Billy Joel was one of the few superstar musicians from the 1970s to seamlessly transition to the MTV era. The highly acclaimed songwriter and pianist was already a household name with such giant hits like New York State of Mind, Piano Man, and Just the Way You Are. And Joel was no stranger to the music video format, having filmed a clip for his Piano Man smash even before MTV existed. But my favorite Joel song and video are for Uptown Girl.
Uptown Girl is the second single from Joel’s 1983 album An Innocent Man. Joel started moving in a more rock/pop direction in the early 1980s, and this release saw him experimenting even further. The “piano man” wanted to pay homage to classic American rock with a dash of blues and soul music stylings. The result was several radio-friendly and finger-snapping tunes that recall the sounds of Motown and The Four Seasons. The LP was another big smash in Joel’s decades-long career, and it produced several hit singles and music videos, with Uptown Girl being the clear standout.
The music video was directed by Jay Dubin and starred Joel’s future wife, 80’s supermodel Christie Brinkley. The charming clip features Joel as a greasy mechanic full of blue-collar swagger when Brinkley pulls up riding in her stylish 1958 Rolls Royce limo. As Joel and his fellow mechanics perform their full-service duties, the “uptown” girl is smitten with the handsome “downtown” man. The video culminates with the cast breaking into a dance sequence with Joel showing off his (or lack of) hoofing skills. The video’s old-school charm recalls the Gene Kelly/Cyd Charisse pairings from their classic MGM musical heyday. And Joel and Brinkley, who were already an item, really shine with sweet, playful chemistry.
Billy Joel would become a staple of the MTV era, mixing a showman’s flair with his superb musicianship that produced many memorable videos. Sadly, while Joel and Brinkley eventually wed in 1985, the pair divorced in 1994. They share a daughter Alexa Ray, who has continued in her father’s musical footsteps. And while the now 72-year-old singer/songwriter hasn’t released any new material since the 1990s, Joel continues to tour, playing many sold-out venues to this day.
Check out the music video below, and let me know your thoughts in the comments section.
Wild timing reading this post for me in that I just learned earlier today Billy and Stevie Nicks are supposed to play a stadium concert in Philly next June. This one has my interest as I have never seen him (even though he’s played Philly a lot) and haven’t seen Nicks in about a decade. I thought at the time this video and song came out they were going to only increase his popularity, and I think they certainly did.
Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks would be a great pairing as both are great in concert. This video was my gateway into Joel’s music catalog, and the music video has that old-school charm. I’ve been in big fan ever since.