About The Song
This song debuted on September 29, 1983, as part of his ninth studio album, “An Innocent Man” (1983). “Uptown Girl” achieved the third position on the Billboard Hot 100, maintaining its stance for five consecutive weeks from November 12 to December 10, 1983. Moreover, it secured the top spot in the United Kingdom for five weeks, standing as his sole number-one hit in the country. Notably, it stood as the second-best-selling single of 1983 in the United Kingdom, trailing only Culture Club’s “Karma Chameleon,” a position it had claimed on November 1, 1983, displacing Joel’s track.
Billy Joel entered matrimony with supermodel Christie Brinkley less than two years post the song’s release. However, during the song’s creation, he wasn’t romantically involved with Brinkley; instead, he was dating another supermodel, Elle Macpherson. Reflecting on his relationship with Elle during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show in 2010, Joel clarified, “We dated on and off. We weren’t like engaged or anything. We just kind of dated. She was 19.” Joel recounted that he and Elle went separate ways when she traveled to Europe, coinciding with the time he commenced his relationship with Brinkley. Consequently, he revised the lyrics, and by the song’s completion, it had evolved to be about Brinkley.
In a 2006 interview on Australian TV, Joel disclosed, “The song was originally called ‘Uptown Girls,’ not ‘Uptown Girl.’ I know it’s associated with Christie, but when I started to write that song, I had recently divorced before meeting her. All of a sudden, I’m a rock star and divorced. All these women were going to go out with me.” As Joel recounted to Howard Stern, the inspiration for the song struck him while on vacation in the Caribbean. Playing the piano, he glanced up to find Elle Macpherson, Christie Brinkley, and Whitney Houston (who, at that time, was more of a model than a musician) standing by his piano, marveling at his performance. Expressing gratitude for his good fortune, Joel commenced dating Elle. The initial rendition of the song featured the lyrics, “Uptown girls, I’ve been around the world,” and the music leaned more towards a classical composition.
Hailing from Long Island, New York, Joel always identified as a working-class, ordinary individual. The song, in essence, mirrors his astonishment at his ability to attract such stunning, glamorous women. In a 1987 interview with Q magazine, Joel remarked, “The fact that I can attract such a beautiful woman as Christie should give hope to every ugly guy in the world!”