If anyone has ever studied music they notice that they always come across artist Billy Joel. Mr. Joel aka "The Piano Man" has been in the world of music since 1971. Billy's energetic and eccentric attitude has captivated fans everywhere for a long time.
It all goes back to '71 when Mr. Joel, born William Martin Joel releases his very first album simply titled Cold Spring Harbor. This was this artists debut album and contained the songs "Falling of the Rain", "Turn Around", "Everybody Loves You Now", and "She's Got a Way". The album did not get noticed by the mainstream media, however the tracks "Everybody Loves You Now" and "She's Got A Way" became popular later in the musicians career.
1973 is the year that Billy first got big with the release of his album Piano Man. The song "Piano Man" is one of the most widely played songs on the piano to this day. Other songs on this work are "Travelin' Prayer", "The Ballad of Billy the Kid", "Somewhere Along the Line" and "Ain't No Crime".
Streetlife Serenade arrived next in 1974 with the tracks "The Great Suburban Showdown", "Streetlife Serenader", "The Entertainer", "Souvenir", and "Root Beer Bag" contained on this album.
Two years later Billy Joel releases Turnstiles. Tracks on the album feature "All You Wanna Do is Dance", "New York State of Mind", "Say Goodbye to Hollywood", and "I've Loved These Days". This album is also the first ever album to contain a CD-ROM track for the computers of that time.
1977, "Just the Way You Are" is released on the album The Stranger. Other tracks on this album include "Only the Good Die Young", "She's Always a Woman", "Get it Right the First Time", "Vienna", and "The Stranger". "Just the Way You Are" earned this artist a Grammy for Song Of The Year and a second Grammy for Record Of The Year at the awards show.
The Stranger was also re-released in 2008 as a deluxe boxed set. This rare collection includes the original The Stranger album along with a live collection of the artists works. Some of these track include "I've Loved These Days", "She's Got a Way", "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant", "New York State of Mind" and "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)".
52nd Street was Billy Joel's next album released the following year in 1978. Songs from this album include "My Life", "Honestly", "Until the Night" "52nd Street" and "Zanzibar". 52nd Street again took this artist to the Grammy's and won him two more Grammy's this year for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male and Album Of The Year.
Two years later, Billy went on to win his fifth Grammy for the album Glass Houses in the category of Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male. Hits from Glass Houses include "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", "Don't Ask Me Why", "Sleeping with the Television On" and "Through the Long Night".So, all in all, that's three years with a total five Grammy Awards.
Songs in the Attic is Billy Joel's first compilation album and contains many of his greatest hits so far in his career. This album also contains some new songs like "Angelenos" and "Summer, Highland Falls". Other tracks featured are "Captain Jack", "Ballad of Billy the Kid", "She's Got a Way" and "You're My Home".
In 1982, Billy Joel releases The Nylon Curtain. It is the artists 9th album and holds the songs "Pressure", "Goodnight Saigon", "Scandinavian Skies", "Allentown" and "Where's the Orchestra?". This album is a milestone for this artist as he has been making music professionally for a solid decade.
An Innocent Man then makes its way onto store shelves the following year. This is the album that has "Uptown Girl" on it, a hit that became famous this year for the artist. Other songs on the album include "Christie Lee", "Keeping the Faith", "Easy Money", "This Night" and the title track "An Innocent Man".
Two years later, Billy Joel releases his first greatest hits album. It is a two-disc album entitled Billy Joel Greatest Hits: Vol. 1-2. This collection houses the artists musical genius thus far in his career. Hot titles include "Piano Man", "Just the Way You Are", "Only the Good Die Young", "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", and "Uptown Girl". Also featured on this album are two new songs "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" and "Night is Still Young".
In 1986 Billy Joel releases The Bridge. Featured on this album are the songs "Running On Ice", "Modern Woman", "Big Man on Mulberry Street" and "This is the Time". Also featured on this album are Ray Charles performing a duet with Billy Joel in the song "Baby Grand" and "Code of Silence" featuring artist Cyndi Lauper.
The next year the artist releases Kohuept, a live album performed in Russia. Tracks from this album include "Back in the U.S.S.R.", "Times They are A-Changin'", "Sometimes a Fantasy", "Stiletto", "Matter of Trust" and "Odoya". "Back in the U.S.S.R" is a cover of a Beatles song.
Two years later Billy Joel debuts Storm Front. It is this album that features the widely popular and very complex "We Didn't Start the Fire" song. This song is basically a reference song to everything that was going on in the world during that time. Other songs on this album include "Downeaster 'Alexa'", "When in Rome", "That's Not Her Style" and "Storm Front".
With the release of River of Dreams in 1993 the artist has played music now that spans over two decades and the hit's don't stop there. "Famous Last Words", "All About Soul", "No Man's Land", "Two Thousand Years" and the title track "River of Dreams" appear on this much treasured album.
1997 earmarks the release of Billy Joel's greatest release thus far in the form of 1973-97 Complete Hits Collection. Contained in this four-disc boxed set are the collection of works performed by the artist from Piano Man to 1997. The set houses unreleased versions of "Piano Man", "We Didn't Start the Fire", "Vienna", "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and a cover of the Beatles "Hard Day's Night". Also in this set are the hits "She's Got A Way","It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", "Uptown Girl", "My Life", "Keeping the Faith", "River of Dreams", "We Didn't Start the Fire" and "All About Soul".
Also released in 1997 is Billy Joel's Great Hits Volume III. Songs on this album feature "Hey Girl", "I Go to Extremes", "Light as the Breeze" and "To Make You Feel My Love".
Fantasies and Delusions was composed by Billy Joel and performed by Richard Joo. This album contains 10 original Opus's written by the artist and was released in 2001.
In 2005, Billy Joel releases his rarest collection entitled My Lives. This five disc set is a collection of demos, alternate versions, and never released songs by this artist as well as some new signature hits. Sample tracks from this collection are "Oyster Bay", "Cross to Bear", "House of Blue Light", "Motorcycle Song" and "Shades of Grey".
12 Gardens: Live hit the music scene in 2006. This album is a two disc set of a live performance performed by Billy Joel. Songs include "Movin Out", "The Great Wall of China", "Laura", "The Entertainer" and "We Didn't Start the Fire".
With over three decades of music, Billy Joel has performed a good deal of music to say the least. His one of a kind personality and show stopping stage performances are what really make this artist great. His music is both cherished and adored by millions of his fans and fellow musicians alike.