A 1983 Billy Joel single written about the woman who became his second wife, model Christie Brinkley, in a doo-wop style with a Frankie Valli vocal reference.
Composition
Uptown Girl was written by Billy Joel during a relationship with the model Elle Macpherson, but Joel has said the song was completed during his subsequent relationship with model Christie Brinkley, who became his second wife.
Reception
Released as a single in 1983, the song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and the top three on the Billboard Hot 100. It became Joel’s most commercially successful single in the United Kingdom.
Music Video
The music video, featuring Brinkley as the uptown girl alongside Joel and his backing musicians in mechanic costumes, became one of the most-played videos on MTV in late 1983. Joel and Brinkley married in 1985.