Billy Joel

Approval Rate: 84%

84%Approval ratio

Reviews 49

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  • by

    spike65

    Wed Oct 08 2008

    Five stars for his work up until he hooked up with Christie Brinkley. After that he tried too hard to be relevant for the younger audiences.

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    marcelina

    Fri Aug 29 2008

    can barely stand the time until the music is over

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    irishgit

    Mon Aug 11 2008

    Soft. Spongy. Boggy. Swampy. Slushy. All of the above...

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    rivenaervane

    Wed Oct 24 2007

    It's simply impossible not to like Billy Joel. I've come to that conclusion over fifteen years of living and listening to Billy and Elton John (can't have one without the other....) My favorite artist of all time. Because he's God. [/fanboy]

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    conservatism

    Mon Mar 12 2007

    My #2 favorite artist of all time.  My favorite songs of his are "We didn't Start the Fire", "Only the Good Die Young", and "Allentown".Great vocals and mad piano playing skills.

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    celine

    Sun Feb 04 2007

    dear mr joel my name is [email protected] i would sereiously consider re-realsing "Until The Night" fron 52nd Sreet i feel that this would br the perfit time and trullly hit #1 on the charts sincerely celine krziwda reading pa

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    lennythenanny

    Fri Nov 24 2006

    The best singer/songwriter ever. Everybody who rates him with 1 star should be killed. Assholes.

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    djahuti

    Wed Nov 22 2006

    This guy knew what would sell,but he's still a weenie.With one or two exceptions his music is about as Cheesy as possible.

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    alomewandsam

    Sat Oct 07 2006

    I've seen Billy Joel in concert several times. The guy has genuine musical talent not to mention staying power.

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    limpin_trenchfoot

    Wed Aug 02 2006

    There's certainly some piffle here from 5 star givers about BJ being the greatest musican ever blah blah. He's certainly better than most other piano bashers and even has great taste in women. Not my bag but he's ok.

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    doctorrock

    Fri Jul 21 2006

    It's light music, but it's excellent light music.

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    kingguiness

    Tue Jul 11 2006

    His older stuff had more of a NY attitude and swagger but he softened up in later years and became more commercial-adult contemporary. Overall a good talent.

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    x_factor_z

    Mon Jul 10 2006

    Mostly for songs like "Uptown Girl".

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    ryanmcsh

    Sun Jun 11 2006

    How can you give him anything but 5 stars. Anyone who doesn't should just say they dont like light rock. He is one of the greatest song writers of our time, and should be honored as such.

  • by

    foxracer693

    Fri Apr 14 2006

    shut the FUCK up your allinmysoul and all you other drug addicts.

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    yourinmysoul

    Sat Mar 04 2006

    besides being extremely talented both instrumentally(great piano player, and could simultaniously play harmonica), and vocally..most importantly, he wrote alot of great songs both lyrically and instrumentally. he's one of those artists who you could say, wrote songs that were important in both the musical world and the social/political world. songs like allentown and downeaster alexa helped bring attention to important issues, and lenningrad is a great song about the foolishness and end of the cold war. alot of people don't even know these songs, which is kind of a shame. close to the borderline, off of his glass houses album, is another great song in the social/political arena, and as much as any song hes ever written, really applies right now. summer, highland falls..one of his lesser known songs, is a brilliant song lyrically and musically, especially the live version. he wrote some great love songs(someone mentioned "shes got a way" and the vastly underplayed "this is the time", wh... Read more

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    oscargamblesfr_o

    Mon Dec 05 2005

    He had some decent enough cuts in the 70's, but he tends to be very ham-fisted, pompous, and he is quick, or was quick rather, to jump on the bandwagon and try to follow, like a bloodhound, whatever trend was currently in favor. He's a good piano player, I'll grant you that, but he puts on airs, has an inflated sense of his own importance, often writes sophomoric lyrics, and should not be seen as comparable in any sense to the guys he has frankly ripped off at various points: Elton John, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, etc. I have a cd of his 60's band, the Long Island act The Hassles, and that stuff is some of the worst trash I've ever heard from that period, and I am a LOT kinder to the stuff from that era than most, so any hope that he might have started out ok, like other later shlockmeisters did, is out the window. If Mark Twain was living today and a music writer, he would write about "The Musical Offences of William Joel" instead of "The Literary Offences of James Fenimore... Read more

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    pac1494e

    Fri Apr 15 2005

    Billy Joel's music is cool. Interesting mellow hits to rock hits. I like these songs the best: Piano Man (The way it's arranged)Allentown (The sound effects he makes in the song),Matter of Trust(The song period),Always A Woman To Me(nice and mellow),She's Got A Way(nice piano work) For The Longest Time (The various voices in that one) , Don't Ask Me Why (Cool song) He has a way to paint pictures with his songs. Oh my, there's even River Of Dreams and Just The Way You Are. Cool artist.

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    raveekumarsr

    Fri Apr 01 2005

    Billy is the best musician in this century. No one can equal to him. Coz he is the only best singer, Song Writer and Best Piano Player. When his release of Piano Man he compared to Beethovan and Chopin. No one can get that regard. I like his songs Piano Man, Honesty, Italian Restaurant and we didnt start fire. Billy is the best.

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    sally_b

    Mon Feb 14 2005

    He can really sing, and the piano playing is wonderful.

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    skizero

    Mon Feb 14 2005

    ok, i give him three. Joel has a few decent singles(mostly in the 1970s) and a couple of reputable albums (glass houses and Innocent Man), but mostly his has been a career of light music disguised as Rock. maybe if Billy Joel embraced his schmaltziness the way elton John did, i'd have more respect for the guy. i dont know. he still would've written We didn't start the fire

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    sfalconer

    Mon Feb 14 2005

    A great song writer and story teller that can rock with the best. I love Pressure and Allen Town.

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    edt4226d

    Thu Jan 20 2005

    I suppose you could say, depending on what genre of music you like, that Billy Joel had a certain talent for songwriting. I suppose, but then I've never been a particular fan of his genre. It used to infuriate me in the late 70's that they used to try to pass off his stuff as Rock Music. This is anti-rock. I'd rather have my teeth pulled out one by one than have to listen to Piano Man ever again.

  • by

    chalky

    Fri Oct 08 2004

    Billy Joel SUCKS..... If I had the chance, I would like to put a stamp on the Piano Man and send him to Antarctica.

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    billyjoelanti_christ

    Wed Sep 29 2004

    Billy Joel is unequivocally the worst artist of the past fifty years. I credit him for much of world's violence, actually, as each time I am forced to hear any of his fake-ass, real New York wannabe, Paul McCartney wannabe ultrashlock for souless Long Island housewives I want to smash the hell out of things. That Movin Out song has caused me to stab myself multiple times...the part where the motorcyle noise comes in...oh my good lord this is awful...please make it stop. This is a man who pronounces words with perfect diction and claims to be a real rocker whose big influence is Jimi Hendrix. No one in the last fifty years equals his ratio between popularity and schlock with the possible exception of Dave Matthews. I doubt there is one Billy Joel fan out there who should be left alive should I become world dictator. And what makes it worse is that this guy actually thinks he has something to do with rock and roll...

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    lanceroxas

    Mon Sep 06 2004

    I love the lyrics to Angry Young Man, The Stranger and Piano Man. He doesn't do bad with the women either. Gets extra points for sharing my birthday.

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    maccadarren

    Wed Feb 11 2004

    Amazing musician. I hate the way Billy is panned by some. No one has ever been more popular without icon-sized hype. My favorite Joel record is his first, Cold Spring Harbor, which sold about 10 copies when it was first released.

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    peoriaaz

    Thu Oct 30 2003

    Anyone that would have an accordian in a song, marry a gold digging supermodel and put her in a video (Uptown Girl) or stll wear Wayfarers in 2003 only gets 1 star. Kudos, though, for his taste in real estate, Montauk is awesome!

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    virilevagabond

    Mon Oct 27 2003

    In my opinion, Billy Joel is both overrated and underrated as an artist. He is overrated in that some of his more successful singles are sophomorish and uninspired; however, he is underrated as many only judge Joel by his more familiar work and discount his songwriting. An example of the latter was provided by Joel early on with "She's Got A Way" as the lead off track from his debut "Cold Spring Harbor" (1971) (as evidenced by one of the kings of cool, Isaac Hayes, choosing to cover this song). Joel followed with the effort which was the genesis of his given handle, "Piano Man" (1973), which not only featured Joel's signature title-track but the underrated "Captain Jack," songs largely that generally dealt with everyday life as opposed to unrequited love. Nevertheless, Joel's first four releases are best sampled via a compilation (eg the aforementioned tracks and the singles "The Entertainer," "Say Goodbye To Hollywood," and "New York State Of Mind"). He hit his artistic peak with... Read more

  • by

    stanuzbeck

    Wed Sep 03 2003

    Billy Joel is very talented and has good songwriting skills and a sense of melody, but to earn 4 or 5 stars from me, I actually have to like his songs, and I don't. So he gets 3 stars.

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    hermanbordis

    Thu Aug 28 2003

    The worst musician in the world. He didnt go to high school and says bad words now thats not a roll model.hes a big loser

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    moosekarloff

    Mon Aug 18 2003

    Another one who started off well, ran out of gas early, and coasted for the next quarter of a century on his celebrity rather than his talent. Wrote a pile of crap after, say, 1978: like "My Life," "Big Shot," "Uptown Girl, "Still Rock and Roll to Me," "For The Longest Time," all of which should have been written on toilet paper. Total garbage, all of it. "We Didn't Start The Fire" was a total rip-off of earlier songs by Dylan, and to a lesser extent, Paul Simon. He was a fine piano player until he smashed his hand in a motorcycle accident, the stupid schmuck, and hasn't been the same since, the turd. Extremely overrated. Bland, unchallenging and muzak-like 3/4 of the time.

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    itsallrightwit_hme

    Thu Jul 24 2003

    What can i say, Billy Joel has the total package: amazing singer, inspirational songwriter, dynamic stage presence, lasting fame, great sense of humor, the list goes on! He'll go down as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

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    rubato

    Wed Jul 23 2003

    Billy is the best!

  • by

    borges

    Mon Jul 21 2003

    This guy has written more standards then any songwriter of his generation. Very talented. But currently wasting his talent on 'serious' music. As if being a great songwriter wasn't good enough.

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    snlgirl

    Sun Jun 22 2003

    I really like Billy Joel. My favorite song is Piano Man. I used to hate him when I was a kid, but now I really love his music.

  • by

    mydreams22

    Sun Jun 15 2003

    Billy Joel is awsome! That person that said he sucks, well you're wrong. Talent is talent... anyone who can suceed in the music industry that long has got pure unflinching talent. Billy Joel deserves to be recognized in the Rock and Roll hall of fame... undoubtedly! A lot of credit also goes to his band, the piano isnt the only thing that makes his music great. Lib is an awsome drummer! And the sax player, its amazing the music these people make. P.S. if you don't like Billy Joel, it's pointless to post on a site dedicated to him! Go post on John Lennon's site then!

  • by

    media_mogul

    Sat Jun 14 2003

    Certainly better than the Bangles. He is a real musician for gosh sakes.

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    jasonluver

    Thu Jun 12 2003

    He is my all time favorite artist. firstr off, he writes ALL of the lyrics and music for his songs. I think, along with many others, that And So It Goes is the best written song of all time. It's beautiful. He did The Essentail Billy Joel and when I got that, I havn't stopped listening to it. There are only to songs that I skip and that is Captain Jack and River of Dreams. The rest are wonderful and he amazes me everytime. No one will ever beat Billy Joel in my mind.

  • by

    rebelyell1861

    Tue Jun 03 2003

    He's talented but his music just doesn't appeal to me.

  • by

    sgrant

    Mon Jun 02 2003

    FINE MUSICIAN---GREAT SONGS. HE'LL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS ONE OF THE GREAT ONES.

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    president_x_d

    Mon May 19 2003

    I'm not very big on "popular" music, but I can recognize talent when I hear it. Billy Joel has pheonominal songwriting skills and has written many chart-topping songs, each from a slightly different angle. He seems to be a very mature songwriter, and secure in his talents. His singing voice is strong, confident and never less than masculine. I've seen him on television performing a live studio show or two, and he is quite witty and charming as well as intelligent.

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    etilbury

    Fri Apr 25 2003

    mr piano man was very good on glass house

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    tritonagain

    Tue Apr 08 2003

    This soul-less arrogant buffoon started out horrible, then got worse. Unbelievably bad.

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    nystateofmind

    Sun Mar 23 2003

    I think I loved Billy Joel soon after I was born. LOL Best music ever.

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    sktmps

    Sat Mar 22 2003

    on tour with EJ he is great solo not quite but still good!

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    crimson_and_cl_over

    Wed Feb 12 2003

    great on the piano

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    lc676168

    Thu Jan 30 2003

    I've liked Billy Joel ever since I heard my father's reel-to-reel copy of 52nd Street. Crank up such classics as "Innocent Man," "Only the Good Die Young," "Tell Her About It," or any of the other gems on his three CD's of greatest hits, and you'll know that the man can belt out a tune that'll bring the house down. Maybe it's just me, but I've always thought that Billy Joel's music is very "New York." I grew up in northern New Jersey in the shadow of NYC, so Billy Joel's sound is for me a touch of home.

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    nickdanger

    Tue Jan 28 2003

    Is it just me, or was "Piano Man," Joel's first big hit, the most insufferably narcissistic pop tune ever to hit the charts (at least until the Rap movement turned braggadocio into an art form)? Listen to the lyric -- supposedly describing all the characters he sees in this bar, it's really all about him, and the people are important only for their response to him: "The manager gives me a smile", "'Man what are you doin' here?'" I think his narcissism and superior attitude infect much of his work (notably "Keepin' the Faith"). He's good at what he does, but lacks a likeable persona.