# Best Billy Joel Song - Vote Now! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539 "2013-10-06T22:55:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/1 "2013-10-06T22:55:25Z")
Ok nominations are up. I decided to just go ahead and put every song that got at least 2 nominations, or a nomination and a second, from the previous thread. So there are a lot of choices, but who knows, maybe one of these dark horse candidates will pull through for a victory. So, _ **of the nominated songs listed on the poll** _, which is the best Billy Joel Song of all time? If your personal choice for best song didn’t make the nominations, vote for your favorite that did get on the list, or complain about it in a post. There is no “other” option for a reason! ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/2 "2013-10-07T06:52:34Z")
I would have been comfortable with voting for half a dozen other songs, but “The Stranger” is very different from the others in terms of composition and theme, so I went with it. The whistled opening theme kind of kicks it up to a higher level. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/3 "2013-10-07T09:14:14Z")
Alphabetical order is my friend 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/4 "2013-10-07T09:15:42Z")
And So It Goes. It’s melancholy and hopeful at once. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/5 "2013-10-07T15:29:03Z")
New York State of Mind evokes homesickness and longing, and is one of his best efforts, but as a Vietnam vet, Goodnight Saigon really hits hard with me. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/6 "2013-10-07T16:15:22Z")
I find it interesting that Billy Joel’s personal favorite of his songs is apparently _Vienna,_ which only one person here has voted for. You don’t suppose…? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/7 "2013-10-07T16:56:48Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I find it interesting that Billy Joel’s personal favorite of his songs is apparently _Vienna,_ which only one person here has voted for. You don’t suppose…? Damn! My secret is out! ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/8 "2013-10-08T04:21:13Z")
I didn’t know Vienna was his own personal favorite. In the nominations thread it was definitely one of the more popular choices though. Interesting, though not surprising, that Piano Man has the 2nd most votes and almost tied for first, considering it took a long time for it to get nominated and didn’t have nearly as many nominations as other songs did. Thanks for voting everyone 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/9 "2013-10-08T05:15:36Z")
Had to go with the one that’s actually a suite. _A bottle of reds…_ ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/10 "2013-10-08T14:29:21Z")
I’ll vote Allentown, though the answer is sometimes Captain Jack… ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/11 "2013-10-08T14:43:28Z")
This series of threads got me putting in some Billy Joel albums that I haven’t listened to in a long time; I listened to him a lot between the ages of 12-18, after which my interest kind of petered out. I forgot how good he is, and what a unique artistic voice he has. Certainly it’s a rock and roll that is in its own category. I love so many of the songs in this poll, but after going back and listening to each one before voting, I had to pick _Captain jack_. There’s such an overpowering sense of sincere white middle-class ennui/depression that comes through in that song, musically and lyrically. The picture he paints is strong, evocative, and unlike any other song I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/12 "2013-10-08T14:56:05Z")
Aw, if I had known about the previous thread I would have seconded Uptown Girl. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/13 "2013-10-08T15:39:09Z")
I voted Pressure. I’m surprised to see all the love for Piano Man. That’s one song that has been just overplayed to death, I can’t even evaluate it fairly. Every time I think of the song, I get horrible flashbacks to bad karaoke versions of the song or else a bunch of drunk 30 something females singing along with the song in dive bars. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/14 "2013-10-08T15:55:38Z")
Yep, I can’t listen to Piano Man any more either. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/15 "2013-10-08T16:06:47Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Yep, I can’t listen to Piano Man any more either. Again, imagine how Billy Joel feels: the dude can presumably drop any other song from his set, but he pretty much _ **has** _ to do that one every time, right? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/16 "2013-10-08T16:13:33Z")
He’s admitted that he doesn’t like it that much, either. He claims that the tune is repetitive and that the lyrics are just a chain of limericks. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/17 "2013-10-08T16:19:37Z")
Nothing from Cold Spring Harbor? Bah. I guess I’ll vote for The Stranger. I think Songs from the Attic was the first CD I ever bought. Granted, this was early in the adoption of CDs, so the selection at the local record shop wasn’t outstanding. But no regrets. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/18 "2013-10-08T16:41:15Z")
I would vote for _Light as the Breeze_ – if it were on the list. Certainly his most erotic. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/19 "2013-10-08T17:34:15Z")
I am SO pleased that Scenes From An Italian Restaurant is winning right now. It’s the obvious choice. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539/20 "2013-10-08T20:11:25Z")
Piano Man has always been my favorite. It has a catchy tune, tells a story, and I love songs about music. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-billy-joel-song-vote-now/670539.md?page=2)