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The 1980 single Billy Joel wrote as a middle finger to his critics: “Publicly stating your prejudices”
Billy Joel’s 1980 single ‘It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me’ was written partly as a rebuke to critics who dismissed his music as unfashionable or derivative. The song matters because it became one of his biggest hits while directly challenging the idea that changing styles and trends should determine whether music is worthwhile.
Joel said the lyrics targeted critics who publicly expressed prejudices about what counted as credible music, particularly amid the changing fashions of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The track was released on his album *Glass Houses*, reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, and reinforced Joel’s move towards a more direct rock sound after criticism of his earlier work.
In short
- ‘It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me’ was Joel’s response to critics.
- The song attacked musical snobbery and changing fashions.
- It became a US number-one hit in 1980.
Explained simply
Billy Joel is an American rock musician and pianist who rose to prominence in the 1970s. In 1980, he released a single called "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", which was written partly as a response to music critics who had dismissed his previous work as unfashionable or derivative.
The song emerged during the late 1970s and early 1980s, when musical fashions were changing rapidly. Joel's track challenged critics who expressed strong personal opinions about musical style as if these were objective judgements about credible music, rather than evaluating recordings on their actual merits.
The single became one of Joel's biggest commercial successes, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and appearing on his album Glass Houses. The song mattered because it demonstrated a gap between critical opinion and popular taste, and it marked Joel's shift towards a more direct rock sound.