Billy Joel was never really what you'd call hot.

[XNASA]

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. Oh, I don't know about that

Uptown Girl thought so. For a while, anyway.

[SKKY]

2. No, but being the greatest American Song writer will get you laid...

...just about anywhere.

[XNASA]

7. Fans of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Billy Strayhorn, ....

..Bob Dylan and Brian Wilson might disagree.

Not about the getting laid bit, but about the greatest American songwriter part. :)

[Phillycat]

10. Also Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, and Ben Folds.

Just sayin'. :D

[mitchum]

22. and Lou Reed and Hank Williams

[SKKY]

18. I've thought seriously about 2 of those 3, but I just keep coming back...

...to Billy.

[greendog]

8. Greatest songwriter?

He's not bad, but nowhere near "greatest".

For reference, here's Paste Magazine's top 100 living songwriters. It's not a perfect list but it'll give us "a few" songwriters to compare to Billy Joel.

Paste Magazine’s Top 100 Living Songwriters
1. Bob Dylan
2. Neil Young
3. Bruce Springsteen
4. Waits/Brennan
5. Paul McCartney
6. Leonard Cohen
7. Brian Wilson
8. Elvis Costello
9. Joni Mitchell
10. Prince
11. Randy Newman
12. Jagger/Richards
13. Paul Simon
14. Stevie Wonder
15. Willie Nelson
16. David Bowie
17. Holland/Dozier/Holland
18. U2
19. Patty Griffin
20. Van Morrison
21. Lou Reed
22. Lucinda Williams
23. John/Taupin
24. Jeff Tweedy
25. Chuck Berry
26. R.E.M.
27. Radiohead
28. Robbie Robertson
29. Tom Petty
30. John Prine
31. Carole King
32. Leiber/Stoller
33. Pete Townshend
34. John Fogerty
35. Steve Earle
36. Beck
37. Smokey Robinson
38. Kris Kristofferson
39. Led Zeppelin
40. Bacharach/David
41. Ray Davies
42. Loretta Lynn
43. Ryan Adams
44. Al Green
45. Jackson Browne
46. David Byrne
47. Sufjan Stevens
48. Welch/Rawlings
49. Cat Stevens
50. Public Enemy
51. Penn/Oldham
52. Paul Westerberg
53. James Taylor
54. Aimee Mann
55. Dolly Parton
56. James Brown
57. Morrissey
58. Sly Stone
59. Jack White
60. Jimmy Webb
61. John Hiatt
62. Sting
63. Richard Thompson
64. Andy Partridge
65. Bill Mallonee
66. Charles Thompson
67. Conor Oberst
68. Allen Toussaint
69. Merle Haggard
70. Alex Chilton
71. Vic Chesnutt
72. Michael Jackson
73. Julie Miller
74. Over the Rhine
75. Ron Sexsmith
76. Will Oldham
77. Bruce Cockburn
78. Robert Pollard
79. Stephen Malkmus
80. Pink Floyd
81. The Flaming Lips
82. John Darnielle
83. Fleetwood Mac
84. They Might Be Giants
85. David Bazan
86. Sam Beam
87. Lyle Lovett
88. Parliament
89. Victoria Williams
90. Nick Cave
91. Drive-By Truckers
92. Alejandro Escovedo
93. Joseph Arthur
94. Sam Phillips
95. Patti Smith
96. Jimmy Cliff
97. Josh Ritter
98. Jay Farrar
99. Outkast
100 T Bone Burnett

[SKKY]

19. American! Greatest American songwriter!

And as far as your list, I have a tough time taking any publication seriously that rates Outkast, They Might Be Giants, and Stephen Malkmus higher
than Billy Joel.

[greendog]

24. There are at least 20 "American" songwriters on that list that are...

...superior to Billy Joel.

Like I said, it's not a perfect list. Billy Joel is no doubt, better than some of those people. But then, so is Neil Diamond.

Billy Joel and Neil Diamond are comparable. They're both decent writers of pop tunes. But neither can compare to Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, or Alejandro Escovedo.

[graywarrior]

20. Alejandro Escovedo

http://www.alejandroescovedo.com/

[greendog]

25. Alejandro rocks!

I was fortunate to see him on tour after the release of his second album (Thirteen Years). Brilliant show!

[Burma Jones]

11. Let's just say Greatest New York Songwriter

Oh wait, there's Carole King, Paul Simon, Burt Bachrach, Doc Pomus, Neil Diamond even.....

I would put him on par with Carly Simon maybe......

[Radical Activist]

13. Lou Reed

I'd place him far above Billy Joel.

[Burma Jones]

15. ......

How the hell could I forget Lou Reed?

[mitchum]

23. Absolutely! I place Lou Reed above even Mr Dylan

[Hobarticus]

....Greatest New York Songwriter Named Billy, then?

Digging pretty deep, now.

I didn't know Burt was from NYC.

[Burma Jones]

16. He was born in Missouri, but Grew up in NYC.....

[Radical Activist]

12. And what does that have to do with Billy Joel?

lol

[johnnie]

3. He was never really what you would call "a good driver" either

But he is in the Rock hall of fame, so he must be awesome!!!

[JVS]

6. drinkie drinkie

[crim son]

4. I thought he was totally hot here. I have this thing about eyes.

If you have pretty eyes, I will think you're hot. The rest doesn't matter.

[JVS]

5. He sucks

[Phillycat]

9. But he did write "Allentown".

Which is a great song. :shrug:

[supernova]

14. Oh, I don't know

I have a soft spot in my heart for short Jewish men, so he fits right in.

I'm doing the driving, however. :P

[XNASA]

17. A soft spot is one thing.

Hotness is quite another. :)

[devilgrrl]

21. and his music has never really been good.

:shrug:

[Shell Beau]

28. Oh I soooo disagree. He has had some great songs.

[Scarlett17]

26. I don't care what anyone else says. . .

Billy Joel rocks and he was definitely sexy in his younger days.

[Control-Z]

27. Well, not hot looking

but sounding.