Billy Joel: Turnstiles (1976) Songs Ranked

Rating: 8.5/10

Turnstiles by Billy Joel is an album about two places; New York, Billy’s beloved home, and Los Angeles, the place where he had lived prior to the album’s creation. Most of the songs revolve around one of the two places, and I think that makes this album pretty unique. There aren’t too many albums with a concept like that. Turnstiles also features a lot of great lyricism from Billy, which I’ll get into later.

In this post, I’ll be ranking all of the songs on Billy Joel’s classic fourth studio album, Turnstiles, from worst to best. Keep in mind, this is all based on my personal enjoyment, with a just a little bit of objectivity considered. (Also, side note: for some reason I really like the cover and name for this album. Like, turnstiles are so fun!)

8. Prelude/Angry Young Man (Track 6)

Apparently, among hardcore Billy Joel fans this song is pretty popular, which I get, because it’s a classic Billy Joel album-cut. However, as far as replay-value goes, it doesn’t have much for me, and I don’t find the melody too interesting. I will say that the piano solo at the beginning is completely awesome, though.

7. All You Wanna Do Is Dance (Track 3)

I normally like reggae music (to an extent), but I don’t think it really suits this song, or the album as a whole. This track feels a bit out of place when compared with the other tracks. That being said, I do like the story (someone being too caught up in the past – particularly in terms of music – and being unable to accept change), and it’s actually a really fun and enjoyable song. The only reason I have it so low is because all the other songs on this record are so great, and this song feels a bit out of place on Turnstiles.

6. James (Track 5)

This a rather soft and upbeat-sounding song about an old and lost friendship. I like it well enough, but it’s not too outstanding to me. During my research for this post I learned that Billy himself said that this song isn’t his favorite because he finds it too preachy, which is kind of true. I like the background instrumental, which is rather calming and pleasant, and I also really like the way he sings the word James, I find it very nice to listen to. Additionally, this song contains the wise lyric “Do what’s good for you, or you’re not good for anybody.”

5. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) (Track 8)

This song marks the point on this list where, from here on out, all the songs I’m going to mention are my favorites from the album. This is a rather good song, albeit somewhat depressing, as it tells the tale of someone who lives in Florida in 2017 (which, at the time of this album’s release must have seemed like ages away) describing the destruction of New York City. It’s a rather sad tale, even though NYC obviously still exists today. Despite the sad subject matter, the music is surprisingly fun and upbeat (at least for the first part). This would be higher, but I’m taking points off for the uber-creepy synths (or whatever you would call those terrible noises) at the beginning. I will say that the piano riffs at the beginning and end are rather majestic.

4. Say Goodbye to Hollywood (Track 1)

“Moving on is a chance that you take every time you try to stay together. Say a word out of line and you find that the friends you had are gone forever.” The album’s opening track is a fond farewell to Los Angeles. I really like the instrumental and the vocals on this song. I think Billy’s voice is very appealing here, and it complements the lyrics and music very well, which gives the song great replay-value. True to the topic of the song, I think Say Goodbye to Hollywood is a great song to listen to as you drive out of a town, perhaps for good. It really captures the feelings and the vibe of doing so. This track also boasts some great lyrics. “Life is a series of hello’s and goodbye’s, I’m afraid it’s time for goodbye again.”

3. I’ve Loved These Days (Track 7)

I was really pleasantly surprised by this song. From what I’d read about it prior to listening to it, I had brushed it off as a typical piano ballad, and while you could say it is just that, it would be wrong to overlook the very touching content within the song. I think this song just has a very fond feeling to it, and that makes it very moving. The vocal hooks in this song are wonderful, and the way the piano, violin, and drums all build up right before he says “but I’ve loved these days” gives me chills. Overall, this is a song that could give you a serious nostalgia-attack. It’s about moving on with your life and growing as a person while still reminiscing fondly on the memories of the past.

2. Summer, Highland Falls (Track 2)

This song is so pretty and happy sounding, which masks the sad content of the lyrics. The piano is the most outstanding part of the music, and it really go wells with Billy’s voice. The whole song makes me thing of a cool, breezy, and sunny summer day (which, like I said, is weird because the lyrics aren’t too upbeat). I’m not really sure what exactly it is that makes this song so universally loved among Billy Joel fans, but I still kind of get it. It’s just a really good song, and a crucial part of the album. “How thoughtlessly we dissipate our energies, perhaps we don’t fulfill each others fantasies. And as we stand upon the ledges of our lives with our respective similarities; it’s either sadness or euphoria.”

1. New York State of Mind (Track 4)

This song is six minutes long, and it feels like half of that. A timeless ode to New York City, I can’t imagine what else could possibly take the first place. Despite the fact that this was never released a single, it’s one of Billy’s most well-known and iconic songs, and I think that serves as a testament to the sheer magnificence of this song. From the saxophone to the cymbals to the grand, sweeping piano, it’s all so delightful. Honestly, even the opening piano riff makes me want to cry. If you can’t tell, I adore this song. The first time that I really listened to it was one night where I was just laying in my bed in the complete darkness, and as I closed my eyes I just listened. Let me tell you, that was an awesome experience, and ever since then my appreciation for this song has grown rapidly. Just… listen to this song if you haven’t (and I advise you do it the way I did that first time). “I don’t have any reasons, I left them all behind. I’m in a New York state of mind. I’m just taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River line, because I’m in a New York state of mind.”