Billy Joel is never not in a New York State of mind, but that doesn’t mean he has to sing about it all the time. While visiting The Late Show With Stephen Colbert last night, the Piano Man picked his five favorite songs from his oeuvre, based primarily on their concert performance value. They are: “Vienna,” “And So It Goes,” “You May Be Right,” “She’s Right on Time,” and No. 1 with a bottle of rosé instead, “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.” While Vulture’s definitive ranking of all 121 Billy Joel songs might not line up exactly with his selection, at least everyone can agree on a clear No. 1. Joel also explained why he hasn’t released an album of new pop songs since 1993, saying his decision was based on a belief that it was time to “shut up now,” a statement somehow more Long Island than the man’s entire body of work combined.
