Reviews (page 4 of 14)
So many hits. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant will forever be a fave of mine. And Movin Out!!! I remember listening to this album on my iPod my first time in NYC in high school because it just seemed like a New York soundtrack.
i loved it! i had something written but this thing glitched and didn’t save it :(( but yeah it’s fkn billy joel. piano man. long island.
Quality album
another iconic one. 5 stars
My favorite album of all time. Wonderful storytelling, lyrics, and instrumentals in every song, and the entire album goes through so many emotions.
Nice
Wow I did love this. Just felt so great to listen to. 5 stars
Very nice
One of my favorite albums. The songs all really talk to a young man.
Banger after banger
Put a load of songs together, play it with a band that swings and sell 10m records. It's that simple.
This is the 53rd album I’m rating. I think I’ve only heard one Billy Joel song and it wasn’t Piano Man. Adding to my Playlist - Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song), Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Vienna, Only the Good Die Young, She’s Always a Woman, and Get it Right the First Time. Not Adding to my Playlist - The Stranger, Just the Way You are, and Everybody Has a Dream. All in all I liked 6/9 songs. Billy Joel is pretty good and this album is pretty good.
The Good: We find out that The Stranger isn’t strange The Bad: We feel jibbed out of getting to know someone new The Ugly: … I got nothing What a great album. What a pity so many people are comparing him to a not so great version of Elton John, or stating that he had nothing to do with Rock n Roll or what not. Billy Joel might not have the character one would call down-to-earth, but then again, how many people have been married to a super model, or managed to be one of the first western acts to have a concert broadcast from the USSR, or publish albums that cover pop, rock, and even classical music, to holding court at Madisson Square Garden for years with a monthly concert? Say what you may, Billy Joel is one of the greatest to ever grace the stage with his artistry!
7 huge hits, including Billy's epic poem, "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"
Favourite tracks - Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song), Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Only the Good Die Young
# Album Name: The Stranger # Artist: Billy Joel # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: If someone would tell me id like a billy joel album id tell them to get the fuck outta here. But this is good man. The album is filled with great tune after great tune. Admittedly, it was a grower for me. I initially marked it as a 4. But after a couple of listens, it became a low 5. Cracking effort but theres just something a miss to put it up their with the greats. # Top Tunes: Plenty of bangers - The stranger, just the way you are, Ital restaurant, good die young, always a woman, right the first time. # Would I listen to it again? Yes
This album is stacked. I could try to list favorites but it would just be pretty much the whole album.
Timeless
Classic. Enjoyed all of the songs. Heard them all before haha
Yeah sick
Great album. A star is born.
Except for Everybidy Has a Dream, which I found annoying except for the great whistling solo, this is a good solid album. Lots of well known Joel songs—catchy and heartfelt. He’s a legend for a reason.
People will never get me to hate Billy Joel. Great hooks, fun lyrics, performed earnestly. I like all of it. Except that second last song. But all the rest are great. 5/5
Solid
Another album I can sing from memory. I'm too familiar to know for sure if it's actually good, But the storytelling is so evocative and emotive and the instrumentation is pitch perfect, just . What I can say for certain is I love it very very much.
A near perfect album. I’ve always loved Billy Joel, the first BIG concert I ever went to was him at Fenway. This album starts out strong with “Moving Out (Anthony’s Song)” and continues on with banger after banger. The opening to the song “The Stranger” is beautiful with the whistling and when the guitar kicks in and the song picks up it’s just amazing. “Scenes from an Italian restaurant” might be my favorite song on the album, its ups and downs and the storytelling is phenomenal. The way it changes and flows seamlessly is really impressive. Love the different instruments used throughout, like the saxophone parts, the percussion is solid throughout, and obviously Billy is a genius on the piano. Even the deep cuts on this album like “Everybody has a dream” and “Get it Right the First Time” are very solid, although less iconic than some of the other timeless tracks on here. The last two minutes of “Everybody has a dream” going back to that Stranger whistle is so good and the perfect way to wrap up the album. This is probably Billy Joel’s best album, I have several of his albums on vinyl but this is near the top of my list for albums I want. 5 stars without question.
Total sing-along album almost every song. I love Billy Joel, I think his music is fun to listen to and sing. I think Vienna is the centerpiece of this album but it's consistent all the way through and I'm not the biggest fan of the ballad ending but it's fine. I was excited to listen to this album again and I still love it. My dad loved Billy Joel so it reminds me of car rides with him. It's a great album that I'll always be fond of.
Another nearly perfect album. Certainly this album defined and set the stage for Billy Joel's career. Every song is well crafted and Billy Joel could have stopped after this album and still be legendary. 'Scenes From an Italian Restaurant' is aong time personal favorite.
9.3/10. Great stuff. Classic album.
Iconic. Have had this album for at least 45 years.
Fabulous album. Every song is good
This is a simply beautiful album with wonderfully constructed songs. It's brilliant lyrically and musically, and maybe most importantly, despite being loaded with singles and hindsight Billy Joel staples, it's all in the perfect order. It would have been possible to screw up an album with Scenes From an Italian Restaurant by not melding these songs together into a coherent album. There are upbeat and slow songs that play off each other rather than clashing. It just flows perfectly. It should be almost impossible to follow Scenes with...anything. And yet Vienna comes in and just picks up and somehow bridges the gap to Only the Good Die Young. Scenes and Only the Good Die Young are both fine songs, yet they shouldn't exist within 2 moves of each other, but they found a way to sandwich them around Vienna and make it work so perfectly. Ending this whole thing with the gospel-like Everybody Has a Dream and the reprise of The Stranger just brings it all home perfectly. It's a great, synergistic album, and yet the songs can pretty much all stand alone and be great out of the album's context. This is an easy 5/5. It should get an extra star for Scenes. 6/5.
BEST SONGS: - Movin' Out - Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - Vienna - She's Always a Woman - Everybody Has a Dream
My ranking here is going to be a little bias. I grew up listening to Billy Joel with my mom and I have always loved his music. He used to be one of my favorite artists growing up and I still go back to his music whenever I need a little joy in my life. I love this album and I think he’s an amazing musician. So happy this popped up and it will not be the last time I listen to it.
The first artist I have seen in person on this list, how fun! Anyways, this album is borderline perfect, the lyrics, the piano, Billy’s voice, everything just works together beautifully. An album jam packed with some of his best known songs and no skips.
Excellent
Ok, I've definitely been missing out on Billy Joel. This was fantastic. Standout Track: Only the Good Die Young
I can’t be objective about this one.
Day390 - this is such a good album and it might not even be his best album
Favorite Track: Movin Out
Easy no skip album
A pleasure to listen to
Great album. 4.3/5
Billy Joel occupies a weird space in my musical canon. I was too young to catch this album, Piano Man, and the like. His big moments in my coming up were "The Longest Time" and that "We Didn't Start the Fire" thing. This is some straight-up great storytelling, coupled with fabulous musicianship. The last two tracks are decent, but they're not the quality tune after tune of the rest of the album, which has no other skips. Really good stuff.
9 songs, and 7 were already on my favorite songs list. This is an easy 5 for me.
Take away all the boomer nonsense that this is inevitably lumped in with and you get a remarkably sincere album that deserves every bit of praise it gets. There’s a good reason that seven of nine songs are hits (which does make the other two stand out in an awkward way). Still has a huge impact even though I’ve heard it a million times and know every single word to a lot of the songs.
Sept 77 was a good month. <3 Billy Joel is a pretty great songwriter & poet. The first 7 out of 9 songs are all fabulous. Get it Right the First Time is kinda schlocky. Everybody Has a Dream is a nice way to sign off the album but not his best song. Other than those two this is a pretty awesome album.
This is a pretty great album. Lots of classic hits (Movin' Out being my fave), and I really enjoyed most of the songs I was unfamiliar with too. Only song that was kinda meh to me was Get It Right the First Time. Lots of creative instrumentation and good variety of sounds. Just super solid stuff from a legend! I'm at a 4.5, but I'm gonna bump this one up. 0.5 bonus for the month and year of its release.
Billy Joel's "An Innocent Man" was my very first real album, which I got in second grade. None of my friends were getting into music yet; perhaps it was the effect of sister, 6 years older and watching MTV all of the time. Getting Billy Joel albums became a go-to for birthdays and Christmas. He directly influenced how I understood songwriting, and even strayed from the verse-chorus-verse standard at times. Each album says "Words and Music by Billy Joel"; I just assumed that all musicians wrote all of their own music, and it is a conviction of mine still that the true artistry is in the songwriting and lyrics, even if we end up with singers like Bob Dylan or Daniel Johnston along the way. On top of it all, Billy can PLAY, AND he can SING. "The Stranger" was my second album of his, and being young and new to radio and media, I didn't know a single song on the album; yes, not even THAT one. My listening was pure and without the tinge of influence, including from my own young life; I didn't get the "let-me-take-your-virginity" references throughout "Only The Good Die Young," or the various warm and cold faces of love and relationships discussed in the title track, until an "A-ha!" moment a little late in my 20's. Growing up in New Jersey and traveling 3 hours to Waterbury, Connecticut to spend the holidays and summers with my Italian Aunts, Uncles, and cousins, I felt strong Italian ties of family and love; the stuff you only see nowadays in movies. God, I miss those people. If I could re-live any one moment of my life again, it would be to be in that house with those smells and those smiling people and all of that laughter; there was a welcome place and purpose for everybody. Anyways, The Stranger feels and sounds New England Italian to me. The photo on the back of the album of the band at an Italian restaurant coupled with "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" likely influenced this connection, as did my cousins and family liking Billy Joel too. I even had (and still have) a Billy Joel wallet; right, jaw-glass? Vienna is one of all-time top favorite songs of his, with a scale and use of accidentals that I still don't understand, but they work. The first time I saw him live (in 2015), I surprisingly teared up when he played it, not expecting this deep cut in an otherwise "all hits" setlist. Other notable deep cuts on side two are the funky "Get It Right The First Time" and the gospel of "Everybody Has A Dream." Billy Joel has a catalog of great albums with great songs. The Stranger is among his very best.
I think I'm going to break down and use one of my precious five-stars on this one, because it meets my criteria of the album being solid from front to back. (I like how I'm pretending that my rating scale is coherent or logical in any way.) This album doesn't "speak" directly to me, per se. It really feels like it belongs to a generation above mine; Brenda and Eddie are clearly Boomers. The whole album makes me imagine striving or well off yuppie types in the 70s, shipping at Paramus, the bridge and tunnel crowd going into Manhattan for fun at the clubs on the weekends, doing some coke, but still having their shit together enough to be on track for making partner at the firm. I can't personally relate to any of that, yet I can still appreciate the album. It's very solid all around. I knew almost every song here, except for maybe two or three, and even those, I liked them upon hearing them. I had never stopped to listen to the lyrics of "Only the Good Die Young" before, and I was quite surprised to hear what the song was about. I'm not Catholic, but I was thinking, "Wait, aren't those confirmation kids like nine?" Cut to me concern-googling, "what age is typical for confirmation" and being relieved that it could possibly go up to 16 years old. Phew, Virginia is safe.
So many classics. Clearly where Rivers Cuomo got his inspiration.
Great Album, I honestly didn't think I'd enjoy it this much, but it was pretty awesome. Great song writing, awesome instrumentation, catchy, emotional, amazing.
Billy at his best
Excellent listened to then put straight back on
Forever a favorite
I feel like such a dweeb but I gotta give this album a 5 simply because it has “Vienna” and like 5 other all-time great songs. It’s just so good! Must listen #58
I owned this as a kid. One of my favorite albums ever. Played it so often. Nice to come back to it.
I did the thing where you sit on your headphones until they fall asleep so they feel like someone else's. Seemed right.
Hell yeah
This was such a good album!! Thoroughly enjoyed, it was a lot more up beat than I first thought it might be, super entertaining and will definitely listen to most of the songs regularly.
THIS IS A FUCKIN JAM.
This is a cheat for my first album as I was already a huge Billy Joel fan. :)
It's crazy to read his record label was considering dropping Billy Joel after his enormous success and subsequent let-downs. This album might have been the result of the enormous pressure he must have been under. Reshaping his intent to the rough diamond this album is. Billy Joel is a master of double edged, bittersweet lyrics, capturing the freedom and consequences of your own choices.
What a timeless album, nearly every song is a banger. Joel’s vocals are strong when they need to be and soft when they need to be. The music is catchy and wonderful! His songs compel you to listen and feel them, they’re beautiful. Fave Song: Vienna Least Fave Song: Get it Right the First Time Rating: 5/5
This is truly a no skip album... She's Always a Woman makes me cry every time.
I wish I could give it a six / ten. So good.
Ho avuto i brividi all’ultimo brano.
Agree to disagree here, but this is one of the great albums of its era
Top shelf in every way. Songwriting vocals instrumentals production. This was the way, back before talent and musicianship was replaced with attitude and electronics.
I am a certified “NOT” Billy Joel fan. Don’t really dislike him, just think it’s kind of easy to rag on him as a poor man’s Bruce Springsteen because his songs are pretty cheesy. But you know what, I’ll be damned, this album might just be a stone cold classic. I’ve never fully listened to it, though I’ve known of it obviously, and it might as well be a Billy Joel Greatest Hits album. 7 of the 9 songs have to have been singles, right? I knew every word to them because they get so much radio play. And damn when they’re all played together like this in congestive unit, it just works. The last song “Everybody Has a Dream” is cheeseball city, but it’s really the only lame song. Starting with “Movin’ Out” is such a great album opener and “Vienna” is my favorite Billy Joel song of all, so it’s just impossible to hate here. I was not ready to make this turn, but I have to give credit where credit is due on a massively hit-producing album.
This album was amazing. I never did a deep dive on Billy Joel before, I really only knew a handful of songs which I really liked and always wanted to check him out in depth at some point.
this album is amazing, through and through. it's filled with such a range of incredible songs. Kicking off with Movin' Out - an absolute kick to the face and such a stellar song. this album takes us on a journey, weaving us between stories of individuals wanting more, everyday scenes, reflections on love, and why dreaming is important. This album is truly special - in my most humble opinion and will definitely be in my vinyl collection.
Damn, I love Billy Joel. Upbeat and catchy. I actually hadn’t heard a lot of these songs, but every single one is good. There’s a common thread in the style, but there is still so much variety of tone and sound. Favorite which I knew before: Only the Good Die Young. Favorite which I didn’t know before: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. Least Favorite: N/A
What an embarrassment of riches here. So many great jams on this album. What I always love about a Billy Joel album is it’s never too long in terms of song count. It’s always just like 8 or 9 songs which really is the way an album should be. Don’t give me half assed filler songs just to make an album longer. That kind of mindset about an album is likely why 6 of these 9 songs are easily recognizable of anyone who is not just a fan of Joel but of classic rock in general. Such a great variety of jams here and all with such unique features that make them easy to fall in love with. The ack ack ack bit of movin out, the distinct Rhodes electric piano on just the way you are, the middle interlude of Scenes, the beautiful piano riff of Vienna, the easy to sing and clap along chorus of only the good die young and the come down ballad of she’s always a woman. Just great songwriting. Theres such a special place for albums like this where you don’t need to be inspired by the lyrics or progress the genre forward but just having good fun music that you want to sing along to. Joel has always been a man of the people and, speaking for the people, thank you for what you’ve given us.
Only the good die young is one of the best songs that we’ve heard on the list and this is one of the best albums. I didn’t have the same background context that others did - I couldn’t name a Billy Joel song before listening. I did recognize most of the songs as I was listening through, though. One of the things I really appreciate about this album is the composition. You have some piano and then some whistling and some guitar. Each one is iconic on its own and I wouldn’t really associate them with one another, but they somehow all come together. Then you have an insanely catchy chorus to top it all off. I did give this album an additional listen. I did read everyone else’s reviews prior to reviewing it myself. I didn’t want your reviews to impact mine, but they definitely did. It made me reflect upon music and my relationship with it. A lot of the music I truly love is built upon the people and the memories that I associate that music with. From Marley to Blink to AVPM, I have distinct pictures in my mind of when I fell in love with that music and who I was with when it happened. Reading about everyone’s personal memories with the album made me project those memories onto it as I listened. Now I get to kind of share in those memories too. I would love to stiff arm the album with a 4 and be contrarian, but it doesn’t deserve that treatment. Earnest, beautiful, and a bit corny at times, 5 stars.
I can vividly remember my first real introduction to Billy Joel, not counting the absolute banger that is Why Should I Worry? from Oliver and Company, of course. I was around 10 years old, out running errands with my mom on a Saturday morning. We stopped at the tiny strip mall on Hendersonville Road for lunch (for those of you from Asheville, the one near Asiana with the post office and Amish furniture store). We ordered pizza at some place that isn’t there anymore and then went to look at CDs in a second hand record store, also not there anymore. I probably wanted some boy band CD, but all we left with was The Essential Billy Joel, and from then on I probably played his greatest hits hundreds of times over. Obviously, there’s a handful of songs from this album in the compilation, but even the b-sides have that classic charm that embrace you like an old friend. I haven’t really ever gone through his albums individually, at least not in a couple decades, so I’m really excited to see what other albums of his make the list. Listened to this one twice in one day, I think that’s clearly grounds for a five.
When I first got into record collecting everyone my parents age was always eager to give me their old records and talk about the ones they loved. My father-in-law had a large collection at one point, but it had slowly dwindled down to just a handful by the time he was giving them to me. In that small handful was The Stranger by Billy Joel. He told me about how much he loved it, and how he always made his daughters listen to it. He was one of eight kids in a large Italian family, and this record just spoke to him. Obviously I knew Billy Joel's big hits, and some of them were on here, but I had never listened to a full album before. I was amazed at how great it was! I loved every bit of it, and recognized more than I thought I would. I knew it was a great album, but I hadn't even experienced the best part yet. We hosted Easter at our house a couple of months after he gave me that record. My wife's family tradition is always making homemade sauce, meatballs, and cavatelli pasta on Easter. Knowing how much this record ment to him, I put it on for my father-in-law while everyone was cooking. I will forever have the core memory in my head of seeing my wife, her dad, and both of her sisters making homemade pasta and singing along to this album. Two generations, a parent and a child, bonding over recipes that had been passed down from their relatives. Listen to songs that they will be pass down to theirs. It was a beautiful moment to witness and learn that something as small as a song can help pass on memories and emotions that span generations. Their family slowly sees less of each other as time goes on, but they always know that they will be together on Easter making pasta and singing "Only The Good Die Young". I can't wait to listen to this album and make homemade pasta with my daughter.
One of the great singer-songwriter records in pop rock, hooks and catchy melodies aplenty. 9/10
this is literally the music I listened to growing up.
Really is a great album
Man plays a piano and sings. A classic album with hit after hit after hit.
All time favourites
Amazing. Billy Joel at his best
Billy
Hit after hit, beautiful arrangements and production. Excellent vocals and instrumentals.
Big ass 4.5
Billy Joel
God, this was so awesome. It's like the perfect '70s pop-rock album. It's not unlike Bruce Springsteen's music in many ways, though I prefer the more rustic-feeling production here. It's not as shiny as, say, 'Born to Run' but it still has that fine polishing layer you'd expect out of a superstar artist like Billy. The instrumentation is gorgeous. This is classified as piano rock, but there's more to the story, this isn't Jerry Lee Lewis-type piano rock. 'She's Always a Woman' for example has this delicate acoustic guitar intertwined with its sweet core piano line. It's a soft song while the ambitious 'Scenes from an Italian Restaurant' goes in a "jazzier" direction. It's such a nuts song, constantly switching instrumental directions, nicely complementing its cinematic imagery. This song may also have my favorite vocal performance on here. 'Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)' was a great opener but it pissed me off because I knew for a fact I'd heard that chorus before, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out from where. 'Vienna' reminded me a lot of 'Desperado' by the Eagles and especially Cat Steven's 'Father and Son' given that it's one of those comforting "advice" type songs - it's sweet. So yeah, good shit. No idea how I slept on Billy Joel for so long given the fact that he's like the fourth highest-selling solo artist in the US or something. There's a reason people dig him but better late than never I guess.
yet another big name in this list, billy joel's songs break through traditional pop norms in arguably one of the greatest albums of the decade. with strong expression and ambition, these pop songs are some of the best to be ever put out on radiowaves. i think it's quite possibly so defining that if we sent more records to space, like the voyager... this should be a PIVOTAL example of modern pop music in the 20th century.
great album. greatest. tops
I love this album. Some songs feel like a soundtrack from a film. I like the whistle and piano parts.
Loved it. Billy Joel is the man
Not a bad song on this whole album, and almost every one is a complete classic. Billy Joel is an incredibly talented songwriter, every track is just beautiful. And of course his piano playing is amazing, just effortlessly cool. The band he put together is great as well. All in all, highly recommended.
Greatest album of all time.
one of my favourite album from Billy Joel. all classics...
Absolutely brilliant
Five star pop album. Nearly every single one of the songs contained in this album are timeless hits, and the rest are well-crafted songs.
A great record.
A class act! Honestly almost the whole album contains classic bops. I loved it a lot. Movin' out is the highlight but it's not too far up compare to the other ones.
I’ve always loved this album. It’s the one I recommend to people who are aware of Billy Joel only as “the Piano Man” guy. Such a solid record. Not a bad track on here. Few songs are more perfect than Vienna. A career-defining masterpiece, in my opinion. “I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. The sinners are much more fun. You know that only the good die young.” ✌️ 5/5 Highlights: Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) Vienna Only the Good Die Young
This is the best Billy Joel album. 6/5
The first album I ever bought and it still holds up. Classic tunes well played and very well produced. Liked Songs Added: I'm Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) Just The Way You Are Only The Good Die Young She's Always A Woman
Billy is by far the best composer singer from the 80s pop rock era and maybe more. This album is perfect. All hits, ones that are not hits are awesome, the mix, the sound, the lyrics, the transitions to next song and how it all makes sense. Top 20 albums ever
Hit after Hit
This album is the definition of a 5. Almost every song is a hit and contagiously catchy (Movin' Out, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Vienna, Only the Good Die Young, She's Always a Woman). An album that you wouldn't mind starting over as soon as it's finished. 9.25/10 (4.625/5)
LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT! Scenes from an Italian Restaurant is my new fav song
An insane track list that’s hard to believe is not a greatest hits album. Vienna stands out above the rest to me.
Just a brilliant album all the way through. Not a bad song here. Unfortunately he has never made anything up to this level since.
A wonderful album from start to finish 8/9 of these are hits! Wow. banger after banger in 8 consecutive tracks. Yes he's a little schlocky but man is this entertaining stuff. When he was good he was really good.
(10) ★★★★★
From first moment to practically last this is piano pop perfection. Songs are so catchy and buoyant and there is such little let up. It’s Thriller-esque in that everything could have been a hit single. It’s loaded with a tonne of McCartneyisms but a lot of other variety as well including the cinematic title song, samba of Get It Right The First Time, street folk in Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, the Dylanesque She’s Always A Woman, gospel closer Everybody Has A Dream and world’s best love song that even Paul McCartney wishes he wrote in Crazy Frog err I mean Just The Way You Are. Fair to say that Billy Joel is on peak form here.
Just amazing 👏🏻 Billy Joel is a legend and this album proves it.
Was fully not expecting to love this! Thought it wouldn't be such a fun album to listen to, and am really happy to be wrong.
One of my favorite albums generally, so I'm glad it popped up on the 1001 albums.
Just so many absolute classics in this album, there are no skips. I didn’t LOVE get it right the first time, but I loved every other song. The album title song (strangers) was sick and I’m surprised I hadn’t heard it before. Has to be 5 stars.
One of my favorite albums of all time!
Feels wrong giving this a 5 after Live at the Regal, but i guess if i could have given that one a 6 or a 7 i would have. Anyways, love this album.
Genuinely cannot stand how anybody can dislike this. Each song is practically perfect and this is without a doubt one of the best albums of all time
this album could turn even the most rough-blooded of farmhands into a real wisecracking penthouse taxi driver.
Somehow Billy created something without a single skip on it. This feels like a greatest hits album in the best way. Each track is packed full of emotion and talent and not a single song here fails to make you feel good. I'd give it 6 stars if I could.
This another album that fits within the genre of “could be a greatest hits album”. Also probably one of the albums that I have listened to the most throughout my life. Every song here is great but Scenes From An Italian Restaurant absolutely takes the cake as my favorite Billy Joel song.
Love this album. Great album. Each song is so good. Billy Joel at his best!
Fantastic
A truly iconic cover and an album chock full of famous numbers (which have been covered by countless others). It has to be 5*****. It's so schmaltzy but you can't deny it's power to captivate you fo good or bad.
Loved it! Roy Kent was right to add it to his list of perfect things.
Love this album as much as the first time I heard it.
A true classic album,.
All the jams. Lots of depth here.
I knew more than half the songs already Great album Billy Joel is awesome
every song on this album can stand alone and is still iconic
5/5. Every song is a banger
Literally a greatest hits album. No skips. Not a huge Billy fan but this album is undeniable. Classic.
I probably own this album because I know all the songs.
Does anyone else really feel like they’re going through something when they hear Vienna? An all-time Sunday morning classic album.
Loved it. A classic, overwhelmingly human album I'm sure I'll return to.
i like most of the lyrics and most of the instrumentals.I LOVE moving out because its a song that my favorite artist sampled 10/10.
My first 5 star! I enjoyed every song except that last one. Loved the range of upbeat and ballads. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant is still my favorite.
Legend
There are 9 songs on this album, 5 of which are stone cold classic hits. That's an amazing achievement. Great songwriting, lyrical story telling and fantastic production combine to form a stellar album that still sounds great more than 4 and a half decades later.
Time of the Season is a classic and brilliant song. The album is a wonderful sample of the music of the time. Well recorded, well produced.
Billy's got pipes! Vienna is an all timer.
Every song deserves 5-stars
Was genuinely shocked how many songs I knew off this album. I think some of it is some of the songs I had no idea were Billy Joel songs. He's one I have picked up passively. This is a stunning album though. A lot of story telling in the songs which makes me understand why he had a juke-box musical made with his music. Really enjoyed all of this though, there is a reason why many of these are classics.
great great great - didnt know i needed this
I know there's one way too well because it's one of my girlfriend's favorite albums
i like Billy Joel. i have no defense for this, nothing to restore the hipster cred lost from this statement. i like his newsboy pop, i like his stupid kids movie voice, i like his weird Peter Lorre stare, i like when his songs come on the radio, i even like the ACK ACK ACK ACK -- have since i was a kid. hell, i even kinda like "Piano Man", and nobody with taste has liked "Piano Man" since 1983. i think The Stranger is a great record and barring "Only The Good Die Young" (even i have limits), i don't think there's a bad song on it. in our confusion, we've forsaken Billy Joel for the world's stupidest crime: making nice music that your mom and dad like. it's not kitsch, it's art.
Great album of pop songs it's only one dud \"Everybody Has a Dream\" and many classics. While not the most adventurous album, there are subtle divergences from typical pop fair that helps it to not grow stale.
WOW, just wow. That's a really good album. I am really glad that I listened to that.
Great album! Both the songs and the lyrics and well done.
Amazing collection of well-written songs....not a bad one in the bunch. Like his older pre-Christie Brinkley stuff much better.
Love it
BANGIN
The best Billy Joel
No private session on Spotify used and another album I really don't need to listen to know that I love it. I happily listened to this album anyway. So many classic hits, none of which I am tired of hearing.
i guess some people consider billy joel to be unpalatably cheesy, but i really loved this. banger after banger. a new addition to the 5 club!
i've been waiting for this one since i started this challenge. this is a phenomenal album with absolutely no skips. i must've missed the memo that it's cool to hate on billy joel, because this dude has been bangin out the tunes for half a century now and he's still got it. this is my favorite album of his, with glass houses and storm front currently rounding out the top three. i could prattle on for hours, but instead I'll quote one of my favorite pieces of billy joel trivia about how his songs appeared in the Rock Band series, considering he had never allowed his master recordings to be used in a video game before. this is taken from Mark Raby's 2010 article on GamesRadar: "Joel changed his mind when he happened to see a review in Entertainment Weekly about an episode of The Office. In the episode, middle management icon Michael Scott pines about a Billy Joel Rock Band game. In the episode's review, the critic wrote "something like, 'God forbid that ever should happen,'" said Joel. "So I called my people and said, 'Get me [in] that Rock Band game.' Then I wrote the critic, saying that every time I get a check, I'll give him a little nod."" tl;dr: billy joel is in rock band thanks to pure spite, and i think that's beautiful <3
If not my favourite album of all time, it’s top 5. This each and every song is perfect and I could listen always. Billy Joel the man that you are!
Always legitimately curious how he didn't/doesn't get the Springsteen/Costello respect. Absolutely top of the craft in songwriting, musicianship, creativity, variety... Come on, this album is fking great and sure he sold 8 billion copies of it and has been everywhere since and maybe you were sick of him ... and sure although he put out a few more good records right after but then just 7 years later sang the execrable horror show Uptown Girl yet are we grading Stevie Wonder on I Just Called To Say I Love You??? We are not. Sure "Just The Way You Are" is cheesy but .... those chord changes are exquisite and he hated how the song made people think he was a sensitive balladeer rather than a rocker so I think slack should be cut. Great nostalgic listen for sure but also it has really endured and is definitely in the American pantheon of pop rock records. TL;DR: Stop being such a cynical bastard, lighten up, and let yourself enjoy this. 10/10 5 stars
5 ez
YESSSSSSSSS YESSS YESSS YESSSS YESSS YESSSSSSSSSS So since I’ve already heard this album in full (many times too lol) I’m gonna spare you the essay. I absolutely did need to hear this album before I died. I love Billy Joel’s songwriting and this album is just so amazing with so many highlights. Forever a staple. No skips, every track is amazing and serves a purpose in this album. 10/10 Why is this the only Billy Joel album on the list though that’s criminal. Like where is 52nd Street, Turnstiles, An Innocent Man, The Nylon Curtain, and my personal fav GLASS HOUSES???? All much better albums than some I’ve heard on here!
Red headed stranger best storytelling ever
Billy Joel is one of the GOATs. Amazing song writing and variety. In a career where every album has one or more absolute hits, this album is his best.
An album that you give a 5/5 stars to without much thought. Not to say that it’s overrated at all though! Most songs on here are household names for a reason. Billy Joel sticks the landing over and over again. A masterclass in storytelling done perfectly through the lens of piano-pop ballads
fav song: movin' out (anthony's song) weird cus i was thinking abt listening to this literally the night before it was my album of the day amazing love it
WOW, je m'attendais pas à tripper autant sur Billy, quelle sublime séquence de chansons toutes méticuleusement bien écrites et jouées. Chapeau, Piano Man!
Classic. Not a bad song on the album, a staple. 5/5
Raga ma che bello. La voce è stupenda e la melodia troppo wow. Capisco tutto questo amore per Vienna
Not a fan fan of Billy, but I've heard a little of him and not really disappointed in him I suppose. Don't really remember his style of voice rn, so I don't have high expectations, but as always I don't want basic sad songs or overused sounds. He's a songwriter so I doubt if the songs are sonically well designed, just like Cohen does. However, this is rock too soo I think it'll be good enough for me, DK yet. First song, fun start, catchy I'd say. OOOH WHAT WAS THAT GIBBERISH REPEATING OF SOME WORD. Ooooh the moving up and the delivery of moving out, perfeeect. Sonically it has a headphone play, love when artists do that. It's kind of sad in a way, but also cunty in a good way. Idk if this is the most listened song on the album, it seems so, which means other ones might not be as good. Little jazz and piano I see. A car is rumbling, probably connected to a music video, no idea. Obviously the song faded away. Second song, Elton John start because of that piano, it's low-key sad, though also jazzy. OOOOH WHISTLING IN A SEDUCING WAY, it's giving Joe Dassin. AAAAH THAT BEAT DROP, and rock comes in. A decent lyrical delivery I suppose. The way he says stranger is very British to me. In the chorus he kind of changes his voice, dunno if verses are better or the chorus. This is very vibey, probably yacht rock this is. Even his way of danger is British. So songwriters CAN write catchy music and make it meaningful too, see Cohen, I love Cohen don't get me wrong, but he was yesterday and I was kinda disappointed his main focus was on lyrics so. This was quite a good one too. OOH GOD I THOUGHT SONG FINISHED AND WHISTLING CAME BACK IT'S LIKE ANOTHER SONG. One of the few songs that are long, but don't feel like one. Third song, kind of s futuristic sound, before his voice comes in. He "mmm"ed briefly, kinda rare. Ooooh the best slowly coming in while he's singing was amazing. Jazz came in too, but not as the main part. There's a guitar on the right and some kind of vocalising in the middle. Don't loving the way he sings. It sounds like a love song, lyrically mostly obviously. It's too smooth and slow, I like it, but he's done better in the last two songs. He vocalled much longer than I expected, but not in an amazing way, he apparently doesn't have any vocal abilities, at least that's how I see it. This was for example one of those songs that should be a little shorter, buuut might just be a grower. Jazz became the main part finally. Not a great ending, but oh well. 4th song, seven fucking minutes. Sorry, but makes me think of that Harry Styles song, because of the name iykyk. Lot of piano but it's just that and him singing. Oh nevermind jazz and some beat came in quite beautifully. GOD SONG CHANGED BASICALLY, IT'S UPBEAT NOW. This is how a 7 minute song should go, changing on the way instead of making it aaall the same. There's a instrument playing I forgot a name of, a good one actually. Ooooooooooooh the piano is pianoing in the best way possible. This is very pleasing sonically. I'd never imagine Billy was capable of delivering these kind of songs. The lyrical and sonical interaction is a chief's kiss here. Not a minute spent without changing smth once in a while, proud of you billy. AAAAAAAAH IT TURNED INTO A NATIONAL ANTHEM AT THE END. That wasn't the end apparently it's piano now and he's singing more passionately now I think. Randomly jazz appears again, what a song, GOD. Ending was better than just making it fade away. 5th song, sorry but it was a little goofy piano start. Now this one is definitely a sad one, it's a good one tho. He sings in a good way. Waiting for the chorus... There are three choruses as Genius says and they are veeery different from eachother, wait a fucking second is the instrumental break FRENCH?! Loved that. ooh I'm so dumb Vienna I somehow read it as a woman's name no a city, it's because I didn't try to read it out loud. Loved this one even though it's more of a grower tbh. 6th song, he's such a LIAR, the song started differently and now it has a dancey beat and fun vibes all of a sudden, it's giving Shock Treatment soundtrack tbh in a good way. I love these kind of songs, they're weirdly addicting even on a first listen. Dunno which one was a chorus, but I liked when he started singing with more passion and instruments went and came on later, this phenomena must have a name. Oooh it's giving Chuck Berry, didn't last long tho, I meant the sonical part btw. It was quite the same at the end, saying that positively. 7th song, this is all the way sad I suppose, but when the piano beat came in it's low key more upbeat. Been listening without making notes and this could be my least favourite off the album. But lyrically and idk why, but it's giving ABBA'S "head over hills". Not exactly a bad song, just too permanent wave and slow in a bad way. 8th song, disco vibes almost. That unknown instrument came back. Sonically it's soooo good. Oooh he's "lala"ing, weird but expected from Billy. It does have a little disco beat to it, but also rock. Haven't seen disco and rock this close before (or I have and I didn't realise). It's getting a little repetitive, but it's still a vibe and will sound much better on the second listen. The duration is on point too, just as I was bored it's close to the end. The end had that instrument and some futuristic sounds at the veeery end. 9th song, it is kind of giving the last song of the album, it's a long one and it's slow so yeah. Is this Luther King reference? A slow gospel, love that, a group of singers came up was background ones, I suppose that was a chorus. Sonically it's not as good for now. Touching lyrically (not sure it just sounds like it), but I'm not a lyrics guy. He vocalled a little louder, not expected from Billy. I thought it would change the vibe even a little bit as some point, but eh. Wait a second it's fading away, but the song ain't finished, WHAT'S HAPPENING, PIANO?! OOOOO I LOVE THE PIANO QUITE A LOT HERE, OOOOOOOH BECAUSE IT'S NOSTALGIC THAT WHISTLE CAME BACK AND THE PIANO WAS USED THERE TOO, GOD A SELF REFERENCE THIS TURNS OUT TO BE. Now I can safely call this an artistic album, because I love when songs are connected to each other especially when they're not right to each other. What an album ending like wooooow. BILLYYY I LIKE YOU MORE THAN EVER. I didn't expect to love love this album at all. Some songs were a little off, and 5 stars does mean it should be fully perfect, but the level of surprising me in the songs in the ways I didn't expect from him is enough to rate this as high as possible. I am delighted. Didn't disappoint me as much as I thought it would, smn said Billy is a bad version of Elton John, and I most certainly disagree, I know Elton more than Billy tbh (haven't listened to an album waiting for one here tbh) so they seem equally good rn, might change that mindset idk. Anyway this was catchy, fun and sad and I simply can't ask for more, just more albums from Billy, pleasee.
i love this album so much, been looking for a second hand version in stores for years but haven’t been able to find it yet. all the songs are absolutely amazing, but will have to give ‘scenes from an italian restaurant’ the honor of being my favorite song
I never realized so many of these great songs were from a single album!
This album brings back a lot of good memories for me and it still holds up just as good as when I last listened to it. Billy Joel's voice brings in some great depth and flavor that is felt throughout the entire album. I really don't have anything negative to say about it besides one of the songs in particular (Only The Good Die Young) as being a bit overrated imo but even the less popular songs on here get their chance to shine. Just some great music here overall that I'll always enjoy. Best - Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), The Stranger, Just the Way You Are, She's Always A Woman, and Get It Right The First Time Worse - No bad songs besides a few being a bit overrated 4.50-4.75/5
One of the best mellow albums of all time
I knew two songs off this album, yet didn’t know that either were by Billy Joel (I’ll let you guess which ones I knew). This album seemed a lot softer than what I’ve come to expect from such tracks as We Didn’t Start The Fire or Piano Man. I really enjoyed this change. It is much closer to folk music than piano rock, and so demonstrates Billy Joel’s versatility in his songwriting. This is probably my favourite album of his so far. I’ll very likely be returning to this a fair bit.
Timeless.
Precious!
Perfect album. No flaws. Life is good when this album is being played
Love love love this album.
Me: “It’s all bangers” “It always has been” :Billy Joel in a astronaut suit holding a gun to the back of my head 10/10
5-
The most I liked was the relaxed rhythm of their songs
An absolute cracker from the Kid from Long Island. So many hits and underappreciated melodies.
I already love this album. All of these songs are hits in my opinion. I do not care if liking Billy Joel makes me lame. I was mostly introduced to him when my father took me and my sister to one of his concerts in Madison Square Garden when I was 16 and I listened to his discography in preparation, and I have been a fan since. My favourites from this album are its staples; 'Movin' Out...', 'Just the Way You Are', 'Scenes...', 'Vienna', 'Only the Good...'. I am well aware that is over half the album.
So funny how we view these albums through the lens of what memories they trigger. I am rating this album well because there are so many songs that I recognize and have solid memories of.
I don't remember listening to this one through before, so I was surprised to find that I recognized almost all of the songs. This is a neat perfect album, full of hits and fantastic melodies. The lyrics of "She's Always a Woman" haven't aged particularly well I guess, and the last 2 songs are slightly forgettable. Overall though, this is a solid 9/10
all bangers
Absolute banger of an album. Movin Out is probably his most fun song, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant is a vibrant and astounding work, Vienna is gorgeous and sounds massive: and that’s only like half of the singles. Every song has its place and it flows really well as an album, and the Morricone-esque whistling theme of the title track is delicious - just lovely stuff
Just a solid album from beginning to end. One of the rare 5 stars for me on this list of British music.
Never been a big Billy Joel fan, just never got it. Never liked pop singles like Tell Her and Start the Fire. But. Now I am an old fart and know where the Mets colours come from, listening to the first half a dozen tracks from Stranger. I get it now.
Actually a great albumn. Billy Joel can write some that scream how I feel about my beautiful wife
Is this Billy Joel's greatest album? Perhaps. This seemed to signal a breakthrough for Mr. Joel at this point in his career. Almost all of the hits are packed in here. Some of the highlights for me personally: "Just the Way You Are" - always loved this song and its construction, it's sappy but those sax breaks are delectable "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" - probably the centerpiece of the album, a epic medley of sorts telling the story of young love (and subsequent heartbreak) "Only the Good Die Young" - a jaunty tune, telling a tale of lust (and actually got Joel into a bit of trouble with religious types, making the song even MORE popular as a result) Billy Joel has always been an adept songwriter, and later a great showman, but that is probably the most evident in "The Stranger". The album itself might be a little top heavy, but it has some of the best pop-rock that the 70's had to offer and just...sounds like New York despite me never having visited there. Billy Joel went on a roll after this album.
I remember being at my aunt and uncle's house and they had this and Glass Houses on vinyl. I thought it was fantastic stuff. When I got older I bought his Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2 on double CD. Volume 1 was probably the best CD I ever listened to. Volume 2 was probably the worst CD I ever listened to. This is an album full of bangers. I feel like I've heard most of these tracks on the radio at some point. Easy 5 stars.
I forgot how much I loved the song, The Stranger. Beautiful piano work.
My first Billy Joel album on here, and it's a good one. This album is remarkably consistent from top to bottom. It starts out strong with the upbeat "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" and just keeps pumping out quality song after song. Add a few classics to go along with it ("Vienna", "Just the Way You Are", "Only the Good Die Young") and you've got a really enjoyable album. I'm not the biggest Billy Joel fan in the world overall. He's definitely got a bit of an unoffensive '70s soft rock thing going on (the whistling and saxophone really add to it on here), and I don't think he's the most inspiring lyricist ever. But sometimes the chill soft rock just works, and you've got to give credit where it's due. That's the case here, it's a great album. Favorite song: Vienna Other: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), The Stranger, Just the Way You Are, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Only the Good Die Young, She's Always a Woman 6/22/24
Great listen..
It's just half of his best of, plus some great, ambitious, earnest album tracks. Billy Joel is so underrated. He may not have started any fires, but he made some amazing music.
i genuinely love this album so much so it’s gonna be a deeply biased 5 from me NO QUESTIONS PLEASE
omg not a miss in sight, my dad energy feels stronger than ever. movin' out? more like movin' in... to my heart!!!!
Classics!
Until the age of 12 or so (circa 1980) most of my musical listening was from the local top-40 AM radio station, and I never paid much attention to who the artists were (there have been a good number of '70s songs in this project that I could still sing along to every word that I could never have given you the title or artist). Around that year I clearly remember a conversation with friends in which it was revealed to me just how many of my favorite songs on the radio were by Billy Joel, especially from this album and Glass Houses. I was very stingy about spending my money on albums for fear that there would just be the one "good song," but these two went right into my growing cassette collection and were listened to frequently. In any case, I continue to love the variety of songs on this album and there's really not any I don't like. I would happily do a sing-along to this entire album. Although I was not the one to expose these songs to him, my 17-year-old son could sing along with most of them, having discovered them on his own, which speaks to me of their timelessness. (For the record, my affection for Billy Joel would peak with The Nylon Curtain and promply end with the doo-wop abomination of An Innocent Man.)
You can have all the Billy Joels…except The Stranger.
A classic album that became familiar to me in bits and pieces over the years. Moments of it are very much of its time but most of it is timeless. Very special.
Great, just as I expected! A towering classic.
una sorpresa gigante ma forse non così tanto, considerato quanto adoro Vienna. meraviglioso, scorre liscio come l'olio e morbido come una carezza, zio Billy sei un g
Raga ma che bello. La voce è stupenda e la melodia troppo wow. Capisco tutto questo amore per Vienna
already listened
I mean, that’s like a 10, probably. I’m really just stunned that I’ve never heard this album before; Billy Joel has always been one of those artists that’s stayed just out of reach of my musical knowledge, outside of the really big stuff, like Piano Man, The Longest Time, Uptown Girl, and (for better or for worse) We Didn’t Start The Fire. I knew the names of some of the songs on this album, but I don’t think I had ever really heard any of them, save for maybe a little bit of Movin’ Out. I thought this was absolutely fantastic; very rarely can you tell an artist has hit their magnum opus on the first full album you’ve ever listened of them, but right around the point where Scenes from an Italian Restaurant crescendoed into the big tale about Brenda and Eddie is the point where I realized that like… yeah, this is probably Billy Joel’s best work, and it’s my first proper Billy Joel album. I genuinely thought every single track was great, not a single lull here. Instrumentation was off the fucking charts, and every instrument that slowly got brought into each song just added more without ever taking away from the essence of the songs. Lyrically, I thought it was just full of imagery, and written in a way that allowed his vocals to really shine through. I could keep going, but I’m seriously just stunned. It’s a 10 for me. Fabulous, fabulous album. It’s a shame that whatever Billy Joel album comes up next simply won’t be as good, unless he proves me wrong.
Favorite track: Vienna other pick: She's always a woman 5 stars
Billy Joel is a favourite of mine and this album especially. I've listened to it many, many times. Probably the peak of his songwriting. He had good stuff after but nothing that every collectively reached this collection.
If you want to know why some people adore Billy Joel, then listen to this album. Stylistically diverse, moving between ballads, singer-songwriter type songs, and rock and roll, all with a bit of jazz thrown in, The Stranger is a masterpiece of the rock era. There is no reason to talk about the hit songs since just about every song is a hit on this album. Even in the golden age of rock, that was unusual. Probably half this album was played at every prom from its release until ten years after. Besides the exquisite songwriting, the performance is also impeccable. Joel's band is tight, professional, and energetic. Vocally, this is Billy Joel at peak. While there were good albums before and after (with Turnstiles and 52nd Street the best of them), none can top The Stranger.
Another nostalgia special for me, not much to criticise. Maybe a side effect of knowing most of the songs already but feel that the structure of the album is very good. Also a big fan of the arrangments and production - stands head and shoulders above the Elton album in my opinion.
It's a delight. I can hear the lyrics easily, I can follow the tune, the narrative. I connect with what is being said. How it is said. The infusion of a time and place of a romantic America that never will be again. My wish to be a part of that in some small delightful way. That is such a good album in all the ways that me from 1989 listening to this 1977 album was so scornful of. Which shows that I have changed too. 5 stars. On my regular repeat list now. I rabbitholed down about this albums history, the reaction by the community of ears listening to this, and the types of responses that Billy Joel gets. That was also fun. This album is now one of my favourites, it is a discovery and a good good find.
Possibly my favourite Billy Joel album. I was brought up listening to all of his music but this record is a personal favourite. Movin Out & Only The Good Die Young are highlights and Just The Way You Are & She's Always A Woman are beautiful but nothing comes close to Scenes From An Italian Restaurant it is 7 and a half minutes of pure heaven.
The perfect album. I have no more words, 5/5
Fantastic album from start to finish. Billy nailed it. Didn’t realize all of these great songs are on one album…. You can really get into the songs and sing along!
"Scenes from an Italian Restaurant", "Vienna", "Only the Good Die Young", "Just the Way You Are", and "Movin' Out" all deserve a chef's kiss. It's actually sad I used a 5 of other albums because it's disrespectful for this album to be on the same tier as others haha.
I'd rate it a 6 if I could.
What a great album this is. He's got it right the 5th time with this one. So many brilliant tracks. Some timeless, some exuding the mid 70s vibe. But a great album as a full composition with an opening, an arc, a climax and ending with a release.
Such a great album that fully showcases Billy Joel's beautiful songwriting and storytelling skills. It's an interesting mix of genres too - disco, gospel/soul, rock, pop. I was also impressed with Billy Joel's vocal capabilities here. He doesn't always get enough credit in that area.
If you're not giving this 4-5 *s, you're just biased against Billy. It's that simple. He's one of the greatest songwriters of all times. And listen to the melodies - he shamelessly borrows from Bach, Chopin, Mozart... but also the Beatles and Buddy Holly. And that's fine. He reinvents and creates amazing pop music. The Stranger is perfect. The perfect companion album to Born to Run. Yeah, I said it.
Hard to deny. This album is very solid with some great talent, nice layers, and pleasing to the ears on the production end. Cheesy, but well done. Now I'm off to the Catalina Wine Mixer. I'll take the white.
Prior to this i had not heard the whole album. But listening to it i realize how very well crafted of a Pop album it is. It is catchy and even though all tracks not are hits for me, they still flow well. This feels like a crash course in pop writing. Personal favorites: She's always a woman, Vienna, only the good die young
Awesome album. Not a bad track here.
Fantastic album
Classic!
First album that I knew in advanced and had listened too. Love almost every song on this list!
Amazing collection of well-written songs. Not a bad one in the bunch.
I love Billy Joel. Nothing else to say
One of Billy Joel's best albums, hard to go wrong.
Billy Joel is so good. Probably his best album top to bottom, but he has some other fantastic ones that I think should be on this list as well. “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” is my favorite song on here, but I admittedly love his long story songs (“Captain Jack” is all time favorite) but there is literally not one weak song on this album. I’ve seen him play most songs from this album in concert, and if you have the chance to see him, I highly recommend it. One of the best concerts I’ve ever seen.
Great album of pop songs it's only one dud "Everybody Has a Dream" and many classics. While not the most adventurous album, there are subtle divergences from typical pop fair that helps it to not grow stale.
I've been waiting for this one! I was surprised how many songs I already knew...maybe three or four? I'm not sure how often I'd realistically return to this album, but I can't not give it a perfect score. It deserves a 5.
Easy 5 for me
It’s total mom rock and so I definitely came in with some priors but I was really pleasantly surprised. It’s hit after hit on this album and I can’t think of many more albums I’ve had so far that have been so prolific as this one. It’s got a lot of variety too and billy Joel is one hell of a songwriter. I also danced to just the way you are at my wedding with my mom and almost every track reminds me of her so I’m probably more than just a little biased.
I grew up thinking Billy Joel was a cheesy hack. Now that I'm actually listening to his discography, I have to begrudgingly admit he's a cheesy genius.
I'm 67, and I grew up on Long Island. This is my story. I'm not alone.
I haven’t listened yet and I already love it Love 10/10
I was ready for giving the album a 2 star before listening as I never enjoyed Billy Joel that much. Listening to this has been a great experience and change of mind. It reminds me of peak Paul McCartney songwriting.
fun!!! the stranger omg i used to love this song i completely forgot about it this just unlocked so many memories, what a great song as well!! overall a really solid album, im digging it a lottttt and i will definitely loop the stranger for the next week or so lots of long songs but on this album i really didnt mind! i need to stop giving out 5 stars so easily so if i could i would change the pogues rating to 4 bc they had less songs that individually stood out to me meanwhile this album had a couple
Great, catchy and timeless
It’s stupid how many hits there are on this record. Not only is it really well composed and performed, but it’s a sonic time capsule of NYC of the time. It’s in the accent, the storytelling, the fullness of Joel’s characters. Another perfect distillation of time and place, into a musical experience. It’s easy to forget what a talented composer he really was. This is rock solid.
The Stranger, plain and simple is a greatest hits album. If you are into Joel’s dramatic, slightly cheesy broadview style you’d probably consider this the greatest album of all time. While it’s not my style, it’s impossible to deny the banger after banger after banger on The Stranger. I love Moving Out, The Stranger, Only Good Die Young. I want to hate over the top songs like Just The Way You Are, but it’s hard. Whether he’s your style or not, he deserves credit for the vivid pictures he can paint lyrically 9.1/10
This is going to be one of the most biased reviews I've done. I've been listening to this album for 25 years and it's still amazing. Song craft, smooth seventies sounds, seductiveness, and swagger are all here in spades. Although the magic has worn off with over listening, that's my fault, not Billy's. It can't not be 5 stars.
9/10
Literally amazing
Großartiges Album, auch abseits der in den Best of veröffentlichten Stücke. 5/5
Þessi plata. Þessi plata. Úff hún er svo frábær. Ég set hana mjög oft á og mun halda áfram að setja hana á. Innihalda kannski ekki allra þekktustu lögin flrá Billy Joel en vel þekkt lög samt sem áður. Hún er bara svo ákkúrat rétta stemmningin svo oft þegar maður er eitthvað að græja og gera.
Somehow only ever heard 1 Billy Joel song, despite countless pop culture references. I see why he's talked about so much, beautiful album. Melodic piano with soothing vocals that don't get boring overtime. Songs are nice and tell a story.
How great is Billy Joel? There’s not a bad tune on this album, it’s full of absolute classics. It gets a coveted 5* from me. I’m very glad I got the chance to see him live a decade or so ago in Toronto. I scored a cheap resale ticket for $11 - the beer I bought at the venue was $1.50 more expensive than the ticket, for heavens sake. Anyway, this experience really opened my eyes to the joys of the Joel, I’ve been a big fan ever since. I’m always happy to spin The Stranger and I hope there is more Billy to come.
I love Billy Joel 😁😁😁 what a banger album. Such a vibe, excellent songs, good instrumentals, and he has a nice voice too. 5/5 easily. Favourites: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Vienna, Get It Right the First Time
Boy oh boy where do I even begin. I don't even have to listen through to know this is 5 stars, but I will anyway. I just can't believe how he loaded this many bangers into one album - Movin' Out, The Stranger, She's Always a Woman, Vienna (!), Just the Way You Are, and more - what a guy. Whole album is my favourite, fantastic way to start the week
After a 2nd listen it's a worthy of a 5. The Stranger is a jam and Scenes from an Italian Restaurant is great
Billy is a national treasure. He’s wrong about Catholic girls though. 😎
Definitely a classic/the only Billy Joel album I know straight through. Theatrical and moving and has all types of great emotions/stories throughout. This is the best kind of schmaltzy piano (next to the Biggest jams are "Movin' Out", "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant", "Only the Good Die Young", "Vienna" and "Just the Way You Are."
A flat out masterpiece from beginning to end. Nothing more can be said of this album. It's perfect.
Love it.
Great
peak music to give this any lower than a 5 would be a crime against all human kind as we know it. consistent quality across all the tracks in the album. and that whistling at the end does something unexplainable to me 5/5
Love those classics. 5/5
Great old album.
Absolutely perfect album — except for those last two songs, which are just meh. Not sure how they made the cut. But otherwise perfect, and I know every single word.
Really an incredible album. Movin' Out is a great opener for this, but there's a Broadway musical influence to so much of Billy Joel's music while still remaining pop/rock and it just remains so fun to listen to. The Stranger, Only the Good Die Young,
As easy a 5 as there is
This album is really really good. Billy Joel's best album and he has many good ones. This has hits really all the way throughout; it may as well be a greatest hits album. This album shows off his songwriting first and foremost, but he is also an excellent singer and piano player. Everything about this is superb.
Classic album!
This is such a good album. Song after song is a hit or a classic.
Great album! It isn't often you like an entire record but that applies in this case. Great lyrics, great tunes.
I fuckin love this album
Billy Joel is one of those artists I appreciate more as I get older. And this is clearly his best. Nothing groundbreaking or even influential, just 9 very good songs on a single album.
I forgot just how awesome this whole album is from beginning to end. It is timeless. I believe it could have been released today and been popular. It is just great music from a great musician.
Really enjoyed this album. Knew most of the songs, but did not realize they were all on the same album.
Honestly, his best, and so many great songs. I will defend Billy on this alone.
It's a classic. It is full of romance and New York. My wife loves it, I have come to love it. This album is a part of our childhoods, our lives, our romantic evenings at home. Great. I got to see Joel play many of these songs not so many years ago. Terrific.
A masterful songwriter, whether in story-telling mode (Italian Restaurant), generating memorable hooks (Movin’ Out), or as a soulful romantic (Just the Way, Always a Woman). The jazz/piano bar influence peeks through, giving him a certain cred and a wider appeal, though his range here is definitely rooted in mass market pop/rock. Fine by me! The last two cuts are less than the rest, but there’s no denying the strength of the string of seven songs that make up the bulk of the album.
This is real music. Real. Good. Music. 9/10. Not every song is a save for me, but 80% of it is. And that says a ton about an album. This is the standard for what a fantastic album sounds like. 10/10 is only reached by my personal favorite. This is the gold standard for everything even if it’s not my genre.
My favorite Billy Joel album. Some great songs on this.
9/10
Honestly this slapped, even if I always think of Shrek karaoke on "Just the way you are."
Awesome album. Billy Joel is an all-time beat!
Awesome album! Last song kinda sucks, but the rest more than makes up for it.
Fantastic.
Classic Album from a classic musician. Vienna will always wait for you
Alexa, play Billy Joel 100 percent volume
4.84/5 Such a creative album, the instruments practically add a second signer to many of the songs. Also many instruments that you don’t hear in rock and an extremely wide array of instruments. Has some strong jazz inspiration. Such a great storyteller
All killer no filler.
Hallelujah for an album I know and love! Love this one, too to bottom - great music writing, dynamic and relatable lyrics… Joel is a genius.
His most mature album, songwriting and singing are top notch.
A fantastic album through and through. Loaded with hits that stick with you. Even the deep cuts are songs that I remain fond of. As I grow and listen to this album I get more and more out of it. Completely deserving of all the praise it gets. Billy's strongest work and deserving of AOTY for 1977/1978. Really surprised to see Just The Way You Are is the what got record/song of the year. 4.55 stars
Billy Joel slaps. Did not realize I enjoyed him so much.
Love Billy Joel
Album 336 of 1001 Billy Joel - The Stranger Rating : 5 / 5 Favorite Track : Vienna I willed this one to come up on the generator this morning. One of my all time favorites from one of my all time favorite artists. I knew it would pop up one day. Reading some of the reviews, I see that there is a lot of Billy Joel hate out there that I just don't understand. I've never heard anybody profess him to be the king of rock or anything like that but I understand we all have our preferences. I had obtained this album and 52nd Street by the fall of '79. For my birthday, my mother gave me all of his previous released albums. I was in heaven for sure. Spend many, many hours over the next few years getting to know every word and note on every single song. I sang with Billy Joel until I couldn't sing any longer. This is the stuff I was listening to while others were listening to all of the classics that I'm now becoming more familiar with. Good times, for sure. Great memories. Wish I still had my Piano Man airbrushed shirt.
Muito clássico
It's crazy that so many hits are packed into this album. Some highlights for me are the whistling part featured in "The Stranger" (reprised in "Everybody has a Dream") and the extended narrative of the three-part "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant." But there are plenty more. I don't think this album could be improved.
Already knew it was awesome
Had a great time returning to this, even though I only listened to it a few weeks ago. Magical!
- well rounded music - every song makes you want to hum along - some all-time classics in here - a really enjoyable listen, one of the strongest albums ever made
Of course I love this. Grew up listening to many of these songs on the classic rock radio station my dad played in the kitchen at his restaurant. Teared up a little on songs like Vienna and She’s Always a Woman. Loved it.
Somehow I didn’t know these were all on one release.
I have never understood the quote-unquote hate for Billy Joel's music. (And yes, I used to work with a woman who vocally hated everything he's done and wasn't afraid to tell you when BJ came up in conversation.) The Stranger is one of Mr. Joel's strongest works, front to back, and just NAILS the piano-pop, lyrically genuine and sardonic, musically interesting sort of classic rock that has made this dude an institution of modern music. There's a good reason this was Billy's first number-one album. His label was prepared to drop him after the disappointing sales of the previous record, Turnstiles, and boy...did Billy deliver. Movin' Out - banger. The whistling intro/outro of "The Stranger" (and its slinky, ear-wormy guitar lick chorus): a musical chef's kiss. (I love the fact that Billy didn't know what instrument should do the intro, whistled to producer Phil Ramone what he wanted the music to sound like on said instrument, and the guy replied - do THAT. Just whistle it. It's THAT. Smart guy.) The organ's wobbly, underwater-ish (verb?) sound on Just the Way You Are, paired with that loving saxophone in the long outro. Boom. Musical chef's kiss. "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" is probably one of (if not THE) best Billy Joel song that wasn't a single. I treasure every single one of its 7 minutes and 36 seconds. Yes: musical chef's kiss. I will be totally honest, I had no idea how good or popular "Vienna" was until seeing the stream count on Spotify at the time of this writing -- apparently it's a fan favorite at Billy's shows (of which I have yet to be in the audience for). Excellent song, even on a first-time-listen over here. Chef's smooch. The final two tracks on the album ("Get it Right the First Time" and "Everybody Has a Dream") are strong, even if they don't have the same emotional and/or musical wallop of the first seven. They're a nice quiet closer to The Stranger, and it does not take away from the fact that this album deserves to be listened to by everyone at least once, and gets a full five stars from yours truly. I hope Billy and his closest family and friends had an epic dinner at their favorite local Italian restaurant after learning this album would launch him into the stratosphere of pop stardom. Interesting factoids from Wikipedia: *The album won two awards at the 1978 Grammy Awards: Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Just the Way You Are". It remains his best-selling non-compilation album to date and surpassed Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water to become Columbia's best-selling album release, with more than 10 million units sold worldwide. *An amazing 24 people played various parts on the recording. *Despite the formation of Joel's band, the songs on The Stranger didn't feature any consistent guitarists, with different players instead featuring in each song, and according to Joel, the reason for the initial lack of a constant guitarist was because it was hard to find the right one. *According to Joel, he and (album producer Phil) Ramone met with each other at Fontana di Trevi, an Italian restaurant near Carnegie Hall, where Joel had been playing at the time. The restaurant would go on to inspire the setting of "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant", a song on The Stranger. *"Only the Good Die Young" was written by Joel while opening for the Beach Boys in Knoxville, Tennessee, at which point it sounded slower-pace and more akin to a reggae tune, with Joel even singing the song's lyrics in a Jamaican accent. The mood of the song was shifted at the insistence of drummer Liberty DeVitto, who reportedly said to Joel, 'Why are you singing like that? The closest you've been to Jamaica was the Long Island Rail Road!'" *"Vienna" has also become a popular part of his live set; when Joel lets the audience choose between it and "Just the Way You Are", "Vienna" is most often the winning contender. *[On "She's Always a Woman"]: "Joel has said that he was influenced by Gordon Lightfoot and his mellow acoustic guitar ballads. He stated in an interview that he was attempting to replicate the fingerpicking common in folk guitar music. He accomplishes this by playing arpeggiated triads in the right hand. He also notes that the production was purposely minimal to capture the purity of the tune as a folk song." *Joel has cited "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and "Vienna" as his favorite and 5th-favorite songs that he has written, respectively. Standouts (it's almost the entire damn 9-song record, dudes): Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), The Stranger, Just the Way You Are, Scenes From an Italian Restaurant, Vienna, Only the Good Die Young, She's Always a Woman
Nostalgic, sentimental and timeless, great tracks all the way through. Can feel like a bit of a time piece, but some of the best ballads out there
Billy Joel is a musical force to be reckoned with. "The Stranger" is a very strong album which is considered Billy Joel's critical and commercial breakthrough. Over half of the tracks on this album are stellar hits and the other half may as well be.