Every reference in Billy Joel’s 1989 hit ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ explained

This 1989 Billy Joel Signature Hit Is Also One Of His Most Hated Songs

Inspired by a history chat with John Lennon's son, no less, Billy Joel lit up the airwaves in 1989 with a hit song that even he wasn't too impressed with.

Every reference in Billy Joel’s 1989 hit ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ explained

For some reason, this might come as a shock to many people, but Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ is a fantastic song. To this day, it remains one of the most inventive to ever top the charts in both the UK and the US. Alas, it is still maligned in many circles. The embalming gloss of the 1980s production may well lend it a visceral, adrenalised edge, but what it gives in energy, it, admittedly, slightly taketh away from sincerity and refi…