{"id":3246,"date":"2024-02-17T08:34:26","date_gmt":"2024-02-17T08:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/?p=3246"},"modified":"2024-02-17T08:34:26","modified_gmt":"2024-02-17T08:34:26","slug":"why-is-billy-joel-so-famous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/why-is-billy-joel-so-famous\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is Billy Joel so famous?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Billy Joel is one of the most successful and influential singers, pianists, and songwriters of all time. He has sold over 160 million records worldwide, won six Grammy Awards, and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is best known for his hit songs such as \u201cPiano Man\u201d, \u201cJust the Way You Are\u201d, \u201cUptown Girl\u201d, and \u201cWe Didn\u2019t Start the Fire\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2>How did Billy Joel start his music career?<\/h2>\n<p>Billy Joel was born in 1949 in the Bronx, New York, to a German Jewish immigrant father and an English mother. He grew up in Hicksville, Long Island, where he learned to play the piano at his mother\u2019s insistence.<\/p>\n<p>He developed a passion for rock and soul music, and started playing in bands when he was 14 years old. He dropped out of high school to pursue a music career, and joined the rock and blue-eyed soul group The Hassles in the late 1960s. He also formed a heavy metal duo called Attila, but both projects were short-lived and unsuccessful.<\/p>\n<p>In 1971, Joel signed a solo record deal with Family Productions, and released his debut album Cold Spring Harbor. However, the album was poorly produced and did not gain much attention. Joel moved to Los Angeles, where he performed under a pseudonym in a local piano bar.<\/p>\n<p>There, he caught the attention of Columbia Records, who offered him a new contract and helped him get out of his previous deal. Joel\u2019s second album, Piano Man, was released in 1973, and featured the title track, which became his signature song and his first hit single.<\/p>\n<h2>What are some of Billy Joel\u2019s most popular albums and songs?<\/h2>\n<p>Joel\u2019s career took off in the 1970s and 1980s, when he released a series of critically and commercially acclaimed albums that showcased his diverse musical styles and influences. Some of his most popular albums and songs include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Stranger (1977): This album was Joel\u2019s breakthrough, selling over 10 million copies and spawning several hit singles, such as \u201cJust the Way You Are\u201d, \u201cMovin\u2019 Out (Anthony\u2019s Song)\u201d, \u201cOnly the Good Die Young\u201d, and \u201cShe\u2019s Always a Woman\u201d. The album also featured \u201cScenes from an Italian Restaurant\u201d, a seven-minute epic that is considered one of Joel\u2019s masterpieces.<\/li>\n<li>52nd Street (1978): This album was Joel\u2019s first to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. It contained the hits \u201cMy Life\u201d, \u201cBig Shot\u201d, and \u201cHonesty\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>Glass Houses (1980): This album was Joel\u2019s attempt to establish himself as a rock artist, and featured the songs \u201cIt\u2019s Still Rock and Roll to Me\u201d, \u201cYou May Be Right\u201d, \u201cDon\u2019t Ask Me Why\u201d, and \u201cSometimes a Fantasy\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>The Nylon Curtain (1982): This album was Joel\u2019s most ambitious and personal work, dealing with themes such as the American dream, the Vietnam War, and the assassination of John Lennon. It included the songs \u201cAllentown\u201d, \u201cGoodnight Saigon\u201d, and \u201cPressure\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>An Innocent Man (1983): This album was a tribute to the music of Joel\u2019s youth, such as doo-wop, soul, and Motown. It produced the hits \u201cUptown Girl\u201d, \u201cTell Her About It\u201d, \u201cThe Longest Time\u201d, and \u201cAn Innocent Man\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>The Bridge (1986): This album was a transition from Joel\u2019s pop-rock sound to a more sophisticated and diverse style. It featured the songs \u201cA Matter of Trust\u201d, \u201cModern Woman\u201d, \u201cThis Is the Time\u201d, and \u201cBaby Grand\u201d, a duet with Ray Charles.<\/li>\n<li>Storm Front (1989): This album was Joel\u2019s last to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and contained the songs \u201cWe Didn\u2019t Start the Fire\u201d, a historical summary of the events from 1949 to 1989, \u201cI Go to Extremes\u201d, \u201cLeningrad\u201d, and \u201cThe Downeaster Alexa\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>River of Dreams (1993): This album was Joel\u2019s last studio album of pop music, and included the songs \u201cThe River of Dreams\u201d, \u201cAll About Soul\u201d, \u201cNo Man\u2019s Land\u201d, and \u201cLullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)\u201d, a lullaby for his daughter Alexa Ray.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What else has Billy Joel done in his music career?<\/h2>\n<p>Besides his pop music albums, Joel has also explored other genres and projects in his music career. Some of them are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fantasies &amp; Delusions (2001): This album was Joel\u2019s first and only album of classical music compositions, performed by pianist Richard Joo. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Classical chart, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album.<\/li>\n<li>Movin\u2019 Out (2002): This was a Broadway musical based on Joel\u2019s songs, with choreography by Twyla Tharp. The musical won two Tony Awards, and Joel received a special Tony Award for his contribution to the show.<\/li>\n<li>12 Gardens Live (2006): This was a live album recorded during Joel\u2019s 12 sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden in 2006, which set a record for the longest run of a single artist at the venue.<\/li>\n<li>The Last Play at Shea (2010): This was a documentary film and live album that captured Joel\u2019s final concerts at Shea Stadium in 2008, before the stadium was demolished. The film featured guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, and others.<\/li>\n<li>Billy Joel in Concert (2014\u2013present): This is an ongoing concert residency by Joel at Madison Square Garden, where he performs one show per month. The residency began in January 2014, and has been extended indefinitely due to popular demand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Billy Joel is a legendary musician who has left a lasting mark on the music industry and culture. He has written and performed some of the most memorable and beloved songs of all time, and has won numerous awards and honors for his achievements. He has also experimented with different musical genres and formats, and has continued to perform live for his loyal fans. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters and performers of his generation, and a true icon of American music.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Billy Joel is one of the most successful and influential singers, pianists, and songwriters of all time. He has sold over 160 million records worldwide, won six Grammy Awards, and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is best known for his hit songs such &#8230; <a title=\"Why is Billy Joel so famous?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/why-is-billy-joel-so-famous\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Why is Billy Joel so famous?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3246"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3246"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3249,"href":"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3246\/revisions\/3249"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expotimesonline.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}