Stiletto

In this uptempo track from his sixth studio album, Billy Joel sings about an irresistible but dangerous woman who wields emotional manipulation like a sharp blade.

In 2016, Joel told SiriusXM that the song's staccato piano riff was inspired by the riff that opens Traffic's 1969 song "Shanghai Noodle Factory."

On 52nd Street, a jazzy send-up to Manhattan's night life, Joel reunited with Phil Ramone, who produced his breakthrough album, The Stranger, the previous year. For its follow-up, Ramone encouraged him to shift his musical direction and experiment with jazz. The album won two trophies at the 1980 Grammy Awards: Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male and Album Of The Year.