Billy Joel at 70

"But the Yankees grab the headlines every time"

William Martin Joel, known as Billy, is revered by some and reviled by others.

The criticisms are fair but, to me, the good is great.

"Keeping the Faith," on the other hand...

Billy Joel, among the most legendary New York musicians (yes, seriously) turned 70 today.

I considered doing a top 10 list but decided I'm just not feeling it tonight. so I thought I'd open things up to a discussion about it.

If you'd like a jumping-off point, there's this 2015 piece from Vulture that ranks all of his songs. In fact, let's grab a few notes from there.

The writer, Christopher Bonanos, ranks "We Didn't Start The Fire" at 120, second from last. Given both exceptional friends Paul and Susan (with a nod to Mick) are in my Billy Joel trust zone, I will tell you that they are primarily pro-WDSTF, where I'm more meh. It served its purpose at the time.

I will say it gives plenty of love to the New York Yankees, as do several of his songs (and, yet, people think he's a Mets fan. Bwahahahahahahahaha).

Again, I don't have the energy to break down all 121 songs, but "We Didn't Start the Fire" at 120 is, well, come on.

"Stop in Nevada" is at 105? I might want to stop before I get mad.

"She's Right On Time" is at 92. Many don't get this song. I fell in love with it back in probably 1983. It has a video (never his strong suit -- name me a great Billy Joel video), but that's the most it got airplay. It has always sat strong with me in his catalog, and somehow I discovered Susan loved it also. She is literally the only other person that I've ever known that is passionate about that song.

"I've had to wait forever. But better late than never." Yes. This.

"A Matter of Trust" is at 86? Dude, come on. The Bridge is hardly his best album (those are easier to rank), but this is a huge highlight. I remember its debut on MTV and how it rocked.

We make our way to "Zanzibar" at 67. Again, I simply can't break every song down (not tonight, anyway). It's like the way that Shawn Sailer wants me to rank all Yankees play-by-play voices (hint: I know the bottom three, and I know number one) but finding the time is another story. As for "Zanzibar," there's a jazz edge here. That won me over because it felt different then. It still does.

Let's not talk about “Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)” at 61. I'll allow that I built a CD of songs that I put Sean to bed with every night. This song was on it. Tears are falling as I'm typing. Got it?

60: "Shameless." God...damn...passion. And screw Garth Brooks, Chris Gaines, and so on.

57: "Sometimes a Fantasy." You see, Glass Houses was the album for me. While I loved 52nd Street (the first album of his I bought), I wore out my first copy of Glass Houses on vinyl. A not-quite-perfect album.

50: "All For Leyna." What was that I was just saying about Glass Houses? Thirty-nine years later, I still crank this one.

37: "Laura." Yes, I have a sister with the same name. She's not this messed up. Another reason why The Nylon Curtain sits near the top of my favorite albums of his.

Wait. This writer put "James," the most '70s sounding song IN THE HISTORY OF SEVENTIES-SOUNDING SONGS at 36? It's the single song the pulls Turnstiles down.

I shouldn't be getting hung up on his rankings. OK, trying to keep this moving along...

"Summer, Highland Falls" is at 27. I'd go higher with this one (yes, I'm obsessing with his ranking), and the opening line -- "They say that these are not the best of times. But they're the only times I've ever known" -- is among his best and most-quoted. Incidentally, as a non-religious person (and thus "Only The Good Dies Young gets major points) the next line -- "And I believe there is a time for meditation in cathedrals of our own" -- is brilliant.

Sorry. This post is getting long.

We reach "The Stranger" at number 16, and I can't find a bad song on the album of the same name. The lines -- "Well, we all have a face that we hide away forever. And we take them out and show ourselves when everyone has gone" -- has been given more meaning to me over the past decade.

A note about "Leave a Tender Moment Alone" at number 11. Susan loves it. I'm fine with it. This is too high of a ranking for me, but it's sweet. Another person (no, it's not Paul or Mick) walked up one day and, essentially, told Susan to never play it again. That is a true story.

At number nine (number nine, oops, sorry, wrong artist) is "I Don't Want To Be Alone." Oh. My. God. Yes. Again, it's about lines. "She said she'd meet me in the bar at the Plaza hotel. Wear a jacket and a tie." I remember hearing those lines back in 1980. One day, I hope to hear the same.

"Vienna" is at number 8. Literally, any Billy Joel fan (I think) will say to make this top five. Maybe even top three. It is absolutely gorgeous. Paul played it in front of me on a beautiful piano in Boston once. My own shyness (and fear of being heard) kept me from singing it. So I stood there. Mesmerized.

I'll politely say "Just The Way You Are" should be much much much lower. Much. Again. It defines the '70s. Not that it's a bad thing (or song).

 “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” is at seven. In my world, I think (I'm spitballing here) that "Miami 2017," "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant," and "Vienna" would somehow make up my top three. I raise a glass -- any glass -- when I reach the line, "And picked the Yankees up for free" (and the crowd goes wild).

In the case of Christopher Bonanos, the writer of the ranking of all Billy Joel songs, numbers three to one are "New York State of Mind," "Only The Good Die Young, and "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant." My goodness. Three classics.

"NY State" is in the best ever category about New York. It's not, however, "Theme From New York, New York" but that takes nothing away from it. I know "New York State of Mind" would be in my mind if I were to ever leave and long from my hometown. I wouldn't rank it this high, but it's still great. I wish Billy would back off the sax as much as he uses it live (and on the 1985 Greatest Hits remix).

But then again, I wish Liberty DeVitto were still his drummer.

I can't lie. I had an aunt named Virginia (though known as Jean). She was, indeed, Catholic. So, yeah, tee hee.

"Scenes." Yes. That will do quite nicely. I wanted a bottle of red and a bottle of white in honor of Billy's birthday today, but we can't have everything, can we?

As for the albums, I'll take this: 1) The Stranger, 2) Glass Houses, 3) The Nylon Curtain. Probably 52nd Street fourth and Turnstiles fifth. Or Piano Man. They get mixed up after the top three. River of Dreams is probably last.

Anyway, happy birthday Billy. Thanks for the music. You were one of the first artists that I felt like I made my own, as opposed to being brought up on The Beatles. You continue to bring me together with people to this day.

Slow down, you crazy child.