Years In Review

Depending on the time of year, 1974 is either a period of uncertainty in Billy Joel’s career, or the first signposts of the superstardom to come.  He begins the year touring behind the Piano Man record, which ultimately falls off the charts. Record label execs then hurry Billy into the studio to record what he […]

2014 was a renaissance for Billy Joel. It’s almost hard to believe, given all the time he’s spent in the spotlight a decade later. But, he’d been relatively quiet in the late aughts and early 2010s. That made the flurry of activity this year all the more surprising.

1993 was both the kickoff to a new album cycle and the end of an era for Billy Joel. River of Dreams came out in August, and was certified three times platinum by the end of the year. It was preceded by what was now a well-oiled publicity machine, and followed immediately by a world

In 2015, Billy Joel wasn’t just selling out shows. He was making headlines across the nation. His songwriting was praised by everyone from George Gershwin to Snoop Dogg. He made an unexpected festival appearance, and journalists were diving into his history, introducing him to a brand new generation of fans. It’s almost hard to believe

1989 was a high water mark for Billy Joel’s career. He released another chart-topping album, Storm Front, and its number-one hit “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” That single also found a home in history classrooms around the United States – a feat fitting for someone who once aspired to be a teacher. But the events

Even when looking at five decades of songwriting, album releases and concerts, 1978 stands as arguably the busiest, most successful, and most defining year of Billy Joel’s career. The year began with the smash hit album The Stranger still racing up the charts after its release the previous fall.  12 months later, Billy would wrap

1969 should have been the year Billy Joel broke through. Today, we know it would be another few years before his solo career began, and a few more after that until things really took off.  Instead, the end of the decade saw his longtime band put out a second album that went nowhere. Then, the

For Billy Joel, or at least his record label, 1997 seems to be a year of acknowledgement. It had been four years since his last album, and since then Billy had been telling anyone who’d listen that he was finished writing pop songs.  Now, it seemed like Columbia Records was ready to accept that –

The Stranger made Billy Joel a superstar back in 1977. Three years later, his career really launched into overdrive. In 1980, Billy was still reaping the benefits of two Grammy-Award winning albums. In March, he took his next step forward by releasing Glass Houses. That album would become a smash hit with a leaner sound

Pardon the pun, but for Billy Joel, 1988 was the calm before the storm.  Billy and the band had just come off an exhausting, groundbreaking two-year tour that saw them on four continents. And, they capped it all off with a historic run of six shows in the now-former USSR. Billy was the first pop

Apart from the botched release of Cold Spring Harbor, 1971 was a surprisingly low-key year for Billy Joel. His teenage band collapsed a few years before. And the proto-metal power duo that rose from its ashes failed to gain any traction.  Broke, depressed, and aimless, Billy was ready to leave the music industry for good.

WIlliam Martin Joel had released three solo albums by the beginning of 1976. In many ways, however, that was the year he became the Billy we all know today.  It was the year he recorded and released Turnstiles, finally winning his battle with CBS records to cut an album with his touring band. That band,

They say it’s always darkest before the dawn. If that’s true, then the sun rose for Billy Joel in 1983. That’s not to say things were bleak before then. But the past year or so carried a more somber tone. In 1982, Billy was in a bad motorcycle accident that left his hands severely injured for

The year was 2003 and once again, Billy was at a crossroads. He mounted a shorter Face To Face tour with Elton John before taking one of the longest hiatuses of his career which would stretch into the end of 2005. Michael & Jack chronicle a year in which saw depression, Billy vocally discussing retiring,

The year was 1994 and Billy Joel is a few months into his hugely successful River of Dreams Tour. Michael & Jack look back at this year in review which proved to be a pivotal year for Billy as he wrapped up support for his final studio album, launched the first incarnation of the hugely