1001 Albums Generator
The Stranger by Billy Joel

The Stranger

Billy Joel

1977
3.86
Rating
30781
Votes
1
2%
2
7%
3
24%
4
37%
5
30%
Distribution
Genres: Rock, Pop Styles: Singer Songwriter, Soft Rock, Pop Rock, Vocal

Reviews (page 9 of 16)

This was fucking great, Collin was wrong for hating Billy Joel

It was a good album with great hits.

Billy. Mate. What were you on when you put this absolute masterpiece together?

Classic album. Hard to say what the best part of it is since it all works beautifully but his lyricism and songwriting are particularly good, and really complimented by the instrumentation in a way that makes this more than the sum of its parts. Iconic songs on here

ugh yes always a woman to me

Not really a soppy guy, this is good tho

Klassisches Album aus der Zeit. Remarkables: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

Wiem, że Billy Joel jest kiczowaty. I że ogólnie jest to muzyka dla normików. Ale no niestety chyba jestem normikiem, bo uwielbiam te płytę. Potrafię te kawałki słuchać godzinami. Lubię zarówno melodie jak i teksty, dają mi sporo radości. Więc chociaż chciałabym być ponad taką muzykę i rozkoszować się bardziej ą ę utworami to będąc w zgodzie ze sobą muszę dać 9/10.

I've never been a fan of Billy Joel's, but I didn't expect to be as annoyed by this as I was.

It's Billy Joel, it's that good good white people music, it's not anything groundbreaking for todays ears, but it doesn't NEED to be. It's a crowd pleaser, most people would look at this album and go: yeah, it's good. It's catchy, the lyricism is nice it's uplifting. But to be fair, it was probably decently groundbreaking for its time, it has that 80s sound in the 70s. Probably one of the first guys to do that. Idk anything abt the late 70s music wise LOLLLLL. Stand out tracks: She's always a woman - very nice lyricism Everyone has a dream - standout cuz it annoys me. But that's entirely a me thing, I know tons of ppl who would probably find it nice. Overall: a good album. There's nothing much else to say about it other than it's good. But that doesn't take away from it whatsoever. 7/10 - good! That's all I can say really

Billy Joel has just never really appealed to me. I even had a teacher back in grade school who was completely obsessed with him—probably wished she could’ve married him. Even back then, his music never seemed all that impressive to me. And now, while I can admit he’s clearly talented, his music still doesn’t really do much for me. I’m not saying it’s bad, but it just kind of exists. Nothing I’d ever seek out on my own.

понравилось в целом но надо принимать условности

I loved the usage of piano to convey emotions. The lyrics were straightforward, although I think, I would pick up even more on second listen. Great start.

good stuff

Forgot how great this album. It’s like every song is awesome. Italian restaurant, Stranger, Moving Out, Always a Woman some of my favorites of Joel’s.

I have listened to the before and absolutely love this

I get why Billy gets some of the hate he does but this album is great. Feels very New York in the late 70s. Love most of the songs on here, last one and “Just the Way You Are” were my least favorites but otherwise just phenomenal. Does what he does best at his best.

excellent singer/songwriter, music arrangement is fantastic. do think last 2 tracks weakest on album, but still a great album.

It's like a 4.5. Fantastic album, has staying power. Most of his best are right here.

I started to listen to this weeks ago when Japanese Breakfast ranked this as her perfect 10 record and you know what? It's filled with basically all bangers no filler.

Great writing. Great playing. Just kind of passed by but I felt guilty about it doing so. Sorry Billy. Couple of belters there though

if kanye dropped momma's boyfriend i'd forgive for everything (not actually, he sampled moving out) why do some people hate this. i will admit side A is way better than B

Few classics on here but still not really my thing

it was alright Billy, alright not great.

An absolute classic with plenty of Joel’s greatest hits. A must listen in the singer songwriter genre. A few misses near the end but otherwise jammed filled with classics. 8/10

*gordon ramsay voice* finally, some good fucking food

The best part of a Billy Joel album, to me, will always be his instrumentation and arrangement of his songs. A plethora of instruments come together on just to create one complete song. I honestly think it's really incredible. Say whatever you want about his lyricism/storytelling on these songs, because they're not the best, but they never take away from the music itself. This album is also just full of hits and some of my favorite Billy Joel songs. Like I ended up putting over half the album on my favorite songs lol. I can't help but love this album. Favorite Song(s): Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Vienna, Only the Good Die Young, She's Always a Woman

Not too bad

Considered a classic in the pop-rock genre, this album launched Billy Joel to stardom. This album is outstanding in what it's trying to achieve while also not being my style

Unexpectedly I enjoyed this.

Had negative bias going in but enjoyed it in its entirety

Not bad. But, my favourite Billy Joel album is still Glass Houses.

Wow...what an album. It's a no skipper for sure. From Billy's talented piano playing, to the perfect singing, to the amazing band behind him...this album is perfect. The reoccurring "Stranger" motif that gets played again to close the album...chills. You can tell this album meant a lot to Billy and is deep for him. I'm really trying to remove my bias as this is the first album I've ever owned on vinyl, but yeah...simply perfect. Liked Songs: The entire album

liked songs: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), The Stranger, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Vienna, Get It Right the First Time Fantastic. 4.5

It's a nice surprise that some familiar songs are here. It has some nice melody and rhythm even if parts of some songs sound a bit out of place. 🥇Just the Way You Are 🥈She's Always a Woman

What a great album. Sooo many great tracks in one place.

This album rules. I have no notes.

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

Album kida, kupiti ovu plocu i pustati svaki dan <3

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.

Not even a Billy Joel fan necessarily but I’m excited for this one. To have an album where a non-Billy Joel fan would know almost every song, impressive. It’s gonna be cool to listen to this on the good headphones. It always feels like you’re listening to things for the first time. “Movin’ Out” love it. “The Stranger” is one of the songs I haven’t heard before. Opening piano is great and then his falsetto in the chorus! “Just the Way You Are” I’ve heard before, but hearing his voice on this one so clearly is great. “Vienna” is actually one of my favorite songs of all time. It’s just. So. Good. Okay I’ve listened through and into the live concert that’s a part of the Legacy Edition, just finished “New York State of Mind.” Which omg. Incredible. I almost enjoy the live part more. It’s amazing HOW GOOD he is when he’s playing live. So, I’m now a Billy Joel fan. Haha. I still find he has a little bit of theatre kid energy. I knew he was great at playing piano, but what I’ve enjoyed most is his singing. Might be the best male vocalist I’ve listened to so far? Other than Rufus Wainright? I could also just be dumb and stoned…forgetting other male vocalists I’ve loved. The musicians featured and the arrangements are also very beautiful. Officially a Billy Joel fan over here fr.

Wow I did love this. Just felt so great to listen to. 5 stars

Better than I was expecting, considering my disappointment when I saw it was Billy Joel being served up today, but I won’t be returning to this in a hurry.

Some really great songwriting on this, most of which I wasn't familiar with. Let down when it gets too schmaltzy (e.g Just the way you are).

Great album. Full of hits, and the ones that aren’t hits just miss.

Another "classic" but one I liked a bit more than two I got in the la-a-a-a-st week.

****A good album, fun and upbeat music

Very nice

Good album

One of my favorite albums. The songs all really talk to a young man.

I previously knew over 50% of this album. And to be completely fair, I wasn’t missing much by not knowing the other ones. But… Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song), Vienna, Just the Way You Are, Only the Good Die Young, and She’s Always a Woman KILL ME. They are so good. What a great album.

Started quite strong and then got repetitive quickly. He has a great energy, but it is just too "pop" for me.

Have never listened to Billy Joel intentionally, but somehow knew all of these songs. He is ubiquitous.

Great album. I always enjoy this one.

Billy Joel must have felt as though he had nothing left to lose. The Stranger was a kill or be killed moment in time, and it was a killer through and through. Either through familiarity or first time acquaintance, The Stranger ensures that its hooks are dug deep into the subconscious and it leaves one earworm after another for the listener. The Carnegie Hall show packed onto the second disc is a invigorating and inviting glimpse into Billy Joel as a live performer and is a worthy listen. Things can only go upward for the Piano Man from here.

very consistent

Entertainingly naff at points, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant and Get It Right First Time were standouts for me. I liked it more than expected, just edging into a 3

Really good record.

I knew more songs than I thought I did, not bad

Some real classic songs on here but for some reason it fell a bit flat. Maybe it’s because I’ve heard a lot of these songs before. I can tell it’s a good album I just don’t think I’ll go back to it

Banger after banger

Obviously Movin Out or Only the Good Die Young are the tracks everyone knows...but for me its: The Stranger and Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. 7/10 - short album - Scenes is a 7 1/2 min ripper...Otherwise most songs clock in at 3 mins. Everybody Has a Dream is a nice ending to the album.

Really good stuff Billy

Going 40 years as a white male resident of Long Island I was in danger of having my citizenship revoked for having never listened to an entire Billy Joel album so this came up just in time. Been hearing these songs my entire life to the point that I hate some of them but the good ones are good.

Put a load of songs together, play it with a band that swings and sell 10m records. It's that simple.

Не знаю чому, але мені подобається цей альбом.

Really enjoyed this - must listen to more of his work

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!

What an album! It's one of those rare recordings that you know every single track of without ever listening to the album itself.

7 huge hits, including Billy's epic poem, "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"

Didn't do it for me

Actually not bad. I always think of Billy Crystal when I hear is name.

Strong start to the album, particularly the opening track but did get to the end a little bored. A 2.5 rounded to a 3 here.

This album reminds me of Danny.

Love Billy Joel. Lots of energy for a guy just banging on the keys.

Some people absolutely love Billy Joel, others completely despise him.. I don't have a dog in this fight. All I can say is that while yes, he hasn't always put out incredible music, this album strong from start to finish. It's chock full of superbly-written songs (many of his best) that put Joel's singing and piano abilities on full display. As a drummer, I also gotta give a shoutout to Liberty DeVitto for his fine performance across the album.

Moving on and the stranger were bops as well as many others. This is one of the first ones where I’m like yeah I’ll listen again!

It's okay. Every time I listen to Billy Joel I'm reminded of my college music theory professor who hated his guts for some personal slight.

Despite being named after the guy, I have never willingly listened to this album before. I enjoyed it enough, Vienna is definitely an excellent song. probably a 3.5 overall but will round it to a 3 because i did leave half way through and listen to a few DIIV covers

Litt irriterande, men ikkje fullt så ille som forventa

I love Billy Joel. While this is a good album, it's not quite a 5.

This thing is random, right? Three albums so far for me, all of them from 1977. Billy Joel (always pronounced Joh-El by me, as if he's related to Superman) is one of those artists... Let's put it this way, there's a bloke I know - just turned 30, so still young as far as I am concerned - he loves Billy Joel. Loves Elton John too. And Barry Manilow. He's been to see them all live. Loves artists who put on a "show", and if they can play the old Aunt Joanna, even better. "Safe" music, I call it. That said, I've got respect for Billy Joel. He digs The Beatles, and he obviously knows his stuff - in fact, I like to watch him talk about music, his own and other people's, and he generally makes a lot of sense and seems like a good guy (well, there was that time he totally lost his shit in Moscow). A talented guy though. I own all of his studio albums (yeah, even that classical one) and have given each of them ample chance to impress me over the years. Sadly, I always find them all just a bit... meh. Fine greatest hits album, of course, but the LPs themselves are just too inconsistent and, well, bland. But I was willing to give The Stranger another try, it does, after all, contain probably my favourite Joel composition. Even the slightly tongue-in-cheek accordion solo can't detract from the brilliance of Vienna. Melodically irresistible, it weaves its way between sentimentality and uplifting optimism without ever tumbling completely over either side of the precipice. A bit of a guilty pleasure for me, laid back, but the delivery is totally suited to the lyrical themes and the melody is convincing and compelling throughout. Not quite as successful, but still something of a guilty pleasure, Just The Way You Are does eventually plunge into the depths of mushiness. Again, melodically strong with a undeniably touching sentiment, but the execution is just too sickly for these ears. Saxophones? Good god, no. Elsewhere, The Stranger never reaches the same heights, hit singles notwithstanding. Scenes From An Italian Restaurant is just a bit pretentious, isn't it? As is that bloody whistled The Stranger theme (and not too far removed from the soundtrack to that Turkish Delight advert from the 80s). The car noises on Movin' Out really confused my dog while I was listening, which provided a rare moment of genuine entertainment for me. Joel's music tentatively dips its toes in various popular genres, but never dares to get soaking wet in any of them. And therein lies the key, great singer-songwriter though he may be on paper, Billy Joel's music works best when he finds a suitable hook to hang it on. Much of The Stranger just seems lacking in style. At heart he's an old school rock 'n' roller operating at the nexus point where music fractured and split off in a thousand different directions. Vienna works so well because it wears its Kurt Weil parody on its sleeve and fully commits to the pastiche. It's no surprise Joel would come out the other side of the 1970s and enjoy his greatest success by completely embracing his roots and paying homage to his own favourite music of the past. I can't give it any more than two stars, and even then Vienna and Just The Way You Are are doing all the heavy lifting.

it was fine! i am so glad lyrics are back. instruments were nice

This would almost have been a 5 but the back half was a little weaker imo

I've never really been one to love Billy Joel. Apparently his career is a bit tainted by his works in the 80s, which don't feel nearly as good as this album. I think this album has changed my mind on Billy a good bit. It's great, front to back. Lyrically, musically, pacing, it's a near-masterpiece. An easy listen with a decent variety, this album really proves that Billy Joel deserves the respect and fame that he has earned.

Nothing revolutionary here and although pretty straightforward and uninspired easy listening soft rock, this collection of songs is executed quite nicely. I do prefer albums with MUCH greater creative ambition, those offering real emotional depth to challenge my listening ears with embracing something edgy and far less mainstream (the comments on this being textbook elevator music are spot on!). Having said that, I do respect the musicianship on display with this recording and Mr. Piano Man can clearly carry a note as a singer. 🎧 Classic Track- Just The Way You Are 🎧 Hidden Gem- Vienna 🎧 Guilty Pleasure- Movin’ Out (‘ack ‘ack ‘ack ‘ack ‘ack) 🚫 Skip Track- Get It Right The First Time While this genre of musack is not quite my cup of tea, there is nothing offensively bad with the record and produced some notable big hits. Cheesy sure, but it’s fine :) 🖼️ Album Artwork: ❌- not impressed Click the thumbs up icon below if you enjoyed my take on the album :)

Automatic five star album. Every single song is worth listening to here. Relatable themes of life, love, loss, and more set to amazing music. Every song works at a surface level but there is something deeper in the lyrics. I don't know how Billy did it, but I'm glad he did.

It was okay

Great album, wondrous

Favourite tracks - Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song), Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Only the Good Die Young

I'm not usually a fan of this genre of music - I call it musical soundtrack music cuz that's what it sounds like to me. But Billy Joel is so skilled that I can understand the appeal to his musical style. Very impressive album with strong tracks and deep lyricism.

Smooth as silk. Can listen all day. In fact, I did.

couldn't listen to the album. It's a music style I don't enjoy.

I just have bad associations with this. Can't really give it a fair listen.

# 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.

I enjoyed this, definitely a classic.

I never have known what to think of Billy Joel, but it sounds like I should listen to him more often. Favorite Song: "Everybody Has A Dream".

Timeless

Good, I guess. A few catchy songs. Not really my thing. I don’t see myself seeking out this album, and it’s a little overplayed for me. I would rate this three and a half stars if that was an option. Will I be sued because of this review?

I could be cool and talk about how lame Billy Joel is and all but I do like these tunes. Are they super dark and edgy man? No, but they are beautiful songs. So smoke that in your hipster pipe!

Like Bob Marley, I had a BJ greatest hits CD in high school. I’d say I was a BJ fan when I first started developing my musical tastes, but that dropped off as I got older. I don’t begrudge the many, many people who get enjoyment from his music, though. He’s brought joy to a lot of people, and that has value. One of those people is Shea. She loves Billy Joel. This was good. Billy Joel seemed to be able to craft a good pop song of no consequence or real substance. There’s just something about him that makes me think he’s trying so hard to make good music. I’m not sure why that’s a knock against him, but it is. This gets a four for how good he was at what he did, and how much people like him. BJ is alright in my book.

Classic. Enjoyed all of the songs. Heard them all before haha

Yeah sick

Great album. A star is born.

not only that it sounds absolutely amazing, this album calmed me down, made me believe in myself and put in a good mood. incredible 1000/10

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.

Apparently I'm very familiar with the work of Billy Joel, who knew? Highlight(s): Scenes from an Italian Restaurant Lowlight(s): Just the Way You Are

As a whole, pleasant to listen to. First Billy Joel album I've listened to though very familiar with some of his songs including the "hit" from this group. I ended up liking Viena the best. Not something I'd really choose to put on but not disappointed if it is on.

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

The sound track of my childhood, this album still generally holds up. Mostly great (though occasionally lazy) song writing, with inspirations from the Beatles and disco mixed with the obligatory sax that became a sonic meme for most of the 80s. Respect that Joel is a writer of tight songs, respectable piano player, and reasonably good vocalist — a complete package. On the downside, it’s hard to ignore the inflated self-image & bravura of a 20-30 year old boy here. This was a feature. Joel was speaking to the boys & young men of newly middle class suburban families who were, let’s say — dramatic romantic hotheads. The cheese was en pointe. The album is so influential that it became the model for much of the less well-crafted easy listening and lounge music that came after. But, in the end, this album is like a cuatro formaggio pizza — too much cheese. It’s a 3

Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought. First three tracks were absolutely amazing, especially with the piano and saxophone additions. They compliment his voice really well. Some songs were a drop off, going on for longer than they needed to, like She's Always a Woman. Ended on a really high note though.

The hits are classics but the rest is not that interesting. I’ve heard better records from that era.

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.

Great album with varied melodies throughout, including one of his most underrated classics (Scenes from an Italian Restaurant)

I think Billy Joel rubs me the wrong way for the same reasons Paul Simon does, their American kitchen sink realism lyrics and how they position themselves. I don't know how exactly to explain it, this posture of being a wise observer chronicling scenes from Italian restaurants or wherever else. The instrumentation doesn't work for me either, it's too Elton John. This kind of thing needs either someone with some edge (Harry Nilsson) or an absolute musical genius (Paul McCartney).

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.

Billy Joel is for the masses

I never really liked what I had heard of Billy Joel. The first couple tracks really pulled me in, I started thinking maybe I’d been wrong about him. Then we hit the overwrought middle part of the album and he lost me again. The album rallies a bit at the end, but ultimately there were only 2 or 3 songs I really enjoyed

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.

It’s all the hits. I don’t really like Billy Joel at all but he’s an exceptional pop music musician and singer.

This was tough. I LOVE Only the Good Die Young. And then there’s the rest of the album. I guess that makes it a 3?

I really dislike this artist, always have. He’s written a few lovely songs (e.g., Just the Way You Are on this album), but he has other cringy-to-me hits like Uptown Girl, Piano Man, We Didn’t Start the Fire, and worst of all, It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me — he seems so completely non rock and roll to me. I was a tiny bit excited/curious for this since I’ve always had it in the back of my mind that I should give him a serious listening. This is due to a favorite author, Chuck Klosterman, writing copiously about BJ in one of his books, arguing he’s a great artist. Chuck also loves Radiohead, Nirvana, REM, Wilco, Weezer, and even The Cardigans. So his loving BJ stuck with me (he also loves Kiss). This would be a 1 without Just the Way You Are…

Going into this: “Scenes from an Italian restaurant” is the one song of his I like. “Movin out” and “just the way you are” are among my least favorite pop songs by anyone. Listening: -okay, “Vienna” isn’t bad either. Am I just a fan of Billy Joel deep cuts? -I didn’t realize how many truly awful people got most of their personality from “only the good die young”. Late ‘70s high school yearbooks hate to see that song coming. -“she’s always a woman” is a new contender for least favorite Billy Joel song. Got a metric ton of competition. River of dreams is *tough*. Alright, two songs I like. I want to hate “only the good die young” but it is catchy, I will admit that. Just hate the lyrics. And then six truly terrible songs I would prefer not to hear again for the rest of my life. Let’s call that a 2.

I really like Billy Joel, and this is a solid album. I don't think it is quite a 5/5 for me though, not every song hits. Fav tracks: Only The Good Die Young, Movin Out

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.

very cool pop album

Movin' Out (Antony's Song) Just the Way You Are Scenes from an Italian Restaurant Only the Good Die Young

Really nice album, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did

I enjoyed this album as more of an introduction to Billy Joel

Billy Joel might be one of the easiest musicians to make fun of, but The Stranger proves there was a time when he deserved to be taken seriously. It’s packed with big, bold melodies, sharply written working-class vignettes, and that undeniable Joel knack for crafting a tune that sticks in your head whether you want it to or not. Songs like Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) and Scenes from an Italian Restaurant show his ability to blend storytelling with pop hooks, while Only the Good Die Young bounces along with just the right amount of rebellious charm. Even the mega-hit Just the Way You Are—overplayed to death at weddings—still holds up as a well-crafted ballad, even if it’s not the album’s strongest moment. But for all its craftsmanship, The Stranger can’t quite shake a certain glossy, overly polished quality that makes it feel just a little too eager to please. Joel’s theatrical delivery sometimes pushes things into cheesier territory, and tracks like Everybody Has a Dream try to hit big, emotional heights but end up feeling forced. Still, the production is slick, the melodies are undeniable, and even when the album leans into its more saccharine tendencies, it’s hard to deny that it’s all executed with precision. The best moments, like the title track and Vienna, show a depth and sophistication that make you wish Joel leaned into his subtler side more often. For all the criticisms Joel gets, one thing’s for sure: he’s a better version of Elton John. He may not have the same flamboyance, but his songs are sharper, his lyrics more grounded, and his music less reliant on bombast for impact. The Stranger isn’t a perfect album, but it’s proof that, at his peak, Billy Joel was more than just a pop hit machine—he was a songwriter who could hold his own, even if he sometimes played it a little too safe.

GROOVY (I know the album) Just not something I go back 2 very often 4 whatever reason!!

9.3/10. Great stuff. Classic album.

This album is definitely a classic, but one I haven’t listened to much, especially in its entirety. I appreciated the intro and outro harkening back to his piano bar days. I’m not a huge fan that I appreciated the tone and style.

fun stuff

Solid album. Favorite song was probably 'Movin' Out', and then 'The Stranger' and 'She's Always A Woman' are tied.

Iconic. Have had this album for at least 45 years.

Fabulous album. Every song is good

After one of the all-time classic blistering openers of Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) and the title track, this album unfortunately descends the mediocre route of piano rock, with such songs as Just the Way You Are and Vienna being the, still loved, but ultimately uglier and less desirable little brothers of the opening tracks. This probably helped its acclaim, in its ‘something for everyone’ approach. Lure the music elitists in with some stereo-shattering intricate piano-blasting ballads, and invite radio play from such singles as Vienna. I suppose I fit into the former group, especially with how I felt listening to this. Those opening tracks alone are worthy of a ‘great’ rating, or any equivalent high-up but not quite five-star rating.

i have heard this so many times against my will. this is what happens, in my opinion, when an annoying theater guy becomes too famous. i just really find his style of music so grating, i don’t care for his voice, i don’t like his storytelling. it is just decisively not for me

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

Having heard Billy Joel's greatest hits thousands of times, I bought this album on cassette when Target used to sell cassettes for $3.99-$6.99. Great album and a stone cold classic. I have mixed feelings about Billy Joel due to his relentless touring schedule without daring to make any new music for the last 30 years. He's making bank, which is good, but I do think making new music is something a working musician should at least aspire to. There's not a bad song on here and it could easily play like a greatest hits album (though one with only 9 tracks). I have always found it slightly odd the album is titled "The Stranger" and the last track has a reprisal of The Stranger (song) at the very end, yet The Stranger is not the first track of the album. Most artists will bookend a theme of their album on the first and last tracks. It obviously worked here. High recommend, even if you hate Billy Joel.

пара песен понравились, но не настолько чтобы добавить их к себе

Great album. Amazing song-writer of course as always. Probably enjoyed the title track the least out of all of them lol. But rest of album is great and I enjoyed all of them. Favorite is "She's Always a Woman" which I think musically is just incredibly written. Absolutely LOVE the way he does main chorus 2 downward parts starting with the "oooh...she takes care of herself..." and then the 2nd he jumps up and does it again. So much fun to play. I do not find this album crazy 'exciting' but I do enjoy it and he has some great songwriting on it. This album I don't feel like was a common style around the time it came out (but I could be wrong) with the piano at the head of everything. But pretty cool he did it. Lot of rock and crazy stuff in late 70's so how this found a way to make it and get him recognized is pretty cool. Good to say real talent get ahead over a lot of the pop stuff that's getting shoved out to everyone. Great song-writer, great early introduction to his talent. Enjoyed most the whole album and great representation of Billy.

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.

This is one of those albums that could easily be mistaken for a greatest hits album. There's no filler here at all. And it perhaps isn't the most thematically cohesive, but who cares? Joel brings this sort of theatre to his songs that's hard for me not to like. As expected, they're largely piano-driven, but there's also more guitar here than I expected. Also, "Movin' Out" is straight fire. Fav tracks: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), The Stranger, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Vienna, Only the Good Die Young

Excellent

Ok, I've definitely been missing out on Billy Joel. This was fantastic. Standout Track: Only the Good Die Young

Mawkish lyrics, twee melodies, and an overwhelming vibe of insincerity. Sorry to Billy Joel fans but I don't get this at all.

I can’t be objective about this one.

Sort of naff but also v talented

Musically, the songs are accomplished enough, I'm just not really into it that much, and it seemed to drag a bit at times.

Day390 - this is amazing. vienna and scenes from an Italian restaurant are in my year end playlist every year

Favorite Track: Movin Out

Easy no skip album

my first billy joel record & i had a rly good time! cleverly paced, does not overstay its welcome, rich palette of sounds & textures, thoughtful lyricism... can't rly ask for much more than this. i might come back to it eventually!

A pleasure to listen to

Great album. 4.3/5

great songs, didn't hit me incredibly hard. but very fun

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.

surprisingly quite a few songs that i recognized movin’ out (anthony’s song) just the way you are vienna she’s always a woman i liked movin’ out the best. ACK ACK ACK ACK. not really my kind of music, it’s music i’d tolerate in the car for 10 minutes or so before putting my headphones on.

Was just kinda neutral on the album

Billy Joel is unquestionably talented. However I find his music becomes very samesie real quick. His reliance on tempo shift into jangly little ditties, for me, often ruins an already good song. I find he can’t confine himself when he needs it most. To many songs are ruined by his need to burst into a keyboard piano mash. Piano bars had their day, so perhaps did Billy Joel.

9 songs, and 7 were already on my favorite songs list. This is an easy 5 for me.

Ok record. Billy Joel has never been my thing

This is again of these thing where I obviously heard of Billy Joel and know his big hits, but can’t say I ever purposely listened to his music. I was surprised by the cool, almost heavy metal sounding, guitar work. I knew Joel for his piano playing. The title track has really cool guitars apparently being played by a session musician. After hearing the whole thing, this is just a great pop record top to bottom. Every single song is a banger, great songwriting, Joel’s vocals are incredible, great arrangements and instrumentation, great emotional range. Just awesome. Only four stars because I’m not a big fan of this type of music and unlikely to listen to this again.

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.

Billy präsentiert mit seinem Album "Stranges" eine ruhige, reflektierte Sammlung von Songs, die sowohl musikalisch als auch lyrisch überzeugt. Mit seinem charakteristischen Gesang und der beeindruckenden Klavierbegleitung schafft Joel eine Atmosphäre, die die Hörer in eine andere Welt entführt. Die klaren Melodien und eingängigen Refrains sind das Herzstück dieses Albums. Jeder Song erzählt eine Geschichte, die authentisch und emotional ist, ohne jemals übertrieben oder aufdringlich zu wirken. Insbesondere die Balladen sticht hervor; sie sind mit feinen Nuancen und einer tiefen Verletzlichkeit gesegnet, die den Hörer sicher auch zu erneutem Nachdenken anregt.

Reading the reviews I didn't realize Billy Joel was so controversial! I mean is he mainstream, yes but really there is nothing to be offended by in this music. He has a great ability to tell a story and the music surrounding it is pretty. It is borderline yacht rock sound but the stories are deeper and prettier. I will admit an ex really introduced me to Billy Joel so some songs are a little tainted in terms of personal experience, but Vienna is so pretty and Scenes from an Italian Restaurant tells such an interesting story. Then there are so many singles that are great. I don't know how this could be offensive.

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.

I wouldn’t call myself a Billy Joel fan, but this album was shockingly good! Maybe it’s because it has all the hits- which is, in a way an indicator that it is a good album! I would give it a 4.5- rounding down.

Has some great songs but overall I like the individual songs more than the whole album

Catchy and features a lot of the best Billy Joel songs, but he just generally doesn't really do it for me.

An eye opening experience, mostly due to past ignorance of Billy Joel - my only association with his music was Piano Man, so, when I saw him come up, I was not excited, as I figured I am sitting down for a ballad. However, this album was suprisingly upbeat and rather enjoyable - a good listen overall. On top of that, Spotify radio later autoplayed some more songs that I knew, but had never realised they were Billy Joel songs, making me feel like I should check out some more of his albums in the future!

Not really my jam but the guy is very talented. Iconic tunes.

One of my favorite musicians, and my first concert! Billy Joel rocks. Great songwriter and musician. He has a good voice, too. This isn't my favorite of his albums, 52nd Street wins that. It does have one of my favorite songs, She's Always a Woman. Billy Joel's albums are all slightly different, changing with the times, yet timeless. He's really great live, too. Super performer. Favorite deep cut on this one, Get it Right the First Time. Again, not my favorite album of his, but I'll give this a 4 because of the hits and my favorite song from him.

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.

Wow Billy is funky man. I enjoyed this album. Good song structure and musicianship. It took me back to the days of playing in a steel band as an early teen and attempting to read written music for bass guitar, before I abandoned reading it and opted to start playing by ear. We used to cover Just The Way You Are. Boy did Billy do his Paul McCartney homework though! His vocal tone is so much like Paul and you can hear the Beatles influence on guitar tones and background vocals. The Stranger and Get it Right the First Time are jamming!

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.

It's fine. Myślałem na początku, że wystawię 4, ale z czasem okazało się dosyć generic. Każdy utwór mi się podobał, ale był taki po prostu w sam raz. Chętnie jeszcze kiedyś posłucham z raz, może czegoś więcej z jego twórczości. 3,5/5, nie mogę przeboleć tego braku 10-stopniowej skali. 5 opcji na 1000 albumów to jest jakieś nieporozumienie.

Couple of good singles… But I just really don’t care for Billy Joel that much

Billy at his best

Excellent listened to then put straight back on

Forever a favorite

Only the Good Die Young is grossssss.

Billy made some hits.

good stuff before becoming a total hack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack

Better than I thought

Man plays piano but never mentions the piano man

Tror det er pop rock/jazz Hvilket er sandt

I feel like this albums demographic is wine drunk suburban housewifes.

This was enjoyable. I actually knew a bunch of songs

Very easy listening, knew it'd be a good listen and Always a Woman is one of my all time favourite songs

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

Medio inbancables algunos temas tbh

I owned this as a kid. One of my favorite albums ever. Played it so often. Nice to come back to it.

I’m 18 years old and SCARED of Uptown Girl

A little funky to start out. Just the Way You Are is an all time ballad. A lot of classic bangers on this album. Get it Right the First Time was a surprise that I don't believe I have heard before. Everybody has a dream was a climactic ending for sure, but not my favorite song. 4 Stars.

Not my cup of tea but deserving nonetheless

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

Fav song: Movin’ Out I enjoyed the singles a lot but the other songs were a bit filler-y I think. The lyrics were really great though, and the production was good for the time period - kinda reminded me of the work Bowie was doing at the same time.

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.

7.8 Some VERY good songs on here. Moving Out, Vienna, and Everybody Has A Dream, specifically. Some bad filler ones as well. But overall? Really enjoyed!

THIS IS A FUCKIN JAM.

This is a cheat for my first album as I was already a huge Billy Joel fan. :)

Fav: Get It Right The First Time Least Fav: Just The Way You Are

Some great songs and I waffled between 3-4 but too many misses for me

Solid album. Amazing the number of hits. The best of Billy Joel on one studio album. 4.5

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.

Listened Before? Y One of my favorite Joel albums! Lots of hits and great album tracks. A classic. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Scenes...

Growing up in the 1980-90s meant hearing the most popular songs by Billy Joel on the radio but having no context or sense of chronology. The recognizable singles from The Stranger (Only the Good Die Young, Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), She's Always a Woman, and the overly sentimental Just The Way You Are) are here with the dated production of the era: accordion and saxophone solos, string sections and melancholic whistling smothering some incredible lyrics and melodies. Even the iconic "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" is positively restrained by the sterile conditions of the studio. It is Possible that having heard powerful live versions of this material prevents me from fully appreciating this essential album.

Billy Joel is always entertaining. Many fun songs on this one, starts with a banger in Moving Out. Just The Way You Are has some good sax music. Only The Good Die Young is always a classic. Everybody Has A Dream is a nice ending to a great album. Best song: Only The Good Die Young

I really enjoyed the vocal performance on this album.

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

I don't know. This has that sleazy seventies strings thing going for it. It depends how ironic I am feeling whether I am going to be able to enjoy this I think. For example "Just The Way You Are" is a great song but also really cheesy. I dunno. I'm getting some Elton John vibes with the old joanna. I didn't even know "She's Always A Woman To Me" was an old song! I thought it was by whoever covered it recently. I don't know. I'm just going to give it three stars and leave somewhat confused.

Good songwriting but not really for me….

Another 70s narcissist. One with much more talent though. Couple of absolute classics. Some schmaltz.

Just dull

Today, maman died

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.

Se sei una casalinga romantica godibile

Know what? Fuck you *Un-gays your Elton John*

It’s fine

Annoying man

This is a very good album but not quite 5 stars for me. So 4 stars or B+ is my rating.

I love that the best songs on this album aren’t the singles. The Stranger has made its way onto my main playlist, and then the theme coming back in the last song? A vibe. Gotta listen to more of Billy Joel.

Some classic songs on here. Maybe a little too played out on the radio for my taste but good nonetheless.

This starts off so insipidly that I thought I was going to hate it But it won me over by Vienna and Scenes … and by the end I was fully on board

Tunes galore. Particularly Movin' Out. Billy Joel is still a net negative though and listening to this one comes with the risk of listening to his other, terrible albums.

Super! Noget jeg vil høre igen få shå!

Agree to disagree here, but this is one of the great albums of its era

My god that was terrible.

Only the Good Die Young is probably Matt Gaetz’s favorite karaoke song.

Liked this more than I realised at first thought - was disappointed when I finished and went to the top again. How something can sound so old and so fresh at the same time…stories aren’t a candle to Springsteen’s, but couldn’t hold that against anyone.

We beklaagden ons over het feit dat de generator er weinig aan deed om ons in de kerststemming te krijgen. Bij deze. Mijn enige connectie met Billy Joel (naast natuurlijk het dronken, arm om arm, gezwaai in de kroeg bij 'Piano Man') is de Top 2000, en in die context slik ik het zonder al te veel problemen. En waar ik ondanks mijn beperkte albumkennis van de beste man wel het gevoel heb dat dit zijn werk is wat het best te pruimen is, staat het over het algemeen toch echt mijlenver af van wat ik versta onder lekkere/goeie muziek. Dat up-tempo, Broadway-esque gearrangeerde stijltje van hem bevalt me niet, en verbergt vaak wat hij in zijn mars heeft. Want mooie liedjes schrijven kan 'ie wel, zoals in 'She's Always a Woman' en in mindere mate 'Just the Way You Are'. Wat dat betreft is de mix wel goed op deze plaat, en krijg je z'n hele - ietwat beperkte - pallet wel te horen. Prima moment van het jaar om deze weer eens te checken, maar ik merk dat ik door de jaren heen alleen maar meer gedistantieerd ben geraak van Billy. 6/10 Highlights: The Stranger (Steely Dan/Paul McCartney stilo) She's Always a Woman

Best leuk om nog even in de Top2000 sferen te blijven hangen. Maar na een paar nummertjes ben ik de piano-ballads en sax-solo's wel beu. Billy is een sterke liedjesschrijver, zoals Elton dat ook is. Alleen luister ik er gewoon niet zo graag naar. Zeker Scenes from an Italian Restaurant en Vienna vind ik simpelweg kitsch (accordeon?). 6/10 Highlights The Stranger She's Always as Woman

It was ok but sometimes made me giggle

Some classic songs here along with a few duds. The classics are really good, though. I’ve never been into Billy Joel as he was pretty uncool for me in my punky youth. I’m still not quite sure how he fits in - Dad rock?

81% Best: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song); The Stranger; Scens from an Italian Restaurant; Get It Right the First Time Must-Hear? Almost

Top shelf in every way. Songwriting vocals instrumentals production. This was the way, back before talent and musicianship was replaced with attitude and electronics.

to be fair billy joel isn't really that bad but there's only so much a man can take

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.

Not my kind of music, but good song writing and excellent production. Vienna is my favorite

I was never much of a Billy Joel fan but I really enjoyed the second half of this album and have a new respect for him. I Especially enjoyed Get It Right The First Time.

Thoughts before listening: I used to hate Billy Joel. Or at least I thought I did because he seemed so cheesy. However, the older I get the more I appreciate his brand of catchy pop rock with easily relatable lyrics. Maybe you have to be a middle class 40-something to truly appreciate what he offers. Anyway, I know this is typically considered his best album and looking at the tracklist, it definitely has a lot of bangers. Review: Ok this album is great, but probably not a 5-star. While "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" and "Vienna" are some of the best songs by Billy Joel, the true hits on this album like "Only the Good Die Young" and "She's Always a Woman" tend to tip over to the schmaltz a bit much. Still though this is a very nice listen that I will give 4-stars.

Βαρετη μουσικη. Μονοτονη. Με καποια καλα στοιχεια. C-

The exact reason I started this list: filling in blanks in my music knowledge. I know some billy Joel but never listened a full album. I'm really glad I discovered this one. Some more time with his album will probably bump it up to a 5 star rating.

Is there merit here? Sure. Do I like Billy Joel? No.

Viennaaaa

God damn this is awful! Something about Billy Joel's music makes me want to commit violent crimes.

A very very good album

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.

I thought with so many hit songs, this would rate a 5. But each song has just a bit of cheese from overproduction.

Recently while taking inventory, I realized that I own more records by Billy Joel than any other artist. This is a great album, but still only ranks as my third or fourth favorite of his works.

Billy Joel still annoys the piss outta me

3 seems too low. 4 seems too high. I'm going to round up cuz the title track and Movin Out are bangers.

Fun. I can see why people like Willy

O clip de uma das músicas empolga mais que o disco todo!

Growing up a Hebrew child in NYC, one learns this album like one learns one’s Bar Mitzvah Torah portion. So I felt that I’d heard it enough, and, especially if I never heard “Just The Way You Are” or “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” ever again, it would be too soon. That being said, these really are beautiful, exciting, passionate songs, for the most part. The last two aren’t impressive. However, it was enjoyable to hear it all again, after so much time has gone by.