentimes stretch no longer than a single line, Joel manages to build a whole world of lonely drinkers and unfulfilled dreams. The bittersweet melody combined with these vivid descriptions uniquely expresses the depths of loneliness and longing that often stem from the fruitless pursuit of a dream.
Over the years, I’ve found myself coming back to these songs for far more than just the nostalgia of driving with my father– I’ve discovered they are enjoyable for their own sake. So for anyone who’s never listened to Billy Joel’s music before, it is definitely worth a try. 50 years later, these songs are still relevant because they demonstrate how music doesn’t need to be confined to its time.
Photo Credit: Unsplash