Five Things You Didn't Know About Billy Joel's The Stranger
Joe. Mr. Long Island. Piano Man. Whatever you call him, Billy Joel is synonymous with some of the greatest songs of all time. But prior to the release of The Stranger in 1977, Joel was about to be dropped by Columbia records after four albums peaked low on the charts. So what makes The Stranger so special? How did it make Billy Joel a household name? Read on for five things you might not know about Billy Joel and this titular album.
The Beatles' producer George Martin was originally asked to produce the album.
But Martin felt the band – who had worked with Joel on his previous album Turnstiles – wasn't quite up to the task. Joel ended up with producer Phil Ramone, who went on to produce five subsequent albums with the group.
Piano Man was released four years before The Stranger.
We often think of Billy Joel and this song synonymously - after all, it is written from Joel's real-life experiences. But despite reaching the Top 25 in 1974, it wasn't until after the release of his 1977 album that the song really took off. It's now preserved in the National Recording Registry for "its cultural, historical, or artistic significance."
Billy Joel orchestrated a Broadway play based on a song from the album.
Movin' Out, based on The Stranger's song Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), was a 2002 hit and won Joel a Tony award.
Catholic groups lobbied to have Only the Good Die Young banned.
Apparently, not everyone was a Billy Joel fan. Some found the lyrics chronicling a young man's crush on a Catholic girl (based on Joel's own high school affections) controversial. Of course, as is often the case with controversy, this only helped The Stranger's success. "The minute they banned it, the album started shooting up the charts," Joel told Performing Songwriter magazine.
The Stranger never reached #1
Despite She's Always A Woman, Just the Way You Are, and Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, the highest the album reached was #2 in the US and - you guessed it - Canada. We do love us some Billy Joel.
Arts Commons Presents is excited to bring The Stranger to life on the Jack Singer Concert Hall stage with Classic Albums Live and some of the best musicians in the business. Get your tickets now!
