Billy Joel’s album 52nd Street spent eight non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. Released in 1978, it became Joel’s first album to top the American album chart and established him as one of the era’s biggest pop-rock stars.
The album followed The Stranger, whose success had transformed Joel’s career. Its three US Top 40 singles—“My Life,” “Big Shot” and “Honesty”—helped keep 52nd Street commercially visible. “My Life” reached number 3, while “Big Shot” peaked at number 14 and “Honesty” reached number 24.
The album’s title refers to New York’s West 52nd Street, historically associated with jazz clubs and recording spaces. Joel recorded at A&R Recording, which was also located on 52nd Street; the studio’s freight elevator appears on the cover. The album later won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and it was among the earliest major releases issued on compact disc in Japan.