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Good Billy Joel Songs
On The Acoustic
Here on my good Billy Joel songs page you'll find acoustic tutorial demos, free chord sheets you can download in .pdf format, some tips on strumming these songs and low cost acoustic tutorials to assist you in playing Billy Joel tunes on the guitar.
8 Billy Joel The Greatest Hits
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Good Billy Joel Songs
Chords, Lyrics, Rhythm Tips, Tutorials
As you know, Billy Joel has been an influence in music culture since 1965. It's no coincidence that he and Elton John have become great friends through the years. Their talents are on the same instrument, they started during the same period (Sir Elton in 1962) and both are close to the same age (Joel is 73 and Elton 75 in 2022).
1. She's Always A Woman
She's Always A Woman was a #17 hit for Billy Joel back in 1977.
The song hails from the album "The Stranger".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down down up down up and repeat
- Picking: No
- Chords: 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, E7
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2. She's Got A Way
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".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down strokes or use a down down up down down up
- Picking: No
- Chords: G, D/Gb, Em, G7, C, D, Ebmaj9, Csus2, Am, Gm, D/Db, Edim, Bm, D7, B7, Gb, Em7
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3. Sleeping With The Television On
Sleeping With The Television On was on the 1980 "Glass Houses" album.
The song was never released as a single.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: up up down up down up down up and repeat
- Picking: No
- Chords: Gmaj7, A, Bm/D, D, A/C#, Bm, G, D/F#, Bm, Em, F#, D/Gb, A7
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4. Summer Highland Falls
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.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: 3rd fret
- Rhythm: down up down up up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: D, D/Gb, Em, G, A7, E7, A#, Bm, Bm/A, E, A, A7sus, A7, C
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5. The River Of Dreams
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.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: 3rd fret - original key = no capo
- Rhythm: down up up down up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: G, C, D, Em, Em/D, A7
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6. Uptown Girl
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".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: 2nd fret
- Rhythm: down down up down up down up repeat
- Picking: No
- Chords: D, Em, Gbm, G, A7, A#, Gm, Cm, F, Am, Fdim
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7. We Didn't Start The Fire
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.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down down up down down down up down and repeat
- Picking: Yes a few riffs in the rhythm
- Chords: G, D, Em, C, A
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8. You May Be Right
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.
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: No
- Rhythm: down down up down up down up and repeat
- Picking: Yes
- Chords: A, E, Bm, G, E7, D, Gbm
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9. You're My Home
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".
- Drop D Tuning: No
- Capo: 3rd fret
- Rhythm: down up down up down up with a steady shuffle
- Picking: No
- Chords: D, Dmaj7, G, A7, D7, Gbm, Em, Bm, A
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I hope you found my good Billy Joel songs page helpful. Any questions, touch base.
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