25 Best Billy Joel B-Sides

Stranger

From The Stranger

11. "Vienna"

This song was a karaoke favorite of mine. It's about what happened when Joel visited his father in Vienna, having moved there years ago after divorcing Joel's mother. It's incredibly moving for such a simple song and easy to relate to, but don't take it from me; buy the album, and let the song speak for itself.

52nd Street

From 52nd Street

12. "Zanzibar"

This one doesn't sound like a Billy Joel song at all. Not only does it feature a funky, almost Latin rhythm, but he trades his trademark piano for, of all things, a spirited trumpet solo! Still, you can't deny its danceable hook. He played it at the last concert of his that I attended at Madison Square Garden, and because it's so obscure, I was probably one of the few in the entire arena singing along.
Contributor

Michael Perone has written for The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore City Paper, The Island Ear (now titled Long Island Press), and The Long Island Voice, a short-lived spinoff of The Village Voice. He currently works as an Editor in Manhattan. And he still thinks Michael Keaton was the best Batman.