Billy Joel started playing the piano at ours years old and had an instant connection with the instrument. Although his father was a professional pianist, it was his mother that pushed him to pursue the instrument. By the age of 16, Joel was considered a pro at the instrument and had already been in three bands by this time. After seeing the iconic Beatles performance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1965, Joel dropped out of high school to pursue a music career.
Joel began working on his first solo album which was then released in 1971. The album did not get positive feedback and he ended up leaving New York to go to Los Angeles and lay low for a while. In 1972 he got a job as a lounge pianist which foreshadowed the story behind “Piano Man”. Later that year, a recording of Joel’s “Captain Jack” was floating around and Columbia records picked him up and decided to give him another chance at his dream of becoming a musician. This is when he released “Piano Man” which ended up being a top 20 single. After this, Joel started to switch up his style of writing from pop to more blues and jazz. With that change, he released the album “The Stranger” in 1977 which was his first major commercial breakthrough. For this Album he won Grammys for Best New Male Vocal Performance and the People’s Choice Award.
Billy Joel was now a great artist but unfortunately he became addicted to alcohol and was in and out of rehab in the early 2000s. After recovering, in 2007, he released his first song that contained completely original lyrics in 13 years. His goal in writing this music was to write songs that meant something in the time he was living and in the future. For so many years his songs have touched people’s lives and that is exactly what he wanted, to connect with his audiences.
This Billy Joel archive includes four categories of files. The audio files are the most extensive section in the archive. The audio files span over 40 years beginning in 1970 and running through 2016. Within the audio files are clips of specific songs as well as recording of entire albums. Some recordings are studio versions while many others are live clips from concerts.
The next largest collection of files in the Billy Joel archive is the images category. The image files range from 1988-2011. The image files are primarily art work images. Many files contain the final artwork for the covers of many famous Billy Joel Albums. The later files contain the artwork that was used for CD covers. A couple odd files show the artwork on the cover to sheet music for Billy Joel’s music.
The archive contains a collection of text files. Most of these files are clips or articles from a music magazine. One file contains lyrics to “It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me”. The archive also contains an excerpt from a book about singer songwriters from New York City.
The final category of files in the archive contains a mixture of live and professionally recorded video clips. The official video for “Piano Man” is among these clips. The live clip features an interview between Jimmy Fallon and Billy Joel and ends with a Billy Joel and Jimmy Fallon duet.
With a career extending over 4 decades, several style changes have occurred over the years. Joel has changed from the lounge singer artist of “Piano Man” to a rock and roll singer in “It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me”. He successfully released doo wop hits that climbed the charts such as “Uptown Girl” and “Tell Her About It”. Jazz influences can be found throughout Billy Joel’s catalog but are very prevalent in “New York State of Mind”. While Billy Joel’s style may have changed throughout the years, one thing has remained constant with his work – he has always been a master storyteller.
Billy Joel used his storytelling gift early in his career to communicate his difficulties working with the music industry. Joel’s song, “The Entertainer”, best described his frustrations when he sang “But I know the game, you’ll forget my name and I won’t be here in another year If I don’t stay on the charts”. Soon after this song’s release, Joel ended up leaving Los Angeles for a shot to write and perform the songs the wanted to sing.
Billy Joel spent his career singing about the world around him. His lyrics are full of real life experiences. Many times, Joel would use his lyrics to address various social issues as evidenced in “We Didn’t Start The Fire” and “Allentown”. Billy has shared in interviews that one of his most famous songs, “Piano Man”, is about actual people he met as a lounge singer before he was discovered. While Joel’s style has changed throughout the years, his ability to connect with his fans through his lyrics has remained constant. Billy Joel’s popularity was confirmed in the 1980s and 1990s with many awards for his albums. Today, Joel’s popularity continues with a continually sold out crowd at his Madison Square Garden performances many time throughout the year. Billy Joel’s style, music, and lyrics have proven to be timeless.
Billy Joel Archive 