Billy Joel: The Stranger

There’s nothing quite like a memorable voice accompanied by 88 keys. It’s a potent pairing that still, after hundreds of years, fascinates millions of listeners around the world. It has a sense of magic to it; one that can comfortably keep an audience captivated for hours. Billy Joel has that power – making him one of the highest ranked piano players we’ve had the pleasure of listening to today. Crowned one of rock n’ roll’s most talented musicians and accomplished songwriters; Joel’s love for rhythm and blues, extensive classical training and sophisticated approach to rock and roll music has made him the absolute legend we know and love today.

From romantic ballads to sensational hard-rocking material, Joel has dabbled in a variety of different musical flavors mastering each in his own unique way. Excelling brilliantly on both the microphone and keys, there’s a spirit in Joel’s music that is contagious, breathtaking and magnificent. And with his essential musical cuts like Piano Man, Only the Good Die Young, Just the Way You Are, It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me, We Didn’t Start the Fire and She’s Always a Woman… how could you possibly go wrong?

Billy Joel’s 1977 album The Stranger is a staple to every music enthusiast’s collection. Really tapping into Joel’s strengths as a narrative lyrical writer, the album expanded his repertoire and assembled some of his most memorable, creative and accessible hits into the one classic record.

Ranking number 70 on Rolling Stones’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, The Stranger features some of Joel’s most perfectly constructed work which secured him as a timeless singer-songwriter star. Switching consistently between heart-tugging ballads and killer-melody rock themes, the album created a beautiful balance through moods. It cemented a perfect mix of blues, jazz, rock and pop music – a mix that works its magic best listening to the album in all it’s entirety.