My Life (Billy Joel song)

"My Life" is a song by Billy Joel that first appeared on his 1978 album 52nd Street. A single version was released in the fall of 1978 and reached No. 2 on the U.S. adult contemporary chart. Early the next year it peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"My Life"
Artwork for Dutch, French, and German vinyl releases
Single by Billy Joel
from the album 52nd Street
B-side"52nd Street"
ReleasedOctober 28, 1978
Recorded1978
Genre
Length4:44 (Album Version)
3:50 (Single Version)
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Billy Joel
Producer(s)Phil Ramone
Billy Joel singles chronology
"The Stranger"
(1978)		 "My Life"
(1978)		 "Big Shot"
(1979)

Musical structure

The song begins with drums, electric bass, and a left hand piano part, followed by a keyboard riff in the right hand. The riff is also used as a fill between verse and chorus sections and is also played at the end. The section order is intro-verse-fill-chorus-bridge-v-f-c-b-solo-c-outro.

Chicago members Peter Cetera and Donnie Dacus performed the backing vocals and sang along with Billy Joel during the bridge and in the outro ("Keep it to yourself, it's my life").

"My Life" was used as the theme song for the ABC television series Bosom Buddies (1980–82), albeit in a re-recorded version with a different vocalist. However, due to licensing issues it does not appear on the VHS and DVD releases of the series, nor is it used in the show's syndicated airings; in both cases, it is replaced by a vocal version of the show's closing instrumental theme, "Shake Me Loose", sung by Stephanie Mills, who, like Billy, also originated from New York City.

Reception

Billboard Magazine described "My Life" as "an infectious uptempo tune guaranteeing a good mood for the listener."[2]

Personnel

Single and album edits

The differences between the single and album versions are the following: the intro and the interlude that follows are abridged and the interludes between the verses and refrains are cut in half. Also, the instrumental break that follows the second bridge is deleted, which was done by a very crude razor blade splice, such that drummer Liberty DeVitto's cymbal crash appears to be audibly severed.

Charts

Certifications
Country Certification Date Sales certified
UK Silver February 1, 1979 200,000

References
  1. "10 of the best Billy Joel songs". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  2. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. November 4, 1978. p. 110. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  4. "Austriancharts.at – Billy Joel – My Life" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  5. "Ultratop.be – Billy Joel – My Life" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  6. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0091a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  7. "RPM Adult Oriented Playlist". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1979-01-20. Retrieved 2018-12-10.
  8. "Lescharts.com – Billy Joel – My Life" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  9. "Results for "Billy Joel"". irishcharts.ie. p. 3. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  10. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Billy Joel" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  11. "Dutchcharts.nl – Billy Joel – My Life" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  12. "Charts.nz – Billy Joel – My Life". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  13. ""My Life" on the South African Singles Chart". Springbok Radio. January 26, 1979. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
  14. "Spanishcharts.com – Billy Joel – My Life" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  15. "Swisscharts.com – Billy Joel – My Life". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  16. "Billy Joel: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  17. "Billy Joel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  18. "Billy Joel Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  20. "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  21. "Australian Chart Book". Austchartbook.com.au. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  22. "1979 Top 200 Singles". RPM. Vol. 32 no. 13. Library and Archives Canada. December 22, 1979. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  23. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1979". Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  24. "Top 100 Hits of 1979/Top 100 Songs of 1979". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
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