Billy Joel The Greatest Hits
On The Acoustic 

A Matter Of Trust released this song in the summer of 1986 from his album "The Bridge".

The song reached #10 in the US and #3 in Canada. The music video for this one featured Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney as spectators and is the only music video featuring Billy Joel playing guitar. 

Some lead work required in this one played in standard tuning with a down down up down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern. For chords you'll need a D, Bm, Gbm, A, D, Em and a Dmaj7.

Allentown was a #1 hit in Australia and reached #17 in the US. The song has taken on a persona as a representation of the working class blue collar man. Joel began writing this song in the 1970's but never finished it until 1982. He called it Allentown not because it was an industrial steel town like Bethlehem PA and Levittown NY, but because it was easier to write lines that rhyme with Allentown.

One of those Billy Joel guitar songs that has it's own special vibe to try and capture on an acoustic. Find this track on the 1982 album "The Nylon Curtain".

No picking here but a few riffs in the rhythm which is a down down up down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern played in standard tuning. For chords you'll need a C, Em, D, G, A7, Am7, Bm, Gbm, A# and an F.

An Innocent Man hails from the 1983 Billy Joel album of the same name. This song pays respect to Ben E King and The Drifters and Joel commented he went for the high notes in this one while he still had the vocal range.

The song peaked at #10 on the billboard Hot 100.

I play this one in standard tuning with the chords C, Dm, F, G and an A#. For rhythm play a root down up root up down up and repeat rhythm pattern but no lead required.

Honesty was released in May of 1979 from the "52nd Street" album which was released a year earlier. The song was a #1 hit in France and peaked at #24 in the US.

Joel has performed this song with Elton John on occasion. This is one of those great Billy Joel guitar songs that everyone knows well.

The original key is one fret higher than where I am here played in standard tuning. You'll need a whack of chords for this one and they are A, A/Gb, Fmaj7, E7, D, E, Dbm, Gbm, B7, Esus, E, Fdim, Ab, Dbsus, Dmaj7, Gbm/E, Db7, A7 and an E7 but no leas, just a few riffs. For rhythm play a down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern.

It's Still Rock And Roll To Me was a #1 hit in the US during the summer of 1980. If you listen closely you'll hear that the snare drum is tuned lower than usual which was a technique requested by the sound engineer of drummer Liberty Devitto.

The song was also a #1 in Canada. The song hails from the "Glass Houses" album.

I play a capo 3rd fret here in standard tuning with a little bit of lead work. For chords you'll play an A, Dbm, G, D, Gbm, B7, E, Bm, Db, F and C with a  down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern.

Just The Way You Are hails from "The Stranger" album from 1977. This was a career launching song for Joel as his first top 10 in the US, reaching #3, and won Grammy's for Record Of the Year and Song Of The Year.

Yeah that will get you noticed for sure. The released single was about a minute shorter than the album version.

This one has no lead work but a few chords including D, Dsus, Bm, G, D7, Gm, G6, Am, Esus, E, A7, Em, Gbm and B7 in standard tuning. For rhythm play a down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern.

Keeping The Faith is from the album "An Innocent Man" and peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Christy Brinkley, Richard Pryor and Joe Piscopo all appear in the music video.

I play this one in standard tuning with a capo 2nd fret. No lead with the chords D, G, A and an Em and played with a steady down up down up shuffle pattern.

Only The Good Die Young was one of four singles were released from "The Stranger" album back in 1977. Because the song was considered anti-catholic at the time because the guy in the song was lusting after a catholic girl, many radio stations got pressure from the church.

Of course the controversy drove up sales as it always does. And the guy in the song never scored with the girl in the end. The song peaked at #24 in the US.

This song has some lead blended into the rhythm in standard tuning with the chords F, G, Am, C, D and C7. For rhythm play a down up down up and repeat pattern.

Piano Man reflects what Billy Joel played in the bar scenes in the beginning of his climb, and this song reflects some of the characters he'd encounter in piano lounges in Los Angeles in the early 1970's. This song was his first major hit peaking at #4 on the Easy Listening chart.

During the last half of the 1970's, all of Billy Joel's singles did better in Canada than in the US. The track can be found on the "Piano Man" album of 1973.

There is some lead in here in standard tuning playing a down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern. The chords you'll need are C, G6, Am, Am/G, F, G, Em, D and a D/Gb.

She's Always A Woman was a #17 hit for Billy Joel back in 1977.

The song hails from the album "The Stranger".

This one is played in standard tuning with no lead required with a down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern. The chords here are plenty and they include D, Dsus, A, G, D/Gb, Gb, Bm, Bm/A, A7, A/Db, Bm/Ab, E, A/Ab, Gm, Em, Dm, Dm/C, Dm/B, C, G6, A#, A#/A, E/Ab and an E7.

She's Got A Way goes all the way back to 1971 to the album "Cold Spring Harbour".

Billy Joel wrote this one about his first wife Elizabeth and mentioned the song was a bit corny but he re-recorded it again in 1981 for his first live album, "Songs In The Attic".

Another one with plenty of chords and they are G, D/Gb, Em, G7, C, D, Ebmaj9, Csus2, Am, Gm, D/Db, Edim, Bm, D7, B7, Gb and an Em7 but no lead work and in standard tuning. For rhythm play a down strokes or use a down down up down down up rhythm pattern.

Sleeping With The Television On was on the 1980 "Glass Houses" album.

The song was never released as a single.

For this one I play an up up down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern in standard tuning but no lead required. The chords you'll need here are Gmaj7, A, Bm/D, D, A/C#, Bm, G, D/F#, Bm, Em, F#, D/Gb and an A7.

Summer Highland Falls is from his Turnstyles album in 1976. Often times musicians don't record with the same people you see on stage. There are "studio musicians" and "live on tour stage musicians".

This entire "Turnstyles" album was re-recorded after Joel was disappointed with the initial recording using studio musicians. So he used his road band in the studio to re-do the entire album and took over himself as producer. 

I play a capo 3rd fret on this one in standard tuning and some lead work required. For chords you'll play a D, D/Gb, Em, G, A7, E7, A#, Bm, Bm/A, E, A, A7sus, A7 and a C with a down up down up up down up and repeat rhythm pattern.

The River Of Dreams is from the album of the same name and hit the airwaves as a single in 1993.

The song reached #1 in the US, Australia and New Zealand.

The original key here is with no capo but I'm capoed on the 3rd fret in standard tuning. Play a down up up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern with the chords G, C, D, Em, Em/D and A7 with some picking required.

Uptown Girl inspiration for this song came from an encounter with Christy Brinkley, Whitey Houston and Elle McPherson and was going to call the song Uptown Girls, but then changed the title. He also said Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons gave him the idea for the vibe of the song.

It was a #1 in five countries but peaked at #2 in the US.

This one should be on your Billy Joel guitar songs setlist for a bar. This track is on the album "An Innocent Man".

This one I play with a capo 2nd fret in standard tuning with the chords D, Em, Gbm, G, A7, A#, Gm, Cm, F, Am and an Fdim. For rhythm play a down down up down up down up repeat pattern and no lead in this one.

We Didn't Start The Fire was one of seven singles released from the album "Storm Front" in 1989-1990.

This was the biggest single reaching #1 in the US and a top 10 in several other countries.

The rhythm here is a down down up down down down up down and repeat pattern in standard tuning but some lead riffs blended into the rhythm. The chords you'll need are G, D, Em, C and an A.

You May Be Right peaked at #7 in the US and #6 in Canada.

The track can be found on the "Glass Houses" album from 1980.

Some lead required here in standard tuning with a down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern For chords play an A, E, Bm, G, E7, D and a Gbm.

You're My Home came about as Billy Joel was broke in 1973 while out n California and couldn't afford to buy his wife at the time a Valentines Day gift, so he wrote this song for her instead.

Helen Ready covered the song but Joel apparently did not really like her version. This track is on the 1981 album "Songs In The Attic".

I play a capo 3rd fret here in standard tuning but no lead required. The chords are D, Dmaj7, G, A7, D7, Gbm, Em, Bm and A with a down up down up down up with a steady shuffle rhythm pattern.