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What a great addition to 70's and 80's music was Billy
Joel. William Martin "Billy" Joel was born in The Bronx in 1949.
Billy Joel's father was an accomplished classical pianist, and a
reluctant Billy took piano lessons at the insistence of his mother.
Neighborhood kids thought Billy was taking dance lessons since both were
offered in the same building, so Billy took up boxing, and even boxed in
the Golden Gloves circuit.
After watching The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show, Joel
decided to take up music full time, and he joined a local band called
The Echoes (circa 1964). He was 14 years old. In 1967 Joel
joined a band called The Hassles, which released two albums in the late
1960's under a United Artists contract. After The Hassles
dissolved, Joel started a band called Attila, which had one release in
1970. Joel's first solo album was released in 1971 (Cold Spring
Harbor) and featured the songs "She's Got a Way" and "Everybody
Loves You Now". Initially, this album did not do well due to some
recording glitches, but was later re-released. After moving to Los
Angeles and playing several notable gigs in 1972, Columbia Records
signed Joel to a contract and eventually returned to NYC.
Piano Man was released in 1973. Although the title track only
reached 25 on the charts, it continues to be Joel's signature song.
As the 70's rolled on, Billy Joel continued to produce
hit songs. Songs you will remember: "The Entertainer" from
Streetlife Serenad (1974), "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" and "New
York State of Mind" from Turnstiles (1976), "Just the Way You
Are", "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)", "Only the Good Die Young", "Scenes
from an Italian Restaurant", and "She's Always a Woman" from
The Stranger (1977), "My Life", "Big Shot", and "Honesty" from 52nd
Street (1979).
Billy Joel started the 1980's by attempting to quiet his
critics that he was a soft rocker by releasing
Glass Houses (1980).
Hit songs from this album included "You May Be Right", "Don't Ask My
Why", "Sometimes a Fantasy", and "Still Rock and Roll to Me".
Other 80's songs you may remember include "Allentown", "Pressure", and
"Goodnight Saigon" from
The Nylon Curtain (1982),
"Tell Her About It", "The Longest Time", "Keeping the Faith", "Leave at
a Tender Moment Alone", "Easy Money", and the title track from
An Innocent
Man (1983), "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" and "The Night is
Still Young" from Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and 2 (1985), "A Matter of
Trust", "This is the Time", and "Modern Woman" from
The Bridge (1986), and
"We Didn't Start the Fire", "And So It Goes", and "I Go to Extremes"
from
Strom Front (1989).
As years rolled on, Billy Joel was never able to
re-capture his earlier chart success, although he has remained very
active both in studio and on stage. At the time of this writing in
2013, Joel was still selling out concerts as a top tour draw along with
Elton John. At the time of this writing, the Billy Joel
Discography was as follows:1971: COld Spring Harbor
1973: Piano Man
1974: Streetlife Serenade
1976: Turnstiles
1977: The Stranger
1978: 52nd Street
1980: Glass Houses
1980: Billy Joel: The Box Set
1981: Songs in the Attic Live
1982: The Nylon Curtain
1983: An Innocent Man
1985: Greatest Hits Vol 1 and 2
1986: The Bridge
1987: Концерт (Live)
1988: Starbox
1989: Storm Front
1989: Souvenir: The Ultimate Collection
1993: River of Dreams
1994: A Voyage on the River of Dreams
1997: Greatest Hits Volume III
1997: The Complete Hits Collection: 1973-1977
2000: 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert
2000: The Ultimate Collection
2001: Fantasies and Delusions
2001: The Essential Billy Joel
2004: Piano Man: The Very Best of Billy Joel
2005: My Lives
2006: 12 Gardens Live
2010: The Hits
2010: She's Always a Woman: Love Songs
2011: Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert
2011: Billy Joel: The Complete Albums Collection
2012: Opus Collection |
