# What is the best Billy Joel album of all time?

> Billy Joel has built one of the most enduring catalogs in rock and pop history. Which album is his definitive masterpiece?

*By YPB Team · Published May 20, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-billy-joel-album-of-all-time*

---

## Current results (0 votes)

1. **The Stranger**
   His 1977 commercial and critical breakthrough — a Diamond-certified, Rolling Stone top-100 classic containing Piano Man-era defining songs.
2. **52nd Street**
   His 1978 Grammy-winning album that topped the Billboard 200 and produced My Life and Honesty.
3. **Glass Houses**
   A 1980 New Wave-influenced rock record that hit number one and featured You May Be Right and It's Still Rock and Roll to Me.
4. **The Nylon Curtain**
   His 1982 introspective, Beatles-influenced concept album addressing Vietnam vets and blue-collar American life.
5. **An Innocent Man**
   A 1983 nostalgic tribute to the doo-wop and R&B of his youth, featuring Tell Her About It and Uptown Girl.
6. **Storm Front**
   His 1989 comeback that hit number one globally, contained We Didn't Start the Fire, and earned a Grammy nomination.
7. **Piano Man**
   His 1973 debut on Columbia and first classic — the title track alone has sold over six million copies.
8. **Turnstiles**
   His underrated 1976 New York-themed album that introduced his signature anthemic style before The Stranger.
9. **River of Dreams**
   His final studio album of new pop songs (1993) — a gospel-tinged closer that topped the charts and earned a Grammy nod.
10. **The Bridge**
   A 1986 experiment blending contemporary pop with electronics, featuring the hit A Matter of Trust.
11. **Streetlife Serenade**
   His 1974 second Columbia album — an intimate set of baroque-pop songs that showcased his classically trained piano chops.

Tags: music, 80s, rock, 70s, classics, legends