I's Still Rock & Roll to Me - Billy Joel (1980) 12/11/23

Billy Joel was annoyed--again.

Back in the '70s and '80s, he always seemed to be annoyed about something, and usually for good reason.

In 1980, the reason was this: Music critics were calling Billy's body of music "middle of the road dreck," while touting New Wave music as something totally fresh and, well, new.

Billy would have NONE of it. In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, he made it clear that although he didn't mind New Wave, he thought it was just a mixture of OLD Rock & Roll and Power Pop.

In his words: "New wave songs, it seems, can only be about two and a half minutes long...only a certain number of instruments can be played on the record - usually a very few...only a certain amount of production is allowed or can be heard...and the sound has to be limited to what you can hear in a garage."

Just like early Rock & Roll.

He had a point...and that led him to write and record today's Great Song of 1980: "It's Still Rock & Roll to Me."

The lyrics were full of not-so-subtle jabs at both music critics, and New Wave music, while dropping in references to cultural recycling.

For example, Billy mentions The (Long Island) Miracle Mile, which was a street lined with stores to make shopping easier--like indoor malls--which since the '80s, have come and mostly gone. (My Toledo friends will most certainly remember the Glass City's version of The Miracle Mile.!)

As you might expect, music critics weren't all that impressed with the song--although they tossed Billy some back-handed compliments like, "It's a sharp, well-written song that never takes off." Wow.

In the end, Billy didn't care, and here's why: When "It's Still Rock & Roll to Me" was released as a single from the album "Glass Houses," it climbed straight to #1 in the US and Canada, spending 11 weeks in the top 10, and selling more than a million copies in the US alone!

Billy Joel did some of his best songwriting when he was annoyed, and with "It's Still Rock & Roll to Me" he pretty much proved his point about New Wave music. It's a Great Song of 1980! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eAQa4MOGkE

Tomorrow: Tom & Stevie...or was it Stevie & Tom?