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There are two "origin" stories behind today's "Great Song of 1979," And according to Billy Joel, BOTH of them are true.
#1: The song "Big Shot" was written about a dinner he had with Mick and Bianca Jagger. Apparently, their divorce was just around the corner, and Mick was not pleased with Bianca's attitude that evening. Billy imagined the song to be what Mick might say to Bianca when the evening was over.
#2: It was autobiographical. According to Billy, it was also a song that detailed his habit of being a hard-partying "big shot" who berates his disheveled reflection in the mirror the next morning.
Either way, the song was full of anger, and also one of the best songs on his classic 1978 album, "52nd Street.
As a single, it was released in January of 1979, and with the album still riding high on the charts, the single was still able to make a dent on its own: #13 on the Canadian Top 40, and #14 on Billboard's Hot 100.
"Big Shot:" Big Hit for Billy Joel, and a Great Song of 1979! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEea624OBzM
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