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Recorded within the span of 3 weeks, ''The Stranger'' came out a year following Joel's previous studio effort, ''[[Turnstiles (album)|Turnstiles]]'', which had sold modestly and peaked low on the US charts, prompting Columbia to consider dropping Joel if his next release didn't sell well. Joel wanted the album to feature his newly-formed band, which had come together during the production of ''Turnstiles'' through his road show tour. Seeking out a new producer, he first turned to veteran [[Beatles]] producer [[George Martin]] before coming across and settling on Ramone, whose name he had seen on albums by other artists such as [[Paul Simon]].
Recorded within the span of 3 weeks, ''The Stranger'' came out a year following Joel's previous studio effort, ''[[Turnstiles (album)|Turnstiles]]'', which had sold modestly and peaked low on the US charts, prompting Columbia to consider dropping Joel if his next release didn't sell well. Joel wanted the album to feature his newly-formed band, which had come together during the production of ''Turnstiles'' through his road show tour. Seeking out a new producer, he first turned to veteran [[Beatles]] producer [[George Martin]] before coming across and settling on Ramone, whose name he had seen on albums by other artists such as [[Paul Simon]].


Spending six weeks at {{thinspace|No.| 2}} on the [[Billboard 200|US ''Billboard'' 200]], ''The Stranger'' is considered Joel's critical and commercial breakthrough. Four singles were released in the US, all of which became Top 40 hits on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] charts, including [[Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)]] and [[She's Always A Woman]] (both no. 17). "[[Just the Way You Are (Billy Joel song)|Just the Way You Are]]", the album's breakthrough single which was inspired by Joel's wife at the time, [[Elizabeth Weber]], peaked at No. 3, aided by a performance on an episode [[Saturday Night Live]] and 2 [[Grammy]] awards in 1978 for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. "[[Only the Good Die Young]]", a song about a boy coming on to a Catholic woman, initially sold poorly but received a performance boost following apparent controversy surrounding the lyrics' subject matter, and ultimately peaked at 24 on the US charts. Other songs from the album, such as "[[Scenes from an Italian Restaurant]]" and "[[Vienna (Billy Joel song)|Vienna]]", have become staple songs of his career and are frequently performed in his live shows. Considered his [[Masterpiece|magnum opus]], it remains his best-selling non-compilation album to date, and was ranked at {{thinspace|No.| 70}} on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s list of the [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 greatest albums of all time]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/billy-joel-the-stranger-20120524|title=Billy Joel, 'The Stranger'|work=Rolling Stone}}</ref>
Spending six weeks at {{thinspace|No.| 2}} on the [[Billboard 200|US ''Billboard'' 200]], ''The Stranger'' is considered Joel's critical and commercial breakthrough. Four singles were released in the US, all of which became Top 40 hits on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] charts, including [[Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)]] and [[She's Always A Woman]] (both no. 17). "[[Just the Way You Are (Billy Joel song)|Just the Way You Are]]", the album's breakthrough single which was inspired by Joel's wife at the time, Elizabeth Weber, peaked at No. 3, aided by a performance on an episode [[Saturday Night Live]] and 2 [[Grammy]] awards in 1978 for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. "[[Only the Good Die Young]]", a song about a boy coming on to a Catholic woman, initially sold poorly but received a performance boost following apparent controversy surrounding the lyrics' subject matter, and ultimately peaked at 24 on the US charts. Other songs from the album, such as "[[Scenes from an Italian Restaurant]]" and "[[Vienna (Billy Joel song)|Vienna]]", have become staple songs of his career and are frequently performed in his live shows. Considered his [[Masterpiece|magnum opus]], it remains his best-selling non-compilation album to date, and was ranked at {{thinspace|No.| 70}} on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s list of the [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 greatest albums of all time]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/billy-joel-the-stranger-20120524|title=Billy Joel, 'The Stranger'|work=Rolling Stone}}</ref>


In 2017, to celebrate the album's 40th anniversary, a picture-disc vinyl rerelease of ''The Stranger'' with newly-remastered audio was released by Brookville Records on October 20th.<ref>https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/billy-joel-s-the-stranger-gets-vinyl-picture-disc-revamp-by-brookvale-records-1.14220507</ref>
In 2017, to celebrate the album's 40th anniversary, a picture-disc vinyl rerelease of ''The Stranger'' with newly-remastered audio was released by Brookville Records on October 20th.<ref>https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/billy-joel-s-the-stranger-gets-vinyl-picture-disc-revamp-by-brookvale-records-1.14220507</ref>

Revision as of 00:35, 12 November 2018

The Stranger
Studio album by
Billy Joel
ReleasedSeptember 29, 1977
RecordedJuly–August 1977
StudioA&R Recording, Inc., New York City
Genre
Length42:34
LabelColumbia
ProducerPhil Ramone
Billy Joel chronology
Turnstiles
(1976) 		The Stranger
(1977) 		52nd Street
(1978)
Singles from The Stranger
  1. "Just the Way You Are"
    Released: September 1977
  2. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"
    Released: November 1, 1977
  3. "Only the Good Die Young"
    Released: 1977
  4. "Vienna/She's Always a Woman"
    Released: 1977
  5. "The Stranger"
    Released: May 21, 1978 (Japan only)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
American Songwriter[2]
Blender[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Record Collector[5]
Rolling Stone[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]
Slant Magazine[8]
Uncut[9]
The Village VoiceB−[10]

The Stranger is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Billy Joel, released on September 29, 1977 by Columbia Records. It was the first of Joel's albums to be produced by Phil Ramone, whom he would go on to work with for all of his albums up until his 1986 album, The Bridge.[11]

Recorded within the span of 3 weeks, The Stranger came out a year following Joel's previous studio effort, Turnstiles, which had sold modestly and peaked low on the US charts, prompting Columbia to consider dropping Joel if his next release didn't sell well. Joel wanted the album to feature his newly-formed band, which had come together during the production of Turnstiles through his road show tour. Seeking out a new producer, he first turned to veteran Beatles producer George Martin before coming across and settling on Ramone, whose name he had seen on albums by other artists such as Paul Simon.

Spending six weeks at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200, The Stranger is considered Joel's critical and commercial breakthrough. Four singles were released in the US, all of which became Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, including Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) and She's Always A Woman (both no. 17). "Just the Way You Are", the album's breakthrough single which was inspired by Joel's wife at the time, Elizabeth Weber, peaked at No. 3, aided by a performance on an episode Saturday Night Live and 2 Grammy awards in 1978 for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. "Only the Good Die Young", a song about a boy coming on to a Catholic woman, initially sold poorly but received a performance boost following apparent controversy surrounding the lyrics' subject matter, and ultimately peaked at 24 on the US charts. Other songs from the album, such as "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and "Vienna", have become staple songs of his career and are frequently performed in his live shows. Considered his magnum opus, it remains his best-selling non-compilation album to date, and was ranked at No. 70 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[12]

In 2017, to celebrate the album's 40th anniversary, a picture-disc vinyl rerelease of The Stranger with newly-remastered audio was released by Brookville Records on October 20th.[13]

Background

Prior to The Stranger, Billy Joel was on the verge of being dropped by his record label, Columbia Records. Despite the unexpected success of Joel's 2nd album, Piano Man, his album efforts had nonetheless failed to reach any impressive sales numbers, with the 1976 release Turnstiles, Joel's latest release, peaking at only 122 on the Billboard 200 charts, meaning that Joel was under the threat of being dropped if his next release didn't do well.[14]

By 1976, Joel had formed a reliable touring band consisting of Doug Stegmeyer on bass, Liberty DeVitto on drums and Richie Cannata on saxophone, flute, clarinet and organ. Joel grew to heavily appreciate this group of musicians, finding that they had a high-energy, rough-around-the-edges feel that Joel hoped to capture in his studio albums. During the production of Turnstiles, Joel had tried working with veteran producer Jim Guercio, who tried to have him work with members of Elton John's band, but was dissatisfied with the results, instead opting to self-produce the album using the same band that he had formed while touring. With a handful of new written material,[15] Joel wanted to use his touring band in the studio for his next album as he had done on Turnstiles, so he sought out a new producer who would be able to cultivate the style that he was looking for. Joel initially looked to famed Beatles producer George Martin; as a long-time fan of The Beatles, he wanted him to produce his new record. Martin showed interest after the two had met, but did not want to use Joel's band, wishing instead to bring in session players. Joel, who had worked with session players for his first three albums and strongly disliked the polished sound that they gave off as a result, was adamant in making use of his newly-formed band, and ultimately declined. Ultimately, Joel turned to Phil Ramone, a veteran New York City sound engineer and record producer who had recently worked with Paul Simon, another singer-songwriter, on the album Still Crazy After All These Years. According to Joel, he and Ramone met with each other at Fontana di Trevi, an Italian restaurant located near Carnegie Hall where Joel had been playing at the time. The restaurant would eventually go on to inspire the setting of Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, a song on The Stranger. Ramone expressed an appreciation for Joel's band and their energy, and understood the reasoning behind Joel's attitude towards recording, according to Joel, which ultimately led him to choose Ramone as the producer for his next album.[15][16]

Despite Joel having a consistent band of his own, the songs on The Stranger didn't feature any consistent guitarists, with different players instead playing in each song.[15]

Production and Recording

"Just The Way You Are"
Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are" from The Stranger. The song contains lyrics inspired by Elizabeth Weber, Joel's wife at the time.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The recording sessions for The Stranger, described by Joel as "a blast" to be a part of,[17] took place across the short span of three weeks in between July and August 1977.[18] The album contains nine songs, four of which were released as singles in North America. Songwriting on "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," "She's Always a Woman," "Just the Way You Are," "Everybody Has a Dream," and "Only the Good Die Young" was completed before recording, while "Vienna," "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," "The Stranger," and "Get It Right the First Time," which originated as short tunes or musical fragments, were completed in the studio. The songs were all recorded with Joel alongside his band which he had formed while touring, in addition to various other musicians who were brought into the studio for specific songs.[16] The photograph on the back cover of the album, featuring Joel, Ramone (donning a Yankees shirt at the time of the picture) and each of the band members, was taken at the Supreme Macaroni Company, one of several restaurants where the group would go to "have these crazy lunches and dinners."[16]

Lyrically, the album's approach is decidedly narrative; each song tells a different story. The opening song, "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," centers around Anthony, a grocery-store employee from Long Island who "dreams of making it big," receiving pressure from his family to move out and go his own way.[19] Joel stated in a Q&A session that he initially wrote the song's lyrics to the tune of the song "Laughter in the Rain by Neil Sedaka, doing so without even realizing the similarity until it was pointed out the next day by drummer Liberty Devitto. Not wanting to waste all of the words he had come up with, Joel rewrote the song, coming up with a new melody that fit with the lyrics.[20] The album's title track, according to Joel, was written by him without any core themes in mind and could be open up to interpretation, though he stated that it could be seen as a song about a man with schizophrenia. While composing the song, Joel whistled the track's signature theme for Ramone, claiming that he (Joel) needed to find an instrument to play it. Ramone told Joel that the whistling he did was perfect, and thus it was kept in the final recording.[19] According to Joel in an interview with The Today Show, the percussive rhythm used in the song came about while he was toying around with an Ace Tone Rhythm Ace drum machine, which contained a drum beat that he heard while scrolling through the machine's library of rhythm tracks. After hearing the beat, he thought that the rhythm would be nice to fool around with, and wrote the song shortly afterwards.[21] [21] "Just the Way You Are" was inspired by Joel's wife at the time, Elizabeth Weber. Joel originally considered keeping the song off the album, as he dismissed it as a "gloppy ballad" that was out-of-place compared to the rest of the album. Ramone disagreed, and brought Linda Ronstadt and Phoebe Snow into the studio to prove that it was worth including. Upon hearing the song, the two artists both praised it, thus convincing him to feature the song.[19] The seven-and-a-half-minute epic "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant", which follows a pair of young lovers from Long Island named Brenda and Eddie who go through a failed marriage, is 3 different, shorter songs- "The Italian Restaurant Song", "Things Are OK in Oyster Bay" and "The Ballad of Brenda and Eddie."[19] Joel stitched the three songs together, inspired by the similar approach taken with side two The Beatles' Abbey Road.[22]

The song "Vienna", which opens up the album's b-side, got inspiration from Joel's trip to Vienna, Austria, where he went a few years after starting his career in musicianship to visit his father. While there, he found that Austrians had a vastly different outlook on life than the one he was familiar with in America. As he recalls, Joel had this realization after taking notice of an old woman sweeping out on the city streets, telling his father that he pitied the woman for having to do such a menial and unimportant task; Joel's father responded by lamenting that the woman was giving herself a sense of worth by doing a service that helped everyone rather than "sitting at home wasting away."[19] "Only The Good Die Young," which is sung from the point-of-view of a boy trying to appeal to an abstinent Catholic woman, was inspired by a girl named Virginia Davis who Joel had a crush on in high school. According to Joel, he saw Davis looking at him while he was playing in his high school band, The Echoes, which was the event that had him "completely hooked" to the prospect of being a musician.[16] "Only The Good Die Young" was initially recorded as a reggae-styled tune, with Joel even singing the song's lyrics in a Jamaican accent. The mood of the song was shifted at the insistence of drummer Liberty Devitto, who reportedly said to Joel "Why are you singing like that? The closest you've been to Jamaica was the Long Island Rail Road!" Ramone suggested that the song be played as a straight-four piece while Devitto played a shuffle beat, a proposition which Joel found he enjoyed the sound of despite the concept initially seeming "odd and clunky." The song featured guitar playing by Hugh McCraken, a famous session player who Ramone brought in.[16] "She's Always a Woman", like "Just the Way You Are," was written about Elizabeth Weber, described by Joel as "a commentary on women in business being persecuted and insulted."[19] The album's final song, "Everybody Has a Dream," a gospel-influenced piece, was also inspired by Joel's wife. The song closes the album out with a reprise of the whistled theme from "The Stranger."[19]

Commercial performance

The Stranger spent 17 weeks in varying positions within Billboard 200 chart's top 10 albums, first entering the bottom position on January 21, 1978 (around four months after its initial release). A month later, on February 18th, the album reached its peak position at number 2 on the chart- only kept from the top spot by the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever- and remained there for six more weeks. The Stranger is one of Joel's best-selling original studio albums to date, achieving a "Diamond" certification for surpassing sales of 10 million units.[23] The album's biggest single, "Just The Way You Are," peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, with its popularity being boosted by two Grammy wins and a live performance of the song in a 1978 episode of Saturday Night Live with Joel as the guest musician.[18] The other three singles were all top 40 hits, with "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" and "She's Always A Woman" both peaking at number 17. While "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" was the first single released for the album, radio stations put little attention towards it, instead expressing interest in "Just the Way You Are"; thus, the latter song was released just six weeks following the debut of "Movin' Out", after which it achieved far larger success. The single for "Movin' Out" was later rereleased, after which it achieved higher success and ultimately became a hit.[24] "Only the Good Die Young," according to Joel, sold poorly when it was first put out as a single; however, following the song's release, Christian groups and archdiocese areas began calling for the song to be banned on several radio stations across the nation. The controversy helped raise the song's popularity, particularly among rebellious youth according to Joel, and the single thus fared much better as a result, ultimately peaking at number 24 in the US singles chart.[23][25]

According to Joel, George Martin wrote him a letter shortly following the massive success of The Stranger that read: "You were right; I was wrong. I should have considered working with your band. Congratulations."[26]

Reception and Legacy

As his breakthrough album, The Stranger kicked off a long string of successful albums, which he would release until 1993's River of Dreams. Ramone would also continue to act as Joel's producer for a number of years, working with him on every one of his albums up through 1986's The Bridge. Singles released from the album include "Just the Way You Are" (which won the Grammy for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year), the acoustic ballad "She's Always A Woman," the mildly controversial "Only the Good Die Young," and "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," which later lent its title to Movin' Out, an acclaimed hit Broadway musical based on Joel's work. This album overtook Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water to become the best-selling album on the Columbia Records imprint at the time.

Many of the songs from the album went on to become staples in Joel's repertoire. Though never released as a single, "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" is a staple of his set of live shows, named by Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield as his equivalent to Bruce Springsteen's Jungleland.[19][27] Joel stated in an interview that "I don't think I could do a show without performing that song."[22]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Billy Joel.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"3:30
2."The Stranger"5:10
3."Just the Way You Are"4:52
4."Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"7:37
Side two
No.TitleLength
5."Vienna"3:34
6."Only the Good Die Young"3:55
7."She's Always a Woman"3:21
8."Get It Right the First Time"3:57
9."Everybody Has a Dream" (LP and cassette include a reprise of "The Stranger", however *the 8-track does not include the reprise)6:38
Total length:42:34

Songs © 1977 except "Everybody Has a Dream" © 1971

8-track tape running order

1: The Stranger - Just The Way You Are

2: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) - Vienna - She's Always A Woman

3: Only The Good Die Young - Scenes From An Italian Restaurant (Part 1)

4: Scenes From An Italian Restaurant (Conclusion) - Get It Right The First Time - Everyone Has A Dream*

30th Anniversary Edition

In July 2008, a special "30th Anniversary Edition" of The Stranger was released. It contains two special editions: a 2-CD Legacy Edition, and a Deluxe Limited Edition (which includes two CDs and a bonus DVD). The limited deluxe edition of The Stranger includes a CD of the original album in its entirety (remastered by producer Phil Ramone), and a second CD of a previously unreleased concert featuring Billy and his band, Live at Carnegie Hall 1977, recorded at the historic Manhattan venue on June 3, 1977, one month before the sessions for The Stranger album. The Deluxe Limited Edition included a DVD showcasing two live promotional videos from The Stranger; and Joel's performance on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test, a seldom-seen sixty-minute set from 1978 that has aired only once on the UK's BBC2. Also included in this box set is a facsimile poster from the 1977 Carnegie Hall concert, and a facsimile notebook that contains copies of rough draft lyrics for many of the songs that appeared on The Stranger.

Live at Carnegie Hall, June 3, 1977 CD

  1. "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" – 5:11
  2. "Prelude/Angry Young Man" – 6:05
  3. "New York State of Mind" – 8:20
  4. "Just the Way You Are" – 4:56
  5. "She's Got a Way" – 3:32
  6. "The Entertainer" – 6:09
  7. "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" – 7:35
  8. "Band Introductions" – 2:02
  9. "Captain Jack" – 6:51
  10. "I've Loved These Days" – 4:29
  11. "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" – 6:45
  12. "Souvenir" – 2:09

Bonus DVD

  • Live Promotional Videos, 1977
  1. "The Stranger"
  2. "Just the Way You Are"
  • The Old Grey Whistle Test on BBC1 (First broadcast March 14, 1978)
  1. "Intro"
  2. "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)"
  3. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"
  4. "New York State of Mind"
  5. "The Entertainer"
  6. "She's Always a Woman"
  7. "Root Beer Rag"
  8. "Just the Way You Are"
  9. "Only the Good Die Young"
  10. "Souvenir"
  11. "Ain't No Crime"
  • 30 Minute Making of The Stranger Documentary

Best Buy exclusive bonus CD (Live at Nassau Coliseum 12/77) (packaged with both the 2-CD Legacy and 2CD/1DVD 30th Anniversary Edition)

  1. "Just the Way You Are"
  2. "Vienna"
  3. "The Ballad of Billy the Kid"
  4. "Get It Right the First Time"
  5. "Summer, Highland Falls"

Target exclusive bonus DVD (packaged with the 2-CD Legacy Edition)

  1. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" (Live from Long Island, New York)
  2. "The Stranger" (Live from Long Island, New York)
  3. "Only the Good Die Young" (Live from Leningrad, Russia)
  4. "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" (Live from Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York City, New York)
  5. "Piano Man" (Live from The River of Dreams Tour)

Online store bonus tracks

  1. "Prelude/Angry Young Man" (Live version) (Version 2) (iTunes Album Only Exclusive Track) – 5:03
  2. "She's Got a Way" (Live Version) (Version 2) (AmazonMP3 Exclusive Track) – 3:42

Personnel

Live at Carnegie Hall June 3, 1977

Charts and certifications

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[45] 5× Platinum 500,000^
France (SNEP)[47] N/A 75,000[46]
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[48] Platinum 15,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[49] Gold 377,000[50][51]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[52] Platinum 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[53] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[54] Diamond 10,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Accolades

Grammy Awards

Year Winner Category
1978 "Just the Way You Are" Record of the Year
1978 "Just the Way You Are" Song of the Year

Release history

Media Release date Publisher Catalog Number
Vinyl LP 09/1977 Columbia JC 34987
Vinyl LP

Australian release

1977 Columbia

(CBS Inc.)

SBP 237057
CD 1st Issue Japan 06/03/1982 CBS/Sony 35-DP-2
Cassette 10/1990 Columbia JCT 34987
CD 1990 Columbia CK-34987
CD Remastered 10/20/1998 Columbia CK 69384
Super Audio CD 07/31/2001 Sony CS 69384
2CD Legacy Edition 07/08/08 Columbia/Legacy 88697 22581 2
2CD/DVD 30th Anniversary Edition 07/08/08 Columbia/Legacy 88697 30801 2
SACD Remastered 2012 Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UDSACD 2089

See also

References

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Stranger – Billy Joel". AllMusic. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  2. ^ Gaar, Gillian G. (September 1, 2008). "Billy Joel > The Stranger". American Songwriter. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  3. ^ Browne, David (May 22, 2007). "Billy Joel: The Stranger". Blender. Archived from the original on January 31, 2010. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-85712-595-8.
  5. ^ Staunton, Terry (September 2008). "Billy Joel – The Stranger: 30th Anniversary Edition". Record Collector (353). Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  6. ^ Rosen, Jody (July 10, 2008). "Billy Joel: The Stranger". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 10, 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  7. ^ Evans, Paul (2004). "Billy Joel". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 434–35. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  8. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (September 4, 2004). "Billy Joel: The Stranger". Slant Magazine. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  9. ^ Torn, Luke (September 2008). "Billy Joel: The Stranger". Uncut (136).
  10. ^ Christgau, Robert (March 27, 1978). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  11. ^ http://ultimateclassicrock.com/billy-joel-the-stranger-album/
  12. ^ "Billy Joel, 'The Stranger'". Rolling Stone.
  13. ^ https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/billy-joel-s-the-stranger-gets-vinyl-picture-disc-revamp-by-brookvale-records-1.14220507
  14. ^ https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7981804/billy-joel-the-stranger-anniversary
  15. ^ a b c billyjoelVEVO (14 November 2011). "Billy Joel - Billy Joel on THE STRANGER - from THE COMPLETE ALBUMS COLLECTION" – via YouTube.
  16. ^ a b c d e https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/billy-joel-pays-tribute-to-phil-ramone-he-was-the-king-183052/
  17. ^ Paiste Cymbals (24 April 2009). "2009 Nigel Olsson and Chuck Burgi interview" – via YouTube.
  18. ^ a b https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/billy-joels-the-stranger-at-40-a-track-by-track-guide-199703/movin-out-anthonys-song-199732/
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/billy-joels-the-stranger-turns-40-a-track-by-track-guide-w505936/the-stranger-w505938
  20. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJOXOT7ae7o
  21. ^ a b Billy Joel- Interview with The Today Show- 1977
  22. ^ a b https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/billy-joel/billy-joel-talks-scenes-from-an-italian-restaurant-i-couldn-t-do-a-show-without-it-1.10695315
  23. ^ a b http://www.947wls.com/2017/09/29/billy-joels-the-stranger-turns-40/
  24. ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=dFwV3oyy6Y8C&pg=PA47&dq=billy+joel+vienna&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2k5yA6d3dAhVJ7YMKHSk2DSQQ6AEILzAB&safe=active&surl=1#v=onepage&q=billy%20joel%20vienna&f=false
  25. ^ http://performingsongwriter.com/only-good-die-young/
  26. ^ "Billy Joel - The Republican interview".
  27. ^ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/billy-joels-garden-residency-begins-with-salty-jokes-and-sing-alongs-235577/
  28. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  29. ^ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 29, No. 2, April 08 1978". RPM. 1978-04-08. Retrieved 2013-09-08. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  30. ^ "dutchcharts.nl Billy Joel - The Stranger". Hung Medien, dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Archived from the original on 2013-12-07. Retrieved 2013-09-08. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on September 10, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-08. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ "Tonlist Top 40". DV. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  33. ^ a b "Hit Parade Italia - Gli album più venduti del 1978" (in Italian). Hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
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  37. ^ "allmusic ((( The Stranger > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
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  41. ^ 1978年アルバム年間ヒットチャート [Japanese Year-End Albums Chart 1978] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
  42. ^ "The Top 50 Albums of 1978". Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  43. ^ "The Top 50 Albums of 1979". Retrieved 4 February 2015.
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  45. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Billy Joel – The Stranger". Music Canada. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
  46. ^ "Les Albums Or". SNEP. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  47. ^ "French album certifications – Billy Joel – 52nd Street" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  48. ^ "IFPIHK Platinum Disc Award − 1981". IFPI Hong Kong.
  49. ^ "RIAJ > The Record > May 1995 > Page 5 > Certified Awards (March 1995)" (PDF). Recording Industry Association of Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2013-09-08.
  50. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  51. ^ "- Yamachan Land (Archives of the Japanese record charts) - Albums Chart Daijiten - Billy Joel" (in Japanese). Archived from a-ビリー・ジョエル the original on September 8, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-08. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  52. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Billy Joel – The Stranger". Recorded Music NZ.
  53. ^ "British album certifications – Billy Joel – The Stranger". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type The Stranger in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  54. ^ "American album certifications – Billy Joel – The Stranger". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 25 July 2012.

External links

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