52nd Street (album)

52nd Street
Studio album by Billy Joel
Released	October 13, 1978 (1978-10-13)
Recorded	A&R Recording, Inc., 799 7th Avenue at 52nd Street, New York City; July – August 1978
Genre	Rock
Length	40:26
Label	Family Productions/Columbia
Producer	Phil Ramone
Billy Joel chronology
The Stranger (1977)The Stranger1977 52nd Street (1978) Glass Houses (1980)Glass Houses1980
Singles from 52nd Street
"My Life" Released: October 28, 1978 "Big Shot" Released: January 1979 "Honesty" Released: 1979 "Until the Night" Released: March 1979

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Robert Christgau	B−

52nd Street is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on October 13, 1978. It was the first of four Joel albums to top the Billboard charts and earned him two Grammys (for a total of four).

Three songs reached the Top 40 in the United States, contributing to the album's success: "My Life" (#3), "Big Shot" (#14), and "Honesty" (#24). It was similarly well received by critics, earning the 1979 Grammy for Album of the Year. This Grammy was presented to its producer, Phil Ramone. Upon Ramone's death, 52nd Street's Album of the Year Grammy was passed on to Joel.

Allmusic praises Joel for expanding stylistically on 1977's The Stranger, describing 52nd Street as "more sophisticated and somewhat jazzy." (Jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard guests on "Zanzibar".) The title is a reference to 52nd Street, which was one of New York City's jazz centers in the middle of the century. Joel's label was headquartered on 52nd Street (in the CBS Building) at the time of the album's release. The studio in which 52nd Street was recorded was also on 52nd Street, a block away from the CBS Building.

On October 1, 1982, 52nd Street became the first album to be commercially released on compact disc by Sony Music Entertainment when it went on sale in Japan. In 2003, the album was ranked number 352 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Billy Joel.

Side one

1. "Big Shot" – 4:03
2. "Honesty" – 3:56
3. "My Life" – 4:44
4. "Zanzibar" – 5:13

Side two

5. "Stiletto" – 4:42
6. "Rosalinda's Eyes" – 4:41
7. "Half a Mile Away" – 4:08
8. "Until the Night" – 6:35
9. "52nd Street" – 2:27

Song notes

The song "Rosalinda's Eyes" was inspired by Joel's mother (deceased: July 13, 2014) Rosalind Nyman Joel.

Personnel

• Billy Joel – acoustic piano, Yamaha CP-70 electric grand piano, Fender Rhodes, synthesizers, vocals
• Doug Stegmeyer – bass, backing vocals
• Liberty DeVitto – drums
• Richie Cannata – saxophones, organ, clarinet
• Steve Khan – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Freddie Hubbard – flugelhorn and trumpet on "Zanzibar"
• Mike Mainieri – vibes and marimba on "Zanzibar" and "Rosalinda's Eyes"
• David Spinozza – acoustic guitar on "Honesty"
• Donnie Dacus & Peter Cetera – background vocals on "My Life"
• David Friedman – orchestral chimes and percussion on "Until the Night"
• Ralph MacDonald – percussion on "Rosalinda's Eyes" and "Half a Mile Away"
• Eric Gale – electric guitar on "Half a Mile Away"
• Frank Floyd, Babi Floyd, Zack Sanders, Milt Grayson, & Ray Simpson – background vocals on "Half a Mile Away"
• George Marge – sopranino recorder on "Rosalinda's Eyes"
• Hugh McCracken – nylon string guitar on "Until the Night" and "Rosalinda's Eyes"
• Robert Freedman – horn and string orchestration on "Until the Night" and "Honesty"
• Dave Grusin – horn orchestration on "Half a Mile Away"
• David Nadien – concertmaster
• Ted Jensen - mastering

Accolades

Grammy Awards

Year	Recipient/Nominated work	Award	Result
1979	52nd Street	Album of the Year	Won
		Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male	Won
	"Honesty"	Song of the Year	Nominated

Charts

Chart positions

Chart (1978–80)	Position
Australian Kent Music Report Chart	1
Austrian Albums Chart	4
Canadian RPM Albums Chart	1
Dutch Mega Albums Chart	33
Finnish Albums Chart	28
French SNEP Albums Chart	2
Italian Albums Chart	12
Japanese Oricon LP Chart	9
New Zealand Albums Chart	1
Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart	5
Spanish Albums Chart	13
Swedish Albums Chart	18
Swiss Albums Chart	21
UK Albums Chart	10
U.S. Billboard 200	1
West German Media Control Albums Chart	19

Year-end charts

Chart (1978)	Position
Canadian Albums Chart	48
Chart (1979)	Position
Australian Albums Chart	5
Austrian Albums Chart	17
Canadian Albums Chart	16
French Albums Chart	25
Italian Albums Chart	54
Japanese Albums Chart	14
New Zealand Albums Chart	10
Norwegian Albums Chart (Vinter Period)	7
UK Albums Chart	61
U.S. Billboard 200	1
Chart (1980)	Position
Japanese Albums Chart	81

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)	5× Platinum	500,000
France (SNEP)	Gold	242,500
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)	Gold	7,500
Japan (RIAJ)	Gold	470,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)	Platinum	15,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	Gold	100,000
United States (RIAA)	7× Platinum	7,000,000
^shipments figures based on certification alone xunspecified figures based on certification alone

References

Preceded by Live and More by Donna Summer Greatest Hits Volume 2 by Barbra Streisand	Billboard 200 number-one album November 18, 1978 – January 5, 1979 January 27 – February 2, 1979	Succeeded by Greatest Hits, Volume 2 by Barbra Streisand Briefcase Full of Blues by the Blues Brothers
Preceded by A Canadian Tribute by Elvis Presley Greatest Hits Volume 2 by Barbra Streisand	Canadian RPM Chart number-one album December 16, 1978 – January 6, 1979 February 10–17, 1979	Succeeded by Greatest Hits Volume 2 by Barbra Streisand Blondes Have More Fun by Rod Stewart
Preceded by Dire Straits by Dire Straits	Kent Music Report number-one album December 25, 1978 – January 28, 1979	Succeeded by Blondes Have More Fun by Rod Stewart
Preceded by Stage by David Bowie	New Zealand Chart number-one album January 21–28, 1979	Succeeded by Greatest Hits Volume 2 by Barbra Streisand