"52nd Street" is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on October 11, 1978, by Columbia Records. Following the success of his previous album, The Stranger, Joel aimed for a fresh sound by incorporating various jazz musicians into the project. The title references 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, a historic hub for jazz music, reflecting the location of Joel's label headquarters and the recording studio.
The album achieved immediate commercial success, becoming Joel's first to reach number one on the Billboard 200, where it stayed for eight weeks. It spawned three Top 40 hits: "My Life" at number 3, "Big Shot" at number 14, and "Honesty" at number 24. Critically acclaimed, 52nd Street won two Grammy Awards, including Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Album of the Year, the latter awarded to producer Phil Ramone. After Ramone's passing, the Grammy was transferred to Joel.
Notably, 52nd Street was one of the first albums released on compact disc, hitting shelves in Japan on October 1, 1982, and is often cited as the first CD ever released. In 2018, it marked Sony's return to vinyl record manufacturing, further cementing its significance in music history.
