New York State of Mind appeared on the album ‘turnstiles’ in 1976. The song was not as hit when it was first released but received more popularity in later years. The lyrics were inspired by his return to New York after spending the previous three years in Los Angeles. There were various other songs on the turnstiles album which reflected his feeling about his time away from New York such as "Say Goodbye to Hollywood", "I've Loved These Days", "summer, Highland Falls".
New York State of Mind was said to have been one of the most famous song written about New York City. The song is often played after sporting matches featuring the New York Knicks, New York Mets and the New York rangers. Additionally Joel performed the song in New York as a tribute to the victims of the New York bombings that took place on the 7th of September 2001, which in turn re-kindled the popularity of the song.