52nd Street is the sixth studio album by Billy Joel, released in 1978. It was also the first of many Joel albums to top the Billboard charts, along with his third and forth Grammy win. The track "My Life" benefited from the exposure it received when producers of the situation comedy Bosom Buddies used the song (performed by a different singer) as its theme. 52nd Street also became, in 1982, the first album to ever be released on compact disc.

Three songs reached the top 100 in the United States, helping to boost the success of the album. "My Life" reached #3, "Big Shot" reached #14, and "Honesty" reached #24. The album was also successful with critics, winning the 1979 Grammy for Album of the Year.

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 by Billy Joel.

1. "Big Shot" – 4:03
2. "Honesty" – 3:53
3. "My Life" – 4:44
4. "Zanzibar" – 5:13
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" – 2:31


Personnel

* Billy Joel – piano, vocals
* Doug Stegmeyer – bass, background vocals
* Liberty DeVitto – drums
* Richie Cannata – saxophones, organ, clarinet
* Steve Khan – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
* Freddie Hubbard – trumpet on "Zanzibar"
* Mike Mainieri – vibes and marimba on "Zanzibar" and "Rosalinda's Eyes"
* David Spinozza – acoustic guitar on "Honesty"
* Donnie Dacus – background vocals on "My Life"
* 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 – background vocals on "Half a Mile Away"
* Babi Floyd – background vocals on "Half a Mile Away"
* Zack Sanders – background vocals on "Half a Mile Away"
* Milt Grayson – background vocals on "Half a Mile Away"
* 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





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